The Best Way To Bill Your Client For Your Website Design Jobs

guys the issue of Charging a client for website design is really driving me nuts,  most people knows how to bill a client why me i don't know how to really bill a client. for example if your jobs worth up to N200,000 Naira i will be scared to say it out ! please can you tell us how you bill your clients this might help other people as well, not me only hey just break it down including Hosting,domain,web page designs e. t. c

Sorry smartsoft, but I am just going to have to throw in a little confusion into your probably already confused self 

I personally tried the hourly stuff, but it didn't work for me, especially for nigerian-based sites.  So, I came up with package rates, already printed out on paper.  Before I agree to anything with the client, I hand them the paper, ask them to go over it and tell them  I will get back to them in a day or two.  I figure, that way, I don't come out looking that desperate (even though I am )

Presently, I am trying to find the motivation to come up with a personal website.  On there, I will state the same prices.  Typically, I charge $1000 for a 5-page static site (template) and $1500 for a similar, custom setup.  I switched to static/flash-less as I discovered from experience that when people know you can do dynamic stuff, they usually want to get the most out of you for the least amount of money.  After all, to the non-coder, what is special about pulling stuff out of a database?  "Should be a simple thing, abi no b u b guru?"  For Nigerian-based sites though, I charge a flat N200K, again, for static sites.

Of course, depending on client attitude, as prodgal said, negotiation is possible.  Also, I do get objection upfront.  Typically along the lines of "okoro is doing the same thing for N30K, y should I pay so much for yours?"  To which I retort "well, if okoro tells you to take panadol for a headache and u do and it works, does that make him a doctor?".  At this point, most clients typically begin laughing and say something like "ol boy, make you stop that ting o".  Having loosened them up, my original asking price, for the most part, stays that way.

As has been said up top, go to various sites and c what is being charged for what you know.  Once you do that, I would suggest you have it in writing.  From personal experience (I have a very weak conscience and usually eye contact is all it takes for me to knock off N100K from the original cost  ), it is best to have something in writing that you just hand off to the client, telling them you will be back in a couple of days.  That gives them the impression that you aren't desperate and that you probably are so busy which would imply that you are worth the price.

Okay, I am off my soapbox now.  I hope this helps sha.

hahahah you cracking my ribs,  sweetie

i thot it waz just me,  man,  i hate that site with a bloody passion,  i actually thot woo did it, 

anywayz,  who did it?

u guys, thanks a lot for the exposition on this topic. i am a fresh web designer and i am yet to actually execute my first job, and a question that has continually worried me was how to bill without scaring away the customer or cheating myself, and i must say that i have really learnt a lot from these posts. special thanks to prodgalsn, very nice insight.