A few years ago when I was seeking someone to build my first site site, I contacted a pro company who told me that it will cost 30k for what I want, I got someone to do it $175, he built a Php Nuke site for me in 15 minutes so that's an extreme example of how people charge for sites. I am presently learning how to do web design from scratch, I have already built quite a few sites from templates and I have people contacting me all the time to build small simple sites but I don't know how to charge for the work, is there a standard to go by when charging people to build their sites or how I can find out how much to charge for a given site please?

When I charge people for stuff I charge them according to the content, size, time and effort. Then I average it out, take some off and thats it.

That does not help me unfortunately, I need examples of pricing, I guess the only way is to call up some companies on the net to ask or is there any other source to get pricing examples?

Simple website start to finish start around $500. I know it seems high considering online prices, but that is the average price I found that design firms in teh US are charging starting rates.

Offline businesses will expect to pay more than online people.
Charge $500 minimum for any website.

its depend on your work qualti my dear

When I was 18 I started designing and building standard 5 page websites for $100. Then I upped it to $200. Then I upped it to $500. Then I got a real job!

I don't understand what my research is now telling me, that pro websites can be built now for just over $600, how in the world then can a company I contacted 5 years ago tell me their site cost $30,000 to build?

depends on what you are making.

With the time invested in building the backend system and database structures that runs my site at modtalk.co.uk, if I was to sell it as a one off the cost would be over £150,000 (That's GBP not dollars).

Now, just to build a template for it and set it up on a server would be in the region of £300 to £500 + hosting.
To sell the script without hosting would be £20k+ ( compensation for the inevitable ripping off )

It really depends on your market. I do work out of Dallas for almost twice what I make locally.

NewLogic???

It seems you don't like freelancing? I charge $500 starting out, and I work efficiently enough that I earn way more than $15 per hour. I think the best part of my position right now is that I am my own boss and actually running my own business. IMO taking a hourly job would be a step backward.

As a new website designer with just a very small portfolio, I am having to go in at the "affordable" end of the market. I hope that - once my portfolio increases and my SEO skills improve - I can raise my prices from the current £200 for a 3 page website (price dependant upon an 18 month hosting contract at £10 per month). Unfortunately, just as I've got our website up int he serps, the recession now seems to have hit us ....
Good luck!!

Like others say, it always depends on the specifications of every website.

A template with 3 subpages would cost from $250-$300.00 - that is for static pages.

But if a client requires unique and customized page, you can increase a bit. Likewise if the page will have a flash header, you can add at least half amount of the original quote. But if the page will be built in flash, you can double the price.

Again, the charges vary in extremities, see this an one example, totally the opposite of what you guys are saying here, I think?

http://www.pearsonified.com/2006/06/...esign_cost.php

That article you listed is more on target than most of the prices people will give you here. To reach the level of experience required to do the things the article is talking about, however, takes some time and practice indeed.

Just do it by hourly rate. Most web designers do that but they usually send a proposal to the customers.

The general pricing I am seeing everywhere is that websites start at $500 but what if you were to use sitebuilders [templates] from a hosting company so you don't have to build from scratch, what would you guys charge? I am being told that 2-3 hundred is what is normally charged for this, is this true?

Hi, I think you should consider the level of expertise needed to make it, the time invested and the resourcesused. You can also ask for a couple of quotations to high and low profile companies but in general you are on your right to charge what you consider is fair for your work.

ok, 2 things please:

1] What "hourly" rate do you guys charge on average?

2] What do you charge for a deposit?

1/ £30 - £40

2/ %50 Up Front or %100 if it's less than £300. %25 on approval. remaining %25 7 days after delivery.