Your First Web Design Contract
Recently someone asked me a bunch of questions related to getting their first web design job as an independent contractor – and so I figured an article was a good idea.
Tim asked:
Stefan,
With me being a newbie in the web design business, I have some questions. Long story short, I was talking with my friends wife one day and mentioned to her that I had thought about doing some web design on the side to make some extra money.
I live in a small town, with a lot of small businesses and I figure these businesses would have a use for a simple web site to help promote their business.
… So I’m thinking this would be something I could start within the next year or so, … two days ago I receive a call from my friends wife and she asks if I’m interested in doing a web site for her brother, who is a dentist in our town.
So, I say sure and she tells me that he will probably contact me soon to set up a meeting to discuss.
Now, this is great but I haven’t got a clue where to start. Hers’s my thought:
1. Meet with the client to discuss the site. How many pages, the content, etc. Maybe show some of my work.
2. Take the info from the meeting and come up with a quote.
3. Present my idea’s and the quote.
4. If he agree’s and accepts the quote, draw up a contract for him to sign.
OK, I have a few comments about the above four points.
When you meet a prospect for the first time, you will probably (99% chance) need to show then some of your work. So be ready with about 3 good looking web sites. And yes, you should have a nice looking web site of your own to send people to.
About the quote:
You should not give a quote when your meeting your client for the first time. You need time alone to look at the details to come up with something accurate. That said, if you are confident, you can give a ballpark figure (the first time,) if your prospect pushes you.
Presenting your quote:
Keep it simple, it doesn’t need to be a complex document as this would only help confuse your client. But at the same time, be sure you detail enough elements about the web site, and what your responsibilities are. Doing this will help you to avoid conflicts later on.
Tim continued to ask:
1. Who is a dependable and reasonable web host?
There are many. You can read reviews (but many are fake,) so my best advice is to join a good web design forum where you can get to know other web designers and they will point you in the right direction.
2. Do I let the client pay for the web space each month or do I add that cost into a monthly maintenance bill and pay for it myself out of that money?
That depends on whether you want to be supporting the client for little details like setting up email addresses etc … If you handle the hosting, you basically are providing an end-to-end solution making it really easy for your client. This strategy will help a lot in terms of keeping them as clients.
But on the flip side, you have to deal with the small (sometimes annoying) request.
3. Do you have a blank quote sheet that I could see to get some ideas for mine?
Each one is different because websites can be so different from each other. I use a simple Word document that:
- has my logo and contact information at the top.
- starts with a short summary of the project/website.
- list details (forms, special functionality) with bullet points.
Remember to keep it simple.
4. Do you have a generic contract I could look at to get ideas for mine?
I will see if I can dig one up.
5. What is a typical price for a basic 4 or 5 page web site?
These days, maybe $300-$500. But it depends on the features, your market and your experience. For small jobs like that, you should be using templates to save time.
6. What is a typical cost for monthly maintenance on a site?
That again, depends. Try to calculate by the hour and then pad it a little just in case. Or just set a per hour rate and when they need something they will have to pay for your time.
7. Do I charge extra for any pages the client would want to add later?
Time is money. Charge for your time.
8. Am I forgetting anything?
Remember to consider your time meeting the client, time on the phone etc in your calculations. Not just your time in front of the computer.
9. Do you have any words of wisdon for me?
Be patient, build a nice looking web site and continue to learn – especially PHP.
Hope that helps,
Stefan Mischook
www.killersites.com
November 1st, 2007 at 7:24 am
I would add that it’s important when talking with a client that you try and figure out what the client expects from the site. Too many folks have set up web sites for their business thinking that a web site alone will lead to riches. They need to consider what business value they expect from the site.
I suspect that in many cases the client may not have put any real effort into thinking this through. If you can show your client that you have the big-picture in mind you will a) impress them and b) increase the likelihood that what gets developed satisfies your customer’s requirements. And in the end a good relationship with your client is what you want.
November 2nd, 2007 at 8:55 am
Stefan and Richard,
Thanks for the words of wisdom, everything you guys have said has helped. The killersite and idea22 have been helpful also. If I can think of anymore questions I may have or if something comes up I’ll post it here. If you have anything else to add let me know. Thanks again guys.
