I am wondering whether anyone with knowledge in the programming field would be able to give me a rough estimate on how much a job like this (see below) would cost. I am not trying get people advertising their services, I simply would like an approximation if that's possible. Here is what I would need doing; Script Directory (Similar to HotScripts) Custom Directory Marketplace (like v7n) Jobs Board (like v7n) Tutorials Directory Image Hosting Script URL Shortening Script Top Sites Script News Script with RSS feed Templates Script Webmaster Resources Directory eBook Shop (users can upload/sell eBooks via script) Newsletter Script Webmasters Articles Directory Web Tools (like iWEBTOOL's) DNS Tools (like DomainTools or DNSStuff) Affiliate system which tracks referalls Custom Search Engine I would also require a custom design which would be fluent all throughout the website. Like I said, no PM's with prices, I WILL ignore them and ignore whichever user sends them. I would just like an honest estimation of how much this would cost to do. Thanks. P.S. I know most of the things I have stated above can be done via free scripts, but I would like the full site (if I decide to go through with it all) to run consistently with each other and to have a registration form which controls everything throughout the website to save hassle for the users having to sign up to something everytime they wish to do something.
UKWF, I would estimate a job that complex can be price anywhere between $3000-5000 and that's like a medium range programmer price. Also estimate, if thats the programmer's job; time frame a month to put that all together. Jim
Thank you, that doesn't sound too bad, I'm suprised. But like you said, you think a medium-ranged programmer would charge that much. To be honest if I did get something like this done I wouldn't be needing top class programmers straight away, just someone who knows what they are doing.
There are a dime a dozen of those types of programmers. If you do decide to go with someone, be sure to be weary of what they say they'll do. Have them write you a proposal and make them accountable for checkpoints. To your success, Jim
Thanks, even that sounds good for hiring someone with good expierience and quality. If I had the money I would much rather pay the extra to get someone who can produce better work, but for now budgets are tight so that is mainly reason for this thread. I would like to know how much exactly I would need to save.
If you are happy to go with a mashup of programs than $7-10k does sound the right ball park. The natural problem with mashups can be getting a consistent look and feel through the whole site as you move from one scripts area to the next. Looking at something more bespoke to get that greater sense of one site etc you could be looking at double the price depending on your exact requirements.
Really hard to say. I write this kind of stuff all the time and I really wouldn't know what to say without more details. If it's something that just needs a few basic features (because it sounds like a lot of them can be meshed together) maybe $2k, but then I could see $10k being more realistic if you want something more complicated, it's really hard to say. I'm assuming you're talking kind of 1 site that has all these features? If you write up a full description then you'll probably get a little better direction.
To be totally honest it wouldn't be too complicated in terms of the features the website would have, but I'll get a more detailed description for you all later.
Evening UK, I'm a senior dev over here in the UK, and I can honestly say if you went to a reputable dev agency/company then you'd be looking at min of 8 months lead time and you'd need a budget of £30k plus - thats to get it all custom coded up. (quite possibly £60k+ if you want it to go on time and without problems). The other approach would be to: 1: get somebody (proper experienced dev) to spec the project out and source free scripts to do the bulk of it. [2/3 days work] 2: eastern block or indian developers to piece all the free scripts together with a central registration system, get a working prototype going. ($2/3k) 3: hire a romanian/polish designer to do you a high class design for it ($300) 4: return to company from 3 to get design implemented using a templating engine such as smarty or perhaps something more robust. ($1.5k) 5: run the system + make some money from it. (hosting + advertising$) 6: invest in the first suggestion once you've made money from it, and get exactly what you want. call it $6k/£3k to get up and running this way. I hear people scoffing at the prices.. I know companies that have charged 250k for half of that (although that was for scalable clustered applications). edit: if you want to get this done properly, or even half well, and done within a year, DO NOT go with a single dev, or even a single company unless they are a serious, well grounded company with experience of this kind of thing, and have 10+ dev's and 5+ designers - you won't afford them though, so seriously go with teams of people with mixed skills as described above]
That's what I would of thought too. Thanks for your very good quality feedback, I wouldn't be looking at investing that much cash into the project I would like to start simple at first and improve slowly when the website needs improving in certain areas. If I had that sort of cash then I would definatly do what you said, but not making enough cash yet . Anyway I repped you guys green .
I think that is a bit high, especially without more details. I run a US based design and programming firm, nothing with an excessive amount of employees, but if I could find 20 programmers in the area that had the skills I'd have 20 guys. I think 8 months for that is a bit extreme, I could see for the right price it taking 2-3 months if you had a team devoted to it. But then again, more details would be needed before anyone could fairly say.