How to write a website proposal that wins with a preview
Most website proposals describe a site the client can't picture. A stronger one shows a starting direction: a quick preview built from what you learned on the first call, linked from a short document that states the problem, the deliverables, what's excluded and the price. Here's how to write a website proposal that way without giving the project away for free.
The shape of a proposal that gets read
Decision-makers read the first page and the price. Put everything that matters on the first page and keep the whole document short enough to finish over a coffee. Five sections are enough.
- The problem, in their words. Two or three sentences from the discovery call: "New patients can't tell whether you're taking them on, so they phone, and reception spends the morning on the same question."
- The direction. One paragraph and a link to the preview, framed as a starting point rather than the finished design.
- Deliverables. The pages, forms, booking, CMS collections and connections you'll set up, in a list.
- Exclusions and assumptions. What's not included, and what you're relying on the client to provide.
- Price, schedule and next step. Your fee, the milestones, and how to accept.
Building the preview without overinvesting
The preview exists to make the conversation concrete, not to deliver the project. Keep it to the homepage and one key page, and spend minutes, not days.
- Write a two-sentence brief from the discovery call and give it to Anticode's Architect. It will ask up to three questions where the answer changes the build and show a plan before building.
- Choose a design direction on purpose. Anticode holds each build to one of seven design systems, from Editorial and Swiss to Playful and Brutalist. Pick the one that matches what the client told you about their customers, and say why in one line of the proposal.
- Use their real words where you can. Their opening hours, their services, their town. A preview full of generic copy looks like a template.
- Share it with a client review link. It opens the current preview with no account, lasts 14 days by default, and can be revoked if the proposal goes nowhere.
- Label it in the proposal as a first direction that will change after onboarding.
Anticode shows a quote before each build and only counts successful builds, so you know what the preview costs you against your allowance before you start. Track that, plus your time, as part of your sales cost.
Deliverables and limits, stated plainly
Vague deliverables invite scope creep. Name each item and its limits.
| Deliverable | Included | Not included |
|---|---|---|
| Pages | Home, Services, About, FAQ, Contact | Extra landing pages for campaigns |
| Enquiry form | Contact form, emailed and sent to a Google Sheet | Custom fields or file uploads |
| Bookings | A booking calendar for one consultation service | Calendar sync, deposits, staff rotas |
| Payments | Buy buttons that open your Stripe or PayPal checkout | A cart or on-site checkout |
| Revisions | Two rounds through a review link | Further rounds, quoted separately |
Being exact about exclusions helps you win the right clients. A client who needs member logins or stock control learns that now, not in week three. If the job needs things the builder doesn't do on published sites, say how you'll handle them: a separate service, or a Next.js export a developer extends.
Pricing: yours, not the tool's
Price the outcome and your time, not the software. Clients don't need to know which builder you use any more than which text editor. Do account for running costs: if the site needs a custom domain and no badge, that's a paid Anticode plan, and if you'll host it in your workspace, a monthly fee you pass on. Check current plans on the pricing page rather than guessing in a document that may be read months later.
Mistakes that lose proposals
- A finished site as the preview. The client can take it and leave. Keep it to a direction.
- Ten pages of process. Put your process on one page at the back.
- Promising features you haven't checked. Read how to scope a website project before you commit to anything unusual.
Limits
Anticode builds the preview and shares it. The proposal document, e-signature, deposit invoice and follow-up are yours, in whatever tools you already use. Review links collect comments but don't record acceptance.
Questions people ask
Should I build a preview before the client has paid anything?
A light one, yes: a homepage direction is quick to make and helps the client say yes. Keep the full build for after the contract.
How long should a website proposal be?
Two to four pages for a small site. The first page should carry the problem, the direction and the price.
How to write a website proposal for a client who wants an online shop?
State exactly how selling will work. Anticode sites sell through payment links from the owner's provider, with no cart or inventory, so a shop with many variants may need a store platform.