Hey everyone! I'm a developer who mostly works in-house, but I'm about to venture into freelancing for the first time with a big project. The client is a major global company, and they expect the project will take around 5 months. Here's what I'm looking at:
- It's going to be a scroll-based interactive storytelling site, a bit like the ones found at everylastdrop.co.uk or webflow.com/ix2.
- The client is providing full design and storyboard, so I'll just be responsible for building and animating it, probably using Webflow.
- After the initial version is reviewed, I'll need to replicate the site in 24 different languages, keeping the same design but swapping out the content.
What type of fee would you think is appropriate for this? Are there specific tools or methods you use for pricing or quoting your work? I'd really appreciate any insights you might have. Thanks!
3 Answers
When it comes to pricing for big companies, it helps to do some homework on their budget. Larger clients aren’t as focused on every little detail of labor costs—they tend to base your rates on your experience. I once worked on a simple e-commerce site and ended up charging way more just because the client was a big name. I'd advise you not to undersell yourself, especially with a client of this size.
My go-to for quoting is to break everything down as accurately as possible. I estimate how long each phase will take—like server setup, coding, testing, etc.—and then add 20-40% more hours to my estimate just to be safe. This way, you're often well under budget and can deliver ahead of schedule, which really impresses clients.
The timeline can be tricky. There are two rules in software development to keep in mind: Hofstadter's Law says it always takes longer than you think, and Parkinson's Law states that work will expand to fill the time you give it. I once thought a small app would take two weeks but ended up needing double that, so plan accordingly!
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