RFPToolkit
Request for Proposal (RFP) Toolkit Table of Contents RFP Checklist......................................................... 2 6 Tips for Writing an RFP.............................................. 7 Web Design Glossary..................................................10
RFP CHECKLIST Introduction State the purpose of the RFP. Specify that you are sending out a call for submissions to fully/partially redesign/update the design of website; Current status of website and hosting; Identify 3-4 overall qualities of a successful candidate; Include a brief Description of how candidate will be evaluated (a detailed list will be at the end of the RFP). Background About [Company / Organization] Give the background of your company and include what the bidders should know about who are you what do you do as a company. Project Background Reasons you are looking for a design/update for your website; Brief summary of the main desired changes from the current website. Overview Project Goals (Scope of Service) Description of project size (number of site pages); Identify if you are looking for custom development or a theme. Timeframe Give a desired timeframe for the completion of the project and launch of the new site. Budget Set the expectation for the desired budget range for the website redesign. Usage Current Usage / Website Statistics How your website is currently used by people who come to your site; Important statistics about the website use that the bidder needs to be aware of. Examples: high volume, concurrent usage, multinational/linguistic users.
Required Elements A list of your expected final deliverables including the required sections of the website and their functionality; List and outline the required elements of the website; Examples: site/web search function, e-commerce, video functionality, blog feature, social media integration, login/account capabilities. Outline any technological specifications for the project: Specific programming languages (PHP, Javascript) required; Content Management System requirements; Outline any page security certificates or encryption capabilities necessary; (such as SSL, form validations, database security and protocols); Email hosting requirements (client-based or local hosting); Specify that you wish to own the website code. Target Audiences A list of the target markets that will use your site, including customers, clients, sponsors, partners, or employees; A description of how each of these audiences will use/interact with your site. Technological Infrastructure Servers / Hosting Explain your current hosting environment; Identify any changes you want to your hosting services. Third Party Sites Describe any external websites that need to be integrated into your new site. Examples: e-commerce, reservation services, customer support ticketing, etc. Associated Databases / Catalogs / Accounting / Membership Software Describe external databases, software, or plug-ins to be integrated. Search Engine Optimization Outline the level of search engine optimization that is required within the scope of your website design. Traffic Reporting Define any current analytics packages you have, any required changes to them, or any that you would like to be integrated.
Design Style Copy Brief description of the look and feel you want to accomplish with Your website design. Include some examples of websites you think reflect your desired design/functionality. Identify if you wish to use your current logo and branding, or if you want that updated, as well. Explain who will be responsible for content on the new site. Identify if content will be copied directly from the old site or if new content will be provided. Identify if the vender is responsible for content changes, or if your company will implement future content changes. Proposal Deliverables Things to ask bidders to include in their proposal: Content Information (phone email address); A summary of website development experience; A listing of existing client references; Project Plan including phases for creation and implementation; Project Budget separate; Details about website design process - design, discovery, quality assurance testing, and implementation; Details regarding company s website project management structure; Identify who will be involved on the project team, including their relevant experience and credentials; Any training options provided; Contact information for clarification of the proposal, if needed. Evaluation Criteria Identify the criteria that will be used to evaluate candidates. Examples: pricing, meets requirements, experience, etc. Additional Information or Clarification Use this section to add anything that you haven t been able to include in any of the other sections.
Optional ADA Compliance Lay out what level of ADA compliance is required. Conditions of Work Identify if there are any governmental regulations or requirements.
6 TIPS FOR WRITING AN RFP (A condensed version of a post from the Nuanced Media RFP blog) 1. Have You Done Your Homework? Just like you had to do your homework before it was due in school, doing a little research before tackling your web design project will go a long way toward creating an effective RFP website design document. Do you know the current design trends being utilized for website in your industry? Do you know how your competitors are integrating social media into their websites? What about the keywords they are targeting with their SEO and PPC strategies? This kind of in-depth industry and competitive research is becoming increasingly important for determining the direction of a website design project. In fact, many businesses rely on consultants to provide them with this strategic information to help define the scope and functionalities of their new website to include in an RFP. 2. Own Your Code The look and feel of a website is created by web designers, who get most of the attention when it comes to websites. However, the functionality of a website is built by web developers using programming code. If you think of it like a car, the design is the body of the car, and development is the engine. When you buy a car, you get the whole car, engine included; make sure you own your entire website, code included. By owning your code, you won t have to start over if you aren t happy with the end result and decide to switch developers. Additionally, by owning the code, you can have a third-party investigate it to make sure everything is secure. Code ownership is a simple provision to include in your RFP website design document, but it gives you the peace of mind and legal protection you need while weeding-out potential vendors.
