I’ll be bold and change the question to: “how much does it cost to collaborate with you on my project?” I’m confident you’ll find tremendous value in our working relationship, especially if you’ve had unfortunate experiences with cheaper alternatives.
Assuming we are a good match for the project (we’ll figure that out during the initial consultation), the investment level is determined by a series of constants and variables.
The important constants you’ll get from me:
Sample variables include:
By determining the priorities of our collaboration we’ll set ourselves on the path toward website bliss at an appropriate level of investment.
We’ll assess your needs, wants and means and agree on the scope, schedule, and investment level for the project. There will be a signed agreement and an initial investment required to start. The signed agreement will have a detailed schedule with milestones to keep us on track. We’ll stay in constant communication throughout the process so you can be comfortable and confident.
I work with people all over the country, communicating by phone, email, and video (even screensharing and video chatting, if applicable). Presentations are made online. I also provide video screencast tutorials for content management system training, which has specific benefits over in-person training sessions. As my portfolio attests, we can successfully do great work without ever meeting in person.
There are some other advantages, too. Greater flexibility with meeting times. No one has to pay for travel time to and from meetings. And it won’t matter if there’s a bit of mustard on your shirt from that yummy lunch.
A content management system (CMS) is becoming a standard request, but shouldn’t be considered a “must have.” It really depends on your needs, and we can assess if a CMS (and which one) is right for you. If we employ a CMS, ensuring an easy experience for you is of paramount interest for me.
Another option is using a flexible retainer, and some of my clients choose to handle site updating this way. Here’s how it works. The advantages are you can easily send me your edits for rapid deployment, and if anything requires some extra design or coding love I’m already on the job for you.
Short answer: yes.
Longer answer: let’s make sure you’re choosing Wordpress for the right reasons. Your site content and your short- and long-term goals will help determine a right content management system (CMS) to use. Lots of CMSs will enable you to change your site content; I’m committed to giving you the best editing experience possible by making smart choices from the start. Let’s talk to see if Wordpress is indeed the way to go.
Short answer: no.
Longer answer: I spent months researching open-source content management systems (CMSs) that could scale up to enterprise level, seeing a lot of powerful systems that I wouldn’t want to use as a site owner. When I found Concrete5 I was so excited I almost peed my pants. The site editing experience is a thing of beauty: simple and attractive in-context editing that belies the power and flexibility behind-the-scenes. Here’s their marketing about it, and I’ll be happy to give you more of my semi-objective viewpoint and suggest a CMS based on your goals.
Extended answer: another favorite is Perch, a wonderfully streamlined system perfect for many small and/or simple sites. Slideshowpro Director for sites that are image/video portfolios. And Wordpress for sites that are blogs.