Tim Price
November 4th, 2007 at 12:31 am
Stefan,
I am facing the same situation as Tim. Thanks for helping people like us. Now, My question is, How do I convince/sell the idea of having a website for a small business of small town? Any suggestion how to paint a ‘big picture’ for them?
November 5th, 2007 at 9:23 am
What I did was I developed a universal questionnaire that asks specific questions of the client. Once they finish the questionnaire, I sit down with them and explain what they need based on their answers. Then, I quote them a price and develop the contract (I use ProposalKit for contracts).
Be careful though. I made the mistake of asking too many techie questions in the first version of my questionnaire.
November 5th, 2007 at 9:48 am
Yes, you want to keep your questions put to clients as business related as possible because most clients don’t understand the tech side of things.
… That’s why pitching that you use Web standards will do nothing in terms of appealing to your client. Regarding that, I just say something like:
“We create websites that are built in such a way that they are easy to keep up to date – saves you money.”
Stefan
November 8th, 2007 at 4:19 pm
Stefan,
It’s looking like I may have to step things up a notch and get my side job going a little faster than I thought. I will email you and explain these circumstances later. On question 2, do you typically let the client pay for the web space themselves or do you charge them the a monthly fee and take care of it for them? Also when you go to a web host is your domain name included with the web space or do you have to pay extra for a domain name? I don’t have a webpage of my own yet but after I get things rolling I will get something of my own. Since in my current job I only do some form and reports using php, mysql and html, I don’t think that is what a client would be wanting to see as examples of my work. Is it ok to show some templates I’ve downloaded from the web and modified myself to make them unique ok to show a client as an example of what I have to offer him?
Tim
November 8th, 2007 at 5:21 pm
About hosting:
I typically handle everything for the client because it makes it easy for them … which means they will depend on you more. Which in means they will likely stay with you.
I buy my domain name separately from my hosting.
It is OK to show your work. So if your work involves using templates, that’s cool. I would tell show the before and after so that the client can see that even thought you are working off a web template, the end product will look much different.
… that addresses a common fear that some clients may have, where they think that if you use a template their site will look exactly like the template and people will see it as such.
Stefan
November 9th, 2007 at 9:47 am
My first client wanted me to create a web site for real estate listings. After doing 80% of the work, she got involved in another business venture and told me to stop working on her site. She is currently not returning my calls. I did not have anything in my contract about cancellation, but I feel that I should be compensated for what I have already done. Any suggestions as to how to avoid this type of situation?
November 9th, 2007 at 10:02 am
You should always get at least 33% up front – but I always go for 50%.
NEVER start a job without cash in your hand. Otherwise what happened to you will happen.
Sorry to hear it.
Stefan
November 19th, 2007 at 12:50 pm
Stefan
I was doing a little research on web hosts and I have a couple of questions about what I found. When they are talking about, for example “2000 GB transfer”, are they referring to the speed at which your page loads or are they referring to speeds for ftp? The domain name, I see some of the hosts offer a free domain name registration. Is this the way to go? Do I still have to pay a yearly fee for the domain name? If I no longer use this web host, do I get to keep the domain name? Is there some where I can go and purchase a domain name, besides a web host?
Tim Price
November 19th, 2007 at 12:54 pm
“When they are talking about, for example “2000 GB transfer”, are they referring to the speed at which your page loads or are they referring to speeds for ftp?”
They are talking about the monthly budget (in GB’s) of traffic you can have for your site.
“I see some of the hosts offer a free domain name registration. Is this the way to go? ”
As long as the domain is in YOUR name and not the host. Some less than honest host will hold the domain hostage should you ever decide the leave.
“Do I still have to pay a yearly fee for the domain name?”
Typically yes but it all depends on the hosting package.
My advice:
Buy the domain on your own and then pick a host. You buy a domain here:
Domain names
… We are a of domain names – helps pay the bills.
When you choose a hosting company, just tell you have a domain name and they will guide you on how to get your website live on their servers.
Hope that helps,
Stefan Mischook
November 20th, 2007 at 3:10 pm
Stefan
Thanks for the quick reply. This helps a lot. I learn more as I go. Hopefully after the first of the year I’ll start working on my first web design contract.
Tim Price