3. Know the Time(Line) Imagine you need a new coffee maker. This isn t a particularly complicated project. You see a need (the coffee maker), and then alleviate the need (buy a new one). However, website design projects are more complicated than that, with many moving parts and nested dependencies. Don t give your website design project to a vendor and hope for the best. Right from the start, your RFP needs to require benchmarks and timelines for completion, and whichever firm you choose must meet them. Putting these benchmarks into your RFP will weed out the firms that aren t able to meet your project deadline, while giving you a measure of accountability from the firm that you hire. 4. Look Past the Obvious In order for people to find your website and use it, there are a few hidden technical measures that must be included for that to happen. Your RFP should allow for that. Good web design and development firms understand the methods to both create a great looking website and how to bring it to potential users. Great firms will outline their methods in their responses to your RFP web design document. Keep an eye out for the terms in the glossary when looking over responses. 5. The Past Predicts the Future There are thousands of web design firms in the world, and your RFP web design request may be read by firms in dozens of countries. That means potentially hundreds of responses. One surefire way to pare down the number of responses to a more manageable number is to ask for a portfolio that shows experience with projects similar to yours. When writing your RFP web design document, you ll want to outline the specific functionality that you want your website to have. If a firm can show their work, that s a tell-tale sign of what you can expect from them on your web design project.
6. Looks Aren t Everything - Have a Great Personality As you probably know, the RFP process can involve a lot of cold, impersonal boilerplate text. Oddly enough, most of the RFP responses tend to be cold and impersonal, too. If that s what you re looking for, by all means, go for it. It s been our experience, however, that adding a little personality to your RFP web design document brings out a little personality in the responses as well. By taking the process to a more personal level, the project becomes a partnership between you and the firm you hire. This provides a much better experience, as both parties tend to work on the same level. Don t hire a firm. Partner with them.
WEB DESIGN GLOSSARY API - Application Programming Interfaces A method that a programmer writing an application program makes requests of (use info from) a computer, operating system, or another application. Browser An application program that provides a way to look at and interact with all the information on the internet. Examples: Firefox, Google Chrome, Safari CMS - Content Management System A system used to manage the content of a website. A CMS allows the content manager or author, who may not know Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), to manage the creation, modification, and removal of content from a website without needing the expertise of a Webmaster. Cross Browser Compatibility (Browser Agnostic) The process of ensuring that a website is coded in such a way that it is displayed correctly across multiple browsers. CSS - Cascading Style Sheet Code used to format the layout of Web pages by defining how to display HTML elements, such as headers and links. These style sheets can then be applied to any Web page. Encryption Encryption is the process of encoding messages or information in such a way that only authorized parties can read it. E-Commerce The buying and selling of products and services by businesses and consumers through an electronic medium, without using any paper documents. E-commerce is subdivided into three categories: business to business or B2B (Cisco), business to consumer or B2C (Amazon), and consumer to consumer or C2C (ebay). Framework (or web development framework) A set of resources and tools for software developers to build and manage web applications, web services, and websites. A framework includes templating capabilities within a browser, the programming environment for scripting the flow of information, and the application programming interfaces (APIs) for accessing underlying data resources.
FTP - File Transfer Protocol An internet protocol that allows a computer to send files to or receive files from another computer. Like many Internet resources, FTP works by means of a clientserver architecture; the user runs client software to connect to a server on the Internet. Hosting/Hosting Service Hosting arrangement in which a web host (often an internet service provider) maintains clients websites on its computers and provides related services. These services may include leasing of hard disk space, maintenance of hardware and software, provision of backup and security, content integrity, credit card processing, email boxes, and high speed internet connection. HTML - Hypertext Markup Language) The set of markup symbols or codes inserted in a file intended for display on a World Wide Web browser page. This tells the Web browser how to display a Web page s words and images for the user. ISP - Internet Service Provider An ISP is an organization that provides services and infrastructure for accessing the Internet. Those services may include Internet access, domain name registration, Web hosting, and more. Permalink Structure A permanent link (permalink) is a URL that always points to and directs readers to the same web page, blog post, or any online digital media. Platform Any base of technologies on which other technologies or processes are built. An application can be a platform if it is a base for other programs. Responsive (web design) Formatting a website design so that the Website automatically adjusts itself most for the optimal for viewing and navigation across a wide range of devices, including traditional PCs, smartphones and tablet devices. SEO Search Engine Optimization Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of affecting the visibility of a website or a web page in a search engine s natural or un-paid ( organic ) search results. Sitemap A list of pages of a website that are accessible to users. It can be either a document in any form used as a planning tool for web design, or a Web page that lists the pages on a website, typically organized in hierarchical fashion.
Theme A template designed specifically for use to enhance the visual appearance and usability of a website. Many web development providers offer a selection of themes for their clients to choose from for their sites. Alternatively, predesigned blog themes can be found through a variety of websites, and many web designers offer custom themes for sites. Template A website template is a pre-designed web page, or set of web pages, that anyone can modify with their own content and images to set up a website. UI - User Interface The junction between a user and a computer program. An interface is a set of commands or menus through which a user communicates with a program. Wordpress An example of a Content Management System. If you have any other suggestions for RFP terms and definitions you want to see, please email us at contactus@nuancedmedia.com