Whether you like it or not, writing a web design proposal is going to be one of those things you’ll have to do often. You also need to make sure you get it right. Messing up whilst writing web design proposals will cost you – you’ll see your pipeline drying up pretty quickly.
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Why a great Web Design Proposal is necessary
Should I send a Web Design Proposal or a Web Design Estimate?
When projects are fairly small, most web designers will opt for the easy way out. Instead of writing an entire web design proposal, they simply opt for a quick web design estimate of works – or a web design quotation of the different line items. This is especially if your potential client has just asked for an estimated cost.
Although this is what the client wants to know, you should be going above and beyond that. Don’t focus on the money. Focus on the problem the client has and your solution to fix it.
This is much more likely to return positive results.
Rather than scaring the client off with plenty of costs, you need to show them their real problem, and how your solution will is valuable to them.
Structure of a Perfect Web Design Proposal
Writing a great web design proposal requires the creation of a persuasive argument – a reason why the web design you are proposing is the way to go.
- Define the problem the client is experiencing (even if they are not able to articulate it)
- Propose your solution to the problem
- Estimate the cost to fix the identified problems
- What are the next steps?
1.Define the problem
This is the most challenging part of the new website proposal. You need to figure out the real client’s problem.
The client is either not happy to discuss their problems are they simply have trouble articulating it. Business owners, particularly the ones who are not technically inclined or have a lot of marketing-savvy. They probably don’t know what the problem is.
This is quite challenging but absolutely necessary. Your entire proposal begins and ends with the problem you want to help solve.
An example of a great definition of an underlying web design proposal
The most tasty restaurant has seen an increase in competition lately – with a lot of the competition using modern websites, accessible via phones and integrated with their social media. Those newer, trendier sites are starting to eat away customers away from The most tasty resturant. The restaurant needs a fresh new website to keep customers loyal and new attract new clientele.
2. Propose your solution to the problem
An example of a great proposal
To effectively attract customers market, The most tasty restaurant needs a website redesign. We propose a frank discussion which understands analyses the needs of the new website. With this, we will establish the key elements of the website, identify the restaurant’s different types of customers, and determine the most effective ways to get them to the restaurant… The 2nd phase, the content, will accomplish… The design phase will make sure…
3. Estimate the web design cost
Don’t focus on the technical stuff you need to do.
The client doesn’t really care about the jargon – they need to understand where the money is going to be spent and how that ties in with the problem solution.
Below is a way which can show what is costs to fix their problem
| Create custom website for a restaurant | $1700 |
| Write website content including great photography | $800 |
| Ensure website is visible in search results for searches related to the restaurant and broader searches | $1000 |
| Total Cost | $3,500 |
From start to finish, the entire website proposal is about solving the client’s problem.
4. What are the next steps?
As a web designer, we understand what a Call to Action is. You need to create a call to action which compels the client to start the web design project. Let the client know what they need to do to start the project. Whether that’s a deposit, a call to discuss further, setting of a meeting – just make sure the client knows what the need to do to start the project.
5. Should I create a website (re)design proposal template? Can I Create a Template?
The idea of creating a brand new proposal for each proposal might preposterous and a huge waste of productive time and effort. Can’t we create a website design proposal template and copy/paste most of the stuff except that which is necessary for the current client?
If you want a downloadable bundle of web design proposal templates, we’ve collated these for you. Then again, the four tips above are enough of a template which you’ll need for your proposal writing process. Beyond that, a template isn’t a good idea simply because anything which is generic in nature is hardly going to bring any value to the client. All projects are different; hence, each proposal for each client should be different.
Putting it All Together – the perfect website proposal
As long as you have understood the clients’ needs and made those needs the focus of your website proposal, you’ll be able to persuade them to take action and hire your as a supplier. Doing all this pre-sales stuff isn’t appealing to most creatives. However, it is an essential part of doing business – you HAVE to learn to do it right!
I think the “next steps” part is vital. I used to miss this out all the time. I’d invite questions in my email, but experience has taught me that often the proposal gets passed to senior members who may judge three proposals with fresh eyes, sometimes having no idea who I am. Therefore, the proposal always needs a clear call to action.