Asked to add new design to a millionaire website

You should be charging what the job is actually worth, and not based or related in any way on what the customer earns - or you could be looking for a new customer very soon.

What do you usually charge for a similar job? It's as simple as that!
Just ask for the price you normally charge, don't make decisions based on what the guy earns.

I've worked with a few people/companies who were millionaires. I charged them the same rate as anyone else. And as you have guessed, it's a goldmine of opportunity, but not for over-charging. Do a fair amount of work for a fair dollar value, and if you do, there is every chance that he will refer other associates to you. The gold, is in the relationship you build.

Regards,
Steve MacLellan

@loginname -- I bill out once per month. On the off-chance that someone starts getting behind on paying their bills, I try to decide if I have to worry that I may not get paid... that's what back-doors are for, that can be accessed by http. Only ever had to use it twice in the last 15 years.

Regards,
Steve MacLellan

you absolutely charge more for consulting or design type of services based on the traffic a site has.

a high traffic site doesnt want crappy advice or sub-par design....they want the absolute best.

.1 conversion rate increase on a big number is worth a lot more than .1% conversion rate increase on a site with 100 visitors a day.

these guys dont want the cheapest, they want the best.

when the risk is higher, people who have been successful understand that. i have done consulting with some big companies where incorrect marketing advice would have cost them 7 figures. You think they didnt consider that when i signed on to give them advice?

They didnt mind paying higher rates when they felt they were getting better advice. same thing applies here. they dont just want a redesign that any highschool kid can do.

they want a redesign with lots of things considered including usability, mobile, seo, conversion, clickthru metrics, eye tracking considerations, implications on server resources.......

The knowledge required to do a redesign with those things in mind is far more than the average odesk developer who would charge $500 to changes a little bit of html and css.

Do you know what you are doing? The reason I ask is, well, you are here asking how to run your business. What made this "Millionaire" making thousands a week approach you in the first place? If you are that good to attract this type of client, then you should have your prices down. If you are looking to overcharge someone because they are successful, and coming here for justification, then I feel sorry for you

al

Maybe charge an upfront $2k and then the other $8k after it is finished

Charge based on value not how much money the person has. Most millionaires I know got that way because they know how to manage money and not throw it away. If I wanted to run around over charging it would be much easier to do it with people of limited means than millionaires since they generally know how to negotiate and save a buck.

Why is the site being redesigned? Is it to make it look better or to make more money? Will you be split testing, analyzing traffic and conversions? All of these factors make a difference in what you should charge.

Of course you always get an upfront retainer for your time and if you are skilled and your work can actually impact the bottom line it is often not unreasonable to manage a project and be payed a percentage of improved revenues. This however is generally if you are more experienced and comfortable doing such deals.

Your questions suggests you are not likely at the point of asking for profit shares etc.. so I would suggest a reasonable fee with a small upfront retainer and focus more on building the relationship. This persons trust and referrals may be worth much more to you than the fee you will make doing this build.