Need Help With Client Pricing - Suggestions Please

adbot · May 4, 2011

I just landed a pretty big SEO Client. We sealed the deal on my consulting fees (a strong 4 figures monthly), but they have asked me to give them a price on "maintaining their website" for the year. I am not even sure what this should entail really, much less what to charge. I do want the extra cash though and these guys are willing to shell out. I need to make them a separate proposal for the website maintenance. Any suggestions as to what I should include and what I should charge for it? Any help would be much appreciated.

I should also note that I am capable of web design and some coding. I know how to do the stuff just don't know what to include and what to charge. Need to make a nice detailed proposal.

ostermeier · May 4, 2011

What are they asking you do? Just an occasional update or are you adding 50 pages a month?

adbot · May 4, 2011

ostermeier said:
What are they asking you do? Just an occasional update or are you adding 50 pages a month?

The Client is a very large law firm. I couldn't imagine adding too much content, although they do have a blog that several members of the firm write for. There are several hundred lawyers in the firm, each with their own pages but so far as I know those will remain static.

ostermeier · May 4, 2011

If it's a relatively static site, I'd go with $50 per month for 2 hours per month + ?? for each additional hour. Then you throw on an uptime monitoring tool, run backups, etc. Takes, maybe 30 min. month.

Normally, I would just include it with the SEO as a bonus, but if they are asking to pay.

twotones · May 4, 2011

Include it with what they are paying.. Over deliver so they refer you

oxonbeef · May 4, 2011

Find out what exactly "maintaining their website" entails before making any quotes.
Always agree on a scope of work to be carried out before entering into any agreement
especially with a law firm.
Make sure you both have the same expectations in mind.

adbot · May 4, 2011

Yeah they are asking to pay for it, or I would have thrown it in as well. They requested a proposal. Normally I couldn't be bothered with it and would just do the $50 a month thing like you say but Im thinking they will see that as too cheap. i know doesn't make sense but trust me these guys are paying $x,xxx a month for the seo and it is in the mid range, Im not talking 1500 a month. To hit them with a $50 a month proposal would just seem odd.

adbot · May 4, 2011

oxonbeef said:
Find out what exactly "maintaining their website" entails before making any quotes.
Always agree on a scope of work to be carried out before entering into any agreement
especially with a law firm.
Make sure you both have the same expectations in mind.

This is exactly what I want to do. Im really looking for suggestions as to what I could include, how to word it. I want to pad it up and then give them the proposal. Once its agreed we will make a separate contract. The ball is in my court now.

twotones · May 4, 2011

Okay, getting a sense that this is not chump change. My best idea would be this. I am going to assume the range is between 2500-3500..

Charge them an additional $750.00 and tell them you'll maintain all the content, potential server issues, bugs, glitches, etc. That should suffice.

ostermeier · May 4, 2011

It may seem odd, but you have to avoid the appearance of price gouging. I have a lot of mid 4 figure clients who have additional contracts for $20 mo. web hosting. (I do this in case their hosting needs grow.)

As for scope, that's why I suggested a base rate + additional. Most clients don't know what they want, and what they want increases every day.

hateandbreak · May 4, 2011

Obviously you don't want them to pay more then what they already are.

adbot · May 4, 2011

ostermeier said:
It may seem odd, but you have to avoid the appearance of price gouging. I have a lot of mid 4 figure clients who have additional contracts for $20 mo. web hosting. (I do this in case their hosting needs grow.)

As for scope, that's why I suggested a base rate + additional. Most clients don't know what they want, and what they want increases every day.

Yeah that makes sense. A simple base rate and leave myself room to price extras out separately. I like it. Why over complicate things for myself? Thanks.

Cleaner · May 4, 2011

Did you happen to read this post titled: "Steps For New SEO Clients (Check List)"

Btw how much are you getting exactly for the consulting fees?

brent360 · May 4, 2011

Keep in mind that the perceived value of website maintenance and consistent SEO work is very high in the eyes of the vast majority of businesses. (That's not to imply that it isn't genuinely valuable to a client--I mean this in the same way that gold had a very high perceived value to the conquering Spaniards while the locals didn't really care about it that much.) If they're already paying four figures for "consulting" work, you can probably charge an extra 10-20% for "maintaining the site".

Need Help With Client Pricing - Suggestions Please

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