Asked to make a website?

Have you asked her what she wants in the website? Find out what she wants and you can determine how much time and effort you'll need to put into it. The more complex it is the more you should charge.

Also remember the monthly hosting fees, you can setup your own reseller account so that they pay you instead of paying a hosting company themselves.

As far as pricing goes... I'm not sure how to gauge it. All I can tell you is that my web designer has charged me $300 for simple blog style website (2 weeks to complete) and the most she ever charged me was $800 for a more complex website. Websites can go into the thousands and even more so don't low ball yourself too much.

Do you make websites from scratch or are you going to make something with a wordpress theme or other CMS?

Hey Kinlee thanks for the reply!

I was planning on starting with a theme with adjustments as necessary or start from a general template and work from there.

Since I have low experience I was planning on not charging too much, although I feel like this is an opportunity that I can't pass up but I'm also a bit naive about how pricing goes. I was also confused about how I should do hosting too.

I plan on following up on what she wants on her website as this was a very recent email. Then I can determine how complex the project will be.

I have built a few wordpress sites for clients who have reached out to me after seeing my work. I also didn't have a clue what to charge at first, not wanting to pass up the opportunity, I researched till I came up with something I was comfortable charging given my experience. Here's my average pricing structure, fluctuating according to the client. Most of my clients have been housewife type folks without a lot of capital to blow on getting online.

Since Im not a designer, I only charge $150 to set up a 5 page site.
However, I don't give them log in info to the wordpress since they don't ask for it (I take Powered by WP out of the footer)
I charge them an ADDITIONAL
$18.00 an hour for updating content, adding banners, etc.
$45.00 per additional page

I try to resell graphic design services for logo creation etc.
Then try and sell them my social signals, packages vary in price from $10-$100..

Im losing some cash not reselling hosting (I just have them do this themselves, giving me access to their server) but have read a lot of complaints about it being a hassle so haven't even tried it honestly..

Just my personal pricing structure.
Good job getting something going.
Hope it helps.
GL on the come up

Update:

She was a little bit naive about how websites worked, but I'm getting a check that will pay for the website design along with hosting which I plan on using as well. I originally couldn't afford hosting but now I have premium hosting with GoDaddy. She also says she plans on adding retail to the website in the future so I guess I can expect to keep her as a "regular customer". So it went well and I never planned on making a website for this person.

I am sure she will be well impressed with Godaddy's shite hosting services. You should have affiliated the hosting to get a little extra money.

Find out what she wants and out source it if you don't know how to do it. If you know how to do it but don't know how much to charge then charge by time spent (around $25-50 an hour depending on the quality of your work).

mickyfu said:

I am sure she will be well impressed with Godaddy's shite hosting services. You should have affiliated the hosting to get a little extra money.

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I think it's pretty good hosting, she's not signing up for the hosting, I am. That's what she decided to pay me to do it as well a one payment for a year. Her decision, I don't mind.