I've been tasked with building a website for a political party, which includes a voting feature on state legislation, several info pages, a CMS for events and press content, a youth section that integrates with a local university club, and a donation page that redirects to the main party site. I'm coding it from scratch and ensuring maximum security by hosting on my local server, all while complying with WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards. I'm charging $7,000 for the project, which aligns with two other developers' prices between $7,000 and $9,500. However, another local developer is offering to do the same job for only $2,500 using Webflow. I suspect he's lowballing to win the contract, and I'm worried the board might favor his offer. How should I approach this situation?
3 Answers
If you’re creating everything from scratch, it makes sense why you’d charge more than someone using a platform like Webflow. Less work equals a lower price for them, but you can offer customization and features that a template might lack.
Just a heads up—hosting locally isn’t necessarily more secure. A cloud provider has a whole team to handle security, which might be better than your local setup. Also, $7,000 seems reasonable for this kind of custom work; clients just need to see why it’s worth it.
It’s common to see people underbidding, but you need to know what matters to your client. Make sure you emphasize your strengths: quality control, modern design, and ongoing support. Some clients prioritize a reliable, professional service, while others just want the cheapest option. Be ready to explain why your pricing reflects the value you bring.
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