What to charge for web design add-ons?

[TargetNumberOne]

Hi Guys,
In addition to web design / development, do you charge customers separately for domain names and hosting fees?

If so, how much do you charge them and how frequently? I mean the domain name could be charged annually, and the hosting could be monthly or annually.

So based on your experience, what works for you when charging customers for these add-ons?

Thanks for your help,
Tony

 

[cmcp]

I don't get involved with their domain name or email, more hassle than it's worth to me.

I do provide hosted sites, but they need to point their web traffic to my server with an A record.

 

[TargetNumberOne]

Thanks for the reply cmcp!

Agree with you on the domain name, but what about the hosting then? How much do you charge for hosting and is that a monthly of annual fee?

Cheers,
Tony

 

[cmcp]

Varies on the clients requirements, and it's monthly. Usually around £15 - £20 per month.

 

[TargetNumberOne]

Varies on the clients requirements, and it's monthly. Usually around £15 - £20 per month.

Thanks cmcp!

 

[Astaroth]

We likewise don;t want to touch the domain name for a host of reasons.

Generally we will include hosting for year 1 free of charge subject to the volume of traffic the site is likely to use unless they want a dedicated server or such.

After year 1 we charge an annual amount depending on the useage. We aren't webhosts and don't want to be so its a small residule income and don;t mess about with monthly billing (and therefore chasing)

 

[TargetNumberOne]

Thanks for the feedback Dan.

Seems that letting customers get their own domain names and charging annually for hosting (with the first year free) is the way to go....

How much do you charge for the hosting at the end of year one?

Appreciate your help with this.
Kind regards,
Tony

 

[Unicora]

I have found a better way then monthly subscriptions is to charge a one off yearly fee, this means that I can get a continual income from the hosting without having to chase. But also at the renewal point I can offer my services again for further advertising & SEO.

I often get people coming back to me many times before the year end because they are happy with my service but checking in yearly also keeps your company fresh in their minds.

 

[Esk247]

i charge annually for hosting as my customers are shop owners and dont have time for monthly subscriptions.

they buy a block of hosting for 12 months anything from £30 a year to £300 depending on the size and future development ideas for the website.

i can set up domains for them if they're a bit confusled by it all then arrange the hosting package with it and ta da. 12 months hosting, 24 months domain setup all from £50 a year all in.

 

[matt.chatterley]

Hi Guys,
In addition to web design / development, do you charge customers separately for domain names and hosting fees?

If so, how much do you charge them and how frequently? I mean the domain name could be charged annually, and the hosting could be monthly or annually.

So based on your experience, what works for you when charging customers for these add-ons?

Thanks for your help,
Tony

We normally recommend that they sort out their own domain name - although we can do it for them if they want. We charge extra for it, but not a vastly inflated fee - it's something they need, not something we set out to make a big profit on.

We always include hosting in our initial quotes, when we've been asked to provide it, but as a separate figure - so it's clear that it's an ongoing cost, not a one-off.

We do both "upon renewal" - e.g annual for hosting (don't bill month as too much paperwork) - and annual or bi-annual (etc) depending on how long the domain was reserved for.

Exception is our eCommerce service - hosting is rolled into the existing "all in one" monthly price, although we still recommend people get their own domain sorted out.

 

[TargetNumberOne]

Unicora - Thanks for the feedback. Like the point about going back to customers for additional services (seo) with annual billing.

Esk247 - Thanks. Charging different rates for hosting seems to be a good idea too. Offering a full package for domain name + hosting makes sense.

Matt - Thanks, like the idea of including hosting as a separate item on quotes as on on-going cost.

Appreciate the advice guys,
Tony

 

[Leadz]

The problem with charging customers for hosting fees is the hassle that comes with it.

If they have problems with the email either because they don't know how to set it up or for any other strange reason, they will call you and expect you to fix it for free immediately because they feel they have paid you for the service.

My suggestion will be to point them in the right direction but charge them a fee to look after them and all other queries that comes with managing a website.