Web design proposal: what to include, with a worked example

1. Name the pages and the features separately

A five-page website can mean very different workloads. List the pages by name, then describe the functions that need design, development or configuration. A contact form is not an online booking system. A product gallery is not a working shop. State whether the project includes mobile layouts, content entry and migration from an existing site. If a requirement is still unclear, ask before turning it into a fixed commitment.

• Pages: list each included page and any reusable page layouts.
• Features: identify forms, integrations, languages or payment functionality.
• Content: identify who supplies copy, photographs and product information.
• Exclusions: name important work that is outside this offer.

2. Show the scope in a concrete example

This fictional example illustrates the level of detail, not a standard package or a customer project. Replace every decision with your own agreed scope. In particular, do not promise revision rounds merely because this example contains them.

Project: five-page website for a local decorating business. Pages: Home, Services, About, Project Gallery and Contact. Included: responsive page design, one enquiry form and entry of client-supplied text and images. Review: two consolidated design-feedback rounds before implementation. Not included: online payments, booking software, logo design or ongoing maintenance. Client supplies: approved copy, photographs and access to the existing domain.

3. Explain the price and outside costs

Tie your price to those deliverables. If you offer a fixed project fee, say exactly which scope it covers. If you quote hourly work, explain the rate and whether the hours are an estimate or an agreed limit. Identify hosting, domain renewals, paid plugins and other third-party costs separately, including who pays them. Specify the currency and applicable tax treatment. Avoid a low headline total that leaves essential costs unexplained.

4. Make the schedule depend on real inputs

Separate discovery, design review, implementation and launch. Explain which stages depend on approved content or client feedback. Do not turn an approximate working duration into a guaranteed calendar deadline. Include only payment arrangements you intend to offer. Describe how requests outside the agreed scope will be assessed and approved before additional work starts. This keeps a small request from silently becoming another deliverable.

5. Finish with handover and a clear next step

State what the client receives at handover, which accounts they will control and whether training or post-launch support is included. Do not promise search rankings or sales outcomes. Ask the client to confirm the scope or identify changes. In ScopeMic, turn your agreed notes into a proposal draft, then check every page, feature and price before sharing it. Use a client questionnaire first if the brief is incomplete.