jcombs_31 Posted January 17, 2008 Share Posted January 17, 2008 Since pricing topics seem to come up a lot. I'm curious, when sending a quote to a potential client do you guy break down the price into sections. For example: Design (PSD, AI, etc) Database HTML/CSS pages Scripting Or do you just send a quote with the overall price with no cost breakdown and explanation of the price. Just curious as to how you break it down for the client to understand. I have been doing a breakdown similar to what I listed above, but I'm not sure this is the best thing to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zq29 Posted January 17, 2008 Share Posted January 17, 2008 No, we don't break it down unless specifically requested to do so - Even then, we try and leave it in as bigger chunks as possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neylitalo Posted January 17, 2008 Share Posted January 17, 2008 I give a time estimate and cost estimate, but that's all unless the client wants to know more. I also haven't gotten any large projects (bigger than a few hundred dollars) so there hasn't really been anything to break down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcombs_31 Posted January 17, 2008 Author Share Posted January 17, 2008 I just figured it made it easier to justify the cost when they see how there are many different aspects of building a website and each part with lower prices adding up would make more sense to them then just getting hit with a price tag. I'd like to hear from more people about this topic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roopurt18 Posted January 17, 2008 Share Posted January 17, 2008 The only way you can realistically break stuff down is when there is no labor involved. If programmers followed the same business model as a car mechanic, it'd be something like: $a : flat fee for my business $b : parts (code libraries) $c : labor (variable) Since the things you outlined all affect each other jcombs, it becomes even harder to break them down. Unless you were using the mindset of, "I'll charge you for 5 hours of database work, which is the initial design, and then I will not change the database at all!" That statement would fly with the non-technical person, but we all know you don't always nail the database design on the first pass. I think I would just type up a document describing the process of web design. Use plain English, avoid jargon, and draw analogies to other businesses and explain how ours is the same or different. These people aren't buying a Honda Civic, of which there are only N models for a given year. Everyone wants it tailored to their needs, which is why there is extra cost. It's akin to going into the dealer and saying, "I really like what you've done on the prelude here, and the Civic there, and ford did a great job on something, can you combine those for me?" If you can make people understand that, then it might make your life easier. Then you can also explain unlike in most industries, you just charge labor. You aren't back charging them for all your time writing and installing your custom code libraries, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenway Posted January 17, 2008 Share Posted January 17, 2008 Too complicated... keep it simple, or the client will feel like you're trying to pull a fast one on them. Break it down by functional items ONLY -- e.g. e-commerce, user profiles, shopping cart, database backup, search engine optimization, whatever -- because there are the only things that they can translate into $$$ in their heads. No one cares that there's a database, or how complicated (or elegant) it is, or how their site is built to some magical spec / standard that doesn't affect them in any way, shape or form. I don't even mention any technical aspect at all... not even the technologies... because it doesn't matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcombs_31 Posted January 17, 2008 Author Share Posted January 17, 2008 Makes sense. I think I will definitely revise my proposal structure for future projects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neylitalo Posted January 17, 2008 Share Posted January 17, 2008 Too complicated... keep it simple, or the client will feel like you're trying to pull a fast one on them. Break it down by functional items ONLY -- e.g. e-commerce, user profiles, shopping cart, database backup, search engine optimization, whatever -- because there are the only things that they can translate into $$$ in their heads. No one cares that there's a database, or how complicated (or elegant) it is, or how their site is built to some magical spec / standard that doesn't affect them in any way, shape or form. I don't even mention any technical aspect at all... not even the technologies... because it doesn't matter. Agreed. The customer wants to know two things: What it's going to do, and how much it's going to cost them. They don't care how it works - all they know is that they want a big button in the corner for people to click and give them money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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