Two proposals include ten pages. One investment is considerably higher than the other.
Before deciding that one company is expensive, compare what those ten pages require from each team. Page count is a limited way to understand website scope. It tells you little about who will establish the direction, develop the content, create the design, manage the project, or prepare the transition from the existing site.
A useful comparison starts with responsibility. Does the proposal include:
- Clarifying the business and the services the site will emphasize?
- Developing the messaging and writing the content?
- Creating an appropriate design and building the functionality?
- Coordinating the people, information, and decisions?
- Preparing launch and explaining what happens afterward?
The answer may be different for every proposal.
“We Already Know What We Want”
That can mean the business is ready for production. It can also mean leadership has selected a deliverable before working through the decisions needed to create it.
Suppose a company knows it wants a new website and has a list of pages. Does it also know which audience matters most, how the services fit together, and what prospective customers need to understand before inquiring? Has leadership agreed on what should be preserved from the existing site?
When those answers are clear, the team can work from an established direction. When they are unsettled, someone needs to help develop them. That work takes time and judgment, and it should be visible in the scope.
At Re3, clarity helps us identify the situation we are working with. We want the proposed website work to account for the decisions it depends on. Otherwise, those decisions are likely to surface during writing and design, when changing direction can affect work already completed.
“Content Is Included”
Ask what that means.
Some providers place the text you supply. Others edit existing pages. Others develop new content by interviewing the team, reviewing source material, and working through the messaging.
Those arrangements can all be appropriate, but they ask very different things of the client. If your team is responsible for writing, collecting project details, and preparing images, include that internal work when evaluating the investment. You may be moving a substantial responsibility from the proposal into your own schedule.
Also clarify what happens when information is missing. Who identifies the gap? Who obtains the answer? Who confirms factual accuracy? A writer can organize and explain the material, but the company still needs to supply or verify the business knowledge behind it.
Content development is especially important when the existing website understates the company. Reusing every old page may preserve the issue that led you to request a new site.
What Does “Custom” Actually Cover?
The word needs an explanation. It might refer to a design developed for the company, a particular technical build, tailored functionality, or some combination of those.
Describe what the website needs to do before comparing how providers will build it. A straightforward service site has different requirements from a site with a searchable resource library or connections to internal systems. Each feature creates responsibility for planning, implementation, verification, and ongoing use.
Ask how the proposal handles the everyday requirements too. Will your team be able to update the content it needs to maintain? How will pages work across devices? Which existing information needs to move? What is involved in preparing the site for launch?
Useful detail makes the scope assessable. Broad labels leave you guessing.
Who Will Carry the Project?
A website can involve several specialties and a considerable amount of information. Someone needs to keep the work connected.
Find out who coordinates the engagement, identifies decisions, and brings you recommendations. Understand what your team will need to review and how approvals work. If several leaders have input, establish how that input will reach the project team.
The difference can be substantial. In one arrangement, the client may need to gather feedback, interpret conflicting suggestions, and keep providers informed. In another, the partner may guide those conversations and bring the client a considered approach.
Project leadership is part of the value you are evaluating.
What Are We Responsible for After Launch?
Separate the project investment from ongoing responsibilities. Hosting, domain ownership, maintenance, support, and content changes need clear arrangements. Depending on the site, there may be additional services or subscriptions to account for.
Ask what is included, what requires additional work, and what your team is expected to manage. The answer should be specific to the engagement. Do not assume that a support plan includes every future change because it has a reassuring name.
There is also the question of what the business does with the website once it is live. How will relevant people reach it? Who will respond to inquiries? Who will keep services and examples accurate? These responsibilities affect what the company can get from the initial investment.
When you compare proposals, mark what is included, excluded, and unclear. Then ask each provider to explain the important differences. You should leave that conversation knowing what work is being recommended, why it is appropriate, and which responsibilities remain with you.
If you’re planning a website project, tell us what you’re considering. We can help you work through the scope and responsibilities before you commit to the work.
