For web designers and small agencies
Follow up a web design proposal by making the next decision specific.
Website proposals can differ on pages, copy, design rounds, development, integrations, accessibility, hosting, maintenance, and who supplies each asset. A useful follow-up clarifies the written offer. It should not invent a start-date deadline, imply guaranteed business results, or quietly add work that was not priced.
First check: confirm the proposal arrived
Hi [First name], I sent the proposal for [project/business] on [day]. Could you let me know it arrived? I’m happy to clarify the scope, responsibilities, timeline, or next approval step. — [Your name]
Reply in the original thread where possible so the customer can see the current proposal and attachments. If you re-send it, retain the version or date so later changes are traceable.
Clarify the deliverables and boundaries
Hi [First name], just checking whether you need any detail on the website proposal. I can walk through the included pages, design rounds, development, forms or integrations, testing, launch support, hosting, and what sits outside the scope.
Describe your own deliverables instead of guessing what another designer included. State whether copywriting, photography, stock assets, legal text, domain changes, analytics, SEO work, accessibility review, and ongoing maintenance are included, excluded, or customer-supplied.
Surface the real blocker
Hi [First name], if the proposal is still under review, which item would be most useful to resolve next: [scope], [content responsibility], [technical requirement], [budget option], or [approval process]? I can answer that without changing the proposal unless we agree a revision.
A concrete question is more useful than “just checking in”. If the customer requests a smaller budget, separate a genuine reduction in scope from a discount on unchanged work and document the revised deliverables.
State timing as conditional, not reserved
Hi [First name], a quick timing update: I currently have [real start window] available, subject to approval and the required [content/assets/access] arriving. If that window suits, I can confirm the booking steps and dependencies in writing.
Do not promise a launch date until approvals, content, access, third-party work, and revision timing support it. Explain what starts the schedule and what can move it.
Close the proposal respectfully
Hi [First name], I haven’t heard back, so I’ll close the website proposal for now and won’t keep following up. If you revisit it later, reply here and I can confirm the current scope, pricing, and availability. — [Your name]
A clean closeout avoids treating an old price, technical assumption, or production window as permanently available, while leaving a simple path back.
Need one final message now?
The A$1 Final Follow-up Card gives you three closeout tones and a 60-second pre-send check. It is a one-time download, not a subscription.
Get the A$1 card