Key takeaways
- Keep a small business proposal to about two pages, or a single email.
- Open with the client's problem in their own words, then describe outcomes rather than features.
- List what isn't included as clearly as what is: copywriting, photography and ongoing changes.
- Take a deposit, set payment dates, and say who owns the site and domain once it's paid for.
- Give three priced options and recommend one, with a 30-day expiry and one clear way to accept.
What a small business proposal needs
A proposal for a local business doesn't need to be long. It needs to show you understood what the owner wants, say exactly what they'll get, and make it easy to say yes. Eight short sections do that:
- 1Where you are nowTheir situation in their words: what customers can't do today.
- 2What the website will doOutcomes: bookings, enquiries, fewer phone calls.
- 3What's includedPages, features and set-up, plus what isn't included.
- 4TimelineWeek by week, starting when content and deposit arrive.
- 5InvestmentOne clear price, or three packages, and any monthly fee.
- 6Payment termsDeposit, balance, due dates and late payment.
- 7OwnershipWho owns the site, content and domain once paid.
- 8Next stepsExactly how to accept, and what happens next.
The proposal template
Copy it into your email or a document and replace everything in {curly brackets}. It's written for a small local business getting its first website, so trim or extend the scope to fit the project.
WEBSITE PROPOSAL
{Business name}
Prepared by {Your name}, {Your business} · {Date} · Valid for 30 days
1. WHERE YOU ARE NOW
{Business} has {number} reviews on Google and a loyal local following, but no website of its own. Customers searching for {service} in {Town} find your Google listing, but can't see your prices, {key detail} or a way to {book / order / get a quote} without phoning.
2. WHAT THE WEBSITE WILL DO
- Show your services and prices clearly, on any phone
- Let customers {book online through your existing {platform} / send an enquiry / order}
- Help you appear when people search for {service} in {Town}
- Cut down the calls and messages asking about {prices / opening hours / availability}
3. WHAT'S INCLUDED
- {Number} pages: {Home, Services and prices, Gallery, Contact}
- Mobile-friendly design using your logo, colours and photos
- {Booking button / contact form / online ordering}
- Google Business Profile updated with your new website
- Basic search set-up: page titles, descriptions and a sitemap
- Domain {registration / connection}: {yourbusiness.co.uk}, registered in your name
- Two rounds of revisions
- A short video showing you how to make simple changes
NOT INCLUDED (available as extras)
- Copywriting beyond editing the text you supply
- Photography
- Paid advertising or ongoing search optimisation
4. TIMELINE
Week 1: You send your text, photos and logo. I build the first version.
Week 2: You review it; first round of revisions.
Week 3: Second round of revisions; the site goes live.
The timeline starts when the deposit and your content arrive.
5. INVESTMENT
Website build ({package name}): £{amount} {plus VAT / no VAT charged}
Optional care plan: £{amount} a month for hosting, updates, backups and up to {number} small changes a month. Cancel with {notice period}' notice.
6. PAYMENT TERMS
- {50}% deposit (£{amount}) to book your start date
- The balance (£{amount}) before the site goes live
- Invoices are due within {14} days. Late payments may incur statutory interest under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998.
7. OWNERSHIP
Once paid in full, you own the website's design and content, and the domain is registered in your name. I may show the finished site in my portfolio unless you'd prefer I didn't.
8. NEXT STEPS
To go ahead, reply to this email to accept, and I'll send the deposit invoice and a short checklist of what I need from you. Full terms and conditions are attached.
{Your name}
{Your business} · {phone} · {email}How to write each section
Where you are now
Two or three sentences that repeat back what the owner told you, using their words. If they said “I'm sick of people ringing to ask how much a skin fade is”, say that. This is the section that makes them feel understood, and it's the one most proposals skip.
What the website will do
Write outcomes, not features: “customers can book without phoning” rather than “booking integration”. Keep it to the three or four things that matter to this business.
What's included, and what isn't
Be specific about the number of pages, features and rounds of revisions. The “not included” list matters as much as the included one: it prevents arguments later about copywriting, photos and ongoing changes.
Investment
Call it “investment” and show one total for the build, then any monthly fee separately. If you offer packages, show three side by side and recommend one. Say whether prices include VAT. The UK website pricing guide covers how to set the numbers.
Payment terms and ownership
Take a deposit before you start, and the balance before launch. Say who owns the design, content and domain once the invoice is paid; registering the domain in the client's name from the start avoids the most common dispute. Between businesses, you're entitled to charge statutory interest on late invoices under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998.
Next steps
Make accepting a single action: reply to accept, or sign and return. Then say exactly what happens next, so the owner knows what they're agreeing to.
Presenting price options
| Starter | Standard (recommended) | Plus | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pages | 1 | Up to 5 | Up to 8 |
| Booking or contact | Button to existing app | Button plus enquiry form | Online booking, ordering or vouchers |
| Google Business Profile | Website link added | Full tidy-up | Full tidy-up |
| Copywriting | Your text, edited | Your text, edited | Written for you |
| Revisions | 1 round | 2 rounds | 3 rounds |
| Price | £{amount} | £{amount} | £{amount} |
Three options turn “should I buy this?” into “which one?”. Make the middle option the one you'd recommend for this business, and say why in a sentence.
Sending and following up
- Send the proposal within a day or two of your conversation, while it's fresh.
- Paste it into the email body or attach a PDF, and put the price and next step in the email itself too.
- Include a link to the mock-up or a recent example site.
- Follow up after three or four working days if you haven't heard back, and again a week later.
- Keep separate terms and conditions for things like liability, cancellation and hosting, and attach or link them.
Common mistakes
A ten-page proposal for a one-page website
Long proposals look like hard work, and an owner reading between customers won't finish them.
Solution: Keep it to what fits on two pages, or a single email, for a small business.
Listing features instead of outcomes
“Responsive design and SEO” means little to a café owner; “people can see your menu on their phone” means a lot.
Solution: Translate every feature into what it does for their customers or their day.
No “not included” list
Unstated assumptions become free work.
Solution: List the common extras, such as copywriting, photography and ongoing changes, and price them separately.
No expiry date
Open-ended prices come back to haunt you months later, after your rates have changed.
Solution: State that the proposal is valid for 30 days.
Quick reference
| Check | Why |
|---|---|
| Their problem, in their words | Shows you listened |
| Outcomes before features | Owners buy results, not technology |
| Included and not included | Prevents scope creep |
| Price, VAT status and any monthly fee | No surprises |
| Deposit and payment dates | Protects your time and cash flow |
| Ownership of site and domain | Avoids the most common dispute |
| 30-day validity and one clear next step | Makes it easy to say yes now |
Common questions
How long should a web design proposal be?
For a small business website, one to two pages, or the length of a single email. Owners read proposals between customers; a short one that covers scope, price, timeline and next steps gets read in full.
Should I send a proposal before talking to the client?
No. Have a short call or visit first to learn what they want the website to do, then send the proposal within a day or two. A proposal built on their own words is far more likely to be accepted.
Is a web design proposal a contract?
An accepted proposal can form part of a contract, which is why it should state the scope, price and payment terms clearly. Most designers also attach separate terms and conditions covering cancellation, liability and hosting. For anything complex, take legal advice.
What should a web design proposal include?
The client's current situation, what the website will achieve, what's included and excluded, a timeline, the price and any monthly fee, payment terms, ownership of the site and domain, and how to accept.