Today, a clean, user-friendly website is a must for every business. A website is often the first contact point with a brand, the “virtual storefront” that sets the tone right away.
As a WordPress expert, you have the expertise to position your clients as the go-to choice. By combining the functionality they need with designs they love, you help clients build their reputations and grow.
WordPress is a powerful, flexible CMS. That makes it extremely popular. But with its incredible popularity comes stiff competition. How can you stand above all the other designers, developers and consultants out there and land the projects you really want?
It all starts with a killer proposal.
A WordPress website proposal is a document that: 1) proposes a solution to the client's business problem, and 2) persuades the client to choose you instead of your competitors.
Your portfolio of past WordPress sites will help potential clients get a feel of your design and development skills. But it's no substitute for a carefully-considered proposal.
Plenty of your competitors will just send a link to their portfolio, regurgitate the project requirements, and quote a price. They end up looking identical to dozens (or even hundreds) of WordPress experts doing the same thing.
A winning proposal goes further.
Your proposal is the perfect opportunity to show clients that you understand the business challenges they face. They aren't interested in hiring you – or anyone – just for a “website with a slick new look.”
From the client's perspective, a website is a business investment. The better you can show them that you understand that (and that your services will justify the investment), the easier it becomes to land the best projects.
We just covered what a winning WordPress website proposal should accomplish…
Now let's talk about how to do it!
You're well aware of just how much website projects can vary. The nature of the WordPress CMS, with all its themes, plugins, and open-source solutions, make it capable of handling almost everything.
You might be designing a simple one-page website for a local hair salon. Or redesigning a massive website for a corporation the likes of Sony Music or The Walt Disney Company – with plenty of hand-coded features and ongoing support.
Those are extreme examples, but the point remains. Clients' expectations of what they'll find in proposals depends on the scope and complexity of the project.
Every solid proposal shares certain key elements. With that said, you can simply add additional sections to adapt them for larger, more complicated websites.
Here are the key proposal elements for smaller WordPress projects (like the hair salon example above):
Here are some of the most common elements in larger WordPress website proposals:
Every seasoned WordPress pro understands the frustration that comes after agonizing for weeks, thinking they nailed the client's vision – only to discover that they're way off.
Communication miscues and endless hours of revision can make you miserable. But setting up some time to chat with potential clients beforehand will help you avoid them.
These quick discovery calls also offer invaluable insights you can include in your proposals. Simply by asking the right questions, you can understand every client on a deeper level.
Here are some to get you started:
Just like every WordPress development project, every proposal is a little different.
With that said, the key elements and proven structure above will help you make an unforgettable impression on clients.
Think of the formula above like a WordPress theme. It will you save a ton of time and streamline the process, while still giving you the flexibility you need for every proposal.
Now, get to get started check out our free WordPress proposal template below...
{client_name} is a [describe company here].{client_name} has operated a website for some years. With advancing technology and the rise of social media, {client_name} needs to redesign their website to align with the goals of the business and the target audience.
{client_name} needs a website that functions as a powerful marketing and communications tool to attract new clients, position itself as a thought leader in the industry and provide credibility to potential joint venture partners.
Specifically, the new website needs to fulfill the following business needs:
Also required is a content management system that will allow {client_name} to easily manage content on the site and reduce administrative costs.
The target audience for the {client_name} website is defined as [describe target audience here]. The new website needs to assist the target audience do the following:
Ultimately, the {client_name} website should be a useful resource for existing clients, potential new clients and potential new partners.
We recommend the development of a completely new website, built from the ground up, with a custom design to convey the value that {client_name} adds to its members.
The new website will be designed to:
Additionally, the following "behind the scenes" features will be built-in to the website:
Web hosting services are provided on a monthly or annual basis by our preferred hosting partner, or by {client_name}’s hosting company.
We offer the following timeline for the redesign of the {client_name} website:
| Phase | Activities | Completion |
| Discovery | Development of a sitemap and interactive prototype so that all functionality can be tested and approved in the browser. |
4 Weeks |
| Design | Design of website user experience and user interface to allow the target audience to easily navigate and use the website to achieve their needs. |
3 Weeks |
| Development | Development of working website on the WordPress content management system. |
4 Weeks |
| Testing | Final testing and debugging on development server before launching. |
1 Week |
| Project Essentials
The following elements are considered essential to the project:
|
$7,200 |
| Project Options The following options are recommended to enhance the performance of the website and help {client_name} achieve the strategic objectives outlined in this proposal:
|
$3,000 |
| Total | $10,200 |
The following options are recommended to enhance the performance of the website and help {client_name} achieve the strategic objectives outlined in this proposal:
What is a sitemap?
A sitemap is a visual tool designed to communicate how the different pages of a website are related to each other.
Here is an example of a sitemap: http://sitemaps.thewpdevshop.com/proctormajor/
What is an interactive prototype?
An interactive prototype is a black and white version of your website that is designed to prove the functionality and features as they will work in the browser. No design elements are applied at this stage as the prototype is just built to allow all parties to make final decisions on the functionality.
