What do you charge for "Web Design"?

AU and US dollars are about even exchange.

Don't go free unless you have something to upsell them into, like SEO or social integration or whatever else you know how to do. It needs to be part of a package where your time is justified, not free. You'll end up wasting time, designing low-end sites for low-end customers, and once you've earned a reputation as "the free guy" it's that much harder to justify the price point you want to be at. Also, the people who pay the least expect the most and they'll end up being a huge time suck. It's perfectly reasonable to offer free web design as part of an SEO strategy, but whether you're new or not don't ever offer free labor, it won't help you get to where you want to be.

Here's how you get around not having a portfolio. First, make your own website stellar. It needs to be about what you do, not about work examples. Don't be a "guy who makes websites", be a guy who helps businesses use the web to get more leads, more exposure, sell more products, whatever your target audience is going to want, by creating an effective web presence. Then, find a couple of local web designers who DO have great work and are reasonably priced and reach out to them. Introduce yourself and let them know you want to be able to send them overflow work and work out pricing. You'll bill your customer, and you'll pay them, and in any of these situations they're essentially acting as your virtual employee so he can't take bragging rights and list the site among his clients. Most web designers will agree to this, they just want to be paid for their work. Do this with a couple of different web designers with different strengths and design styles.

Now you have your demo reel. So when your customer asks to see some of the work you've done, show them some of the sites your sub-contracted designers have done. When your customer signs, hire that designer to do the work (remember, you're charging more than he is so you're pocketing the difference).

After you've done a few sites this way, you'll have your portfolio, because those new designs are your customers, not the designer you hired. A web designer who works full time for a larger firm doesn't get to showcase the sites of their employer as their own, and this situation is no different. Now you'll just need to make a decision ... keep selling and outsourcing, or stop outsourcing and start doing the work yourself.

The hardest part is just learning to ask for the money, and sticking with your numbers. The people who want low cost work won't bother you, and the people who recognize real value will.

 

I totally agree with you, Ron.

In my country, companies are looking for bling, not reachability. The lack of internet awareness is what causing this, and the rates here is between USD300–USD1000, CMS or not. They want Flash, javascript, and all the jargons they remember. I've been involved in USD10k above projects, but those aren't the website kinda thing, its more to like an online ordering system or internal web-based applications. No SEO involved.

I went online to look for other client who recognized the real value, but seems to me that these kind of clients are rare. How do you suggest we find one? I keep bumping on low cost work in this web-design field.

 

So you're saying there are no large, successful web design firms in your area charging normal website rates and they're all doing low-cost tacky sites using unsupported technologies like Flash? I find that hard to believe... I think you're going after the bottom of the barrel customers. Independent shops that only want a website "because you're supposed to have a website" aren't ever going to be where the money is. You need to make a case for WHY a business should have a site, and then present your case to them. Pick out companies that are making money and could benefit from a well done web presence, not just those who "need a site".

 

well for psd only i will charge 200$ and psd to html i will charge 500$ if you got psd and you want me to convert it to html that will cost 300$ for 5 pages website

 

I'm based in Croydon, London, it's hard to explain to (Forgive me if I'm wrong) an American , it seems that America really is the land of opportunity, I find it almost impossible to find ANY web design work around here, let alone businesses looking to spend big on sites.

I suppose I'm looking at it with my naive 19 year old mind, but I'm honestly struggling to find potential customers, regardless of their budgets.

 

Remember to charge by your project always.

A guy who charges you by the hour will run the clock to get more $$, or is inexperienced and can't quote a job.

 

Where are you looking? If you're looking at the bottom of the barrel customers, all you'll find are people who don't want to pay anything.

I'm sure there are some larger, more established design firms nearby - check out their pages and their portfolios to see the type of clients they're going after. That will give you an idea of who has a budget.

If you know how to do Google AdWords and manage PPC accounts, there is a perfect audience you can go after and use the campaign management (where you can charge $500 per month) as your way in the door, and also upsell them on web design services.

 

I'm not looking for bottom of the barrel customers, I'm looking for *any* customers.

There are no real established firms around my immediate area offering web/graphic design, there are most likely a few in London but none locally.

I'm not familiar with Google AdWords/PPC whatsoever, I'd have no idea where to even begin with those, I'd rather stick with design/something I'm confident/happy with.

 

They don't have to be right in your back yard, I'm just saying check out what type of businesses the larger firms are going after and see if there are any of those nearby.

The best way to make sales is just pick up the phone and start calling. The worst they can do is hang up on you, then you move on to the next one. Customers are everywhere, your only challenge is getting over your fear of reaching out to them.

 

very well said ron, ^^ i don't think people realize that cold calling is still an amazing way to get a client, once you know how to sell yourself