DIRECT ANSWER
Page count describes how many containers a site has, and it shows nothing about the work inside them. Two ten-page proposals can differ in discovery, customer experience, content, functionality, testing and handoff. Compare the written commitments in those six areas first, ask each provider to specify anything vague or missing, and compare cost only once the proposals describe comparable work.
Key terms
- Proposal basis
- The set of written commitments a website proposal makes in six areas: discovery, customer experience, content, functionality, testing and handoff. Proposals are compared on their basis and their cost.
- Specified commitment
- A proposal statement precise enough to check at completion, naming what will be delivered, such as a quote form routed to a named inbox.
- Vague commitment
- A proposal statement that names an activity without stating what will be delivered, such as "quality assurance" or "content assistance."
- Project complexity
- The amount and difficulty of the work a website requires, described by customer journeys, content depth, interaction, integrations and technical requirements. Full entry: What Actually Makes a Website Project More Complex?
Why page count misleads
A page is a container. Two proposals that each promise ten pages can include different discovery, different writing, different functions and different testing, and the page count shows none of it. The count also pushes in the wrong direction. A proposal sold by pages rewards adding pages, and a site planned around customer pathways often needs fewer, better pages than a padded one.
Padding has a cost beyond the proposal. Pages that repeat each other, such as near-identical city pages, add little for visitors, and Google's spam policies describe pages created mainly to rank for similar searches, or produced in quantity without adding value, as spam [2]. The deciding question for a page is what work it does for a customer, which is covered in whether a business needs a page for every city.
The work that makes a website useful sits in six areas. A proposal basis is the set of written commitments a proposal makes in each of them, and that basis, along with cost, is what proposals should be compared on.
Six areas to compare
| Area | A specified commitment reads like | A vague commitment reads like |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery | A review of the current site and customer inquiries, followed by a written pathway map for approval before design | "An initial consultation" |
| Customer experience | Pathways for named customer types, each with an entrance, answers and a tested next step | "A modern, user-friendly design" |
| Content | Copy written for named pages and guides, with facts approved by the owner and sources cited | "Content assistance" or "optimized content" |
| Functionality | A named booking tool embedded, a quote form routed to a named inbox, file upload included | "A contact form" or "integrations as needed" |
| Testing | Forms tested to delivery, checks on phones and with a keyboard, a broken-link check, redirects tested | "Quality assurance" |
| Handoff | The owner holds the domain, hosting and analytics accounts; an editing guide; a defined period of fixes | "Training" |
A specified commitment can be checked at the end of the project. A vague commitment cannot, because it names an activity without stating what will be delivered. A proposal can be thorough in some areas and vague in others, and the vague areas are where questions belong before signing. What the work in each area involves is covered in what you are paying for in a website build.
Claims that cannot be specified
Some proposal language promises outcomes no one controls. Google states plainly that no one can guarantee a number-one ranking in its search results, and treats such a promise as a reason to look elsewhere [1]. Claims of guaranteed traffic, leads or AI recommendations fall in the same category.
Accessibility claims need precision. WCAG, the international accessibility standard, is published in versions, with WCAG 2.2 the current one, and assigns each success criterion to level A, AA or AAA [3]. A specified commitment names the version and level targeted and what will be tested. A claim that a site will be "compliant" with an accessibility law is a legal determination, which a design proposal cannot make.
Replacing an existing site adds a commitment proposals often omit: a plan to map old addresses to new ones and redirect them, which Google's guidance on site moves describes step by step [4]. The preservation work is covered in what to preserve during a redesign.
Comparing evidence, then cost
Evidence and cost are compared separately, in that order. First, mark each proposal's commitment in each area as specified, vague or missing, and ask each provider in writing to specify the vague and missing areas. Then compare cost, once the proposals describe comparable work, using the method in comparing website proposals and costs. A lower price for a proposal with three vague areas has not yet been compared with anything.
Applications
A residential architect with three proposals
Illustrative example. A residential architect receives three proposals. Proposal A offers twelve pages and describes design, content and testing in general terms. Proposal B offers six pages built around three pathways, new-home clients, renovation clients and builders seeking an architect, with a discovery review, written content approved by the architect and a tested inquiry routed by project type. Proposal C offers twenty pages, twelve of them pages for nearby towns.
| Area | Proposal A | Proposal B | Proposal C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery | Vague | Specified | Missing |
| Customer experience | Vague | Specified | Vague |
| Content | Vague | Specified | Vague |
| Functionality | Specified | Specified | Specified |
| Testing | Missing | Specified | Vague |
| Handoff | Vague | Specified | Missing |
By page count, the order is C, A, B. By evidence, B is the only proposal that can be checked at completion, and the town pages in C raise the padding question before any other.
A private school's admissions website
Illustrative example. Two proposals for a private school's admissions site both promise "an inquiry form." Only one specifies that the inquiry asks for the applicant's grade level, routes to the admissions officer for that division and offers a tour booking on the confirmation page. The page counts are equal. The admissions experience is not.
Limits and edge cases
- Clarity and fit are separate tests. A proposal can specify the wrong work in detail. The six areas test clarity, and the plan still has to fit the business's customers.
- Small projects. A one-page project can specify everything in a short paragraph. The six areas still apply at a smaller scale.
- Different approaches. Providers organize work differently. Equivalent commitments may sit under different headings, so the comparison follows the substance.
- Pages still matter somewhat. Page count helps estimate writing and design effort once the pathways and content are defined, as one part of the wider project complexity. It is a consequence of the plan, and a poor substitute for it.
Check each proposal
Name up to three proposals and mark each area as specified, vague or missing. The tool lists the questions to ask each provider before comparing cost.
Check each proposal
For each proposal, mark discovery, customer experience, content, functionality, testing and handoff as specified, vague or missing. Ask each provider to specify anything vague or missing in writing, then compare cost.
The tool records how clearly each proposal is written. It does not rank providers, judge design quality or compare prices.
How So It Sticks applies this
Our statement of work specifies the customer-facing structure, functions, integrations, content, accessibility target, launch criteria and handoff, so each can be checked at completion. Our builds are scoped by pathways, content and functions, and page count follows from that plan. Start a Project Brief and we will describe the work in the same terms.
Sources and method
The six areas, the specified and vague examples, the illustrations and the tool are So It Sticks editorial frameworks. The examples are illustrative and describe no real business. Each linked source supports only the statements numbered beside it. Sources verified October 15, 2026.