Gavin Simon photo

Packed with solid information and straight to the point.

Gavin Simon, aspiring freelancer

The Freelance Web Dev­elop­ment Pricing Ebook

Freelance Web Development Pricing ebook cover

Freelancing comes with a lot of uncertainty. Pricing your work and estimating projects are two of the most difficult skills to develop starting out. They also come with the highest stakes: if you screw up, you lose money!

Try a free chapter

or buy a copy.

Freelance Web Development Pricing gives you confidence amidst all the uncertainty. You’ll learn to:

  1. Find your minimum hourly rate. You’ll probably never charge this rate, but you’ll know the minimum you need to charge to stay afloat.
  2. Make a profit on every gig. Profit allows you to do more than just keep going. It allows you to grow, whether that means reaching bigger customers or bringing on help to do things you can’t do or don’t enjoy.
  3. Bid with confidence. There’s always at least a hint of uncertainty when you quote a price. This book will show you how to support your bid and deliver it with minimal doubt.
  4. Handle pushback from prospective clients. Clients want to know they’re getting good value for their money. You’ll learn how to prove that you’re worth it.

Detailed Outline

Here’s a more detailed look at what you’ll be getting in the book.

Part 1: Freelance Rates 💰

  • Pricing Is Scary
    • Things You May Not Know
      • How Many Hours You’ll Actually Bill
      • Things You’ll Have to Pay For (That You Might Not Have Considered)
        • Taxes
        • Vacation & Holiday Pay
        • Retirement Savings
        • Health Insurance
        • Life Insurance
        • Other Benefits
        • Your Tools
  • Find Your Ideal Hourly Rate
    • Basis for Your Rate
      • Example Calculation
      • What If My Expenses Are Low?
    • The Magic Ideal Rate Formula
  • Ways to Price Your Services
    • Pricing By Time- Hourly, Daily, or Weekly Rates
      • Advantages
      • Disadvantages
    • Project-Based Pricing
      • Advantages
      • Disadvantages
  • The Holy Grail of Pricing
    • Outputs over Inputs
      • Implement Pricing Based on Outputs
        • The Cost of the Problem
        • The Impact of the Solution
        • Putting It All Together
  • Talking to Clients
    • Understanding Your Value
    • Proving Your Value
      • Lean on History
      • Show Proof
      • Let Them Set the Value
    • Negotiating
      • Mindset
      • Strategies
    • Landmines and Red Flags
  • Freelance Rate Roadmap
    • Where to Start
    • Increasing Your Rate
    • Transitioning to Output-Based Pricing

Part 2: Estimating Projects 🕔

  • Why Estimate?
    • So You Can Tell Your Client When Their Project Will Be Done
    • So You Can Make Sure Your Pricing Makes Sense
    • So You Can Get Better at Estimating
  • Breaking Down the Project
    • How to Break It Down
      • Project: Build a pricing calculator for a customizable product
      • Project: Help us launch a new product on our web site
    • How to Know When You’re Done
  • Estimating Each Part
    • Draw On Your Experience
    • Estimating Tasks When You Have No Experience
    • A Complete Estimate
      • Project: Help us launch a new product on our web site
  • Things You’ll Have to Estimate For
    • Communication
    • Travel
    • Revisions
    • Expenses
    • Your Optimism
  • Billing for Your Estimate
    • Why Charge for an Estimate?
    • Why Would the Client Pay?
    • How to Execute Your Estimate
    • How to Sell It
Try a free chapter

or buy a copy.

FAQs

Who is the book for?

The book is for brand new freelancers, established freelancers who have trouble with pricing, or freelancers looking for ways to increase their profit margins.

It’s written specifically for web developers, but other freelancers will still find most of the book useful.

How do I know this will work for me?

What this book will definitely do is give you a new perspective: the methods I’ve used to price and estimate. Learn what you can from my experience. Try my methods and, if they don’t work, cherry-pick what you like from them.

The developer interviews included with the deluxe package will give you some additional perspectives you can mix into the stew that will become your own method of pricing and estimating projects.

Will this book still be useful if I'm not in the US?

Most of the book is applicable wherever you operate your business. Specific rate recommendations are geared toward US freelance web developers.

The contract included with the Deluxe package has been reviewed by a lawyer in the US.

What if I receive the book and don't like it?

If you don’t like the book for any reason, email me at devon@raddevon.com for a full refund.

RadDevon