Today, users want a clean, mobile responsive website. Not just that though. A business website is often the first point of contact a potential customer will have with that brand: its “storefront”.
As a WordPress expert, it’s your job to provide your clients with a design they will love and an experience their users will find easy to use. Your professional help should lead to growth in the client’s business and an increase in reputation.
WordPress is a powerful and well-used CMS. Powering over 30% of the web is no mean feat. With that prominence has come a lot of competition, so you need to stand out above all of the other designers, developers and agencies by landing this project.
How?
By writing a killer project proposal.
What’s included in a proposal?
A WordPress project proposal for a business typically needs the following:
- Introduction/cover
- Data-driven story
- The process
- Project scope
- Investment
- About the team
- Next steps
Using the above, you’ll propose a solution to the client’s problem and persuade them to choose your solution over that of the competition.
An important point to keep in mind here is that they will be looking at other proposals out there. This means it’s important to get as much information as possible on the key issues before hitting send.
Having a discovery call by asking probing questions will help visualise the parts of the proposal that need to stand out the most to help this client choose you.
Lots of designers and developers will simply send a link to their portfolio or a short PDF summary “job description” in the hopes that the client will decide they are the best.
Sending a comprehensive, well thought out proposal will greatly boost your chances.
Introduction/cover
This part outlines the client, the situation they are in, and why they came to you for a solution.
You should aim to highlight some of the key points the client was making during your discovery call and include three to five reasons why they are looking for your help.
This shows that you’ve listen to their current problems by asking probing questions. It will also encourage them to actually read the rest of the proposal.
Data-driven story
Testimonials and a portfolio are great things to have on your website.
In the proposal, having a short story about how you’ve helped a certain business in the past will convince the reader you are the WordPress expert they need to hire.
In this section, you should include what the business’s problem was, the solution you provided, and how that positively affected the client’s business. Was it a 112% increase in conversions? A 31% lift in revenues? Or a 53% growth in requests for quotes?
It’s important for the client to see how you’ve helped other clients.
The process
How will things work?
If the reader has never worked with a WordPress professional before then this part will be helpful to them. If they have then this is your opportunity to further differentiate from the competition.
You can explain why your approach and the way you work is unique and valuable to the project. Many believe including a short blurb on the research, prototype, design, build, and launch stages to be beneficial. This helps keep things transparent and improves the power of collaboration.
Project scope
You want to prevent a project from going sour. So, it makes sense to have a section on what is, and what is not, included in the project. Maintaining integrity and being transparent with the client will help develop a fruitful future partnership.
Potential items to include here could be the number and scope of revisions, the process of how quality is maintained in your agency, and how much support after launch you will provide.
If the client is not technical-minded then exclusions will provide clarity. If you aren’t providing any video collaboration, but this is part of the finished environment, then it’s important to add this in.
Also, any other parts of the overall finished outcome that aren’t part of the proposal might be included here too.
Investment
How much is it going to cost?
Are there extra things that the client might not have thought about, but they might want to add?
These should be included here.
It’s personal preference whether you want to include all of the different elements in each part, line by line.
One argument about keeping to broad amounts for the different sections is that some elements can confuse clients, such as why would they need four hours for a revision and feedback session or two rounds of wire frame development?
With inexperienced or non-technical clients, single line items of individual sections make sense, rather than detailed costings.
About the team
Share quick insight about who you are and who will be the key individuals working on the project.
Having a section about you and the other key people working on the project brings a human element.
If you want this partnership to last for some time, then connecting through personal stories and photos is the way to go. Remember: people buy from people.
Next steps
What does the client need to do to get started? This section should clearly show them what to do to choose you.
Getting the client to say yes at the moment they’re happy to go ahead is important. That’s why Qwilr offers the ability for a business proposal to be signed online. Quick and easy. (Not to mention that editing the proposals is an absolute breeze!)
And if you want a deposit to be taken at the same time using Stripe, then their proposal system makes that super easy. No one wants to be chasing invoices or waiting for a client to reply with yes.
Think outside WordPress
The people you are sending your proposal to probably aren’t techie. They’re mostly interested in their business and what you can do for them.
Yes, it’s important that certain technical parts are agreed by them. Are you really bothered by the brand of engine oil your mechanic uses on your car? No. Most businesses aren’t really concerned with the small details: that’s why they’re hiring you, the professional.
Sometimes, thinking outside of the tech bubble will help your proposal stand head and shoulders above the rest.
What’s worked for you in your proposals? I’d love to hear if this article has given you some key takeaways or you have anything to add.