How Much Should I Charge for Wireframes?
As you venture into apps and website design, one of the basic things you should know is how much to charge for wireframes. Website and digital design skills are in high demand now with everything being online and you should arm yourself with the knowledge on the ins and outs of this industry. With businesses both big and small investing in good marketing strategies like having their websites or apps, sure enough, designers are scrambling to get the projects. Of course, you want to stand out and get the job.
It truly is very competitive out there, with both professional designers and apps for wireframing offering services. People will ask around for quotes and rates and compare. You have to think smart and play this right, starting with how you charge your clients. Knowing how to charge appropriately and competitively for your work is a must. Because this is definitely their first question—how much will you charge for the wireframes?
Considerations on How Much to Charge for Wireframes
As a freelancer, you are free to name your price. This is one of the perks of being outside the corporate world. However, it is still very important for you to know how to properly charge for your work in order to land clients and win projects. There are many points to consider when deciding how much to charge for wireframes. Here are some factors you should take note of:
1. Who Is Your Client?
Are you doing this for a corporation or a small business? Think about it, bigger companies will most probably require more tasks. Instead of wireframing a simple structure, these big companies may ask for a more complex design. Expect that they would be demanding and would call you for updates and reports every so often. It is therefore perfectly understandable that you charge more from them, for more time and effort spent on their project. Plus, they most definitely have more budget to spare than start-ups.
The expectations are different from smaller businesses though. Start-up businesses or those simply doing some side jobs are usually easier to transact with and generally require less complicated designs. You may want to consider charging a more cost-effective rate for them. Besides, they are the ones that actively refer good suppliers to others and post good experiences on social media platforms. So with them appreciating your friendly rates, you may even earn more from having a lot of referrals!
2. Industry Standards vs Your Edge
Surely you are not the only one who can do wireframing. By simply searching the internet, you will find the average rate web and app designers are expected to charge per screen for wireframing. There are certain items that dictate the industry standards for pricing. Some of the elements to consider when charging for wireframing are the number of color schemes to be used, the interactions per page, and the platform or device for which you are making the design for.
So if this is the case and the rates are already sort of standardized, should you also charge the same? No. There is one more element that only you can add to the bill, your edge. Dig deep and think of what you can offer that others can’t. Focus on your skills and experiences and sell them. Is it your faster turnaround time? Are you more tech-savvy than others? Are you more flexible? Know your edge and yes, it is a factor to consider in charging for your work.
3. Time Spent on Project
The time and effort you spend on a project is a clear determination of pricing your work. Some projects may take longer to finish than others. For example, a page that would contain more elements in its structure would take longer to make than a page with fewer items to put together. You will obviously give a layout that requires a lot of interactions and functional buttons more thought than that of a much simpler design too right?
Also, taking on a more complicated project would mean you can only work on that single project for a specific amount of time. And that means you are losing multiple projects by doing just this one. So you should be charging more to cover for some lost opportunities.
Consider your deadlines as well. Some clients would ask you to present your design in as quick as one day while others would give you more time. The desired turnaround time a client will demand is another important factor in determining how much to charge for wireframes. Having to finish a project in one day adds more value to the product. Keep in mind that knowing how to correctly bill for your time spent on projects is very, very important in running your business.
Additional Tasks
In every project or job, you can always expect that your clients would ask for additional tasks besides the main work. For example, your client may ask for two draft layouts to choose from. You see, that means you have to do two wireframes for a single project. So should you only get paid for the one final layout? Of course not. Go ahead and charge for that additional draft.
Other clients would require you to present multiple times. In having to attend meetings, think of your expenses like transportation and clothing. Go on ahead and charge for those expenses as well. Consider these other add-on requests when preparing a quote for your project:
1. Edits and Revisions
Since revisions are 100% expected, you have to automatically add that to your billing. The earlier you set your conditions on edits and revisions, the better. And do not hesitate to set your limits on revisions. If you do not set this right away, you might be trapped in a circle of endless revisions and edits, causing you a lot of time and stress.
Besides the set number of revisions, you have to define the type of revisions you would allow. Bear in mind the level of difficulty in different revisions. Adding new elements to a page is different from simply moving a box from left to right. Be clear that a major revision would of course cost more than minor ones.
Take note that some clients might already be pushing for a redesign instead of a simple edit. Be careful about this. You have to see this coming and talk to your client right away. Anyway, you could always state that you are willing to do a redesign, if you really are, and charge extra for it.
2. Creating Mockups
As an added paid service, you could create a mockup of the project for your client. This should be on top of the wireframing charges. Developing the mockup takes more work and tech and understanding that it is basically a big upgrade from wireframing would help you determine how much to charge for mockups.
Obviously, things like how much time you spend on the project as well as the scale of the project will influence the mockup cost. But aside from those, you also have to keep in mind that the product translates well virtually. The colors, fonts, images, and other elements should be accurate and detailed in a mockup so there’s no doubt that you are putting a lot more skill and effort into this. After all, a mockup is a final blueprint before the actual programming starts. It is that important. So, yes, creating mockups does have an impact and must be included when charging for your work.
Conclusion
Knowing that you are being paid fairly will truly motivate you into becoming better with each project you take on. Freelancing may be a tricky business but being smart about how you sell your work is an advantage. Having laid down the considerations in determining how much to charge for wireframes, you can now confidently go on and discuss business with your clients.
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