Advice, how much to charge for web page design...

[Carol Mecionis]

I am just finishing up my certificate program for web design and I want to start my own freelance business. I am a bit confused about how much to charge. There seems to be a wide range of fees. The services I would provide would be very basic at this point in time (until I gain more experience). The sites I plan on making would be catered towards a small business which wants to advertise on the web. The sites would NOT include a shopping cart or any flash at this time. It will have images, links, and can be custom made (or I can use a template). I am proficient at Dreamweaver and Photoshop. Does anyone have any thoughts on the best way to charge?

Thanks!
Carol Jeanne
[e-mail]
http://www.jeannesimages.com

[Carlos Moreno]

there's probably as many answers to this as there are web dev companies, freelancers and ad agencies out there. everyone has their own methods for how they charge, and how they price their hourly, or per-package fees for customers. a couple really good websites that have tools, techniques, and a lot of advice on how to charge for services, and how to establish great relationships with clients are:

http://freelanceswitch.com/
http://blog.shaneandpeter.com/

freelance switch even has a calculator to show what you need to be charging per hour in order to reach your financial goals. good luck with your new venture!