maintenance vs update

[tekkie]

Besides the fees for designing a site for a customer, I'd like to be able to offer on-going maintenance and/or periodic updates for the site. I see these as two separate items, but there seems to be some grey areas. For those of you in the business, how do you cost out these two things and how do you define each?

[lynlimz]

hmm....
you offer these as separate services.

so the customer can opt to pay say $500 a year for maintainnece, updating and more.

[johntabita]

Be sure to define what "updating" is and how often you will do it; otherwise your client may have you re-designing his site every month and requesting daily updates.

I specify that updates are limited to changes in text copy or swapping out a photograph, so long as it does not require changing the layout of the page. I also set a limit on how many hours a month of updating is allowed before I begin to charge.

Since most of my clients don't have a clue as to how to update a website (I have one that can barely check her e-mail), I offer a total package to include design, 12 months hosting & 12 months maintenance.

[creole]

once you started getting into business, you will find that monthly income is what truly pays the bills. It's nice to get a check for $5000 one time, but it is even nicer to get checks totalling $5000 every month.

I just let my customers know they have x amount of hours per month. I give them approximate times for work and then they can "spend" those hours any way they want.