Freelance n00b needs help

[nimbuscloud]

Hello again Mac web community,

I have a question. In about 6 months, I'd like to begin doing some freelance web design...but I don't know where to begin. I use Dreamweaver. My questions are:

1) Do you just make the site and give the files to the client?

1a) If not, do you take care of the hosting for them? Like putting it up on GoDaddy or something.

2) Do you do updates for them? If so, do you just update your current files and hand that to them, or do you HAVE to take care of the FTP hosting and such?

3) Do you charge per job or by the hour? I know that's a loaded question. I'm not looking for a "right" answer, just opinions on how you do it.

Any thoughts and opinions would be gladly appreciated. Thanks for your time.

 

[jsm4182]

Hello again Mac web community,

I have a question. In about 6 months, I'd like to begin doing some freelance web design...but I don't know where to begin. I use Dreamweaver. My questions are:

1) Do you just make the site and give the files to the client?

1a) If not, do you take care of the hosting for them? Like putting it up on GoDaddy or something.

2) Do you do updates for them? If so, do you just update your current files and hand that to them, or do you HAVE to take care of the FTP hosting and such?

3) Do you charge per job or by the hour? I know that's a loaded question. I'm not looking for a "right" answer, just opinions on how you do it.

Any thoughts and opinions would be gladly appreciated. Thanks for your time.

The answers to those questions vary by the job. In most cases, especially if its their first website, you will have to help them get a host and set everything up for them.

For updates, it usually depends on how often the site needs to be updated, and the clients html knowledge. Some clients can make small updates in the html themselves, if this is the case I would suggest using comments to show them what code they can and can't touch. If they can't work with the html and the updates are small and not very often you should have them send you updates and make the changes on their web host. If it needs to be updated frequently the best thing to do is build the site with a content management system.

How to charge clients for the job is th hardest part. In my experience, and most others experiences, if you ask for a flat rate for the entire job you will get ripped off, they will keep making changes and going far beyond what you would do for that payment. The best thing I have found to do is quote the client on what work you think will be involved and make sure they understand that if the job goes beyond what was considered in the quote that they will be charged for the extra time it takes.

 

[nimbuscloud]

Thanks for the info.

I don't think I'll be using a content management system. I'll pretty much be using Dreamweaver until I get better at web design enough to change my methods.

Any other opinions and info will be greatly appreciated. Again, I'm a n00b, so feel free to treat me as one.

 

[Shadow]

1) I tend to make the site and host it for them (for an extra, monthly fee) but it varies client to client.

2) In terms of textual content, I make a load of .txt files with the content in and SSI/PHP include them in so they can edit the content by themselves without getting muddled in the code.

3) For cost, think about how much time and effort you are going to be putting in. The longer the hours and/or more effort, charge more. IIRC, BV had a nice way of working this out. ALWAYS work out the pricing BEFORE you start ANYTHING.