Some of you people crack me up. How can you possibly question the prices of a quality design firm because they dont fit into your own personal idea of what something should cost?
Did you ever take into consideration where the pricing comes from? First of all, some designers (and firms) are so good that their price is reflective of their experience, name, and given quality and not of the phyiscal work and time that would be done.
Second of all, does it ever occur to you that there's costs involved with designing sites? Software, electric bill, hosting, you name it unless the person is a complete hobbyist there's costs involved with running a businness and there has to be some sort of costs associated with the products it produces to compensate for that. These bigger firms with employees and stuff, they just cant give you bare minimum prices they have to cover themselves.
If you want a BMW don't ask for one at KIA prices. Don't ask for a site like <insert highly successful converting site probably designed by one of the top adult design firms here> but you're not willing to pay a premium dollar for it.
What upsets me more is that unless you're horrible at creating paysites and have no marketing ability, you're GOING to profit usually many times off of the original site design. It's rare not to at least recoup the costs of getting the site developed in the first place.
I'm just speaking on behalf of my fellow designers who ask for fair prices and deserve probably more money than what they're getting but have to compete in this how low can you go type market.
(btw, i didnt bid for this work im just commenting based on the posts).