I read some posts on Nairaland that somebody is willing to design and do a website totally free for Nairalanders.

I was happy and wrote them emails to ask for one.

Some of the them didn't answer me. But somebody did answer me. But I am disappointed to find that:
1.One gentleman told me that he can do it for me, but he need some money to buy the software needed. Besides, he will manage the website for me in the future. I said I can send the software to him and manage the website by myself. Then the gentleman disappeared.

2.One guy told me last week that he will do it for me by this monday. And he said I surely would get the website this monday. But until today, nothing happens. I wrote him emails, but no answer.

From the experiences above, I learned the lesson: There is free lunch in the world. And I want to advise you guys don't believe in the lies. And if there are new posts about doing free website for Nairalanders, the moderators can delete them without notice.

I, as moderator myself, don't delete those free website postings, just move them to the proper section "Web Design and Hosting Advert"

Because those free website postings ARE ADVERTISEMENTS, wrong place on Webmaster section.

@bjsf2006:

well am not surprise at the response you got from the free lunch offers, I always wonder why someone would want to do a website for free or for ridiculous amount, my immediate questions when I see offers like that is "what is this advert hiding from me", "does this company/poster value or have respect for time?". because to build a beautiful standard website, a lot of thinking, work, time and creativity is involve and I only wonder if this "free" ads posters go through the basic of creating a realistic website. It also tells me that lack the basic respect for time, because if you spent quality time in thinking, strategising and building a website and you then give such site out for "free", that put a lot of question on your evaluation of time and the effort you have put into the website.

well I believe you now believe for sure that there truly is no free lunch even in free land.

And to the free website posters:

whatever is worth doing is worth doing well and worth giving your best. if your time is worth the effort than price urself well.

ROFLMAO bjs,

Your situation maps exactly to an experience I had with a would-be client a few months ago:

He asked me to redesign his association's website and I gave him my price but never heard from him again.  With Nigerians, sorry to say, that's standard practice.  A few weeks later, I meet him somewhere and he asks me again how much I charge.  This time I purposely jacked up my price.  I then ask what became of his site. He said, "we ended up redesigning the site but the webmaster is hard to reach".  I asked him how much he paid and he said, "the guy did it for free".  In my mind, I was sticking my tongue out at him and saying, "thatz what you get when you want cheap stuff or something for free".

I tell people, in my line of work, either you are an apprentice, a mass producer or a craftsman and I see myself as a craftsman.  Obviously a craftsman charges more because he takes his time to do quality work, though he might be slower.

All, please behold the free website and make your opinions known: http://www.anogusa.org/ - Mind you, this is done by an "american (actually a nigerian living in america) webmaster"

yes, you definitely get what you pay for.

@yawa

pls help me I cant seems to stop laughing my ass out on your "lost" client's website. I also checked the developers site and I laugh more.

the site designer built his own site "http://mckharmen.com" using Microsoft Office Live Small Business free template, I think he is hosting with yahoo or something.

I tell people, in my line of work, either you are an apprentice, a mass producer or a craftsman and I see myself as a craftsman. Obviously a craftsman charges more because he takes his time to do quality work, though he might be slower.

All, please behold the free website and make your opinions known: http://www.anogusa.org/ - Mind you, this is done by an "american (actually a nigerian living in america) webmaster"

yes, you definitely get what you pay for.

I agree with yawa completely.

dayo,

At least you follow gree.  Make e no be say I get bad belle 

Yawa, I agree with you 100%.

Infact I think there should be a regulatory body that will sanction site owners and developers for crazy websites.

The http://www.anogusa.org/ would pass for a scarm site because it fails all the laws of creativity and web development with the use of clip arts and blicking text and everything on the site.

I often wonder, why would a serious organization/company go for a free website?

God will help us. I will only encourage those keeping it real to keeping doing what is right, don't compromise standard, ethic and principle of creativity for cheap max production that will belittle you and your company in the future.

Set your standard and stand by it , little drops of water makes a valuable ocean.

I will rader have 5 paying client than have 100 non-paying client, cos the only recommendation you will get from such clients will also be cheap. they will tell people of how cheap you are.

Let people talk about your proficiency and creativity instead of how cheap and affordable you are, although we should be prudent in our charges less people loss faith in us.

to all the people keeping it real , the FUTURE IS OURS.

God will help us. I will only encourage those keeping it real to keeping doing what is right, don't compromise standard, ethic and principle of creativity for cheap max production that will belittle you and your company in the future.

Set your standard and stand by it , little drops of water makes a valuable ocean.

