One thing that I have feared is giving a ballpark estimate for a site and scaring off a client.

Apparently, I’m not alone.  A lot of freelancers, especially when first starting out, worry about giving a ballpark figure right from the get-go.

But I read a great blog post about why giving a ballpark is actually a good idea, and it all revolves around the idea that TIME is your most valuable asset.  If you spend a lot of time with a client who will later balk at your price, then you’ve lost precious time that you could be using to develop skills or other client connections.

I really recommend reading the post from Freelance Folder: Why You Must Quote a Ballpark figure.