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Dina Hafez
14,454 PointsWordpress E-Commerce site for a small business Plugin? & As a beginner developer how much to charge my first client??
Hello Treehouse teachers & colleagues,
I am London based beginner developer. Currently on the Front-End Development Track and about to start Javascript course + Almost finishing Wordpress Essential Training on Lynda.
Today I was with a friend who is going to open a coffee shop & in the same time homemade meals for takeaway. He knew that I can build websites and he asked me if I can build an E-Commerce site because he wants his customers to order the food online & pay by card then deliver it to them or collect it. I told him I am a beginner and I am currently doing online courses, I know I can do static websites but haven't tried E-Commerce before!
My questions are:
Is my best option right here is building a Wordpress site with e-commerce plugin??? & if yes which plugin, Woocommerce, WP ecommerce or you recommend something better?
How can I know the prices right now? & how much should I charge him as a beginner?
Please give me all the advices that would help me to get my first client!
I will be waiting for your replies.
Thank you!
4 Answers
Sue Dough
35,800 Points- Sure. That will work. You can use Woocommerce or Easy Digital Downloads.
2, That is up to you. Sometimes people take a lower amount to get the first client. Charge what you think is fair and expect it will take longer than you expect because of the client. Just remember that client will probably contact you in the future when something breaks etc or with questions etc so factor that in when charging. Be confident and collect some funds up front and then at the end.
Dina Hafez
14,454 PointsSue Dough Yes I understand! I will talk about that with my friend and see what is the best option for me and him.
One final question please! My friend want his customers to receive a text message with order confirmation, when the order is on the way, offers, etc... Do you have any idea how to do that?? Is it related to the ecommerce plugin or is it related to a completely different program?
Sue Dough
35,800 PointsYou can text some numbers via email if you know the provider + email syntax for that provider which is probably not feasible for a lot of customers. You'll probably have to use a third party provider and there will be cost for each text. Charge more if thats what the client wants because it sounds like a lot of extra work. Also make sure if you buy and plugins/themes etc that is factored into the cost of the site. You may want to charge more than I originally said if thats the case or have the client pay for the items + your pay.
Dina Hafez
14,454 PointsSue Dough Yes it is a lot of extra work! I wish it was just a static website with some basic info and that is it as a start lol
I think like you said, it is better for the client to pay for all the extras regarding the site, domain name, web hosting or self-hosting, etc... and my payment is separate. Do freelancers ask the clients if they want the site web hosting or self-hosting, or they just tell them what is the best option for them which is??
I can't thank you enough for all the info & the link!
Sue Dough
35,800 PointsYes have them pay for the expenses aside from your payment so that you don't underestimate or get hit with a big expense. I think the more things you ask them, the more you waste time. You want to help lead them and just tell them what is best. Otherwise you open a can of worms. They are putting trust into you so its best to advise them. I recommend AWS or Digital Ocean if you are command line savy otherwise just use some host that comes with Cpanel etc installed. Siteground is a decent choice. I would recommend reading the reviews though of the host before picking them.
And sure thing, you are welcome. I hope it goes well.
Dina Hafez
14,454 PointsThank you so much Sue! I hope that too.
Dina Hafez
14,454 PointsDina Hafez
14,454 PointsHello Sue,
First of all thank you for your reply :)
Ok great, I will use Woocommerce.
• Do you know what are the usual price for a Wordpress E-commerce site for a small business in London? • Does E-commerce sites usually break from time to time? and also do the freelancers charge the client if that happens? or I should consider it from the beginning when I charge the client?
Of course I am planning to charge a lower amount but need to know what is the standard prices then I can decide what to charge.
Sue Dough
35,800 PointsSue Dough
35,800 PointsIt just depends. You could go on Fiverr and get something lousy that works for less than $100. You could go to an agency and over pay $100,000. Maybe $500-$1,000 would be good for your first site but that is up to you. It is also your friend so keep that in mind. Some clients will expect you to drop what you are doing anytime for free to fix something so you need to be blunt/upfront that you will charge hourly in the future for any maintenance. Maintenance is a must because WordPress and plugins will need updates from time to time etc. A site can break on a big update.