Charging extra for content management for WordPress pages using custom templates

[baia]

Hi everyone,

I've got a website with about 5 pages using custom templates. In each of these pages, the content is divided into several blocks each with its own style. For example : an array of data here, a sidebar with informational content there, a big quote below, then a long three-column text, etc. All of this on the same page. So there's no way to have it all in the WordPress dashboard editor. It HAS to be stored in custom fields, editable with meta boxes.

My client thinks everything on the site should be editable from the dashboard, and it should be free. But as a developer I see that this requires a lot of work (creating custom fields and their meta boxes, displaying these fields in the page templates, etc).

My question is : do you guys often find yourself in this situation, where a client requests the ability to content manage a page where the content is not one block of text but many? If so, do you charge extra for such ability?

[DaveMaxwell]

You should feel free to charge for the effort required to provide the functionality they want, so build it into the development price. But charging a per edit cost doesn't seem ethical to me...

[baia]

What do you mean by "charging a per edit cost" ?

Also I don't understand why every time I ask this question (about page content scattered in many pieces to be content managed), people don't seem to see this problem as common. Yet, in my understanding this issue should occur in like 50% of all websites ! I mean, I guess clients very often request this functionality for pages where content isn't in one block. Yet I feel alone asking about this. I'm a bit puzzled.

[DaveMaxwell]

What do you mean by "charging a per edit cost" ?

Charging the customer every time they want to make the content different. Static content is never really content.....

Also I don't understand why every time I ask this question (about page content scattered in many pieces to be content managed), people don't seem to see this problem as common. Yet, in my understanding this issue should occur in like 50% of all websites ! I mean, I guess clients very often request this functionality for pages where content isn't in one block. Yet I feel alone asking about this. I'm a bit puzzled.

Probably because you're asking about a pretty common (and simple) piece of functionality - editable but static content that is in the customer's control. It's not a difficult problem, and one that's basically been solved for a number of years.


In fact, searching for "static content in wordpress" shows a number of solutions to provide the functionality you're describing.

[shadowbox]

If I understand correctly, you are quoting clients a fixed fee to set up a wordpress site using the default post types. They then ask you to set up what is effectively a set of custom post types? Then yes, you should charge the client the extra for setting up those custom post types. No problem there IMO. Client is unreasonable to expect you to do that for free.

As Dave says though, build it into the initial quote if you can, you'll get less problems. But if they ask for extra features during the project, bill them extra. Make this clear in your contract - work beyond original spec = extra cost @ $xx/hr.

Alternatively, simply bill the whole project hourly.

[baia]

I'll charge extra, thanks guys