How much should I charge for a Flash site?

[strider213]

My client wants a basic Flash website. All the interactive/animation/sound effects and background music. I don't think he wants any kind of advanced Action Scripting. Just as long as it looks slick you know.

He's looking at probably 5 or 6 main buttons.

The thing is: He doesn't want to pay me monthly. Just one whole big lump sum in cash.

Now I'm estimating that this web site will probably be finished within 4-6 weeks depending on what he wants.

I'm also going to be using my own equipment (Digital Camera) and taking pictures of his different store locations throughout the city. So that's taken out of my own personal time right there. And since he's NOT paying monthly, I've decided to give him FREE updates for a year. That includes updating the monthly newsletter and etc.

Now we ARE talking Flash here. Not some measely HTML website. So would you think around $6-8000 is agreeable? My friend suggested only $1000, but with this kind of multimedia work he's got to be kidding me!

Any feedback would be appreciated. I gotta call him later today with my price quote.

[sfa]

I think the best way to do it is to make hime pay you by the hour, decide an hourly rate and log the hours. The job will always take more time than you expect and if he knows you are getting paid a lump sum he will just add work as you go and it will take ages.

SFA

[vilehelm]

There have been about 5 or 6 posts covering this perhaps someone should write a tutorial? Obviously it's nearly impossible to estimate without specifics. But...

I Agree with sfa, if you can get people to agree to an hourly rate that's great. It does help to avoid scope creep. However I think you still need to give the client adetailed estimate of hours. To create the estimate break the project down and really think about what it's going to take.

1. Architecture of content - Sit down with the client and map out the flow of the site. Then take it home and refine that map. There are plenty of great books on the subject. If you've never done it before I suggest this one (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0789723107/qid=1032535048/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_1/104-0419440-4527954?v=glance&s=books&n=507846).

2. Design - Assume that you'll have to create a couple of mockups, sometimes 3, sometimes 5, spell all of that out at the beginning. Include a round of revisions and create milestones along the way that the CLIENT has to meet, approval stages.

3. Content - THIS is by far the hardest part of any project. If you can find a good, reliable writer of Web content count yourself lucky. Most clients for some reason will always want to provide the content because they don't see the value of hiring a writer, but if you can talk them into it do it. The reason being that most clients will NOT come through with content on time. You eat up hours calling emailing etc... If anyone lives in the states and needs someone who really rocks at this sort of thing try this person (http://www.tinatraber.com/). She rules. Content needs to go through the same round of revisions and refinement as design but does not need to be versioned out. Just one is fine ;).

4. Production - Now you get to put it together after all of the milestones have been hit. Obviously this stage can have a lot of variables. Mostly you have to think about what you have already that can be ripped up and used, ready made modules that you may be able to plug-in here and there. Again create some milestones here. If this is a big time project you may include time for a QA person to come in and create a hit list of bugs, boken links and inconsistencies in content.

SO! Make an estimate for each stage. Break it down as much as you can. Then multiply that bottom line of hours by your rate. Rate depends on where you live, your experience, your needs, the client. I think with the market today that $30-70 an hour is reasonable. There are a LOT of developers out there. I really think unless you're a complete badass that the days of $100-125 are over. Only agencies charge those rates. People have smartened up and the competition has grown thick.

Hope this helps.

[tg]

i have just about finished the book vile suggested "dont make me think". what i great book, and a true eye opener for folks like me who are not designers.