What is a Mobile App Development Proposal?
A mobile app development proposal is a document that outlines how you—the mobile app developer—will use your skills in an upcoming project. It covers project scope, app goals, pricing, milestones, and everything in between. It’s a great way to open up a dialog with your potential clients.
While your mobile app proposal should ideally tell the client what you can offer, it’s also a good way of showing how well you understand their requirements.
A solid proposal shows your expertise as an app developer by drawing on your experience and past projects. It also conveys your ability to research and communicate. A strong mobile app development proposal strikes the right balance between persuading your clients and setting realistic expectations about the project.
Writing this proposal from scratch for every potential project can take up too much of your time and keep you from running your business. That’s why you need a mobile app development proposal template—it speeds up the entire process by providing the entire layout for your standard proposal.
You can then customize this proposal template as per your client’s requirements—be it android app development or apps for iOS devices—and wow them with a winning proposal.
Note: Sign up on Bonsai for free and find free proposal templates for mobile app development to meet all your needs.
What to Include in the Mobile App Development Proposal
A mobile application development project has many moving parts, and it’s your responsibility to stay on top of them. It can take app developers a lot of back-and-forth to finally understand the client’s needs—but it’s essential for a successful project.
Here’s what you need in your mobile app development proposal template:
Cover letter
The very first thing your prospective clients will see in your proposal is the introductory cover letter. This first page of your proposal should be engaging and capture the reader’s attention, setting the tone for the rest of the document.
Create a great first impression on your potential clients by including details on:
- Your name and experience
- Your client company name and contact person
- A brief project summary
- The submission date for the proposal
All this info helps introduce you to the client, and gives them an idea of how you work. You want to aim to present a neat design that reflects your business—add your branding to really make an impact. You can even take this a step further by incorporating the prospect’s branding in the design, too.
App goals
For the next section of your mobile application development proposal template, identify your client’s problem areas. This will give you a clear idea of what they want to achieve with the app you’ll build.
Have a discussion with your prospects before drafting the proposal to understand:
- What they’re struggling with
- What their goals are in relation to the app
- Who the target audience is
- What metrics they’re using to measure success
- The type of development they need: android app development, iOS, or something else
An in-depth conversation with your client puts you in a better position to write your proposal. It's difficult to solve a problem you don’t fully understand—a chat with the client should clear everything up.
Project scope
After brainstorming with your potential client, it’s time to spell out the scope of your project. This section answers one primary question—what are you developing?
More specifically, this is where you’ll dive into further detail—you need to cover the app’s functionality, features, user interface, navigation, and all the finer details.
No two clients want the same proposal—and it’s tough to tailor your proposal design to every new prospect. You should always write your proposal with the client in mind. Consider how they want to see solutions, and ask yourself whether they’d enjoy flicking through your proposal.
For example, some prospects want the nitty-gritty of your mobile app development process—others are okay with just an overview.
When it comes to drafting the actual scope of any project, think of it as your plan of action for if you close the deal. You’re looking to communicate the software development process to someone who has little experience in the field—try and make it simple. Consider using a step-by-step approach:
- Discovery call to outline all the ideas for the app
- Creating a user journey map to build the navigation
- Making a wireframe to develop the user experience
- Designing the wireframe to come up with the user interface
- Refining, coding, and cleaning the code
- Testing and troubleshooting
Give your potential clients a roadmap. This will help them assess whether you’re the right fit for the role or not—without having to be an expert.
Workflow and timelines
Once you’re done with scoping, you have to put on your planning hat and come up with realistic timelines for completing this app project. Many clients have their own timelines for building and launching the app—these are unrealistic in most cases.
Proposing feasible timelines is more important than you might think. This section of your mobile app proposal template essentially covers when your client can expect any deliverables, and gives an idea of project completion. This project timeline isn’t binding, however you want to remain realistic regardless.
Break your project into multiple stages, set out milestones, and create a detailed schedule of timelines. Factor in emergencies and holidays to come up with a more accurate estimate of the timescales.
Bonsai top tip: Don’t rush the project just to meet the client’s desired deadline—stand your ground. You’re in the best position to decide what’s possible and what’s not when it comes to application development—not the client. If they’re unable to compromise on timeline, seriously consider if it’s something you’re able and willing to take on.
Case studies
If there’s one section in your mobile app development proposal template that can give you a competitive edge, it’s your portfolio. Every experienced app developer has a portfolio to spotlight their skills and validate their proposals.
Including case studies relevant to the project at hand can work in favor and convince clients to hire you. The idea is to give them confidence in your work by showing that you’ve built similar apps before.
This section can be a complete gamechanger and bring you more conversions. So, it’s important that you include accurate details here.
Explain every project with these points:
- Client and app name (given you’ve obtained prior consent)
- App’s primary goal and functionality
- Development workflow and timeline
- Images from the final product and app branding
- Testimonials from users and client
A stellar portfolio can even expedite the sales process and multiply your conversion rate.
