Great article by Ilya reaffirming the need to price your goods and services using a value-based pricing structure as opposed to the more common cost plus method so many freelancers use today. I believe it's good practice to put yourself in your customers shoes and ask the question "What's in it for me?" Once you're able to answer this it should be clear to you what value your services bring to your customers and enable you to price accordingly. Getting a Website? Don't Ask For a QuoteImage courtesy of B.Garry; FlickrJULY 2, 2013 If you’re planning on launching or redeveloping your website in the near future, don’t be fooled — there’s a lot more to consider than simply the layout and price. First, it’s important to know that a website isn’t a product, it’s a service. The woes of Web development stem from this ... and the fact that it’s is a fairly new industry with very little standards doesn’t help, either. Not only is it challenging to understand what exactly you’re buying, it can also be hard to find the right Web development agency to meet your specific needs. This may lead to unrealistic expectations, leaving the entire website development process to be defined by the client instead of being generated from a joint decision between the agency and the client. Think of it this way: Getting a new website isn’t like getting a roof for your home. The process goes beyond figuring how much space you need to cover and ordering the right type of materials. During the website building process, no website or requirement is quite like the other. This makes the process for buying a website and working with a Web marketing agency anything but standardized. Instead of simply asking for a price quote and running with it, follow these steps for a better website development process:
Take the real estate industry: Similar to the website build process, you’d never ask a real estate agent, “I like the building at 5000 Sunset Boulevard. How much would it cost for the same building?” The real estate agent doesn’t know what your goal is for the building or the logistics of the structure, like the number of floors, office sizes, or necessary materials. Real estate building plans, just like website building plans, involve a lot of questions -- and the answers often take time. Most importantly, the website development process involves trust. You must trust the agency you’ve chosen is going to accommodate you to the best of their ability and knowledge, while also meeting your price requirements. What kind of experiences have you had during the website development process?
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