Why is it so hard to compare agency proposals?
Because each agency answers what it understood, not what you needed. One proposal covers design and development; another, development only; a third quotes a “package” with no detail. The totals look comparable, but they cover different things.
There are three usual causes:
- The brief was vague. It said “we want a new site” with no objective, no constraints, and no success criteria.
- Each agency uses its own format. Some talk in hours, others in phases, others in deliverables.
- The assumptions are hidden. “Content not included”, “subject to client approval within 48 hours”: lines that change the real cost and tend to show up on the last page.
Before comparing, go back to the brief. If your objective is not written down, start with how to prioritize digital initiatives, so you know which problem you want to solve first.
What should a brief contain so the proposals are comparable?
A short brief, with the same structure for every vendor. Six blocks are enough:
- Context. What your company does, who it sells to, and what is happening now.
- Objective. The business result you expect, and how you will measure it.
- Intended scope. What you want included and what you are leaving out for now.
- Constraints. Deadlines, systems that must be integrated, internal people available, approvals needed.
- Response format. Ask every proposal to list scope, deliverables, team, assumptions, measurement, and exit terms, in that order.
- Decision calendar. Deadlines for questions, for proposals, and for your answer.
With the response format fixed, comparing is a matter of reading the same section in each document. If you need a picture of where you stand first, a Digital Audit delivers exactly that context.
What are the six criteria for judging a proposal?
These are the criteria we use at Articod and the questions behind them. They are not an external standard: it is a working method you can adapt.
| Criterion | Key question | Warning sign |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | What is included and what is explicitly out? | A list of “services” with no limits or quantities |
| Deliverables | What do I receive, in what format, and when? | Phases with nothing verifiable at the end |
| Team | Who does the work, and how much of their time? | A senior team is presented and another one works |
| Assumptions | What do they need from me, and what if it slips? | Assumptions missing or buried at the end |
| Measurement | How will we know it worked? | Activity metrics only (posts, hours) |
| Exit | What do I keep if the relationship ends? | Accounts, logins, or code in the vendor's name |
Exit is the one most often forgotten. Check that the ad accounts, the domain, the CRM, and the repository are in your company's name from day one.
How do you score and weight the comparison?
Build a simple table: criteria down the rows, proposals across the columns.
- Assign weights. Split 100 points across the criteria according to your main risk. If your internal team is small, team and assumptions weigh more; if you have changed vendor before, exit weighs more.
- Score 1 to 5. Using only what is written in the proposal or in an emailed answer. What was said on a call and never written down does not count.
- Flag the open questions. An empty cell is not a zero: it is a question to send before deciding.
- Add price at the end. Compare it only between proposals of equivalent scope. If they are not equivalent, normalize first (same scope, same duration, same rounds of revision).
The result does not decide for you. It makes the internal discussion about criteria instead of about who you liked. If what you are comparing is a technical partner for your agency, see how to choose a white label technical partner.
What should you ask before signing?
Once you have two finalists, these questions separate the proposals that look good from the ones that hold up:
- Can I talk to a client with a similar project and hear what changed afterwards?
- What happens if the scope grows halfway through? How is a change approved and charged?
- Who answers if something breaks after delivery, and how fast?
- What do you need from my team in the first week?
- What documentation do I get at the end?
Watch how the agency answers, too. Whoever replies precisely and admits what they do not know usually makes a better partner than whoever promises everything.
When should you drop a proposal even if the price fits?
Drop it when it fails on a criterion you cannot absorb yourself: an exit with no accounts in your name, a team that will not commit in writing, or measurement that never ties the work to your business objective. The other failures can be negotiated; these three move the risk onto your company and are rarely fixed once the contract is signed.