Geez, I quoted someone R2500 for a site and they gave me a :wtf:
He clearly wanted it for free.
Yeh this industry is cut throat.
I guess it stems also from people being misinformed.
They got alot of spam emails , like websites for R299 .
And thats the range they expect to pay .
Many also don't understand the difference, between some one designing from scratch
or using a template , or using free templates with wordpress (or the likes )
Once the client is educated with the correct info , and you as a web designer have at least gotten
a basic brief , a fair price can be determined.
Also depends on the type of client : (My opinion , views)
Family or friends (who want sites for their business or personal blogs): i advise them to go cms and template route. ( so they don't feel offended with you giving them a quote which they might see as excessive). Then help them setup , only takes a few hours of your life.
very Small / home businesses : Advise them use wix , or woza online
Small / home businesses
want to sell online) Advise them eshop.co.za , shopify
Other clients . have a meeting , discuss a strategy , plan , e.g
start of basic website - add product catalogue - add shopping cart - pos integration
Build a long term relationship .
Always make clear detailed quotes , clients have a tendency to ask you to add features as you developing , make sure they understand all new features will be charged at your stipulated hourly rate.
ALWAYS TAKE A DEPOSIT WHEN WORKING WITH A CLIENT FOR THE FIRS TIME
IF YOU SENDING ARTWORK , SEND JPGS UNTIL YOU RECEIVE PAYMENT THEN SEND PSD, ETC
My 2c
edit
http://www.squarespace.com is also good low budget