Request For Proposal: Website Redesign REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL STATEMENT OF PURPOSE ABOUT THE BOROUGH/AUDIENCE BACKGROUND

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1 Request For Proposal: Website Redesign REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL The Borough of Carlisle is seeking proposals from qualified website developers to overhaul the design, structure and functions of its official website, Proposals should be submitted electronically via to Stephanie Taylor, Public Information Coordinator, at no later than December 21, 2018 at 4:00 PM. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE The Borough of Carlisle is seeking proposals from website developers to overhaul the design, structure and functions of its official website, for responsive use on multiple devices and screens, including desktop, tablet and mobile. The goal of the redesigned website is to create a more fresh, functional and user-friendly experience for its visitors. ABOUT THE BOROUGH/AUDIENCE The Borough of Carlisle is located in Cumberland County in south central Pennsylvania, about 18 miles southwest of Harrisburg, the state capital. The Borough has an area of approximately 5.5 square miles and a population of almost 19,000. The Borough is a Home Rule Municipality that operates under a Council-Manager structure. Departments in the Borough include Police, Fire, Public Works, Parks & Recreation, Water & Sewer Plants, Finance and Administration. The audience for the Borough s website consists of current and prospective residents, businesses, visitors, community organizations, neighborhood groups, future business owners, contractors conducting business in the Borough and press & media. When considering design and navigational upgrades, the residents should be the primary target. The design should meet their needs and the information and services that are most requested should be easy to locate on the new site. The navigation should be intuitive for all users. BACKGROUND The Borough s current website was redesigned in 2012 and the design and structure no longer fit the needs of the audience. The navigational structure is complicated and multiple clicks are required to get to the most-used information. The site is not mobile-friendly or responsive. The site also contains extraneous and duplicate pages and posts, causing confusion to visitors of the

2 site. The current website also does not comply with Section 508, the Americans with Disabilities Act. The current Borough website is running on Wordpress. The last overhaul of the site was conducted knowing that there was not one person who could be dedicated to maintaining and updating the website. The Borough was given limited capabilities and functionality with this in mind. Users at the Borough could create new posts and pages, but were unable to make any structural or navigational changes to the site. In 2018, the Borough now has someone on staff who is able to routinely update and maintain the website. SCOPE OF SERVICES The purpose of this Request for Proposal is to establish a contract with a qualified vendor to overhaul the design, structure and functions of the Borough of Carlisle s official website, The contract should include provisions for hosting services and technical support for website maintenance after the initial relaunch. CURRENT WEBSITE ISSUES & LIMITATIONS Not mobile-responsive Extraneous and duplicate pages and posts Overall navigation is not intuitive or user-friendly; multiple clicks are often needed to get to important information Search not functioning to expectations Static front page provides limited access to the most-used features Limited flexibility for Borough staff to update and make changes to site Turnaround time for troubleshooting of issues GOALS FOR WEBSITE REDESIGN Provide a mobile-responsive and functional experience for the end user Provide accurate, current, comprehensive information to the Borough of Carlisle s audiences in a visually appealing, user-friendly way Ease of use and intuitive navigation Allow for increased engagement on site and improved online capabilities (e.g. completing and submitting permit and other applications online) Provide tools to allow residents to request service or report problems on the website Simplify site to include the most user-focused content and functions; remove unused pages and out-of-date information

3 Consistent and logical organization of pages and use of nomenclature across all pages Interactive, customizable calendars Integration of the Borough s social media platforms, including Facebook & Twitter Responsive design for functionality on mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets NEW WEBSITE REQUIREMENTS The following includes, but is not limited to, website requirements essential to serve the needs of residents and the rest of the Borough s audience, improve access and provide a positive user experience. Responsive and user-friendly layout and navigation; consistent design across all pages of the site; design & functionality must be mobile-responsive and compatible with multiple types of devices. Visually appealing home page that is also intuitive and usefully designed for residents, giving them access to frequently requested items such as utility payments, parking ticket payments, and permits & applications. Citizen Request Management: Allow residents to put in requests for service through website that are then forwarded automatically to the correct department. Searchable database for common questions such as what permit do I need or does this item get recycled. (e.g.: Events calendar with editing capabilities for Borough staff with the ability to be set up as single events or recurring events, with options for daily, weekly, monthly, or annual recurrences and the ability to link documents such as meeting agenda to specific events. Fillable & submittable forms for permits and other applications. Functional search engine for website content. Comply with Section 508, Americans with Disabilities Act, in all areas Allow for expansions/updating if future needs change POTENTIAL WEBSITE FUNCTIONALITY/ADD-ONS The following items are not high priority for the initial redesign, but the Borough would like to explore them, budget permitting. E-commerce options for payment of permits and other applications Companion mobile application Agenda Management System to share meeting content with Council members, board & commission members, and the public.

4 CONVERSION Proposals should include a detailed plan and timeline for launching the updated site. During the conversion, content for the new site will be transferred and/or created primarily by the Borough s Public Information Coordinator and staff members. MAINTENANCE The new Borough website should be designed in such a way that select Borough staff can maintain, update and modify the content across all pages. Non-technical staff should be able to update calendar listings, upload files and make simple posts. The Public Information Coordinator should have the ability to update or redesign the menu/organization structure as needed to ensure easy discovery and retrieval of content. Access to the websites analytics to be able to better tailor content and navigation to the end user. Ability to schedule posts in advance and ability to have posts expire A dynamic sitemap that reflects changes and additions to the website s structure. Ability to edit and post from mobile devices SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION Ensure Borough website exposure by adhering to the latest search engine optimization (SEO) best practices and submitting page and sitemap information to all popular search engines while allowing for intuitive integration with major social media platforms. PROPOSAL FORMAT Qualified vendors should submit their proposals electronically via to Stephanie Taylor, Public Information Coordinator, at WebsiteRFP@carlislepa.org no later than December 21, 2018 at 4:00 PM. No hardcopy proposals will be accepted. Please submit any questions regarding the proposal via to Stephanie Taylor, Public Information Coordinator, at WebsiteRFP@carlislepa.org no later than December 3 at 4:00 PM. No phone calls please. Proposals should contain the following: A. Executive summary that summarizes why your agency is uniquely qualified, citing your technical expertise, design acumen and proven success in municipal government or similar institutions (no more than three pages) B. Portfolio of a minimum of 5 municipality projects. Include a short description of each with a link to the website developed by your agency

5 C. A minimum of three references, each with project summary and phone, and mail contact information D. Introduction to the work team. One to two pages outlining biographical, experience, and contact information for the person(s) who will work on this project and be our main contact(s) E. One to two pages that explain your approach to the web development process F. Detailed description of the development process, with timeline that identifies key project stages G. Please include information regarding what programming language the website will be written in and the content management system that will be utilized H. List of your fix fee contract price in this section. The fixed price will include all time and materials for the initial website redesign project. Include an annual hosting fee and a fee and breakdown for technical support for working with staff. Finally, include an annual maintenance option to cover website updates mentioned above and as identified by Borough staff I. Cost breakdown for the additional functionality/add-ons J. Please tell us why we should select your agency for this project. The narrative should be no more than two pages K. Proposals should include a web link that will show the proposed new home page for the Borough as well as one sub-page example as a design concept of the new website