EP 41: The Bulletproof Proposal Template with Troy Dean

Podcast Episode #41

Having a podcast helps a business more than people think. This system outlines the process for creating a system for video and audio podcasts: from booking guests, to promotion, and to measuring the effectiveness of having a podcast.

He’s also a professional voice-over artist and has voiced campaigns for hundreds of brands including Ford, Telstra, ANZ, Hungry Jacks, Mitsubishi, AFL and Cricket Australia.

Plus, he sang the Cadbury jingle – “Wouldn’t it be nice if the world was Cadbury?”

His clients include:

QuickBooks
Law Institute of Victoria
Westpac
Melbourne Business Network
Australian Anthill
Edge of the Web
Business Blueprint
Uniting Care Wesley

Website: troydean.com.au

Grab Troy’s system: The Bulletproof Proposal Template

SNAPSHOT

XXX is a [describe company here]. XXX has operated a website for some years. With advancing technology and the rise of social media, XXX needs to redesign their website to align with the goals of the business and the target audience.

XXX needs a website that functions as a powerful marketing and communications tool to attract new clients, position itself as a thought leader in the industry and provide credibility to potential joint venture partners.

XXX has approached [insert your name here] to design and develop a new website.

BUSINESS NEEDS

Specifically, the new website needs to fulfil the following business needs:

1.  [insert business need here]
2.  [insert business need here]
3.  [insert business need here]
4.  [insert business need here]

Also required is a content management system that will allow XXX to easily manage content on the site and reduce administration costs.

TARGET AUDIENCE NEEDS

The target audience for the XXX website is defined as [describe target audience here]. The new website needs to assist the target audience do the following:

1.  [insert target audience need here]
2.  [insert target audience need here]
3.  [insert target audience need here]
4.  [insert target audience need here]

Ultimately, the XXX website should be a useful resource for existing clients, potential new clients and potential new partners.

SOLUTION

We recommend the development of a completely new website, built from the ground up, with a custom design to convey the value that XXX adds to its members.

The new website will be designed to:

• [insert benefit here that helps achieve needs from above]

• [insert benefit here that helps achieve needs from above]

• [insert benefit here that helps achieve needs from above]

• [insert benefit here that helps achieve needs from above]

• [insert benefit here that helps achieve needs from above]

• [insert benefit here that helps achieve needs from above]

Additionally, the following “behind the scenes” features will be built-in to the website:

• regular pings to Google, Yahoo and Bing

• Google analytics performance reporting

• High-speed page loading

• anti-spam features on contact forms

• video tutorials and a user manual for the content management system

Web hosting services are provided on a monthly or annual basis by our preferred hosting partner or by XXX’s existing hosting company.

FURTHER CONSIDERATIONS

Successful websites of those websites that continue to attract the right type of visitors and lead them down a path towards becoming a customer. This requires consistent content publishing and monitoring of the website to make sure it is achieving its objectives.

Once the website has been launched we can assist you with your content strategy and make incremental improvements to the website to make sure that it continues to deliver a positive return on your investment.

We would be happy to speak with you about this in more detail and answer any questions you may have.

In the meantime, you can see more about our service here [insert link to website care plans].

PROJECT TIMELINE

We offer the following timeline for the redesign of the XXX website:

Discovery – 4 Weeks

Development of a sitemap and interactive prototype so that all functionality can be tested and approved in the browser.

Design – 3 Weeks

The design of website user experience and user interface to allow the target audience to easily navigate and use the website to achieve their needs.

Development – 4 Weeks

Development of working website on the WordPress content management system.

Testing – 1 Week

Final testing and debugging on a development server before launching.

