When it comes time to improve your website, you may find yourself without the resources to do so. To hire a team that will best help you achieve your goals, you’ll need to write an RFP (Request for Proposals). This short document is an invitation to creative firms to bid for the project by sharing their process and how they would approach the job.
A successful RFP gives both the client and their web design team a head start on the work at hand. A poorly written or arranged RFP can lead to confusion and miscommunication. Without the right information and details present, you might struggle to make connections. Qualified teams will be less likely to offer up proposals, leaving you empty handed.
How can you write the perfect RFP for website design? Believe it or not, the beginning of this process focuses on the end.
1. Think in Terms of Outcomes First
Before you write a single word of your RFP, one thing should be clear. You must understand what it is you’re aiming to achieve with your website development project. What is your ultimate goal? The more clarity you can provide a potential vendor, the better. What do you imagine the finished website to look like? Consider the project in terms of size and scope. How should the website function? Most importantly, what kind of measurable goals do you need to reach? RFP writing essentially becomes part of your planning process.
Any creative team you hire will want to know what your biggest success indicators will be. They’ll need to understand what they’re helping you with before they can figure out how to act. This allows them to know what kind of assistance to provide or which resources to deploy.
2. Give Vendors Context
For RFPs, ‘context’ refers to anything you would want a web design team to know about your organization. When you write an RFP for web design, remember that this project is about you. Your vision and who you are as a company is, of course, integral to the heart of the design process. You might include your history, leadership, branding strengths, or even your marketing personality. If you have initiatives that center on certain pieces of technology or social goals, state that within your RFP as well.
This is more than an introduction to your company. This is an opportunity to let potential bidders know who you are. When they know what you value and see the same big-picture that you do, they can make stronger connections. These details can give them clues about the scope of your work. They can also know if they’re a good match for your organization’s culture. When client and vendor personalities align, a big web development project is off to a strong start.
We’re Here to Help
If you still have questions about how to write an RFP, would like to see some sample RFPs, or feel like you need a bit more guidance, we’re here to help. Contact our creative team today. We can schedule a free, no-obligation consultation to talk about what’s on your mind and give you the answers you need.
