The time has come for a new website (or website redesign), which means you need to write a website request for proposal or web RFP. A Google search produces a few examples, but they vary wildly and don’t seem to speak really to your goals for developing or redesigning a new website. You need to write a website RFP that will clearly articulate your needs and generate responses from the best website designers and developers out there. But how? Have no fear. The Pixeldust RFP Generator will walk you through a step-by-step process to create a website design RFP that will provide the information vendors need to write an accurate bid, and also help you work through the details of your project. This tool comes from 15 years of experience creating project specifications and answering Web Design Request for proposals. We will tell you the info you should make sure to include, point out pitfalls and give examples. As soon as you submit your answers, you will get a formatted PDF containing your Request for Proposal. Lets get started!
Request for Proposal
This form will help you organize your project and generate a formatted PDF. There are a lot of questions here. You can skip over any question, but keep in mind—the more information you provide, the better your proposals will be.
1 Contact Information
2 Company Information
3 Project Overview
4 Technical Specifications
5 Design and User Interface
6 User Experience
7 Timeline and Budget
8 Post-launch
9 Questions for Vendor
Let's get started with a little information about your primary contact. This is the point person on your end—the one who will answer questions about the project.
Primary Contact*
First
Last
Phone
Email*
Next, let's get some information about your company. This will get potential vendors up to speed. (I'll call development candidates "vendors" throughout these steps.)
Company Name
Website URL
Address
Street Address
City
State
ZIP Code
Business/Company/Organization
Describe your organization, what it does, and what you do. There’s a good chance They've never heard of you and may not be able to figure that out by visiting your existing website (which may be why you need a new website). Additionally, tell us a little about your values. What makes you unique? Why does what you do matter?
Number of Employees
Let's talk about the reason for this project and some goals.
Project Type
Website Redesign
New Website
Project Overview
What is the purpose of the RFP? State not only what you want the service provider to do but also why.
New Website Objectives
Outline objectives here. If your website has multiple objectives, rank them in order of importance.
Current Website
Why specifically does your current website not meet the objectives you previously listed? What is the central “pain point” your organization has? If it’s a website redesign, what about the current one isn’t working for your purposes?
Okay, this is where we get nerdy. These are the details that a vendor will need to know to estimate the project. A detailed specifications document should be created once the project kicks off, but this gives us a starting point. {Pixeldust offers project specifications consulting services for complicated projects.}
Estimated Number of Pages for New Site
Functional Requirements
Content Management System
Responsive Theme
Optimized with SEO best practices
Content imported from current site
Social media integration (share buttons, follow buttons, etc.)
CRM Integration
Video Integration
Social Media Integration
Blog
Advanced Search Functionality
Calendar / Appointments / Scheduling
e-Commerce
3rd Party Integration
Web Form(s)
Video Integration
Interactive Maps Integration
PCI Compliance
HIPAA Compliance
Other
Content Management System(s) Considering
Please select any content management systems you are considering. You can select more than one.
Already using a CMS
If you are already working with a content management system, please explain.
Already using a CRM
If you are currently using a CRM solution or have selected a CRM solution please provide details here.
Blog Migration
If you have an existing blog that will need to be migrated, a developer will want to see what they are dealing with. Please add the URL here.
e-Commerce Details
Please describe your eCommerce goals, including what type of products you plan to sell and how many. Please also tell us about any unique challenges to selling online in your particular industry.
3rd Party Integration Details
Does your organization depend on 3rd party services for things like email newsletters, marketing automation, CRM / contact management, inventory control, intranet, accounting / Quickbooks, or inventory management? If so, be sure to include the ones for which synching / integration with the website is essential and describe how you expect it to work.
Other Functionality
Please describe any additional functional requirements.
Legacy Browser Support
If you business or organization requires support for a particularly old browser, please list it here. To make a website perform or display in a legacy browser almost always requires additional development time.
Hosting
We have hosting already.
We need a hosting recommendation.
Existing Hosting
Please describe your current hosting set-up.
This is the fun part. In this section, you will provide the information that will lead to an amazing design. Don't be shy about what you like and don't like. {Pixeldust offers "look and feel" discovery consulting.}
Interface Design
Should design be included?
Vision for Look and Feel
Please provide an overview of your idea of a successful design. What design choices should be made to improve the brand.
Like Competition Sites
Of your competitors' sites, which ones do you like and why?
Dislike Competition Sites
Of your competitors' sites, which ones do you dislike and why?
Examples of Good Look and Feel
Please list a few examples of sites that you like and how they may be relevant to your project. (These can be in any industry.)
The information in this section will help a developer understand the market and the user groups. This information is key for creating an effective user experience.
Site Architecture
Have any architecture documents been created? Please select one or more .
Audience
Provide a general description of your primary target audience. Talk about your customers or clients—who are they (demographics: age/sex/income/location), what do they like to do (what are their hobbies, where do they typically spend time online) and why do they or why should they use your services or buy your product?
User Visit
List the top 3 reasons why a user would come to your web site.
Competition
Please list your top three competitors.