INVESTMENT

Project Essentials – $7,200

The following elements are considered essential to the project:

• Development of information architecture into sitemap

• Development of interactive prototype to finalise functionality and any third-party integrations

• Design user experience and user interface

• Develop working HTML/CSS website to best practice web standards

• Develop responsive breakpoints for tablet and mobile experience

• Integrate website into WordPress content management system

• Integrate Search Engine Optimisation best practices to increase visibility in popular search engines such as Google and Bing

• Test and debug beta version of website before launch

• Launch live website

• Integrate a daily and weekly backup schedule to protect the website

• Integrate Google analytics software

• Training and comprehensive video tutorials included

Project Options – $3,000

The following options are recommended to enhance the performance of the website and help XXX achieve the strategic objectives outlined in this proposal:

• Develop a highly targeted lead capture strategy to convert website visitors into leads

• Develop a well-structured blogging platform to allow XXX to post thought leading articles in order to attract the targeted visitors to the website

• Develop a commenting module to allow website visitors to leave comments on the blog articles as a way of encouraging engagement and conversation

• Integrate social media sharing facilities to allow web visitors to share articles with their friends and colleagues on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Project Total – $10,200

The above pricing is effective for 30 days.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is information architecture?

Information architecture is the relationship of how all the different pages of a website are related to each other. This is communicated visually through a sitemap.

Here is an example of a sitemap: http://sitemaps.thewpdevshop.com/proctormajor/

What is an interactive prototype?

An interactive prototype is a black and white version of your website that is designed to prove the functionality and features as they will work in the browser. No design elements are applied at this stage as the prototype is just built to allow all parties to make final decisions on the functionality.

Here is an example of a prototype: http://prototypes.thewpdevshop.com/proctormajor/

Why do you use WordPress?

WordPress is open source content management software and currently powers around 25% of all websites on the Internet. The project is contributed to by tens of thousands of developers all over the world and is growing from strength to strength. WordPress allows us to develop flexible and customisable websites to modern standards and observes web development best practices. Furthermore, the community of web developers that use WordPress reaches far and wide and allows us to tap into this collective intelligence and bring that wealth of experience to your project.

Where is the website hosted?

Your website needs to be hosted by a hosting company that specialises in WordPress hosting. There are many companies that do this. WP Engine, Siteground, Pagely and Pantheon are just a few who specialise in this area. We are more than happy to make a personal recommendation should you require one.

Who do I call if something goes wrong with the website or I can’t figure something out?

Provided you subscribe to one of our ongoing website care plans, we will be your first point of call should something go wrong with your website. We will determine whether it is something the hosting company needs to fix something that is covered by your website care plan. We will provide training and video tutorials to assist you in using your website once it is launched.

What happens after the website is launched?

Once your website is launched, we will provide 30 days of support to make sure any bugs have been ironed out and that you are confident using your new website. After this, you will need to subscribe to one of our ongoing website care plans to make sure your website is looked after and maintained. These website care plans include updating your software, regular backups, security checks and making sure your website is online and open for business 24/7/365. More information on our website care plans is available upon request.

How long will it take to appear at the top of Google?

The time it takes for your website to appear on page 1 of Google depends on a number of factors. It depends on the search phrase people are using to find your website and the number of other websites that are also available for those search phrases. Nobody can truly say how long it will take for your website to appear at the top of search engine results pages (including people who actually work for Google), however, there are a number of factors that can improve your chances.

Building your website on WordPress is a good start as WordPress has some great Search Engine Optimisation fundamentals built-in. Creating unique and interesting content on a regular basis for your website is also critical to increase your visibility amongst search engines. Launching your website and then forgetting about it is a surefire way to get lost amongst the noise.

We are happy to talk to more about your search engine strategy if we haven’t already.

How will I know if anyone is visiting my website?

We will install Google analytics software on your new website and show you how to log into your Google Analytics account where you can see a wide range of statistics about your website including a number of visits, page views than the amount of time people are spending on your website.

Once you subscribe to one of our website care plans you will also receive more detailed analysis about your website performance and recommendations on how to improve.

What happens if I want to add some features to the website while you’re building it?

