I try to keep an eye on Craigslist and respond to potential web application opportunities. I came across this post from an upcoming freelancer and thought I’d give some insight into my own experiences. Below is a copy of the email I sent to the poster:

1.) What would you quote for a project like this (design and development)?

That REALLY depends on what the development is and how complex the design is. Is the design a simple static tabled layout, or is it full of rounded edges and overlaps and dynamic content, or is it somewhere in-between? Is the development a simple email form, or is it a complex data analysis tool, or (again) somewhere in between?

When I first started freelancing, I kept my rates ridiculously low because I wasn’t entirely confident in my abilities - that way, the customer wouldn’t feel like they lost much if my implementation wasn’t what they wanted. However, prepare yourself for lots of feedback from the customer, sometimes rather harsh which may involve scrapping your favorite feature or even implementing details which conflict with your own opinion of best practices (i.e., “netiquette”). With freelancing, you very rarely get to know much about the project before the customer has already selected you for the job — you can always turn it down and/or back down later, but that carries a serious risk of jeopardizing your future freelancing gigs. Word travels fast, especially in the electronic world of the Internet.

2.) And would you consider the work to be about half design, half development, or is one side more work than the other?

Again, it depends. I’ve done several freelance gigs, some of which are roughly equal, others which are purely one or the other, and yet others which are heavily one with a little of the other. Without details of the project, it’s impossible to know what to recommend.

To use my starting point as an example, my very first web design was for my then-girlfriend’s parents’ online real estate business, and I only charged $300. Looking back at it now, I’m ashamed of the design and don’t include it as a link in my portfolio works. It was never used anyway. From there, my skills increased and my rates went up to $500 for 5-6 pages of static content, adding a flat fee ($40) per page thereafter, not including “simple barebone” pages such as pop-up windows revealing a larger version of an image. Backend development increases the cost depending on the scope of the development - starting at $100 for a simple form and scaling up with the project complexity from there. Pure development gigs start at the same $100 rate and go up from there, which includes a very basic UI where necessary (styling enhancements are extra - these projects are usually passed off to someone else to integrate into the existing site design).

3.) Any feedback will be appreciated. And in the future I will probably need someone regularly to partner with.

I wish I’d thought to ask these questions when I first started. In fact, to this day, I still haven’t compared my rates with other freelancers, but once I place a bid for a project I usually get it if I meet the other technical requirements, and the customer usually comments on how much lower my prices are than everyone else. I could probably charge more and get fewer customers, but a substantially low price will at least start you on your first couple of gigs so you can get a portfolio started.

That said, if you’re looking for a web designer (HTML/CSS only, no Flash) or developer (PHP, mySQL, Javascript, XML, AJAX), please do not hesitate to contact me with inquiries.