This is only a basic guide to give you an
            idea of what to expect. Nothing is written in stone. But do take the
            information and use it as a starting point in your new venture.
            First a little background. I am a professional website designer. I
            have been in the business for over 15 years. I have designed 100's
            of website and custom logo's. When I see some of the packages
            offered on eBay at the low prices, I know some one is about to be
            scammed. A professional website designer  will charge any where from
            $25.00 to $150.00 an hour. Depending on what they are doing. If you
            are looking to bid on a website design service auction, please take
            the following under careful consideration.
           
            1. Beware of the auctions price. A professional designer will charge
            between $25.00 to $1,000 per page. Depending on what kind of
            content. Simple HTML work with some simple graphics will be the
            cheapest. Data basing and coding will get expensive fast and will be
            your most expensive. Flash work and custom logo's goes for about
            $50-$100 an hour in todays market.
           
            2. Beware of Templates. The internet offers website templates at
            very reasonable prices. The designer can simply fill in your
            information in a snap. Very unoriginal and can be a copyright
            infringement. Make sure your work is 100% all original.
           
            3. Package Deals. They are when a designer offers you his services
            in a packed deal. Not a good thing. Your website is based on you and
            your business. It's a personal approach and one geared towards your
            business. Package deals usually start out fine but soon you will
            encounter extra costs and they can ad up. They usually are on the
            designers terms.
           
            4. Know what you need. Visit other website that have something in
            common with you or your business. Get an idea of what you want your
            website to look and feel like. Meaning layout of pictures, graphics,
            navigation, etc. Giving your designer websites to look at that you
            like will help to convey your idea. How many pages will you need?
            Will you need e-commerce? Do you have a logo or will you need one?
            Where will you host your website? These are questions you need to
            have the answers to before hiring a designer.
           
            5. References, get at least 5 references from the person or company
            you hire. Call them and ask them if they are happy with the service
            they received. Were there any additional fee's. Did the designer
            stand behind his work. Was the designer easy to work with. What was
            the time frame it took to complete the website.
           
            6. Sign a contract. I cannot stress this enough. Make sure you have
            every thing in writing before hiring any one. It should have every
            thing about your website in it. To the design layout, pictures,
            logo's, text, e-commerce, coding, it all should be listed. You
            should never pay more then 1/3 of the entire cost up front. The
            contract should read final cost, not quote or estimate. Be sure you
            request a copy of all materials on a CD/DVD after the work has been
            completed.
           
            7. Register your own domain name. I have seen it to many times. When
            a business and a client part ways, the business or designer had
            registered the domain name. Now they will sell it back to you at a
            fee of course. Register it yourself. You keep control  of it and if
            any issues arise, you're covered.  A reliable registrar is Go Daddy.
           
            There are a lot of great designers and design companies out there.
            Unfortunately there are the not so good as well. Take the time to
            research your project. Have a basic idea what you want. The designer
            can help you to perfect it. Communication is very important on both
            sides. A designer needs to know what you want and you need to be
            happy with it. I advise signing into only a 6 month contract. It can
            be extended every 6 months as you develop a relationship. Be sure to
            shop around and get at least 5 different price quotes. Make sure
            you're getting what you think you are. Additional or custom work can
            ad up fast. So that's why I stress to get every thing in writing.
           
           
            Prices are always something that confuses the client. Her is a basic
            guide to pricing.
           
            Basic Design: For a 5 page basic website with a custom logo, at
            least 10 pictures, text, email accounts, and navigation links. Look
            to spend around $300-$500. Flash is going to be more, but ask
            yourself do you need it. Look to spend about 30% more for flash
            based work.
           
            Advanced Design: Basically the same as the above but with flasher
            design work and a more interactive website. Such as mouse overs,
            animated gifs, some flash, forms, and graphics. Look to spend around
            $500-$1,000 If a forum is needed, look to spend 50% of what the
            software costs to have them install and configure it.
           
            E-commerce, PHP, ASP, CFM, these are will involve coding and the
            prices can vary greatly. If you or your company needs these kind of
            services, I recommend hiring a professional IT company. Depending
            how large your website needs are, the cost vary and expect to pay a
            monthly fee. Getting references is most important when starting out
            in this area. This is also where you get into paying by the hour for
            services. Make sure your contract includes every thing you want the
            website to do and have.
           
            Beware of low bargain prices. You're going to get poor work,
            template designs, unoriginal work, and a headache! Remember, NEVER
            pay more then 1/3 of the entire quote up front. Only make final
            payment after work has been completed and you're happy with it. Do
            not pay additional costs during the build and question why any
            additional work is needed. Ask why it wasn't included in the quote.
            Finally when signing a contract, make sure it is stated that this is
            the final cost. Not a quote or estimate. Any monthly maintenance
            should also be included.
           
            Getting your website can be a very pleasing and exciting experience.
            Do your homework, stay away from the "to good to be true prices" and
            look upon this as a learning experience. A good, well thought out
            website can not only improve your businesses bottom line, but its
            image as well.
           
            This is only a basic guide to give you an idea of what to expect.
            Nothing is written in stone. But do take the information and use it
            as a starting point in your new venture.