How to Write the Best Design Proposals

by Ruben 2 Minutes

If you’ve been struggling to land clients recently, chances are, you’re doing something wrong with marketing yourself and the business. Here’s where design proposals come into the picture. Graphic designers, web designers, and logo designers are a “dime a dozen” these days. You’re no longer just competing with the local guys. With the ease of access to the internet, clients can go online to find a designer anywhere in the world. Having the best design proposals make you stand out.

There are no two ways about it: anyone who’s serious with their design business nowadays is starting to use professional-looking proposals to impress clients. You shouldn’t allow yourself to get left behind. Even if you have limited experience in writing proposals, it’s critical not to let this become a hindrance to your success. There are tools out there that will help you create the best design proposals.

In essence, the bid proposals should contain the following:

Company information – the logo, address, telephone numbers, and email address of the company must be placed at the top of the page especially on the front page. It can be placed on the footer on the next pages if you prefer. Make sure that this proposal is address to a specific person or to a particular department if you’re dealing with a large organization (ie. To the “Marketing Department”).

Overview of the project – research the needs of your prospects. What are their marketing goals? Do they intend to launch a new advertising campaign? Whatever the case, the client must know that you understand their needs. Give them an overview of what you can do for them. This is an important ingredient in creating the best design proposals.

Outline areas of improvement – keep this section short and sweet. Identify aspects that may need improvement and explain briefly how you can help them. It may be a good idea to dig into their analytics, for example. If their landing page has a bounce rate of 95%, the client would be eager to hear what you have to say.

Pricing and timeline – while it can be difficult to provide an accurate estimate before you receive the exact specifications, the best way to demonstrate the project costs and timeline is to lay everything out on a table format.

Conditions – no matter how good you are or how long you’ve been in the industry as a designer, you’re bound to run into a couple of clients who simply have a completely different design sense. That’s why it is important to stipulate on the contract how many revisions you’re willing to undertake (based on the proposed rate).

Extra considerations –mention other services you can provide if it’s appropriate. If the client’s website is loading slowly, then you can suggest a better web hosting solution. If you are familiar with website promotion or are affiliate with a company that provides the service, you may want to mention it as well. Your clients just might be interested especially if they were impressed by your performance.

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by Ruben
Ruben originally founded proposal software, Bidsketch as a one-person company while working as a software developer for a billion dollar payroll company. Since its early days as a “company of one,” Bidsketch has grown to help over 2,000 paying customers win billions of dollars in new business and save thousands of hours in the process.