Why do they want to add an e-Commerce store to their website? Why now? It might be rising rent for their brick and mortar stores, changing customer tastes, or getting beat by competitors who offer more convenient shopping experiences. Start by talking about what's already on the client's mind: their business problems. Here are some crucial things to hit on in those proposals:Īdding/Tweaking E-Commerce Capabilities to an Existing Website The first is for projects where you're adding – or tweaking – e-commerce capabilities on an existing website. I divided up the key elements into two common situations to make this as easy as possible. Being sure to include it increases your chances of getting hired. This is what the best clients are always looking for. With that said, some proposal elements are worth having in every single one you submit. So it makes sense that your e-commerce proposals will adapt to the scope (and complexity) of the project. It encompasses projects ranging from single-page websites with one product… all the way to enormous catalogs with thousands of SKUs, customizable filters, and search options.
Key Sections (and Structure) of a Winning E-Commerce ProposalĮ-commerce is a huge, generic term. They identify the client's business problem, recommend a solution, and package it all in an attractive way. They get bogged down in technical details and jargon – without ever explaining how those things benefit potential clients.Įffective proposals don't make those assumptions. It's structured to keep their attention while they read through it, convincing them that you're the best expert for the job.įor the vast majority of the people you'll be working with, that's either: 1) adding an e-commerce store, or 2) tweaking their existing store to make it more profitable.įar too many e-commerce experts make this more complicated than they need to. In it, you'll use straightforward language to explain the project and how your services will give the client what they really want: a profitable e-Commerce store.Īn e-commerce proposal is simply a document that recommends a solution to a client's business problem. But for an outsider, it can be overwhelming.Ī solid proposal will simplify the process. They have to think about how the virtual store will look, which features they need and payments they'll accept, as well as how they'll handle shipping and inventory management. And it's only becoming even more important as more business shifts online. For instance, you’ll find templates and generic business proposals, as well as NGOs, grants, university, and freelance project proposals.E-Commerce Proposal Template: Less Hassle, More Clientsįor your potential clients, deciding which e-commerce expert to hire is a huge decision. We have compiled a few templates in this toolkit to help you chose the most appropriate one for your business. They mostly all have the same structure which contains a few key points. After signing and approving the Project Proposal a business starts drafting the following documents: a project charter, project plan, contract, etc.ĭespite the fact that many different formats are available, roughly 80-90% of all Project Proposals follow a similar template. However, clients or sponsors merely sign the Project Proposal to approve its contents. It’s easy to confuse it with a Business Proposal (a document in which legal terms are outlined). Generally speaking, NGOs have more complicated proposals.Ī Project Proposal is not a contract. In certain cases a few very short and general phrases are sufficient (when the proposal is 2-3 pages), while in other cases all the major points must be set out in detail (then the proposal would be 30-50 pages). They differ in form since some are for businesses, while others are for university or NGO projects.Īlso, the amount of detail used when outlining proposals can vary significantly. Proposals can be internal (within your organization) or external (written from one independent organization to another). This can be attributed to the fact that there are many different types of proposals, all serving a unique purpose in their own right.
Project proposals do not follow the ‘one size fits all’ principle. Therefore, often time and budget estimates are rough, at best. They are essential for your sponsors since they’ll use them to evaluate your project and determine whether or not they’ll allocate funds for it.Ī Project Proposal is generally drafted during one of the early phases of your project (before detailed plans are made and resources are allocated). Project Proposals contain key information about your project.