How to compare website proposals: what to look at besides the price

You sent a request to several developers and received commercial proposals. The bottom lines show very different totals, while the descriptions of the work sound almost the same. If you compare only the prices, it is easy to pick the proposal that simply has less work in it. Below is how to read proposals so that you compare like with like.

Why can't you compare proposals by price alone?

The word "website" covers very different scopes of work. Some developers include texts, a design for your brand and analytics setup in the price, others include only assembly on a ready-made template. A lower price may mean not a bargain but a cut-down scope.

So start by lining up the scope of work, and then compare the totals.

What should a commercial proposal describe?

A good proposal answers the question "what exactly will I get". Check whether it covers:

Structure - which pages and blocks the website will have.

Design - custom for your brand or based on a template. How the approaches differ - in the article Template or custom website design: when a template is enough.

Texts - who writes them: you, the developer or you together.

Mobile version - how the website looks on a phone.

Inquiry form - where the inquiries go and who sets this up.

If an item is not described, do not fill it in for the developer - ask.

How do you tell what the price includes and what it does not?

The differences hide in the details. Ask directly whether the price includes:

Texts and photos - or you need to prepare them yourself.

Language versions - if the website is needed in several languages.

Domain and hosting - who buys them and pays for them.

Analytics - connecting the counters and the goals for inquiries.

If an item is missing from the proposal, assume it is not included until the developer confirms otherwise.

How many revisions are included in the price?

Revisions are a source of disputes after work starts. Ask how many rounds of revisions the price includes, what counts as a revision and what counts as a new task, and how additional changes are paid for.

If the proposal says "unlimited revisions", ask how this works in practice. Clear terms are more honest than a nice-sounding phrase.

Whose name will the domain and hosting be registered in?

This question is easy to miss, although it decides whose website you end up with. The domain and hosting should be registered in your name, and the access should be passed to you when the website is handed over. More details - in the article Who owns the website after handover: what you should have in hand.

What happens after the website launches?

Compare what the developer offers after handover: is there support, what it includes and how to reach them with tasks. If the proposal says nothing about support, clarify this before paying. What support can include - I described this in the article Website support after launch: what it includes.

What are the signs of a weak proposal?

It is worth being wary if:

There is only a price - with no scope of work and no description of the result.

A result is promised - a specific number of inquiries or sales after launch.

The proposal is generic - it says nothing about your business and your task.

They push a discount - the price is valid "until you change your mind".

How to choose a developer in general - I wrote about this in the article How to Choose a Web Developer and Not Get Burned.

How much does a website cost at INSITE and what does the price include?

A landing page - from $190, a multipage website - from $490, a complex project - on request. I fix the price before work starts, and I register the domain and hosting in the client's name. In the proposal, I list what the work includes so that it is easy to compare with others.

If you already have proposals in hand and are not sure they are comparable, send them to me - I will look and tell you how the scope differs.