free consultation
The first step, as always, is to call for an informal chat. Talk to me about your business, your market and your competitors. Tell me why you need a website. . . and discover how many other ways your planned site can benefit your bottom line!
However simple or complex your project might be, you will always be provided with a written proposal and fixed quotation before you commit to any expenditure at all. If I miscalculate, and your project development takes 15 hours longer than predicted, then I'll carry the loss, not you.
cost guidelines
static website design:
Billed at just £15 an hour, a thoughtfully designed static site including all graphics, copywriting and SEO is likely to take between 20 and 40 hours, depending upon its scope and complexity.
This site, for example, has taken a little over 42 hours* to complete and would have been charged commercially at £640.
*It would have taken less time than this, but I'm my own worst customer and kept changing my mind!
search engine optimisation:
SEO is fundamental to the commercial success of any development, so every site is fully optimised as a matter of course, at no additional charge.
site & seo maintenance:
Periodic 'tweaks' are almost certain going to be necessary to guarantee that your site stays current, accessible, and at the forefront of search results.
Full maintenance is provided completely free of charge for the first 12 months. Beyond the first year, a maintenance contract is available at £12 per month which also includes 'reasonable' content updates (so long as no major changes are required to the structure of the site).
cms site development:
Developing a dynamic website with its own bespoke CMS is, of course, very specific to client needs. However; as a 'rule of thumb' you should expect the total cost to be around double that for a static site of comparable size.
full stack software projects:
Costs are impossible to estimate here, which is why I offer an in-depth consultation and fixed price quotation, free of charge and without obligation.
hosting & domain names:
Expect to pay around £8 +VAT annually for UK domains, or £12 +VAT a year for a global domain such as .com or .net.
For reliable business hosting you should budget from £7 +VAT a month, with high traffic options available, should they become necessary.
Whilst I recommend Krystal Hosting for both domain names and hosting, I do not receive a commission. I've used Krystal for the last 12 years and find them to provide the best, most cost effective, all-round service.
Whilst I'm happy to liaise with your choice of Registrar and Hosting company, your contracts would be directly with them, avoiding any contention over ownership or access.
terms of business
For either a Static or CMS website, payment terms are always 50% with your order, the balance becoming due on completion and 'sign off'. Bespoke software developments are usually payable in three traunches, based on well defined deliverables, details of which are included in the free quotation document (see the full stack solutions page for more information).
To avoid any surprises, please take the time to review my full Terms & Conditions.
