How to get a free estimate for your WordPress website

If you’re looking to get a low-cost or even free estimate to develop your WordPress website, then it’s good to be well-prepared.

In this article, we’ve defined several ways to better prepare yourself to receive a free estimate from a WordPress developer, and we also offer a quick and easy way to get a free estimate within the week.

Step 1: Preparation

Being prepared will not only increase the accuracy of your estimate but will also help to increase the likelihood that an estimate will be provided for free. 

Having clear project details, wireframes, mockups, comparables, and color palettes developed ahead of time can help a contractor understand the scope and complexity of your project.

Wireframes and Mockups

A wireframe is a visual representation of the structure of a web page or application. It is often created as a low-fidelity mockup that helps to visualize the basic layout and structure of the page or application before any design work is done.

A mockup is a high-fidelity visual representation of the final design of a website or application, showcasing the user interface and providing a detailed depiction of how the final product will look and function.

Wireframes help designers and developers get a sense of the overall functionality and flow of a website page, while mockups tell developers exactly how the site should look. Having one or the other can significantly speed up the estimation process.

Here are popular tools used for creating wireframes and mockups:

• Sketch – A digital design tool primarily used for UI and web design, but also includes a robust wireframing feature.
• Balsamiq – A popular desktop app for creating wireframes with drag-and-drop elements that mimic pencil sketches.
• Axure – A professional design tool with advanced wireframing and prototyping features for complex designs.
• Adobe XD – A powerful design tool with a variety of prototyping and wireframing features.
• Figma – A collaborative design tool with a dedicated wireframing feature and a broad set of design features.

Don’t have a mockup or a wireframe ready? 

Check out our next section about supplying your potential developer with comparables. 

Oftentimes developers can still build a stunning website using examples of other websites you like. Leveraging comparables to guide development, rather than wireframes and mockups, often can lead to a less expensive overall development process.

Would you like to have a wireframe or mockup created for your site?

See step 2 in this article! 

But for now, let’s learn about comparables and where to find them. 

Comparables

So what do we mean by comparables?

Comparables refer to other websites that share similar design, functionality, and scope of work to what you are looking for. 

Providing comparables to your developer can help them understand your design and functionality preferences, speeding up the estimation process.

Here are a few popular locations our experts send clients to look for comparables:

• Behance – A platform for creative professionals to showcase their work and connect with others.
• Awwwards – Recognizes and promotes the talent and effort of web designers and developers.
• Best Website Gallery – Showcases the best web designs from around the world.
• One Page Love – A curated showcase of one-page websites and resources.
• Muzli – A browser extension that provides design inspiration, news, and resources.
• Lapa Ninja – A curated collection of landing page designs and resources.
• Mobin – A collection of mobile design patterns and resources.
• Nicely Done – A curated showcase of the best website designs.
• Godly.website – A curated showcase of beautiful website designs.

Color Pallets

In addition to comparables, selecting a color palette for the website can also speed up the estimation process. 

A color palette can help the developer understand the overall design and aesthetic you’re looking for, and this will help them make sure the “look and feel” of the website matches the branding theme you’ve developed for your company. 

Here are a few locations that can help you select the perfect color palette for your website:

1. Coolors – A popular color scheme generator that provides a variety of features for exploring and creating unique color palettes.
2. Paletton – A tool for creating and exploring color palettes based on various color theories and rules.
3. Color Hunt – A curated collection of beautiful color palettes created by designers and artists.
4. Adobe Color – A color tool that provides a variety of features for exploring, creating, and saving color palettes.

Scope of Work Documents

Providing a clear and concise document that describes your website, including the number of pages, features, and functionalities required and any design or branding guidelines you have, will allow the developer to understand the work’s complexity and time involved, reducing the need for follow-up questions.

For this article, we created an example RFP (Request for Proposal) using the app Notion.  

We are certain that if you prepare an RFP as we have above, your potential contractors will have a much easier time providing an estimate.

We’ve also produced a short list of document management tools that will help you exchange information to your potential developers:

1. Notion – A powerful productivity and collaboration tool that can be used to create and organize a scope of work document and share it with your contractor.
2. Google Docs – A cloud-based document editor that allows for collaboration and sharing with others.
3. Asana – A project management tool that allows for creating and sharing project outlines and tasks with others.
4. Airtable – A versatile database and collaboration tool that can be used to create a detailed project outline and share it with your contractor.
5. Quip – A collaboration tool that offers a variety of features for creating and sharing documents, including project outlines and scope of work documents.

With all the items mentioned above, you’re now ready to move on to Step 2, and possibly the easiest part of this whole process, and that is receiving a free estimate.

Step 2: Create a Project with Codeable

Here at Codeable, we are the world’s premier platform for all things WordPress development, and we provide thousands of free estimates to customers every month.

Our WordPress experts are well-trained project managers who can take a small amount of information and extrapolate the larger picture of your goal. 

Whether you are well prepared or only have a general idea of what you want, our talented experts are ready to estimate your project 24/7. And best of all, there is absolutely no upfront cost or obligation to hire.

If you are ready, use the link below to create a project with us. We’ll be happy to provide you with a free estimate: