I am currently considering new freelance work opportunities.

There are three things that must happen to keep your potential customers from leaving your web site and never returning again. What are they? They are:

1. Your web site must look great.
2. Your web site must download fast.
3. Your web site must be simple-to-use and easy-to-navigate to allow the customer to get what they want immediately.

Without these three things, you are losing customers, and losing sales. There is no second chance on the internet. Your website either makes the sale or it doesn't.

Now, ask yourself the following questions.

Why do you want a Web site?

"Because everyone else has one." No, that doesn't cut it … you should give it more thought than that. Is it to reduce cost? You may want to reduce mail/fax cost by having an archive of print material on the site that users can download in PDF format. Perhaps you want to create awareness.You may simply want to have a site that they can refer their customers to, use to display the latest news on the company or market, etc. Do you want to create an online store? You may want to think locally but grow globally. This is how a customer of mine answered the above question: "to sell our products". I felt that I hadn't been given enough information to work with, I needed to see a brochure or a list of products.

Who is your intended audience?

Will the site be driven by consumers or other businesses? If the answer is "both", then you could either think of doing two sites (one for the customer and one for business), or build the home page in such a way that is divided up for both markets (but you don't want it looking like everything's competing for your eyes). Are you selling to the user? Or just providing a service? Depending on who the audience is, we need to consider what computer they have on their end. If they're engineers, they don't care for flashy graphics; they're probably coming to site for a particular reason and won't want to click and wait. On the other hand, if your visitors will primarily be home users you need to consider the resolution, Internet connection speed and browser versions that you can expect them to use.

Why will people come to your site?

Will someone come to the site to order a product? Catch up on the latest company news? There has to be a reason that someone will go to your site, and that reason will not simply be because you're online and the graphics look pretty.

What types of tasks should users be able to perform?

Should the user be able to download the latest newsletter in PDF format? Should the user be able to make a secure online transaction? Play a game? Now might be a great time to go through the various experiences a user might have during a visit to the site.

What types of content should and should not be part of the site?

You won't want to place your 250-page brochure online for users to read, but you may want to have an area that outlines the brochure, leaving it up to the user to download it for more information.

Why would the site be successful?

I will help you answer all of these questions and understand how to use the internet effectively from the marketing point of view.

My Pricing Procedure

I charge a variable hourly rate based on the nature of the work (£40/hr for initial design, architecture & graphics work; £30/hr for production). I provide clients with one hour of free consultation at the beginning of a project, and thereafter submit to them an itemized hourly estimate of charges.

If you present me with an estimate from an incorporated web design firm (i.e. not your coworker's 12 year old son, but a legitimate firm!) I will always beat this estimate by at least 25%. Unfortunately, because clients have taken advantage of my free consulting policy in the past, I must note that significant consultation beyond the first free hour (and I'm *very* generous in what I call an hour) is now billed at an hourly rate.

I charge a minimum of £400.00 for every new development project, and many sites are significantly more costly. Web design takes a significant amount of time, time which I need to design a site that I feel is worthy of being placed in my portfolio. If you're not looking for very high quality when choosing your designer, I encourage you to hire someone with lower standards. There are plenty of designers out there who will charge you less per hour, but few (if any) will work as quickly, or give your web site the same level of design experience.

I begin working on a project when I have received a signed contract and a check for half of the estimated total. Upon completion of the site, I will upload all pages to my own web space for you to preview and inspect. I will then make changes to the site per your requests. I will upload the site to your web space only after I have received the payment balance (in most cases the other half of the estimate).

Base Charge Coding of web pages and text (up to 1,000 words per page), including meta tags and keywords for search engine pick up. Uploading and testing of site. Single Page Web Site £120. Multiple Page Web Site with Navigation Bar (Users can go to any page with one click). Not recommended for more than 10 pages. £140 plus £30 per page.

Other More complex web sites require an initial specification before a quote can be supplied. Images Costs of adding images to web pages, including image format processing to maximise loading speeds. In-Page Pictures £22 each Window Pictures (Users click on small in-page picture to view full-size version) £45 set up plus £33 per picture Rolling and Animated Images

Complete web-site implementation including web page design, text, graphics, navigational buttons, background design, and implementing your web site from the ground up - £30 per hour.

Per-project estimates: I can also provide web services on a per-project basis. Feel free to send me an E-Mail explaining what your needs are, and I will furnish you with a free written estimate which will include all charges for the services to be rendered. Custom Services: Rates for Custom Services such as Graphics, Animation, Frames, Image Maps, Banners, Feedback and Online Ordering Forms will be billed at £30 per hour.

Hosting: Hosting prices will vary depending on what type of services and space you will actually need. Maintenance, setup and storage fees can also be discussed at the time of your initial estimate.

Domain Name Registration: Your company can have your own URL, such as http://www.yourname.com. Although not necessary, this can help establish an identity for your company on the web and can also add prestige. The price for registering your domain name with the InterNIC is $70 for the first 2 years and $35 per year for each year after.

Other Services: Other services that you may wish to consider include submitting your site to all the major search engines, maximizing descriptions, keywords and meta tags on your web pages to assist with boosting your web site rankings on search engines, and continuous modifications and maintenance of your web site.

My services are very flexible and can be tailored to your needs. I do require a half down payment to begin work on a web site, with the remainder paid within 30 days after the completion of your work. For more information, or to discuss your unique needs, email ed@enricadente.com