The answer – as always – is not a simple one. In this article I’m going to try and explain the procedures I go though when formulating a proposal for a potential client.

I’m not saying it’s the way all designer/developers do it, or that it’s the only ‘right’ way, simply that I’ve personally found it to be the most transparent and easy to understand method.

I also hope to tackle those grey areas that often crop up when client and designer first start to communicate, how they can be avoided and the responsibilities the design has to the client and vice versa.

So what is the first step in the process?

Communication of Budget & Requirements

More often than not I’d quote the going rate for such projects – and the prospective client would then vanish off the face of the earth. It would obviously cost far more than they could afford.

I soon learned that establishing a budget prior to beginning the Proposal process was far more efficient, saving time for everyone concerned.

So my advice to is to always have a financial plan in mind before you contact a web designer.

I can understand reservations in doing this, the most common one being ‘But if I tell them my budget they’ll immediately tell me that’s how much my website is going to cost!’.

The honest answer to this is ‘Quite possibly, yes’.

To use a loose analogy, if you decide to buy yourself a new car you’ll usually have a pretty fixed idea of your spending limits. As a result you’ll shop around for the best you can get for your money.

You certainly wouldn’t walk into a Porche showroom with enough money to buy a Mini Coupe and expect to drive out in a shiny new car (at least not without cleverly distracting the salesman and pinching his keys first!).

Your project budget will most likely influence:

• The choice of Content Management System (whether to use a free CMS or purchase a licence for a powerful custom built application).
• Whether to create a bespoke template or to use a pre-built design from the web.
• Which ‘bells and whistles’, such as glossy effects and social network integration are feasible and which aren’t.
• Your hosting limits, such as disk space and bandwidth.

Let’s take a simple 10-page company website as an example. It needs a contact form, a couple of product pages and a latest news section.

If I received an enquiry like this, I would need to ask the following questions:

• Do you need a domain name?
• Do you need your Website to be hosted?
• Do you want the Website to be static (non-editable) or based on a Content Management System?
• Will you require membership on the site?
• Will you need to regularly update your products?
• Do you want visitor statistics?
• Do you want a bespoke template designed?
• Do you want a logo designed?
• Will you want to integrate Twitter and Facebook?

As you can see, depending on the answers to these questions the cost of the project could vary considerably.

So by knowing the budget and being upfront about it you will end up maximising value for money and get the best website possible.

Hammer out those finer details

This is where the designer and the client need to take some time to fully understand the scope of the project.

A good designer should always ask for all the content they need based on the information the client has initially supplied, but if that core information is not complete and more functionality is required mid-way though the project, extra costs are likely to be incurred.

Think of the new car analogy again – the manufacturer has proudly delivered you a custom built car and you realise you actually wanted automatic transmission rather than manual. The car will need to be taken apart again to make the alteration in design.

Similarly, in many cases your website may have to be de-constructed to add extra functionality mid-project.

Agreeing on the Proposal

Once the designer has all the details they need they will go away and start working out how much the project will cost. There are two billing options most designers choose from:

• Charge by the hour
• Quote a fixed price for the entire project

The majority of my clients prefer the ‘fixed price’ approach. They know in advance what they are getting for their money and I know the limits of the clients budget and what they can successfully deliver within it.

I work out the fixed price based on how long I estimate the project will take to complete. I then multiply my hourly rate by the total hours it will take.

Using this method gives a clear outline of the project cost in advance.

The Contract

The Web Design Contract is one of the most important steps in this process.

Some seem to see the contract as evil – something suspicious to be wary of.

However a solid contract protects the client and the designer from potential misunderstandings, as it should contain the project specifications included in the proposal and cements the scope of the project in print.

The contract should have the website requirements and the total cost itemised, making it clear what is included and what isn’t.

So have I answered your question? Probably not!

You may be reading this article in the hope that I would tell you how much a website should cost, down to the penny.

Even though I’d love to, I cannot provide you with that magic number, but with any luck I’ve gone some way to explaining why website costs can vary so much.

My methodology in quoting for a project is certainly not definitive; there are many other workflows that designers and developers use to construct their estimates. For me though, I find this way honest and transparent.

I hope what I have written has made the process a little clearer for those of you who are considering commissioning a website, or even freelance designers just starting out and looking for tips on proposal creation.

While in some cases this may well be true, for the vast majority of us now is exactlythe time to think about a new or refreshed online campaign.

Why? Well there are a few reasons.

Because your competitors aren’t doing it

Simplistic – maybe – but there is no doubt in the logic that if a rival business in your industry is holding back from promoting themselves in a certain area (in this case online), then there is a gap in the market and that area is ripe for the picking (by you, of course).

Because your competitors are doing it

On the flip side, if businesses in your field are taking advantage of the situation and advertising aggressively online, they’re undoubtedly getting the upper hand. While you miss out on a web of opportunities (excuse the pun).

It’s cheaper than print advertising

We’re all human and in times of crisis we have a tendency to hark back to the ‘good old days’, which is why R.Whites Lemonade exploded in popularity when the UK was in recession.

On a business level this generally means that companies tend to stick to ‘tried and tested’ advertising methods, namely print.

So why is this false economy? Surely forking out for a new website is more expensive than placing an advert in a magazine?

Not necessarily, plus a website has certain unique benefits over print:

• It’s interactive – if people like what they see, they can contact you or order a product there and then. No matter how much people poke and prod at a magazine advert, a contact form is never going to pop up.
• A website is forever, not just for Christmas – When you place a print advert, it’s usually for a fixed length of time. When you launch a website it’s there for as long as you want it.
• Return on investment – expanding on the previous point, compare £1000 spent on a print advert to £1000 spent on a website. At the end of a certain period the print campaign will be over, the money gone. Meanwhile the website will still be happily ticking over, generating you more business.

I’m in no way saying that print advertising is redundant, it isn’t by any means. I’m pointing out that it’s best to think wisely about how you spend that advertising budget, rather than do the same-old same-old.

You can grow your site when the good times return

Technology has moved on since the old days of static websites that cost the earth to update, compounded by the fact when you needed an update the original designer was no-where to be found.

Luckily swathes of Content Management Systems (CMS) are now available which mean you can update the site when you want to, from any web browser. Cutting costs and time spent dramatically.

Using a CMS also means you can add extra functionality in the future without needing a complete overhaul of your site. Indeed many times upgrades can be made with zero downtime.

Take advantage of Social Networking

Whether you love or hate Facebooking and Twittering, there is no doubt the power these services have when promoting your business. Using Twitter to promote new products and setting up a Facebook page where people can ‘like’ you are both powerful ways to increase traffic to your site.

Best of all, they are both free.

Finally, if you have the budget you can use pay-per-click advertising with Google Adwords or Facebook Ads. The advantage being you can target people with keywords, location and even down to their sex and the school they went to.

So maybe it’s worth a try?

Hopefully this article has gone some way to explain why commissioning a new website when times are tough isn’t a bad thing, in fact it could be one of the wisest things you can do to help survive the downturn.

If you need any further information or advice, feel free to get in touch and I’ll help in any way I can.