How Agencies Price Projects (And Why You're Undercharging)
WorkReady Team
Posted on Jan 15, 2024
Agencies charge ₹50k+ for WordPress sites. Freelancers charge ₹5k. Learn the pricing formulas, client communication scripts, and workflows that justify premium rates.
The ₹45,000 Gap
Same WordPress site. Same features. Agency charges ₹50,000. Freelancer charges ₹5,000. What's the difference?
It's not the code. It's the process, communication, and positioning. Agencies don't sell websites. They sell solutions.
The Agency Pricing Formula
Agencies don't guess. They use a formula:
Base Price = (Hours × Rate) + Buffer
But here's what freelancers miss:
- Discovery call: ₹0 (but saves 10 hours of revisions)
- Project management: 20% of dev time
- Client communication: 15% of dev time
- Testing & QA: 10% of dev time
- Buffer for scope creep: 25%
Freelancers price: "10 hours × ₹500 = ₹5,000"
Agencies price: "10 hours + 5 hours PM + 2 hours communication + 1 hour QA + 25% buffer = ₹50,000"
The Client Communication Script
Here's how agencies justify premium pricing in the first call:
"We don't just build websites. We build systems that grow your business."
Then they ask:
- "What's your current conversion rate?"
- "How many leads do you need per month?"
- "What's a customer worth to you?"
Result: Client sees ROI, not cost.
Freelancers say: "I'll build your site for ₹5k."
Agencies say: "We'll build a system that generates ₹50k/month in leads."
The Workflow That Justifies Premium Rates
Agencies have systems. Freelancers have chaos. Here's the difference:
Freelancer Workflow
- • Client emails: "Can you add this?"
- • You say yes (no scope document)
- • 10 revisions later, you're working for ₹200/hour
- • Client unhappy, you exhausted
Agency Workflow
- • Scope document signed before start
- • Change requests = new quote
- • Weekly status updates (client feels informed)
- • Client happy, you profitable
Why Agencies Don't Compete on Price
When a client says "Another agency quoted ₹30k," agencies don't lower their price. They say:
"That's a great price. Here's what you get with us: weekly check-ins, 3 rounds of revisions included, 6 months of support, and a documented handoff process. If you want the cheapest option, go with them. If you want the option that saves you time and stress, work with us."
Result: Client pays premium because they see value, not just code.
The WorkReady Advantage
We don't just teach you to code. We teach you the agency workflows, pricing strategies, and client communication scripts that turn ₹5k projects into ₹50k projects.
The Pricing Checklist Agencies Use
Before quoting, agencies ask themselves:
- ✓ What's the client's budget range? (They ask directly)
- ✓ What's the timeline? (Rush = 2x price)
- ✓ How many decision-makers? (More = more revisions)
- ✓ What's the maintenance plan? (Recurring revenue)
- ✓ What's the handoff process? (Documentation time)
Freelancers skip this. They quote based on "how long it takes to code." Agencies quote based on total project complexity.
Ready to Price Like an Agency?
In WorkReady, you'll work on real client projects. You'll learn the pricing formulas, communication scripts, and workflows that justify premium rates. No more undercharging.
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