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