Hi everyone! I'm currently studying computer science and have recently been approached by several small local businesses to create and maintain their websites, along with redesigning their logos. Since many of these business owners aren't very tech-savvy, they've agreed to pay me about $10 a month for ongoing website maintenance and updates. I'm a bit new to this whole freelance setup and had a few questions: 1) For hosting these frontend-only marketing sites using Next.js (though I'm considering Astro), should I create a single development account on Vercel, Cloudflare Pages, or Netlify for all the business sites, or is it better to have separate accounts for each one? 2) When it comes to purchasing domains, do I handle that myself and then transfer ownership to the client? 3) Is my maintenance fee too low for what I'm offering? I'm aware that many websites use platforms like WordPress or Wix, but I want to improve my coding and design skills without incurring high costs, so I'm opting for custom-coded solutions instead. Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer to this beginner!
2 Answers
I usually help my clients set up their own accounts and invite me to manage their sites. This way, they handle billing and ownership, which can protect you from any later responsibilities. For maintaining domains, I’d recommend the same approach as account setups. It just keeps everything clear and avoids any potential issues down the line. And regarding your fee, it varies; it might help to look at how teams manage workloads and adjust your pricing based on that.
It sounds like your fee is definitely on the low side. Depending on where you are, even in Southeast Asia, a maintenance fee around $75 a month is quite common for basic business websites. And when it comes to managing accounts, it's usually easier to have one central account for hosting. Just keep in mind that if a client wants access, you'll need to set up a separate account for them.
Thanks for the insight! I thought my fee might be too low. I'll go with a central account on Vercel since most clients probably won't want to deal with the technical stuff anyway. I'm also thinking of using a headless CMS so they can make simple text changes without needing too much guidance.