Ask HN: How much should I pay a web developer? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: How much should I pay a web developer?

I'm trying to hire a web developer as I want my resort in the Philippines to have a website that has the online reservation option.

according to my research, Filipino web developers earn 3-4 dollars per hour. But I've learned too that web developers on odesk usually ask for fixed rates or per project rates.

Does anyone know how much is acceptable?

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I tend to believe you get what you pay for. I hired Seth Godin's brand management firm, OnRamp Branding, to do my web design- since they subscribe to the ideas that Seth preaches in his books. They're slightly more expensive than average, but it's okay since they do better than status-quo work, which resonates with my company's mission. Other design firms offered to do what they consider great work for far less, but I like having a designer who specializes in creating 'remarkable' work.

I have no idea what the rates are for web devs in the Philippines but based on my own experience there are significant risks with using oDesk, Freelancer.com or any other freelancing sites for your first, major web development project. Instead, I really recommend finding someone local with a good portfolio and reputation. Pay them well to get their loyalty because yours is the type of site that will need regular maintenance so you can't afford to burn your bridges.

Thanks for this. In that case, how much should I pay an American web developer?

Good web designers charge somewhere between $50-100 per hour depending on skillset and experience. It's very common to have a fixed price for the entire project.

To be quite honest with you, I would not hire an American web developer. The reason being is the same as why I generally don't recommend American companies outsourcing to other cultures, unless they have the capabilities in house to manage it. IT projects are hard enough and introducing cultural and time barriers to a project is a recipe for disaster. You should find a developer who knows your culture as their is cultural knowledge that you will have to spell out for an American developer. The only time I would advise differently is if you are primarily targeting a US market with this web site, in which case, you should hire an experienced US developer and listen to all of his recommendations.

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