What does a professional web designer charge?
You have a new business and you want a website or you are an established business that wants a redesign. Either way you want someone you can trust, someone who knows what they are doing and who won't charge you an arm and a leg to improve or create your internet presence.
The scale that a professional freelance web developer uses can vary greatly. Some freelance designers charge per hour, some charge per project.
Most web designers have two rates, one for clients they manage directly and one for subcontracting to companies. Usually a website designer does a combination of both of these types of work.
Rates for subcontracting are generally lower because the web developer doesn't deal with the client directly, doesn't manage client problems or expectations and doesn't have to bid to get clients, the job is given to them via the company and they web designer is then paid based on an hourly fee. If the client isn't satisfied, the client blames the company, not the individual.
The second rate is the direct-to-client rate. These are clients that web programmer directly reports to, manages, suggests new ways to improve and grow a site and works hard to keep as happy and satisfied client that will recommend the designer to friends and other businesses. They have personal investment in the client's satisfaction, if the client isn't happy, the individual loses work and their reputation tarnished.
In my experience, what a graphic designer or web designer charges per hour is based on their individual needs.
For example, an intermediate web developer makes $50k/year at a full-time position and averages 40 hours a week, with two weeks vacation and benefits. That equals 2000 hours a year of working. Therefore, they make $25/hour before taxes.
Pretend that same intermediate web developer decides to work as a freelancer. They want to continue making $50k/year. But now they have to cover their own time-off, benefits and taxes. So really, they need to make closer to $65k/year to equal the same salary. The hourly rate just went up to $32.50.
But now, they aren't just programming a website, they are account managers, SEO experts, sales representatives, accountants and CEOs of their businesses. Much of their time isn't spent coding HTML for a website, it's spent recruiting new clients, spending time in client meetings to secure a contract, networking and billing. All of the hours which aren't billable to a client. So out of the 40 hours in a work week, they are only spending maybe a third of the billable hours in front of their computers coding. So to make the same amount they have to triple their rate to $97.50/hour. Let's round that up to a clean $100.
A simple website can take up to 60+ hours to complete, start to finish. That's $6000! Not chump change for a small start-up business.
Keep in mind, all this speculation is for a intermediate web designer who has anywhere from 3-5 years experience. They may or may not know a range of technologies. A business will pay more for a designer who has more experience or a broad range of expertise and pay less for one with less experience.
My advice for those who want a website but don't want to pay for it, get a cheap do-it-yourself web authoring software or get a relative to do it. For those who want a lot of bang for your buck and can afford it, hire a part-or full-time designer who works on salary. For the rest, expect to pay upwards of $100/hour or more for a professional web designer.
And as always, you get what you pay for.
