Define the job before comparing proposals.
Write a short brief: who the site serves, which services matter most, what visitors should do, and what is wrong with the current experience. Include important integrations, content that must be retained, your timeline, and a realistic budget range.
You do not need to prescribe every page or technology. Give each partner enough context to recommend a scope, then ask them to explain the tradeoffs. Comparing a five-page brochure proposal with a migration and booking project tells you little about relative value.
Ask about relevant decisions, not only attractive work.
Request examples with a similar customer journey or operational challenge. Ask who wrote the copy, who built the site, which integrations were involved, and how the client manages it. A relevant problem-solving example can be more useful than a portfolio in your exact industry.
Separate design outcomes from measured business results. A partner can show clearer navigation or a better inquiry form without claiming a sales increase. If results are presented, ask about the reporting period, other campaign changes, and what was actually measured.
Make the scope and responsibilities concrete.
A usable proposal names the page types, content responsibilities, design reviews, development work, forms, integrations, migration tasks, and launch checks. It should also explain revision limits, exclusions, payment stages, and how additional work is priced.
Clarify who gathers images, writes service information, approves copy, and responds to questions. A timeline that ignores those responsibilities is not a dependable schedule. Ask what happens if either side misses a milestone.
Know what comes next.
SMG begins with a conversation about customers and goals, agrees on scope, price, schedule and responsibilities, then builds and checks the project while sharing progress. Further support follows the agreed scope.
01Discover
Start with a conversation
Customers, goals, and priorities
02Plan
Make a clear plan
Scope, price, schedule, and responsibilities
03Deliver
Build, launch, improve
Progress, checks, and agreed next steps
Protect ownership and the ability to maintain the site.
Confirm that your business retains control of its domain, hosting relationship, content, analytics, and relevant platform accounts. Ask what access you receive, what training is included, and whether any licenses or subscriptions must stay active.
Understand the editing model before choosing a platform. Some businesses need frequent self-service updates; others prefer a support agreement. Ask what a routine change involves, who can perform it, and how you would move to another provider if needed.
Ask for a launch plan that includes existing traffic.
The launch checklist should cover mobile use, keyboard navigation, forms, confirmation messages, analytics, redirects, metadata, and important integrations. Existing URLs that receive search traffic or support ads need a deliberate migration plan.
Agree on how success is verified. A completed form should reach the intended inbox or system and generate the correct measurement event. A page looking right is not sufficient evidence that the entire customer journey works.
Compare support and communication as part of the price.
Ask who your contact will be, how often progress is shared, and what happens when something breaks after launch. Distinguish bug fixes from new features, and confirm response expectations and any recurring costs in writing.
Choose the proposal whose scope and working relationship fit your needs. Before committing, you should be able to explain what you are buying, what you must contribute, who owns the result, and what happens next. Unanswered questions are a reason to clarify the scope before work starts.
Look for the thinking behind a portfolio image.
For Cutting Edge Tree Care, the website work focused on services, arborist expertise, customer questions, and estimate requests. Those decisions explain why the site is organized as it is. Ask a prospective partner to walk through a similar example, including what they personally delivered and what they would improve next.
See the Cutting Edge Tree Care website project