User Accounts
Do you require membership management on your site? This would be for allowing people to access special or hidden content on your site, perhaps after submitting an email address or paying to view a whitepaper.
Accessibility
Do you require the website to be accessible to blind or limited-vision users? For websites whose audience skews older, larger default text and click areas will inform the design. Government & public sites often require Section 508 compliance.
Content Creation
Do you need your vendor to write content for you site? In order to bid accurately, they will need information on what type and how much.
This is the section where we establish timelines for the project. These key dates should be enough for developers to create a production timeline with milestones. A good agency will provide a production timeline with their proposal. (Don't ask for it. This is a good test.)
Proposal Deadline
All proposals should be delivered by this date.
Selection Deadline
This is the date that you plan to notify vendors of a selection.
Project Kick-off
This is the date that you expect that project to begin. (You can estimate.)
Target Launch
This is the date that the completed site will be available to the public. (You can estimate.)
Budget Range
We recommend providing a budget range to eliminate bids that are unrealistically low or high. Only proposals that fall reasonably within this range should be considered and weighed based on their merits.
Budget Details
Here is your place to further explain budget, any flexibility, and any billing specifics—such as if you need to billed before a fiscal year end, etc. Some proposals may offer flexibility in billing through a phased approach.
This section contains items to consider after the site has launched. These can be estimated in your proposal so you will have an idea of ongoing costs. Remember: a website is only "finished" when it is decommissioned. {Pixeldust offers consulting services for maintenance, documentation and training.}
Documentation and Style Guide
Often documentation is included in the admin area of the website to explain how to use features—particularly custom features. It is also a good idea to create a "website style-guide" at the end of a build as a guide for administrators to follow when adding content. Tell the vendor if you would like these items included in the proposal.
Training
Should the vendor include time for training sessions post-launch? It is a good idea to get your staff up to speed on the functionality of their new toy.
Maintenance
Would you like an estimate for ongoing monthly maintenance? The vendor should have enough information with this RFP to estimate what it would cost, but it will need to be reevaluated after launch. It's a good idea to wait a few months before signing a contract. This will give you a real-world idea of how much work you will need each month. Your CMS should be updated once per month for security patches.
This is an important section that is often overlooked. It's okay to test the vendors with a few questions. A developer worth his salt can answer these with no problem. We have provided the questions that you should be asking an agency, but we limited some sections to just one question, to not turn off good candidates with an overwhelming number of questions. {If you need help evaluating the answers to these questions, Pixeldust can help. We offer project consulting for vendor evaluation and end-to-end project management. We know the answers to these questions.}
Experience
Select one question related to experience that you would like answered on the vendor proposal. (If they have experience they should be able to answer some or all of these questions. Don't let your business be a guinea pig for a new agency.)
What content management systems do you most often use? Is it proprietary or open-source?
What is your most successful project and why?
What makes your firm different? What is your firm's greatest asset?
What is your approach to project management?
I have my own question.
Other Experience Question
Please add your experience question here.
Sales and Marketing
Select one question related to Sales and Marketing that you would like answered on the vendor proposal. A web development firm is not a marketing agency, but they tools they use and the sites they develop should enhance your marketing and sales strategy.
What tools do you to create and track goals? Please explain.
Do you have experience with marketing automation?
Do your clients use CRM (customer relationship management) software like Salesforce? Please describe your CRM integration experience.
What techniques do you use for on-site SEO on your clients’ websites?
I have my own question.
Additional Sales and Marketing Question
Creative
Does the agency value creativity? This will be apparent from the moment you visit their own website. While a trophy case of awards isn’t necessary, it’s important that the agency values creative work. Agencies that fit this mold will help you develop a brand that connects with customers.
Who will be my designer? Can I see some other projects he or she has designed?
How do you believe web design differs from other forms of design?
Who will be my writer? What is his or her background? What is his or her experience writing for print vs. web?
Will I have direct access to the writer and/or designer?
What does your firm consider its greatest creative achievement?
I have my own question.
Additional Creative Question
Measuring Success
Most facets of online success are measurable. Learn how your prospective agency measures the success of a website.
When and how will I know if the site has shown a positive return on my investment?
How do you measure the success of a website build?
What metrics do you find most valuable?
What advice can you provide on measuring the site’s effectiveness in the future?
How do you quantify your own website’s success?
Transparency
An agency should be transparent in all of your dealings. It should be open from the start about costs, how they work, who will work on your project and more. If the agency is unwilling to share such this information, be leery. (We've selected all of these questions. We consider them all very important.)
Describe the breakdown of this project’s costs.
How long will this project take? How do you set milestones?
Describe your development process in short.
Past Clients
Any agency worth their price has a list of clients (past and current) that will vouch for them. Request references from a few clients. Don’t worry about intruding, it’s your money. A reputable agency should be happy to povide names, phone numbers and email addresses of past client. (You can select one or more of these.)
Please provide three client references.
What do you do if a project is going to go over budget?
Describe your ongoing maintenance process.
How do you communicate with your clients through-out the project life-cycle?
How would you