What do you charge for your services

I'm a begining Freelancer

[circuitjump]

Hi all,
Got a few questions that maybe someone here can help me out with.
I just started freelancing and I got a client who wants me to optimize his site for better search engine rankings. Now I have spoken to him and told him what I can offer him, but have not discussed a price with him yet.
So I wanted to know what is the usual cost for SE-Optimization and what is the usual cost for IP-Cloaking with database, cloak script and optimized pages?

Also where can I find a good site that can give me good advise on the legalities of freelancing. What to do and what not to do. So that way I don't dig myself into a hole.

Thanks all or any advice given. :)

[oilman]

circuitjump - there's been a ton of threads on similar topics in the past. This is great place to start your research.

As for pricing - nobody here is likely to drop a dollar figure for you. In fact we discourage it. However I will say this: do not feel that you have to give away the farm to get a contract. When I started out I was the bargain basement guy. I'd give everything for way to low of a rate. Interestingly enough I doubled my rate and now have more clients willing to pay it. There is a definite value perception when it comes to pricing. Too low and you can create the perception that you're not worth much.

[circuitjump]

oilman thanks for the quick reply :)

Yeah as I write this I'm also searching for more threads here on the same subject. Good point about the too low part. I don't want to make myself seem like the Wal-Mart of web services. ( Not that I don't like wal-mart, I love it! :) )

[Travoli]

I also like to think of it as a "What kind of customer do I want to attract" kind of thing. I like to try to attract the people who are looking for quality service and are willing to pay accordingly.

[mivox]

If there are other web designers in your area, call them posing as a potential client and ask for quotes and rates. If I worked in Southern California, I'm sure I would charge more than I do now, working in Fairbanks, AK. Consider your target audience.