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Alterations costs
Hosting,Marketing and Maintainanace Costs
When selecting a product or
service a key determining factor is cost. It would be ideal if you could
simply compare price lists and base your decisions upon that information
alone. Yet, like other projects requiring outside services, Web
development costs will vary widely.
As a result, a traditional price list
is not an accurate measurement. We have chosen instead to provide a "cost
breakdown" that will explain the various costs involved in the web
development process and to compare how these costs are charged by
different vendors.
We have also included "BEWARE OF": pricing pitfalls to
watch out for.
Our goal is to provide you with valuable information that
will aid you in your selection of a web development provider.
Consultation
costs Some vendors will charge an initial fee to meet with you to discuss
your web site needs; others will offer a free no obligation consultation
of one half to one full hour. Chances are, the vendors offering a free
consultation have this cost built into their pricing schedule, so in
either situation you are paying for this service.
It can be in your best
interest to request a free no obligation consultation if your selection
process requires that you to meet with several vendors.
Generally if the
consultation is over an hour, it is customary for the vendor to charge for
this service.
However, when bidding on a large contract, it is likely that
the vendor will waive the fee. Draft costs After you have selected your
vendor and have discussed and agreed upon the concept of the site, you
should request a draft of the site. This draft should include a mock up of
the homepage, a select number of sub pages, and a site map. You should
also request an estimate of the project based upon the draft.
In some
cases the vendor will charge for this service, however it is money well
spent because it can save the expense of revisions and alterations later
in the production process.
Take your time and review this material
carefully, this will the best time to make alterations to your site.
Site
production pricing/costs Price shoppers, "BEWARE OF" one price cut rate
web site, generally the price is not inclusive and everything becomes
extra. What in the beginning may look like a good value ends up costing
more than you originally expected.
A good way to evaluate what a vendor
may charge is to refer them to an existing site that is similar to your
project and ask what they would have charged for developing that site.
With the costs of development software going down, there are many novice
web designers entering the market. While they are able to produce a web
site they often lack the knowledge to publish it properly.
A good way to
evaluate a vendor's publishing skills, is by reviewing the traffic reports
of their existing web sites.
We offer a report that estimates the number
of visitors that you can expect to visit your site.
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Alterations costs
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The
distinction between a customer alteration and vendor error can become a
thin gray line if expectations are not clearly communicated or understood.
Again the best way to lessen these situations is have a mock up produced
and carefully reviewed and inspect it before the start of production.
Also, to reduce alteration charges, proofread all copy, and make careful
selections of photos and illustrations before submitting them to the
vendor.
When inquiring about the cost of alterations or anything for that
matter, "BEWARE OF" the cost per hour shell game. For years in the
printing and prepress industry I have seen this game used.
When requesting alterations you
should expect a reasonably accurate estimate of the costs
before the changes are made.
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Hosting, marketing and maintenance cost |
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After expending much time and effort many clients
are lured into low cost hosting and low or no maintenance fee trap. Money
well spent here can make the difference from a site lost in cyberspace to
a site that is being accessed by your target market. Ask your vendor how
they will monitor and improve traffic, and assist in the marketing of the
site.
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