Here is an example of a prototype: http://prototypes.thewpdevshop.com/proctormajor/
Why do you use WordPress?
WordPress is open source content management software and currently powers around 25% of all websites on the Internet. The project is contributed to by tens of thousands of developers all over the world and is growing from strength to strength. WordPress allows us to develop flexible and customizable websites to modern standards and observes web development best practices. Furthermore the community of web developers that use WordPress reaches far and wide and allows us to tap in to this collective intelligence and bring that wealth of experience to your project.
Where is the website hosted?
Your website needs to be hosted by a hosting company that specializes in WordPress hosting. There are many companies that do this. WP Engine, Siteground, Pagely and Pantheon are just a few who specialize in this area. We are more than happy to make a personal recommendation should you require one.
Who do I call if something goes wrong with the website or I can’t figure something out?
Provided you subscribe to one of our ongoing website care plans, we will be your first point of call should something go wrong with your website. We will determine whether it is something the hosting company needs to fix something that is covered by your website care plan. We will provide training and video tutorials to assist you in using your website once it is launched.
What happens after the website is launched?
Once your website is launched, we will provide 30 days of support to make sure any bugs have been ironed out and that you are confident using your new website. After this you will need to subscribe to one of our ongoing website care plans to make sure your website is looked after and maintained. These website care plans include updating your software, regular backups, security checks and making sure your website is online and open for business 24/7/365. More information on our website care plans is available upon request.
How long will it take to appear at the top of Google?
The time it takes for your website to appear on page 1 of Google depends on a number of factors. It depends on the search phrase people are using to find your website and the number of other websites that are also available for those search phrases. Nobody can truly say how long it will take for your website to appear at the top of search engine results pages (including people who actually work for Google), however there are a number of factors that can improve your chances. Building your website on WordPress is a good start as WordPress has some great Search Engine Optimization fundamentals built-in. Creating unique and interesting content on a regular basis for your website is also critical to increase your visibility amongst search engines. Launching your website and then forgetting about it is a surefire way to get lost amongst the noise.
We are happy to talk to more about your search engine strategy if we haven’t already.
How will I know if anyone is visiting my website?
We will install Google analytics software on your new website and show you how to log into your Google analytics account where you can see a wide range of statistics about your website including number of visits, page views than the amount of time people are spending on your website.
Once you subscribe to one of our website care plans you will also receive more detailed analysis about your website performance and recommendations on how to improve.
What happens if I want to add some features to the website while you’re building it?
Whilst we like to be flexible and responsive to your needs, we also like to deliver what we promise within the time frames and budgets we have allowed. If you ask us to add new features to your website while we are building it, will most likely ask why? If we all agree that your new request will help us achieve our objectives then we will be more than happy to oblige. If your new feature is something you would like to add to your website but is not directly tied to your original objectives then we will suggest to schedule it for a second iteration of the website once it has been launched. This will require a new proposal.
To proceed with this project, {client_name} is required take the following steps:
Once these steps have been completed we will begin the project with an introduction of all relevant people and begin the discovery process.
This is a variation of the original Contract Killer template by Andy Clarke which can be found here: http://stuffandnonsense.co.uk/projects/contract-killer/
Between us, {my_company} and you {client_name}.
Summary
We will always do our best to fulfil your needs and meet your goals, but sometimes it’s best to have a few things written down so that we both know what’s what, who should do what and what happens if stuff goes wrong. In this contract you won’t find complicated legal terms or long passages of unreadable text. We have no desire to trick you into signing something that you might later regret. We do want what’s best for the safety of both parties, now and in the future.
In short
You ({client_name}) are hiring us ({my_company} Pty Ltd) located at XXX to design and develop a website for the estimated total price as outlined in our proposal. Of course it’s a little more complicated, but we’ll get to that.
What Do Both Parties Agree To Do?
As our customer, you have the power and ability to enter into this contract on behalf of your company or organization. You agree to provide us with everything that we’ll need to complete the project – including text, images and other information – as and when we need it and in the format we ask for. You agree to review our work, provide feedback and approval in a timely manner too. Deadlines work two ways and you’ll also be bound by any dates that we set together. You also agree to stick to the payment schedule set out at the end of this contract.
We have the experience and ability to perform the services you need from us and we will carry them out in a professional and timely manner. Along the way we will endeavor to meet all the deadlines set but we can’t be responsible for a missed launch date or a deadline if you have been late in supplying materials or have not approved or signed off our work on-time at any stage. On top of this we’ll also maintain the confidentiality of any information that you give us.
Getting Down to the Nitty Gritty
Design
If we are designing your application we’ll create designs for the look-and-feel, layout and functionality of your website. This contract includes one main design plus the opportunity for you to make up to two rounds of revisions. If you’re not happy with the designs at this stage, you will pay us in full for all of the work that we have produced until that point and you may either cancel this contract or continue to commission us to make further design revisions at our standard design rates.
