NYCPHP Meetup

[inforequest]

Joseph Crawford Jr. jcrawford-at-codebowl.com |nyphp 04/2004| wrote:

> Guys i have put in a quote for a site similar to
>  
> http://www.novica.com/
>  
> and the person said the quote was way too much, my quote was $25,000 
> for the entire site to be done that is tax free for them, meaning i am 
> paying my own taxes.  Thier site included a ton of statistic features 
> and quickbooks report integration etc...
>  
> Do you guys think i quoted high or low?
>  
> Joe Crawford Jr.
>
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>

Interesting professional discussion here... nice to see it.

If I may offer some different perspective :  if you are a general 
contractor, you approach the client completely differently, with plans 
to get the job at any price over some minimum you know you can meet 
specs with after cutting all corners. You know those numbers going in, 
so if they say $5k you farm it to Elbonia out as a CMS customization job 
for $3500; and if they say $25,000 you hire your buddies and do a great 
job you can build upon. Keep in mind in tis case you are in the business 
of estimating and project managing, NOT coding.

If you are a coder and a company approaches you to bid on a full project 
(like this one) you are at a serious disadvantage. Since you are a 
coder, you know all the intangibles they can never see clearly until 
they feel the pain. You can't see the forest for the trees; they can't 
see the trees but see the forest.

With a request like this, either you step back and play project 
manager/GC, or pass this newbie client to a programming shop for a 
referral fee. If  they are also middlemen on this, as you suggest, then 
more reason to distance yourself from any obligation but strong, 
specific written requirements (not just "make a site like this other one 
with these features"). If they balk at a price without careful scruitiny 
of your specific implementation plans, that's also a sign of trouble.

I work in website optimization, which involves fixing 
normal-to-above-average websites so they actually achieve their 
objectives (turning committe-designed brochure sites into lead 
generators, category leaders, sales engines, or advertisements, or 
whatever).  One of the guidelines for website optimization work is NEVER 
take a client who has *never* worked with an optimization firm or 
consultant (i.e. no newbies) and also *never* take a client who has 
worked with more than two optimization firms in three years. The newbies 
simply will not see the value and therefore won't pay well enough (in 
money or collaborative effort). The latter wasn't able to do it at least 
twice already (if you work well with an optimization firm it's a win-win 
for everyone, and you would most likely want to work with them again).

Sure it means passing over lots of business opportunitities.....  but 
knowing that 90% of my new business comes by referral from past (happy) 
customers, are they really business opoortunities? Perhaps it is better 
to let the seeds germinate into plants before transplanting them into 
the front garden.

-=john

John Andrews