When preparing a proposal, our first step is to establish an outline, or "sitemap", of the pages to be created. More pages mean more work will be required for design, development, and support.

A simple B2B website might include the following pages: Home, About, Services, and Contact. A large, complex site may involve three or even more levels of hierarchical content.

Multiple pages on the site may share a single template. For example, a product website might have a single template that applies to all the products. This template only needs to be designed and coded once.

On the other hand, a site where every page requires a unique design will require more time and therefore cost to develop.

Examples of functionality include site search, user accounts, e-commerce, and anything else that goes beyond layout of text and images.

We itemize these functions in our proposal, to show how each affects the total work requirement.

This may range from corporate/professional to creative and even award-winning. A higher expectation requires additional time — to go beyond a design that is just acceptable, and create something outstanding.

We often review industry and inspirational sites with our clients before work begins, to establish a clear expectation for the designs to be created.

A client with existing brand identity has a head start in the design process, especially if this identity is clearly established in guidelines.

Additionally, high quality assets such as photography, illustration, and videos can be used immediately and often effectively in the designs to be created.

Generally, the fewer decision makers, the less time will be required for feedback and approval of each project stage.

We also appreciate our clients' clear communication, as it allows us to proceed through each stage more efficiently.

Ideally, we host the websites we develop on our own infrastructure, which allows us to provide end-to-end support.

Requests from our client's IT department can usually be accommodated, but may impact the overall time required for deployment, support, and maintenance.

• Our pricing is based on a daily rate for the work required
• We primarily consider the number of pages, unique templates, and required functionality
• A few other factors are also considered
• We can guide you through the process, and provide an itemized proposal showing a breakdown of the costs