Whilst we like to be flexible and responsive to your needs, we also like to deliver what we promise within the time frames and budgets we have allowed. If you ask us to add new features to your website while we are building it, will most likely ask why? If we all agree that your new request will help us achieve our objectives then we will be more than happy to oblige. If your new feature is something you would like to add to your website but is not directly tied to your original objectives then we will suggest to schedule it for a second iteration of the website once it has been launched. This will require a new proposal.

NEXT STEPS

To proceed with this project, XXX is required take the following steps:

1. Accept the proposal as is by clicking on the “Accept” or “Approve” button, or discuss desired changes. Please note that changes to the scope of the project can be made at anytime, but additional charges may apply. 
2. Submit initial payment of 50% of total project fee.

Once these steps have been completed we will begin the project with an introduction of all relevant people and begin the discovery process.

MUTUAL AGREEMENT

This is a variation of the original Contract Killer template by Andy Clarke which can be found here: http://stuffandnonsense.co.uk/projects/contract-killer/

Between us, XXX and you XXX.

Summary

We will always do our best to fulfil your needs and meet your goals, but sometimes it’s best to have a few things written down so that we both know what’s what, who should do what and what happens if stuff goes wrong. In this contract, you won’t find complicated legal terms or long passages of unreadable text. We have no desire to trick you into signing something that you might later regret. We do want what’s best for the safety of both parties, now and in the future.

In short

You (XXX) are hiring us (XXX Pty Ltd) located at XXX to design and develop a website for the estimated total price as outlined in our proposal. Of course, it’s a little more complicated, but we’ll get to that.

What Do Both Parties Agree To Do?

As our customer, you have the power and ability to enter into this contract on behalf of your company or organisation. You agree to provide us with everything that we’ll need to complete the project – including text, images and other information – as and when we need it and in the format, we ask for. You agree to review our work, provide feedback and approval in a timely manner too. Deadlines work two ways and you’ll also be bound by any dates that we set together. You also agree to stick to the payment schedule set out at the end of this contract.organisation. You agree to provide us with everything that we’ll need to complete the project – including text, images and other information – as and when we need it and in the format, we ask for. You agree to review our work, provide feedback and approval in a timely manner too. Deadlines work two ways and you’ll also be bound by any dates that we set together. You also agree to stick to the payment schedule set out at the end of this contract.

We have the experience and ability to perform the services you need from us and we will carry them out in a professional and timely manner. Along the way, we will endeavour to meet all the deadlines set but we can’t be responsible for a missed launch date or a deadline if you have been late in supplying materials or have not approved or signed off our work on-time at any stage. On top of this, we’ll also maintain the confidentiality of any information that you give us.

Getting Down to the Nitty-Gritty

Design

If we are designing your application we’ll create designs for the look-and-feel, layout and functionality of your website. This contract includes one main design plus the opportunity for you to make up to two rounds of revisions. If you’re not happy with the designs at this stage, you will pay us in full for all of the work that we have produced until that point and you may either cancel this contract or continue to commission us to make further design revisions at our standard design rates.

HTML and CSS Layout Templates

If the project includes HTML markup and CSS templates, we’ll develop these using valid HTML and CSS code. The landscape of web browsers and devices changes regularly and our approach is to look forward, not back. With that in mind, we will test all our markup and CSS in current versions of all major desktop browsers to ensure that we make the most of them. Users of older or less capable browsers or devices will experience a design that is appropriate to the capabilities of their software.

We do not cater for people using Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 and cannot predict the behaviour of that browser.

We will also test that these templates perform well on Apple’s iPad. We will not test old or abandoned browsers, for example, Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 or 5.5 for Windows or Mac, previous versions of Apple’s Safari, Mozilla Firefox or Opera unless otherwise specified. If you need us to consider these older browsers, we will charge you at our standard old browser rate for any necessary additional design work, development and testing.

Text Content

We may have written a hundred blog posts but we’re not responsible for writing or inputting any text copy unless we specified it in the original estimate. We’ll be happy to help though, and in addition to the estimate, we will charge you at our standard copy writing or content input rate.

Photographs

You will supply us photographs in digital format. If you choose to buy stock photographs we can suggest vendors of stock photography. Any time we spend searching for appropriate photographs will be charged at our standard discovery rate.

