When competing for web design/implementation contracts; a professionally presented web design proposal more often than not decides whether you win or lose
project. A web design proposal also decreases incidences of misunderstandings between yourself and your clients when project is under way and acts as a basis for a formal contract.When putting together a basic web site proposal, you should include following elements:
Your Information: Your background or company history, qualifications, skills, past achievements and contact details.
Project Overview: The company you are submitting proposal for, your understanding of their products and services, target market, goals of web site and a rough outline of how you will acheive them.
Theme: A description of style of site you are proposing. Elements from client's current branding you will utilise or new elements you will develop.
Special Considerations: such as language, security or other issues pertaining to company, site or target market that will need to be addressed.
Flowchart: A diagram showing different pages of site how navigation will occur.
Flowchart Description: A detailed description of each page.
Development Timeline: This should be a description of each stage of development, estimated completion date and notes regarding client consultation and supply of information/feedback from client. This may also include milestone payments for involved projects and site promotion activities. Make it clear that traffic takes time to build up after implementation and promotion should only occur after site has been tested thoroughly. Improper implementation can cost months of traffic.
Costing: A descriptive breakdown of costing and total of quote including an end date before price will need to be re-calculated. This will include items such as domain name registration, hosting fees and outsourcing for sections of site you will not be able to develop yourself. Ensure you take into account items including travel time, electricity,telephone amd consumables. Factor in cost of proposal as well; a good proposal will take hours of your time and you should be compensated for that. In your eagerness to gain contract, you may lose money if you quote too close to bone. Bear in mind that things rarely go strictly to plan in web design and delays can be expected. Time is money. The going rate for web design services seems to be between US$25-$75 per labour hour at present; dependent upon complexity of task and competency of designer.
Terms and conditions: Expectations and commitments. It is not unusual for web projects to be delayed due to clients not supplying feedback or content necessary to complete sections. It is just as important to be clear in what you expect from your clients as well as explaining your commitment to them. Conflict resolution issues and feedback mechanisms should be described. Your clients will need to know what will occur if they do not supply information when requested, or request changes mid-stream and action that you will take if you are running behind in project yourself. You need to be clear on payment details and consequences of failure to pay for services that you provide.
