Comments on: Do You Value a Good Designer?

By: Brentwood Kids Charity

Brentwood Kids Charity — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 20:30:36 +0000

Thanks for the informative article. It made me think up some things. :)

By: Nathan Rice

Nathan Rice — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 04:20:11 +0000

@John Whiteside Thanks man! I appreciate the vote of confidence!

By: John Whiteside

John Whiteside — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 04:06:48 +0000

Hi Nathan,
as somebody who’s been buying design services for 20 years, I’ll just say: Yep. Frankly, your prices don’t seem out of line to me (and not long ago we paid more for a WP theme that frankly, was not good).

I’ve noticed that people like Template Monster are now offering themes – but they honestly aren’t any better than what you can find for free.

FYI, probably going to use one of your free themes for a pre-launch of a site & perhaps come back to you for some customization.

By: Nathan Rice

Nathan Rice — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 21:13:53 +0000

@Theo J.
Thanks Theo! I’m sure that it happens everywhere. I’m not sure who’s to blame, but either way … us freelancers get the blowback.

@Charity
I’m sure the marketing is the hardest part. That’s why I’m so glad I have Cory. He’s a great marketer, and I don’t doubt for a minute that he is responsible for the majority of the sales of NewsPixel.

By: Theo J.

Theo J. — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 20:13:20 +0000

Great point. I’m not a designer, but I am a programmer and get the same thing at times. I think your pricing is great. Don’t let it get to you. Not all clients are good ones. Especially the cheap ones who can be more of a hassle than it’s worth.

By: Charity

Charity — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 16:14:52 +0000

Wow thanks Nate. I don’t know about a star but I agree about the marketing. ;) It’s never been my strong suit. I need to sit down one of these days and consider some advertising sources or perhaps hire someone who can help me strategize.

By: Nathan Rice

Nathan Rice — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 21:42:19 +0000

Charity »
Outsourcing is great, if you can find a gem. I haven’t found too many, although I’m happy with the person I have right now. The limitations are the same though … especially in terms of time zones. But if you are willing to have a flexible schedule, then it’s not a bad thing.

Even when they don’t do the “I can get it cheaper” shpeal, it’s still frustrating when people ask for a quote, then bail when it’s over $200. But yeah, at least you haven’t had to deal with the crap I have.

Charity, you are actually one of the very few people who I esteem as a “great coder”. Lots of good designers, but the coders are few and far between. Because you can do both, you have a significant advantage. You just need some good marketing :-) But you are a star in the WP community, and I’m glad to be on your blogroll :-)

By: Charity

Charity — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 16:10:09 +0000

All very well said Nate! This was the perfect post for me to read right now too, because I’ve been trying to weigh some outsourcing options lately. I hesitate to hand over control to a slicing agency because I’m just so picky about how the code should look and be organized. But I recognize that I can’t do it all – especially with two kids underfoot. I had not considered some of the points you raised, so thanks for bringing them to light!

Sorry you had to deal with such a moron. I haven’t had that situation come up yet. Occasionally a potential client will just disappear if they feel my prices are too high – rather than come back at me with uninvited opinions. So I guess I’ve been lucky that way.

People don’t understand how difficult it is to FAIRLY price the services we as designers offer. (At least, for me it’s difficult.) Sometimes I question my decisions on pricing, but when I read a post like this I know I’m on track.

By: Nathan Rice

Nathan Rice — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 03:27:19 +0000

@Ben – thanks for the link man. I remember reading that a while back, and thinking “yeah, but that’s Chris Pearson”. Since then, becoming a full time freelancer and a reluctant “big name” in the WordPress design community, I’ve realized that he wasn’t far off at all.

@Miriam – I appreciate the compliments! I’m not sure if I undercharge, but I certainly feel like my prices are fair, especially considering the service I know I give.

@Todd,
I love the mod, man! And of course, I appreciate the kind words of confidence.

By: Ben Bleikamp

Ben Bleikamp — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 22:02:40 +0000

Good points on hiring cheaper designer. Chris Pearson wrote a good post about how much a design should cost a while ago, created a bit of controversy with the “cheap skates.”

http://www.pearsonified.com/2006/06/how_much_should_a_design_cost.php

By: Miriam

Miriam — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 22:03:54 +0000

Nathan – you should not feel like you have to explain or excuse your prices. It sounds like you may even undercharge for your skill level. There will always be people who complain, but as you said, they can go elsewhere and they’re not worth the headache they’ll probably end up being as a client.

You’ve got a lot of experience and built up a name for yourself. And that’s why When people buy your work, it’s worth more than the work of some unknown newbie.

By: Todd Morris

Todd Morris — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 09:28:42 +0000

Hi Nathan,

A couple of months ago, I was fortunate enough to stumble across RockinThemes.com, I was immediately drawn to the “style”. Since then, pretty much every theme I’ve used has been made by Cory Miller or yourself. (currently using Elegant Blue with a slightly custom header).

I’m not quite to the point yet where I’m looking for a truly custom paid theme. But when I am, I can say with a fair degree of certainty that I’ll be trying to track down either yourself, or the aforementioned Mr Miller.

Keep up the great work … thanks.