Simply put - I can only quote a project to the same level of detail as it’s been specified.  In the case of the above—which is a slightly edited version of an inquiry email I recently received, I can’t even begin to put numbers or timing on the project as it’s simply too vague.

I always think of websites as being a bit like a custom-built house.  I don’t think people would approach a home-builder and say, “Hi - I’d like a house.  How much would that cost and when can you have it done?” The potential customer would know that in order to estimate the cost of building a house there are many decisions that have to be made that further define the project - the overall square footage, the number of bedrooms vs. the number of bathrooms, the location, the finish materials (brick or vinyl siding, etc). 

I know the comparison falls apart a bit under heavy scrutiny - as in most areas there is a rough “cost per square foot” number that people use.  But you get the idea - vague definitions can only get vague answers. 

Same thing with a website - in order to quote prices, I need requirements.

Iif you don’t feel comfortable defining your own requirements, I can develop those for you as a consulting service.  We would agree to a certain number of hours (typically 15-20), and I would spend those hours interviewing your staff and customers, analyzing your current content, finding out more about your current business and future goals, etc.  The deliverables for this engagement are an internet strategy document that summarizes my findings and plots out a build approach, a sitemap, and a set of wireframes that begin to map out the structure of the site (like an architect’s blueprints).  At this point you could take those deliverables and use them to get estimates from any number of web developers.

If you want to develop your own requirements, this Project Survey (MSWord format) provided by the folks at ExpressionEngine is a good start.  You likely won’t be able to answer all the questions, but answering what ones you can will help me start to determine what your project will cost.

Please understand - I don’t intend this to come off as a rant.  As a small business owner I appreciate each and every inquiry for work that I receive.  I just want to be able to provide estimates that are as accurate as possible - and I’m sure as a potential client that’s what you want as well. 

In order to do that I just plain need more detail about the proposed project.