A company that is looking to get bids from vendors for a Website design or development project will typically write a Request for Proposal (RFP) and either post it online or send it directly to the potential vendors. As with any complex project, a website design project requires clear communication between the client and web developer in order for the client to receive accurate bids. The RFP serves as a baseline of project requirements on which competing vendors may price their services.

We have outlined a few items below that should typically be in a Website Design and Development Request for Proposal, though some times more information is necessary.

The RFP Writing Process

The Request for Proposal (RFP) process allows potential vendors to get an idea of your goals, existing challenges and possible limitations without lengthy phone discussions or in-person meetings. It allows you to succinctly describe exactly what you are looking for and what a potential vendor should expect.

An ideal RFP would clearly specify all the requirements pertaining to your website. It would allow the developer to present you with a proposal based your particular needs and, needless to say, the more details your RFP contains, the more accurate a proposal the developer is able to present.

The Following Components Should Be Included in an RFP for a Website Design and Development Project:

Project Scope

• Brief overview of your organization
• Brief description of the project.
• A 'Ballpark' Budget - It can be helpful to include a detailed budget which developers can use to scope and scale your solution and save you time.
• Time frame — include any project deadlines you may have. Are there crucial meetings, milestones, cut-off dates, etc. that the developer should be aware of? Be realistic with a time frame. It's also good to anticipate and state how flexible you are with the project's completion date.

Marketing Requirements and Data

• User demographics — who will be the main users of your site?
• User comfort level with technology — how technically savvy is your audience? Will they know how to deal with plug-ins, for example?
• Will users have high-speed connections, or will many be on modems?
• Audience base — how large do you expect your user base to be?

Design and Corporate Branding Requirements

• Are there any color palette and font treatment requirements or preferences?
• Do you have corporate identity guidelines that must be followed? If so, how will the developer be able to access these?
• How should the site "feel"? Include some adjectives to describe what your site should communicate.
• Provide examples of sites you liked or disliked, and why.
• Will there be any animated elements (i.e. Flash animations)? How many? How are they going to be used?

Technical and Infrastructure Requirements

• ISP/hosting considerations (Are you self-hosted? Do you have administrative access to the webserver and databases? Describe hosting facilities, operating system, webserver, and/or ISP hosting package… do you have any administrative needs to be outsourced?)
• Browser/platform considerations (please include browser versions), PC, Mac, UNIX-based users/clients)
• Development platform requirements (e.g. Dreamweaver.)
• Active page delivery systems (e.g. ASP.NET, PHP, ColdFusion, JSP, etc.)

Functionality/programming Requirements

• Will there be forms on the site? If so, how many? How should they be handled? (e.g. e-mailed to recipients, stored in a database, etc.)
• Will the site require tools to manage content/information (e.g. ability for staff to add content such as press releases or quarterly reports)?
• Will there be any e-commerce on the site? If so, who will be entering data on products offered? How will transactions be managed?
• Are there any other interactive features the site should have? What are they, and how do you envision them to work?

Search Engine Optimization

• Describe any currently defined search engine friendly production requirements and expectations
• Indicate if you are seeking SEO/SEM consultation services

Ongoing Site Maintenance Plans

• How often will the site be updated?
• Will you be self-maintaining or will you be outsourcing maintenance services?

Project Management

• Who will be the main point of contact on your staff?
• How will the tasks be divided between you and the developer in order to complete the project?
• Are there any third parties (subcontractors, etc.) that will also be involved in the project?

RFP Response Deadline and Contact Information

• When is the response to the RFP due?
• To whom should the response be sent?
• Is there a specific solicitation number that needs to be referenced in the Proposal Document

Some Additional Thoughts:

• For all items listed above, be sure to clearly indicate if you must have any item(s) bid as an optional aspect of the project. Keep in mind possible dependencies between project aspect/components that may make this impractical.
  
• Before writing your Request For Proposal, determine your budget for the project and, beyond that, your priorities for selecting a Developer who can meet your budgetary requirements.

Writing an RFP is a good exercise for anyone thinking about a site design or redesign as it takes thoughtful planning to specify and construct a website. A well thought out, quality RFP is essential to a successful endeavor because it helps you to focus on your goals and exactly how to achieve them.

To learn more about Carousel30's services please take a look around our site or contact us for more information.