The meaningful question is not the day rate; it is which commercial risks the project must remove. Catalogue size, design originality, integrations, migration complexity and content readiness all change the work.
A useful proposal separates strategy, design, development, third-party fees, content responsibilities and post-launch support. It should also explain what is excluded, because hidden assumptions are where budgets usually drift.
Compare partners on the clarity of their process and technical decisions, not on the number of pages listed. A reusable section system may create more long-term value than a large set of rigid templates.
Choose one high-value journey, document the current evidence and give the next change an owner, a success signal and a review date.