Is there an independent Web Designer in the world who hasn’t faced the quandary of how much to charge and how to collect the payment?
How much to charge is a tough one. There are sooo many variables, from how technical the project is to how much experience the designer has to how much the market will support.
The best advice I can offer is to try to guess-timate how much time you think you’ll be investing in the job, up it to cover unexpected contingencies, then get it (or a realistic range, at least) in writing.
Meaning, a contract.
How to collect payment is also tricky. If you’ve got a written contract, you’re probably covered. The client will realize you’ve done the work and, unless he particularly likes legal troubles, he’ll pay up.
At Jolly Spider, we used to get final approval on a Website, then publish the pages, submit the site to the search engines, and send out an invoice.
No longer.
Thanks(?) to one of my clients, I’ve amended this practice. Now, our contract specifies that, only after final approval and full payment, will we publish the pages and submit to search engines.
I don’t like having to take a site down until I receive payment that should be forthcoming as soon as the work is done. After all, dentists demand payment upon service. So do auto service centers, veterinarians, and restaurants. Many small businesses like landscapers or electricians or plumbers or Web Designers do the work, then send out an invoice, giving you a brief window in which to pay.
However, small businesses cannot afford to “carry” their clients. We’re not banks! So most of us include a statement on our invoices that if payment isn’t received within a certain time frame, a “penalty” percentage will be assessed.
Sounds fair to me. And my clients seem to agree.
Still, there are far too many people who seem to think Web Design should be free — what planet are they living on?? They expect to be No. 1 on Google, have a site that will “wow” their visitors and impress their customers, and magically update itself, all for FREE??
Right, and there really is a man in the moon!
Next time: Client sign-offs
Using payment systems like Paypal might be a good ..idea for you as well because it allows a variety of payment ..methods in many different currencies…..Advertising online does not have to be expensive.
Thanks for weighing in — good advice!