Technology

How to Write an RFP for Website Design in 2022?

From the first view, writing a request for proposals, that is, RFP for software development is not difficult, and web designers have been doing this for years. At the same time, as of 2022, the situation in this industry has completely changed, and web designers carefully analyze each order and algorithm in order to accurately implement the project planned by the investor. A quality web design RFP requires a detailed analysis of not only the site structure but also the study of the main activities and goals that can be achieved in order to attract a client, make a profit, and grow a business. Modern RFT is all about well-structured catalogs, providing just the right amount of information to allow the customer to make a quick decision without hesitation.

3 Basic Steps to Create an RFP for Website Design

The modern process of writing RFP requests implies consistent adherence to the following 3 basic steps of this production operation:

  • Definition of goals and objectives. The main thing here is to accurately identify how useful the website is today for the company’s profit and how it attracts consumers or potential partners of the company. As a rule, at this stage, gross errors in the old design, and the complexity of the interface for users are immediately identified, and a list of tasks is set, the solution of which leads to the improvement of the website.
  • Fixing on paper all identified goals and objectives in the process of analyzing an existing website. The terms of reference should clearly describe all the goals of the future project, as well as a deep analysis of all the functions, the implementation of which will increase customer attraction. The task should be drawn up with a description of each item and with an understanding of what exactly the customer expects from the new information environment, from the point of view of a potential visitor, that is, a person interested in the company’s product.
  • At the final stage, it is necessary to send the drafted terms of reference to all well-known agencies that are engaged in web design and are ready to start implementing this project. This task is very difficult because reputable companies approach the choice of clients thoughtfully, and analyze their capabilities, as they are required to give a positive result and receive good feedback from the customer about their work.

You recommend that you send the task to several agencies at once, and then collect commercial offers and estimates from each of them. Further, the business owner has an excellent opportunity to choose his future partner based on the most complete list of services, combined with an acceptable cost, which will allow him to sign an agreement and start developing an RFP, depending on the desired timing and budget of the customer.

What sections does the RFP for Website Design include?

When designing and implementing RFPs, there should be a standard set of features, information pages, company highlights, and other important sections as outlined below:

  • A brief history of the company, as well as a description of its activities in the form of a text introductory paragraph. Considering that the priorities on the market have changed a long time ago, and in 2022 the customer is more interested in the supplier, and not vice versa, it is the complete information about the company with an understanding of the goals and objectives that allows a reputable agency to become interested in the proposal of the business owner. In this section, you need to fully describe the algorithm of work, the composition of the team, the principles of interaction with clients, and the peculiarity of corporate ethics.
  • The second section of the RFP should be an indication of the company’s estimated budget that it is willing to invest in building or renovating its website. It is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the approximate average prices currently in the market in advance, as the digital service provider or developer must understand that the list of requested features corresponds to the money that the customer plans to spend on the implementation of his project. It is allowed to indicate a wide range of prices, up to 100% of the spread of the amount.
  • The third section should contain the calendar schedule, the desired completion dates for each stage of the project, as well as all works. The most important thing here is to indicate the deadlines, that is, the burning deadlines for launching some individual options to be able to open the updated website to the general public. It is recommended to indicate only real terms, which will be enough for the supplier to create a quality product, taking into account all the previously described nuances.
  • In the fourth stage, which is one of the most difficult, it is necessary to indicate exactly what shortcomings, in the opinion of the business owner, the current version of the website to be updated has. Problems can be low-quality graphics, a poorly readable interface, difficulty in finding a specific product or contact information, and a lack of SEO algorithm, which will not allow the information page to appear in the first lines of search engines.
  • The fifth stage is also one of the most important since the customer must clearly formulate his specific goals for the renovation of the website. Of course, every businessman strives to develop the company, increase profits and increase the number of customers. However, this list of goals is not always limited, and many companies are asked to rebrand, raise their product in ratings, establish contacts with the media, perform some kind of video presentation of services, or products, or have the opportunity to make periodic sales, promotions.
  • The sixth point should be a detailed description of the target audience of the business. All entrepreneurs understand that the product produced by their company or the service provided cannot be of interest to the entire population. Thus, based on statistics, public opinion polls, product reviews, and other information, it is necessary to clearly tell who exactly will be interested in the product. Here it is recommended to divide consumers by gender, age, interests, social status, position, education, specialization, and other important parameters. If the business sells luxury expensive goods, you should also indicate the average or minimum income level of a potential consumer of the product.
  • The seventh section of the request should be a description of the website structure requirements. Here you will need to specify, firstly, what category this information resource will be, namely, a classic website, an online retailer, a social network, a public independent forum, flash advertising, a set of video materials, or another, individual, less common page category. Before writing this paragraph, it is recommended to figure out exactly which information resource will be most effective for business development. In some cases, the request can be divided into several formats at once, when the business owner needs to create or renovate, and immediately a number of categories of Internet information resources.
  • The eighth point is objective and requires the customer to conduct a detailed analysis of competitor websites. Most often, a business owner decides to renovate an information resource due to competition with other companies that do the same. Someone reacts to the market correction earlier, someone a little later. Thus, if the scope of detail of competitors is the same, the customer should give several examples of other websites, indicating all the positive and negative points. This will allow the service provider to know exactly what to start from, what to take as a basis, as well as what elements from competitors are initially considered erroneous.
  • The ninth section requires the customer to indicate which of the members of his company will maintain contact with the service provider during the renovation of the website. As a rule, the team should include IT specialists, advertising managers, sales managers, marketers, PR specialists, and other professionals who have complete information about the scope of their company.
  • The last, tenth point for the counterparty will be one of the most important. Here you need to specify in the request what exactly the customer wants to receive from the service provider. He must write how much information is needed, the form of its submission, and the need to provide interim reports. It is also recommended here, in the absence of detailed information, to request the constituent documents of the supplier, as well as a list of his employees, a portfolio with similar already implemented projects for competitors, and other important information.

The letter must be written in a literate language, in compliance with the official vocabulary, but at the same time, it is recommended to dilute the terms with some epithets. In such cases, the supplier will understand that he is dealing with flexible, creative, and creative customers. This will allow you to establish contact, and create a pleasant atmosphere for work, which will ensure a high-quality and competitive result. Every potential customer or business owner should remember that a well-designed RFT for Website Design is a key success factor when creating a new information resource for his company.

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