Changes and Revisions

We know from plenty of experience that fixed-price contracts are rarely beneficial to you, as they often limit you to your first idea about how something should look, or how it might work. We don’t want to limit either your options or your opportunities to change your mind.

The estimate/quotation prices at the beginning of this document are based on the amount of work we estimate we’ll need to accomplish everything that you have told us you want to achieve. If you do want to change your mind, add extra pages or templates or even add new functionality, that won’t be a problem. However, you will be charged accordingly and these additional costs will need to be agreed to before the extra work commences. This additional work will affect deadlines and they will be moved accordingly. We’ll be upfront about all of this if and when it happens to make sure we’re all on the same page before proceeding.

We may also ask you to put requests in writing so we can keep track of changes. If the nature or functions of the project change significantly throughout the process, we reserve the right to deem the current project cancelled. At this, point you will pay us in full for all the work we have done and may commission us to complete the new project based on the new requirements. This will require a new quote and contract.

Technical Support

You may already have professional website hosting, you might even manage that hosting in-house; if that’s the case, great. If you don’t manage your own website hosting, or your current hosting environment does not support the solution we are providing, we can set up an account for you at one of our preferred, third-party hosting providers. We will charge you a one-off fee for installing your site on this server, plus any statistics software such as Google Analytics, then the updates to, and management of that server, plus any support issues will be up to you.

We are not a website hosting company and so do not offer or include technical support for website hosting, email or other services relating to website hosting.

Legal stuff

We can’t guarantee that the functions contained in any web page templates or in a completed website will always be error-free and so we can’t be liable to you or any third party for damages, including lost profits, lost savings or other incidental, consequential or special damages arising out of the operation of or inability to operate this website and any other web pages, even if you have advised us of the possibilities of such damages.

If any provision of this agreement shall be unlawful, void, or for any reason unenforceable, then that provision shall be deemed severable from this agreement and shall not affect the validity and enforceability of any remaining provisions.

Phew!

Copyrights

You guarantee to us that any elements of text, graphics, photos, designs, trademarks, or other artwork that you provide us for inclusion in the website are either owned by your good selves or that you have permission to use them.

When we receive your final payment, copyright is automatically assigned as follows:

You own the graphics and other visual elements that we create for you for this project.

We’ll give you a copy of all files and you should store them really safely as we are not required to keep them or provide any native source files we used to make them.

You also own text content, photographs and other data you provided unless someone else owns them. We own the markup, CSS and other code and we license it to you for use on only this project. We love to show off our work and share what we have learned with other people, so we reserve the right to display and link to your completed project as part of our portfolio and to write about the project on websites, in magazine articles and in books about web design.

Payments

We are sure you understand how important it is as a small business that you pay the invoices that we send you promptly. As we’re also sure you’ll want to stay friends, you agree to stick tight to the following payment schedule.

• 50% deposit up front

• 30% instalment once functionality and design has been agreed upon

• 20% balance once the application has been tested and everyone agrees it is ready to go live.

NB: If you are unable to supply all of the right content at this stage, it does not mean we have not done our job. Once the site has been tested and is ready to go live, either with your content or placeholder images and dummy text, we will issue the final invoice. Once the final invoice is paid we will hand over the keys and show you how to put your own content in once it’s ready. If the final invoice is not paid within the credit terms we have given you, we are under no obligation to keep the site on our testing server or continue with the project in any way.

But where’s all the horrible small print?

Just like a parking ticket, you can’t transfer this contract to anyone else without our permission. This contract stays in place and need not be renewed. If for some reason one part of this contract becomes invalid or unenforceable, the remaining parts of it remain in place. Although the language is simple, the intentions are serious and this contract is a legal document under exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of [insert your location here].

Authorising this project requires a signature below or approval of this proposal by clicking the “Accepted” or “Approved” button on the proposal website.

Signed for XXX                                                                   Signed for XXX.

Thank you for listening!