Pricing Philosophy

What you’re really paying for
My work isn’t priced around speed, volume, or templates.
It’s priced around responsibility. 

Clients don’t come to me just for a website — they come because they want fewer decisions to make, fewer things to manage, and someone they trust to guide the work over time. That responsibility is what I’m careful with, and what my pricing reflects. 

Why I don’t list rates 
Every project — and every organization — is different. 
Some need a focused rebuild. 
Others need ongoing guidance and gradual improvement. 
Many fall somewhere in between. 

Rather than force those realities into fixed packages, I prefer to understand what you actually need and recommend an approach that makes sense. 

This isn’t about hours
While time matters, it’s not the main driver. 
Much of the value comes from judgment: knowing what not to do, where to simplify, and how to make decisions that hold up over time.

Clients who work with me long-term value continuity and clarity more than tracking tasks or hours. 

What tends to cost more — and why 
Projects usually cost more when they involve:
• Lack of internal clarity or capacity
• Complex content or messaging challenges
• Long-term stewardship rather than one-off delivery
• High responsibility with low margin for error 

None of these are problems — they simply require more thought, care, and involvement.

What tends to keep costs reasonable 
Costs are often lower when:
• There’s trust in the process
• Decisions don’t need multiple rounds of approval
• The goal is stability, not perfection
• The site is allowed to evolve over time 

These conditions make the work calmer, more efficient, and more sustainable.

Who this approach works best for 
This pricing philosophy works well for clients who:
• Prefer fewer vendors and clearer ownership
• Want guidance, not just execution
• Are thinking long-term
• Value reliability over constant change
• Understand that calm, competent work has a cost 

If that resonates, the conversation about numbers tends to be straightforward.

A final word on fit 
I don’t try to be the right choice for everyone. 
If your priority is finding the lowest possible price, there are many good designers who can help. If your priority is reducing stress and having someone carry responsibility with care, this approach may make sense. 

Either way, clarity up front benefits everyone.

Next step 
If you’d like to talk about whether this approach fits your situation, I’m happy to have that conversation.

Being practical/

“If you have to ask how much it costs, you can’t afford it.” J.P. Morgan

The quote is widely know. It is most often read (or referred to) as an "excluding" factor. My own spin on it is – if you start with "What does this cost?" before discussing what we are trying to accomplish – we are starting by opening the wrong door. We are putting a price on a project that has no concrete objectives. For me, it can be frustrating when people ask about cost, before we even know what they are paying for – or what they would like to realistically achieve.

It is widely known that I am one of the most inexpensive web-guys around. That doesn't reflect the quality of my work. It is more in tune with the simple fact that I do not overload any aspect of any project. Yes, having all the smoke and mirrors, widgets and apps, associated with your website would be nice. But, the reality always boils down to two things. 1) Do you really need all that? And, 2) Are these things that you can grow into in the future? Secret Message: It's very hard to predict how a website will do before the website exists.

No first-build (or re-build) website is bulletproof. Each and every website starts with an idea. We take that notion and give it a face – something to recognize it by, something to work with. From there we "grow it" accordingly. To be perfectly practical, my more popular builds attract an average of 100-150 visitors per day. Some of the smaller/local sites range around 50/day. Earthshattering – nope – in either case. But, again the reality – those numbers have worked well enough for those businesses that they can be comfortable with them. As time passes, we chisel out a new norm or function on the web pages to accomplish new goals, increase audience or advance into new marketplaces. 

Being "indexed by the search engines" does not guarantee any element of success. The best anyone can do is grow the attributes of a website to increase its authenticity and worth for the visitors that view the pages. It doesn't happen overnight. But, it is fun to see it grow over time. Another quick note: Being "indexed" by Google usually only takes two or three days. Being indexed does not equate to having any ranking in the search engines. It is the starting point nonetheless.

/It is often a good idea to discuss whether you have long-term goals for your website or you simply "want something on the internet?" I usually suggest the former, but totally understand the latter. I can work with both because...