What To Include In A Web Development Proposal

At the end of the day, successfully securing a Web Development Project comes down to two simple factors - 1) how well you present the Web Development Proposal, and to a lesser degree 2) the cost to the client.

To state the obvious, a client will always worry about costs because it affects their bottom line. However, how well you present your proposal can influence their decision on who they decide to choose to develop their website, irrespective of cost differences between competing proposals (within reason of course).

You see, clients tend to base their willingness to do business on trust or the perception of trust. That is, can they trust you to deliver what they need and want?

So how do you build trust into a Web Development Proposal? How do you guarantee that once the client reads your proposal, they'll get this fuzzy and tingly sensation that you're the web developer for the job?

Basically it comes down to this - you must structure the proposal so it addresses all relevant project criteria such as project overview, client requirements, specifications, project assumptions, project lifecycle, timelines, costs, etc. This will show the client that you understand their business and needs, can offer effective solutions and that you’re capable and experienced in how to take a Web Project from the initial idea all the way to successful delivery of the solution.

To properly structure a Web Development Proposal, start by addressing the following:

• Project overview – this is where you specify your details, client's details (inc. some background information about their business), date of proposal and last but not least, a brief description of the website that is being developed and how it will provide benefit and value to the client's business. Keep it short but make it compelling
• Requirements – here you would detail the client's objectives that must be met. This of course assumes that you have first performed a detailed and focused requirements analysis.  Requirements analysis will help you and your clients define what it is they want and what it is you can provide; but also, it will help define the whole scope of the web design and development that you are proposing.
• Specifications – this is where you explain how you are going to meet the client’s objectives.  This can include anything from a functional specification, technical design, to the use of flow-charts.  Basically, you want to show how the particular web project will look and work.
• Assumptions - a list of things that you expect to have for the project and if they are not available then key project milestones may be missed e.g. late completion date.
• Cost Summary - breakdown of development, web hosting, domain registration costs, etc.
• Project Phases – here you detail the steps in the project lifecycle such as signing the contract (usually a separate document), when development starts (after contract has been signed of course) and ends, user acceptance testing and finally, the handover. Try to put a completion date against each step.

The above criteria might seem overwhelming, but reality is, your competitors are putting together proposals that contain this level of detail and more. If you want to secure a Web Project, then you need to follow some semblance of the above structure.

Good luck and happy Web Developing
Tina Pixon