Pricing details
Pricing is one of the most important elements of your proposal. For some clients, it might be the first section that they look at. Let’s face it: it often boils down to cost.
Don’t undervalue your mobile app development services just because your prospective client doesn’t have the budget for them. It’s best to first qualify your leads based on their budget and then proceed with the conversation.
Have a chat about how much your clients are able to spend on the development process. This helps you determine whether this is a project you’re able to take on or whether it’s a project that’d be better suited to a less experienced app developer.
Remember: a proposal is not the same as a quote—which includes a detailed breakdown of the pricing terms for the entire project. You still need to provide detail here, but nowhere near the level of detail you’d expect from a quotation.
Breaking down the costs into different development stages is a great way to structure this section to make it easy for your clients to understand. You can also include specific costs associated with the tasks involved in the process, such as Android developers, iOS developers, web developers, and similar.
On top of the development costs, you should also include the potential costs of support related to hosting, bug fixing, maintenance, and iterations.
Other details
In this section, you can include any extra project details that didn’t make it into the main body of your proposal. This includes terms and conditions for the project, and outlines any other web content elements that need to be considered throughout the project.
Here you can also provide information on other services you offer. The client may only have expressed interest in one area of your business—here’s where you can let them know you do much, much more. Prospects may not need those services currently, but they at least know where to turn in the future.
How to Write a Mobile App Development Proposal
There’s no secret to creating the perfect proposal, but a few best practices can come in handy. Before you start drafting your new proposal template, look at some of these tried and tested tips to nail your proposal:
Find out exactly what the client wants
Your project proposal won’t be convincing enough if you don’t know exactly what your client expects. You need to dig deeper into their game plan and understand the bigger picture of the app you’re building.
Have a conversation about the project and ask these questions to get specific insights about all aspects of the project. You also want to gain an understanding of the wider organizational goals and processes to understand how the app fits in:
- What’s the problem you’re aiming to solve through this app?
- Do you have any existing digital platforms or backend frameworks?
- What are your short and long-term goals with this app?
- Are there any competitor apps with the same/similar functionality?
- How does this app align with your marketing strategy?
All these answers will inform your business proposal and allow you to tap into your client’s interests. Instead of giving them a generic rundown of your development phase and project costs, involve them in the process and create a bespoke proposal.
Do industry research
In addition to convincing your clients to award you the project, your proposals also help in building your credibility. For potential customers to trust you with their app, you have to first prove your mettle and show them you’re worth the investment.
Spend some extra time understanding your client’s business and the app’s ideal users. Study their problems and identify their preferences. Analyze your client’s goals for the app.
Then draft your business proposal for mobile application development—combining the client’s requests with all your research. This convinces clients that you’ve understood the project, and are well-equipped to handle it.
Keep it realistic and feasible
Developing mobile applications is no walk in the park—don’t commit to impossible deadlines. While drafting your proposals for a mobile app project, remember to add timelines that you know work for you.
Make sure to build in time for delays and unexpected issues—they’re almost inevitable, especially on bigger projects. You don’t control all the moving parts—sometimes things are just out of your control. It’s important that the client understands and acknowledges this.
Include clear CTAs
What happens after your client likes your proposal and wants to hire you? Don’t leave them in the dark—come up with the right CTAs for your proposal to tell the client what happens next.
No great proposal is complete without the right CTAs. Your mobile application development proposal should spell out the next steps to hire you—include details on signing a contract, processing the advance project fee, and kicking off the development phase.
Creating a Mobile App Development Proposal is Simple with Bonsai
Does the thought of drafting your own proposal from scratch make you nervous?
Don’t let it—Bonsai’s mobile app development proposal template includes everything you need to instantly create a dazzling new proposal. Long gone are the days of umming and ahing over what to include in your mobile app development template—Bonsai makes sure you’ve got everything you need.
Let these templates do the talking for you while you focus on the real work. You can get started in three easy steps:
- Sign up for free to Bonsai
- Choose a proposal template that fits the bill
- Customize the template as per your client’s preferences
Bonsai’s huge selection of templates for proposals, contracts, invoices, and more make streamlining your business processes easy and hassle-free. It’s quick and easy, and there are hundreds of templates to choose from.
Mobile App Development Proposal FAQs
How do you write a proposal for a mobile app?
Writing a proposal for a mobile application development project is easy when you follow these best practices:
- Find out exactly what the client wants
- Do industry research
- Keep it realistic and feasible
- Include clear CTAs
Win over projects for both android and iOS app development with a strong proposal to demonstrate your expertise in creating mobile apps for any purpose.
How do you structure a proposal for mobile application development?
Every great application development proposal includes these standard elements:
- Cover letter
- App goals
- Project scope
- Workflow and timelines
- Case study
- Cost
You can add other sections as per your preference, but these are the essential must-haves in your proposal process.
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