Two website proposals can describe an “English company website” and still cover different work. One may assume your product content is ready to upload. Another may include organizing technical information, editing the English and testing the inquiry process.
Before comparing the totals, give both suppliers the same scope. For a manufacturer that sells through inquiries, start with the buyer's route through the site: find a relevant product, understand its application, review supporting information and contact your team. Add online payments, distributor accounts or other functions when the business has a defined use for them.
Show suppliers the content they will be working with
Choose a representative product range and gather the available model list, images, specifications and application information. Identify what is ready for use and what still needs work. Ask each supplier to distinguish content entry from translation, writing and technical review.
Consider two briefs for a 20-product website. In the first, every product fits the same page structure and comes with approved English copy, images and specifications. The work mainly involves developing the template, adding the content and checking it.
In the second, the products need different specification layouts. Images are unorganized and descriptions still need to be written. The supplier must allow for more content preparation and review.
The product count is identical, but the work is not. A sample product file helps a supplier price the task more accurately than a quantity alone.
Separate the build from recurring costs
Use three headings in your comparison: one-time delivery, recurring third-party charges and ongoing services.
The build may include planning, design, development, an agreed amount of content entry and handover. Record the initial and renewal terms for the domain, hosting, paid software or platform subscription separately. For maintenance and content work, describe what someone will actually do.
A useful first-year calculation is:
First-year cost = one-time delivery + first-year third-party charges + selected ongoing services.
Count each expense once. If hosting is included in the build price, do not add it again. Show optional work, applicable taxes and out-of-scope changes separately. Keep the original currency alongside any converted amount and record the conversion date.
Then prepare a second-year view. It should make clear which subscriptions continue, which services you have chosen and who pays each provider.
Ask what you will receive for each quoted item
A proposal becomes easier to compare when each item has a defined output.
| Item | What the proposal should clarify | What you should be able to review |
|---|---|---|
| Pages and design | Page types, reusable layouts, custom design and revision arrangements | A page list and corresponding designs |
| Product content | Entry quantities and responsibility for images, English copy and technical accuracy | A sample product page and a list of missing material |
| Languages | Pages covered in each language and responsibility for translation and approval | A language-by-page list |
| Inquiry handling | How information reaches the intended recipient | A demonstration from the page to the receiving end |
| SEO foundations | Pages and settings included in the work | A page-level checklist and review results |
| Handover and support | Account access, files or exports, renewals and support responsibilities | A handover list and written service scope |
For inquiry handling, watch the actual process. A page might prepare an email that the visitor must send, or it might submit information to a server that notifies your team. Those are different arrangements. A success message on the page alone does not explain where the information went.
Ask about measurement separately. A contact-button click, a submitted form and an inquiry confirmed by your sales team represent different stages. Agree on what should be recorded and how it will be checked.
Clarify what “SEO included” covers
Initial SEO work may include page titles, descriptions, internal links and checks on page access. Ongoing search research, articles and performance reviews need their own scope and schedule.
Google describes SEO as helping search engines understand content and helping people discover and evaluate a site through search. Turn that into a procurement question: which pages will be addressed, what content will be prepared and what checks will you receive? Google's SEO Starter Guide
If a supplier offers ongoing content or search services, list them separately from the build. This makes the responsibilities after launch easier to follow.
Define maintenance and handover before launch
A renewal keeps a domain, hosting plan or software service active. Maintenance involves work such as updates, backups, fault handling or content changes. Confirm both rather than assuming that one annual fee covers everything.
For a WordPress site, the official backup guidance distinguishes the database from the website files. A full recovery of a typical site needs both. If the proposal includes backups, ask what they contain, where they are stored, who can retrieve them and whether recovery has been tested. WordPress backup guidance
For a hosted website platform, check its actual export options and what happens when a subscription ends. Do not assume it provides the same files or migration options as a different system.
The handover list should also identify the domain and hosting or platform accounts, their owners and the people with administrative access. Use the platform's normal member and permission features when sharing access. Keep passwords out of a general quotation spreadsheet.
A brief you can send to suppliers
We are planning a B2B website for overseas buyers. Please quote against the attached product and page list, with the following items shown separately:
- Page types, product quantities, languages and revision arrangements.
- Content we must provide and the preparation, translation or entry work you will perform.
- Inquiry delivery, recipients and testing.
- SEO foundations and measurement setup.
- One-time fees, initial and renewal charges, and optional ongoing services.
- Account and content handover, maintenance scope and the treatment of additional work.
Where information is missing, please state the assumptions behind the quote so we can revise the scope together.
Compare the differences in scope before deciding which total works for you. A simpler proposal may be appropriate when it leaves out features you do not need. If it leaves out content preparation or inquiry delivery, decide who will complete those tasks.
To discuss a website with Tuoyuan, bring your current site address, priority product range and available materials. Review the B2B website service (Chinese) or describe your project on the contact page (Chinese).