I will rader have 5 paying client than have 100 non-paying client, because the only recommendation you will get from such clients will also be cheap. they will tell people of how cheap you are.

Yep, I have told a potential client that it would take me more time and expense to come up with something mediocre. Also,this year, I stayed from January to August before landing my first jobs. I would rather do that than do 100 N10K jobs as you have stated above.

Let people talk about your proficiency and creativity instead of how cheap and affordable you are, although we should be prudent in our charges less people loss faith in us.

True talk.

@yawa, poster
men I think most excited guys who start using dreamweaver will always want to do a tryout and the client who wants his professional site to be a play ground can go on and work with them

@dayotee
I disagree with you on some points you raised, about depending on 5 paying clients than 100 non paying clients. If you are in the computer and software business then you will understand why Windows is a more profitable business than Macintosh and all the other operating systems.
and you might as well understand why Google has about 150 billion USD in the bank from a free website. There are alot of roads that take you to a successfull business but the best has been extensive marketing. I believe Windows XP and a Dell laptop sell at 600usd then windows xp is 100usd in it .
How can you tell me such a big operating system with thousands of developers sells at 100usd about 15 thousand naira.

mambe,

50 websites at $1000 each or 100 websites at $500 each?  You be the judge.  Me? I will pick the former.  Why? Less stress.  Sure, the latter gives you more bragging rights but from experience, level of stress is inversely proportional to what you charge a client.  Could be different in your case but it has always proven correct in mine.

I don't think either MSFT or GOOG apply here either: GOOG's business model isn't based on you paying them to develop a site for you (which is what we do) and MSFT's main claim to fame is it's agreements with vendors which pretty much allowed them to claim majority market share so that at some point, we all got hooked, not to mention licensing fees (I stand corrected).  Yes, it's all about marketing but it is also about a target audience.  Toyota (mass production aka non-paying clients) targets the common man whereas Lamborghini (custom made aka paying clients) targets those with exquisite taste. 

At the end of the day, you take your pick and I wish you well with your choice. For me though, it's all about less stress. Sure, a high unemployment rate can make one compromise one's standards but it shouldn't be to the point where you have no pride in your work. It's that pride that gives you the confidence to present yourself in a way that will make your client's pay that extra naira (or cfa francs in your case )

@yawa
this is a long debate but its about what you decide and the market your serving so guys should not give generalised claims about how to sell your products or build your sites. If I have a software platform that automates my sites building and I just have to adjust one or two things why should I not sell cheap ??
and you said 50 sites at 1000USD and 100 sites at 500usd and you tell me I should make a choice. men do you think about the hosting fees every year from the clients ??

in the long run my 100sites will feed my family every year more than you can get from the 50 sites. Think about it
extensive production is part of the industrial revolution.

If I have a software platform that automates my sites building and I just have to adjust one or two things why should I not sell cheap ??

You are a mass producer whereas I am a craftsman. Each of my clients want something different

and you said 50 sites at 1000USD and 100 sites at 500usd and you tell me I should make a choice. men do you think about the hosting fees every year from the clients ??

I am yet to meet a client that has made me pay more than $10. Even if I did, I could always pass that on to them as an added cost. The $1000 was just a reference point

in the long run my 100sites will feed my family every year more than you can get from the 50 sites.

Did you do the math for my scenario above? If you did, you would have noticed that the 2 scenarios generate the same amount of money

@mambenanje

first let me appreciate you for your mail and your kind word on my website, I appreciate is a lot. thanks.

Now back to the issue:

Let me ask you a question: what do you pride in when you see your portfolio? is it that it is growing numerable or growing in worth (have depth of creativity, professionalism and good recommendation with good customer relation, solid feedback)

I will put it this way, you know what works for you and I know what works for me, you and I know, there are phones(China) and there are PHONES (Nseries), now it depends on what you want.

I believe there is more to a client that "the just do it" mindset of max producers , you need to relate with the business in question to constantly identify there needs and align the website to there business operation. you should be able to improve business operation using the company's website.

you and I can tell when you see a cheap website.

you mention hosting in one of your post , sincerely I don't see any cheap client paying you such money that will feed your family for a year.

Live examples: I know a company in Nigeria who's major income is from 1 newspaper company, there annual hosting and maintenance runs into 10s of millions , tavia is an expensive web development company in Nigeria but check there client list , you will see depth.

I do not discourage you my friend , I will only say

Let people talk about your proficiency and creativity instead of how cheap and affordable you are, although we should be prudent in our charges less people loss faith in us

Remember the 80 - 20 rule of business.