Writing proposals for web design

1. Crafting the Perfect Proposal
Melanie G Adcock
melanie@adcockcreativegroup.com
@mgacreative

2. Who Am I?
• Co-owner of Adcock Creative Group
• Full-time Freelancer for over 8 years
• Former Art Teacher and IT Director
• Speaker at WordCamps (Atlanta, Miami, Birmingham)
• melanie@adcockcreativegroup.com

5. Why?
• Honestly, I hate writing proposals.
• I’d avoid it or spent hours on them.
• I wanted to automate and expedite the process.
• Share what I have learned.

6. Who Gets A Proposal?

7. Who Gets A Proposal?
• Qualify clients - don’t waste time on writing proposals
for low budget clients or potential PITA clients. Grade
them on budget, project, and respect.
• The first time they hear price should not be in your
proposal

8. What - Proposal vs. Quote
• A quote is a list like an invoice
• Proposal positions you as an expert and a
problem/pain point solver
• Presents the value of the service you provide

9. What Not to Include
• Avoid technical terms (examples)
• Don’t list plugins by name (unless …)
• Don’t itemize costs unless you are breaking the
project down into phases.

10. What To Include
• Business Snapshot
• Business Needs / Target Audience Needs
• Scope of Work / Features
• Investment / Fees
• Process
• Contract *

11. How - Let The Client Write It
• Interview - have a list of questions to ask during the client
interview. Develop lists for specific niches.
• Website Worksheet(s)
• Sell a Discovery Session for larger clients
• Only write a proposal if you have a chance. ASK ABOUT
THEIR BUDGET FIRST!
• Get a verbal okay before writing a proposal

12. Business Snapshot
It shows you are listening to them (from the interview).
Describe their business and their general need.

13. Business Needs
List their pain points/issues to solve - General and specific

14. Target Audience Needs
The website is built for the user experience.

15. Solution / Scope of Work
Outline features and value you are providing or the problems you are solving

16. Project Timeline and
Process
Outline your process work flow. No code before deposit or content.
Phase One: Design - Logo, mockup (# of revisions)
Phase Two: Development
Phase Three: Revisions
Phase Four: Launch
Phase Five: Training / Maintenance / Referrals

17. Contract
Have one! Have a lawyer look at it. Things to consider:
Time Frames/Limits
Suspended and Abandoned Projects
Fees and Payments
Out of scope Additions
Late payments and collections
Refunds
Termination
Compatibility (Define a bug)
Changes after launch
Third-party images
Terms of use
Intellectual property
Plugins and Licenses
Website Security
Hosting
Website Updates and Backups
Care Plans
Third-party services
Choice of Forum
Indemnification
Liability
GDPR, Privacy policy, T &C

18. Guide the Client
• Optional: Offer to go over the proposal with the client via phone,
Skype, or Zoom
• Get the deposit before doing ANY work

19. How? Tools to Help You
• Word or Pages (saved as a PDF)
• Better Proposals (https://betterproposals.io?rf=2413114)*
• BidSketch
• Proposify
• 17 Hats
• Plutio

20. Sample Proposal
• Show samples on Better Proposals
https://bit.ly/2M34pCf
• Show sample of PDF
http://bit.ly/2M4Q6NA

21. Where? - Resources
• WP Elevation - wpelevation.com | Proposal Template
• Advanced Coaching - nathaningram.com
• Adcock Creative - adcockcreativegroup.com
• melanie@adcockcreativegroup.com