HTML and CSS Layout Templates
If the project includes HTML markup and CSS templates, we’ll develop these using valid HTML and CSS code.. The landscape of web browsers and devices changes regularly and our approach is to look forward, not back. With that in mind we will test all our markup and CSS in current versions of all major desktop browsers to ensure that we make the most from them. Users of older or less capable browsers or devices will experience a design that is appropriate to the capabilities of their software.
We do not cater for people using Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 and cannot predict the behaviour of that browser.
We will also test that these templates perform well on Apple’s iPad. We will not test old or abandoned browsers, for example Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 or 5.5 for Windows or Mac, previous versions of Apple’s Safari, Mozilla Firefox or Opera unless otherwise specified. If you need us to consider these older browsers, we will charge you at our standard old browser rate for any necessary additional design work, development and testing.
Text Content
We may have written a hundred blog posts but we’re not responsible for writing or inputting any text copy unless we specified it in the original estimate. We’ll be happy to help though, and in addition to the estimate we will charge you at our standard copy writing or content input rate.
Photographs
You will supply us photographs in digital format. If you choose to buy stock photographs we can suggest vendors of stock photography. Any time we spend searching for appropriate photographs will be charged at our standard discovery rate.
Changes and Revisions
We know from plenty of experience that fixed-price contracts are rarely beneficial to you, as they often limit you to your first idea about how something should look, or how it might work. We don’t want to limit either your options or your opportunities to change your mind.
The estimate/quotation prices at the beginning of this document are based on the amount of work we estimate we’ll need to accomplish everything that you have told us you want to achieve. If you do want to change your mind, add extra pages or templates or even add new functionality, that won’t be a problem. However, you will be charged accordingly and these additional costs will need to be agreed to before the extra work commences. This additional work will affect deadlines and they will be moved accordingly. We’ll be up front about all of this if and when it happens to make sure we’re all on the same page before proceeding. We may also ask you to put requests in writing so we can keep track of changes. If the nature or functions of the project change significantly throughout the process, we reserve the right to deem the current project cancelled. At this point you will pay us in full for all the work we have done and may commission us to complete the new project based on the new requirements. This will require a new quote and contract.
Technical Support
You may already have professional website hosting, you might even manage that hosting in-house; if that’s the case, great. If you don’t manage your own website hosting, or your current hosting environment does not support the solution we are providing, we can set up an account for you at one of our preferred, third-party hosting providers. We will charge you a one-off fee for installing your site on this server, plus any statistics software such as Google Analytics, then the updates to, and management of that server, plus any support issues will be up to you. We are not a website hosting company and so do not offer or include technical support for website hosting, email or other services relating to website hosting.
Legal stuff
We can’t guarantee that the functions contained in any web page templates or in a completed website will always be error-free and so we can’t be liable to you or any third party for damages, including lost profits, lost savings or other incidental, consequential or special damages arising out of the operation of or inability to operate this website and any other web pages, even if you have advised us of the possibilities of such damages.
If any provision of this agreement shall be unlawful, void, or for any reason unenforceable, then that provision shall be deemed severable from this agreement and shall not affect the validity and enforceability of any remaining provisions.
Phew!
Copyrights
You guarantee to us that any elements of text, graphics, photos, designs, trademarks, or other artwork that you provide us for inclusion in the website are either owned by your good selves, or that you have permission to use them.
When we receive your final payment, copyright is automatically assigned as follows:
You own the graphics and other visual elements that we create for you for this project.
We’ll give you a copy of all files and you should store them really safely as we are not required to keep them or provide any native source files we used to make them.
You also own text content, photographs and other data you provided, unless someone else owns them. We own the markup, CSS and other code and we license it to you for use on only this project. We love to show off our work and share what we have learned with other people, so we reserve the right to display and link to your completed project as part of our portfolio and to write about the project on websites, in magazine articles and in books about web design.
Payments
We are sure you understand how important it is as a small business that you pay the invoices that we send you promptly. As we’re also sure you’ll want to stay friends, you agree to stick tight to the following payment schedule.
NB: If you are unable to supply all of the right content at this stage, it does not mean we have not done our job. Once the site has been tested and is ready to go live, either with your content or placeholder images and dummy text, we will issue the final invoice. Once the final invoice is paid we will hand over the keys and show you how to put your own content in once it’s ready. If the final invoice is not paid within the credit terms we have given you, we are under no obligation to keep the site on our testing server or continue with the project in anyway.
But where’s all the horrible small print?
Just like a parking ticket, you can’t transfer this contract to anyone else without our permission. This contract stays in place and need not be renewed. If for some reason one part of this contract becomes invalid or unenforceable, the remaining parts of it remain in place. Although the language is simple, the intentions are serious and this contract is a legal document under exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of [insert your location here].
Authorizing this project requires a signature below or approval of this proposal by clicking the "Accepted" or "Approved" button on the proposal website.
Signed for {my_company} Signed for {client_name}.
__________________________ __________________________