Guide · Planning a website
How to compare proposals from web agencies
Three proposals for the same website can differ several times in price — and each can be reasonable for what it includes. Comparing only the final figure is how businesses end up paying twice: once for the cheap proposal and again to finish what it left out. This guide gives a method for putting proposals side by side and seeing what you are actually buying.
[ 01 ]
In short
In short
- 01
Send every contractor the same brief, so differences reflect their approach, not your inputs.
- 02
Build a comparison table by scope item, not by price.
- 03
Look as closely at what is excluded as at what is included.
- 04
Compare process and team: who does the work, how you see progress, how changes are handled.
- 05
Add recurring costs — hosting, support, licences — to get the total over several years.
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Guide
Step 1: the same starting point
Proposals are comparable only if they answer the same brief. If a contractor proposes a different approach, ask them to price your version too, or ask others to price theirs. See website brief template.
Step 2: a comparison table
List scope items as rows and contractors as columns. Typical rows:
| Item | What to check |
|---|---|
| Discovery and structure | Is there a structured discovery stage? What documents come out of it? |
| Design | Template or custom? How many templates? Mobile and desktop? Revisions? |
| Content | Who writes, who enters, how many pages or products are included? |
| Languages | How many, who translates, is multilingual SEO included? |
| Functions | Each required function listed — forms, catalog, payments, booking, accounts |
| Integrations | CRM, payments, 1C, delivery: included, and to what extent? |
| SEO | URLs, meta data, redirects, sitemap, structured data, speed |
| Analytics | GA4 or other setup, events, conversions |
| Testing | What is tested, on which devices, who does acceptance |
| Launch | Domain, hosting, HTTPS, redirects, monitoring after launch |
| Training | For editors, documentation |
| Support | Warranty period, support terms, response times |
| Ownership | Code, design files, domain, hosting, accounts |
Mark each cell: included, partially, excluded, unclear. "Unclear" is a question to ask.
Step 3: what is excluded
Proposals often exclude, explicitly or silently: content writing, translation, photo production, product entry, payment provider onboarding, integration with specific systems, hosting, licences for paid plugins or fonts, and changes after approval. Each exclusion becomes a cost later.
Step 4: process and team
- Who exactly will work on the project, and are they employees or subcontractors?
- How will you see progress — a staging site, demos, task tracker?
- How are changes to scope estimated and approved?
- What happens if a deadline is missed on either side?
Step 5: pricing model
- Fixed price for a defined scope gives budget certainty but requires a precise scope; changes are estimated separately.
- Time and materials is flexible for evolving projects but needs trust and control.
See fixed price vs time and materials.
Step 6: total cost of ownership
Add up, for three years: development, hosting, domain, licences, support and expected changes. A cheaper build on a platform with high monthly fees, or one that needs a developer for every change, can cost more over time.
Step 7: evidence
For the two or three strongest proposals, look at relevant live projects and speak to a past client. Ask how the contractor handled a problem during a project — every project has one.
Red flags in proposals
- A price without a list of what is included.
- No mention of testing, SEO or launch.
- Vague phrases such as "modern design" and "full functionality".
- Domain and hosting to be registered in the contractor's name.
- Pressure to decide quickly because of a "discount today".
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FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Should we negotiate the price?
Negotiate scope rather than rate: agree what can be simplified or postponed to fit the budget. Pushing the price down for the same scope usually reduces quality or support.
How detailed should a proposal be?
Detailed enough that you could check at the end whether everything was delivered. If you cannot, ask for a more detailed scope before signing.
What if proposals are too different to compare?
Ask each contractor to explain their assumptions and to price a common scope. The differences in their questions often reveal who understood the task best.