Hi Jack (and all),
Please see comments below:
In a message dated 8/9/98 6:40:50 PM Central Daylight Time,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
> Depends on what you want in the long run (and also on how you define
> "grow"). <snip>
Sorry about the confusion. I meant "grow" as in learning to do something new.
> If they're already grumbling about the cost of the project, I would proceed
> with caution. Make sure you both know exactly what the project will consist
> of ahead of time. Be sure to make the details very clear, preferably in
> writing. Once the plan is clear, be sure that they realize that adding
> things that are not in the site outline will cost extra. Then, stick to
your
> plan.
It's one of those deals where they paid x before and got less than x in
service, and had to beg for that (mostly for maintenance). I'm pitching a per
project dollar amount, with the translations and the shopping cart an
unspecified extra (that is, unless I can get some numbers down by tomorrow). I
have proposed the number of pages on the various topics, the number and type
of graphics I need to make, forms, maintenance, etc.
> Also, if they are highly cost conscious about spending money on a web site,
> it may be because they don't know much about the medium or what it takes to
> develop a site. Sounds a bit like they might feel like they're being
dragged
> into this kicking and screamin, maybe by someone at their business. Someone
> who really wants a web site and understands what it's about usually
> understands the costs involved and will respectfully pay you your due
> without hassling about the money. This project may require that you
> "educate" your client (figure extra time into your quote).
I'm dealing with the same guy who hired the last designer. He's pretty
computer and Internet literate. Somehow, though, the idea of the web site as
advertising hadn't quite sunken in. I mentioned it and got that "oh yeah!"
look from him. (I thought, what line item do you charge this to?) Haggling is
just this guy's way of doing business, I'm sure. He first bragged that he'd
gotten the first designer to do the site for a mere 20% of what they first
requested. He later admitted, "Maybe that's why I got what I did." So he
knows. He's just playing the game to see how good I am at it. I'm not good
at it! Mostly I'm under the gun to do the job for less than the last guy, and
I just don't see how I can do that, even if I don't give him a cart and 5
translations. I'd have to cut my rate more than in half. I'm willing to give
some to establish my reputation, but I don't want a reputation for being cheap
or easy. :-\
> Keep an eye on "feature creep", too. Be sure that your client is aware that
> "yes, we can add the shopping cart, but it'll cost you an extra x amount of
> dollars". If they want the world for a small amount of cash, be sure to
> straighten them out. I'm assuming that you're bidding this on a project
> basis. If so, the better the project specs are defined ahead of time (and
> quoted as accurately as you can) the less likely you are to end up working
> extra hours while watching your hourly $ average dwindle.
Hey, been there, done that. For sure.
> Then again, since you haven't done a shopping cart in the past, perhaps you
> are willing to eat some of the profit in exchange for the learning
> experience?
Again, yes, to a degree. I do a pretty good job of balancing actual hours
against billable, so I will slow down the clock during that phase.
>
> Jack
Thanks,
Linda Wishman
TLW Enterprises
http://www.win.bright.net/~twishman/
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