Official guides for pricing

Question

very often we see on (other) forums the following wide question: how much should I charge for making a website?

Well, recently in Brazil a web studios association were made with the most local famous web agencies, and they published a nice pricing guide (covering many different kind of jobs, and with rich descriptions). I won't post link to pdf as of now main due it is on portuguese and has local pricing.

I found this reference useful, despite the pricing question is too subjective and broad to answer.

My question is: does anyone know any other pricing guides from web producers associations or something similar (I'm not referring to a simple spreadsheet)?

Answer 1

The only one I know of is the Graphic Artist’s Guild Handbook (released every year). It covers web design, but I've never looked at it.

Answer 2

There's a lot of information out there, but it's tough to find something really useful, since there's so many variables involved in coming up with a price. When looking around on ideas for my freelancing work, I stumbled across an article on WebpageFX with a "Project Quote Calculator", which gives a decent idea of how that particular company bases their pricing on.

Lucky for me I have a full-time gig as a developer, so if I do any freelance work I will generally make sure that I make at least the same amount as I would with my regular paycheck for the time spent.

Answer 3

IF...

you consider yourself a Creative WebArtist, capable of Discovering New, Unique designs, that fit a customer in a way they feel you have made a original work of art for them, then consider this:

• How Outstanding is the Quality you are providing?

• Is your Quality the same as the Quality that the makers of the Chart provided?

• if so, How does that chart translate into your Region / Currency / acceptance of prices?

• if not, then What do you offer More or Less?

• List YOUR unique POS Point of Selling (why would a clint choose you and not me? and add a little price for every unique good benefit they get from You!

• Retract an honest amount of money for the things you are worse at, or are learning at, or think that others ( who made the chart) are much better than you.

• Add the total up, take a deep breathe, and now you have something which is actually more valuable than a price: you have a unique list of things that CONVINCE a client why they should choose you and not others. 25% higher or lower price will not matter for a professional customer who needs truly your qualities.

  LEGEND: Qualities can be anything: Flexibility, Experience, Charm, Friendlyness, Performance, Price, Honesty, Meeting deadlines, Delivering according to expectations of previous customers, Portfolio list, Client list, Design Style ( = personal and impossable to standardise in a chart ), Your age (if you are 65 years old, i might prefer to give it to someone who is mor elike 45, perhaps), your location, communication skills, size of company, amount of employees and variations of disciplines within your company/network. etc.

As you can see, PRICE is important but to most clients I have met in the past 12 years of my experience, just a small factor, really, and in no way a reference to a standardized chart, on a different country, by different people with different styles.

• Finally: chart what you feel fits your needs (its a good thing to be practical, even as a creative web-artist.

END IF