How to Create a Request for Proposal (RFP) for Web Site Development Services
Talk to a professional before you create your RFP.
Contact Blue Ray Media for a free consultation.
Your company has asked you to create a Web site
development Request for Proposal, or “RFP”, and send it to qualified Web
site development companies. Where do you start? How do you decide what
to put into your RFP? Do you really need an RFP at all? Who do you send
it to and how?
These are all great questions, but first, it may
be important to ask…
Is an RFP the Best Way to Hire a Web Development Company?
It's important to determine whether you really need a Web site
development RFP at all, or if there's a better way to find a company to
build your Web site. Most companies use Requests for Proposals because they
believe an RFP will help them get the most favorable deal on a Web site.
This can sometimes be the case. Web development companies know the process
is going to be competitive, so they will be price conscious when they respond.
An RFP can also help ensure that each Web development
company you think about hiring will be “on the same page” and you'll be
comparing apples to apples when you decide whom to hire. Since you'll
spell out everything you need in your RFP, each company that responds
will be responding to the same requirements. Creating an RFP takes a great
deal of time, thought and effort. Before you dive in and start writing,
you should determine if an RFP is the best way to hire a Web development
consultant.
To determine whether you should prepare a Web development RFP, ask:
If you can't answer these questions easily, you may not want to create
an RFP to find a Web site development company.
For Most Companies, an RFP is NOT the Best Way to Hire a Web Site Developer
While you're an expert when it comes to your business, you may not be an
expert when it comes to Web site development. In fact, there may not be
anyone in your company who really understands what the Web can do to help
your business. There's nothing wrong with this. Your company focuses on
its own market, not the Web. However, if you're not a Web design expert,
how will you know what to include on your new site? Without outside assistance
from a Web design professional, you may end up spending lots of money for
a new Web site that's no better than what you have now.
If you want help to determine what your Web site should do, an outside
expert may be the answer. Web site development companies, including Blue
Ray Media, have helped other companies succeed on the Web and know what
works and what doesn't. Put others' experience to work for you, so you can
avoid mistakes. Use a Web design consultant to help you see things from
a new perspective.
Instead of creating a Request for a Proposal, consider contacting four
or five Web development companies and talking to them first. Most Web development
firms will consult with you for free to help determine how to put the Web
to work for your business. Spend some time meeting with them face-to-face
or over the phone. Then, ask them to take what they've learned and prepare
a proposal that addresses what you've spoken about. Ask that it include
a Web site development plan, timeline and the costs involved. Then compare
proposals and choose the developer that you feel most comfortable partnering
with to create your new site.
By talking to experts, you allow them to uncover needs that you may not see
and to suggest solutions you may never think of. In fact, you can contact
Blue Ray Media for a free Web development consultation right now.
If You Decide to Create a Request for Proposal
If
you feel comfortable creating an RFP – if you can comfortably answer
the questions above – then you could go ahead and create one. To do so,
you'll want to:
Gather Requirements
First, determine what your new site should do. Find out by asking people
in your company what they want to it to do. You may or may not know what's
feasible on the Web, but find out what your co-workers want and keep track
of what they tell you. Sales may be looking for more and better leads. The
Events Coordinator may need an easier way to accept payments, keep track
of guests and promote events. Write down what you hear from others in your
company.
Then, find out what your customers want. This may be more difficult, but
it is possible. If you have lots of interaction with your customers, think
about what frustrates them and how you could make it easier for them to
do business with you. Write down ways you could make life easier for your
customers. Talk to people in your company who have the most interaction
with customers and ask them what they think customers want. Review feedback
sent from your current Web site. Frequently, e-mail sent from your current
site will include valuable suggestions and feedback. You may want to create
a survey of customers and use it to learn why they enjoy doing business
with you and what they find difficult. Look at your Web site usage statistics
and find out what people are doing on your site now. Can you improve the
process? How? Your new Web site should enhance what already works for your
business and improve what doesn't.
Your List of Requirements
Create one big list of everything you've learned from your customers and
co-workers. This is what you want the Web site to do. You may want to prioritize
things on the list. What are the top three things a customer will want to
do on your Web site? Those should come first. What will save your company
money or help you make more money? Those should also be at the top of the
list. Think big!
After you've created a list of your “must haves”,
you've created the most important part of your RFP. At this point, it
may be tempting to try to figure out how you're going to accomplish all
this. This isn't your job. It's the Web site development company's job.
Don't get bogged down in technical details or restrict what a Web site
development company can do. For example, if you want to use the Web to
take reservations and payments for events, leave it at that. Don't tell
prospective partners that they must use a certain technology or methodology
unless there's a good reason to do so. They may use a different solution
that's just as good or better.
Decisions, Decisions
After you have created your list of requirements, you have a decision to make.
Ask yourself again, should I send a Web site design RFP, or should I choose
a different route? At this point, it may make sense to contact a few qualified
Web development firms and meet with them to talk about your requirements.
They may help you clarify your goals or help you take your ideas to another
level.
However, if you believe your list of requirements includes everything you
could possibly want, go ahead and prepare your Request for Proposal.
Writing the RFP
When you write your Request for Proposal, be sure to explain what your
company does, who your customers are, and what you want. Include your entire
list of requirements. Tell the Web development companies everything you
can about what you want. Let companies know when a response is expected
and how they can deliver responses to you. Is a digital copy sent by e-mail
sufficient? Or would you like three printouts delivered by mail?
It's important to include everything you think is significant
in the RFP, but don't get bogged down in unimportant details. Now is not
the time to say you prefer dark blue to light blue. Save that until after
you've hired a developer. If you want an e-mail
newsletter management solution,
say so. If you know each section you want to include on your new Web site,
include a site map. If you want each response to include a timeline that
explains how development will proceed, ask for one. If you wonder about
how a company controls quality and tests a site, ask about it. If your new
Web site absolutely, positively must be up and running by a certain date,
say so. If you think something may be too expensive to include, include
it anyway. You may be surprised.
A Word about Budget
If you know your budget,
tell prospective partners what it is. That way, they won't waste time responding
if they can't give you what you need at a price you can afford. It will
also be easier to compare responses if you specify your budget. It will
be easier to see which ones give you the most “bang
for your buck”. The more open and honest you are, the better your responses
will be.
Finding Qualified Firms and Distributing the RFP
How do you find a qualified Web site development company? You can
ask friends and associates who they recommend. An easy way to find candidates
is to search for Web development companies near you or firms that specialize
in working with companies like yours. If you run a small non-profit organization,
for example, you may want to find a company that
designs Web sites for non-profits.
When you find prospective Web development partners, look closely at their
portfolios and see if they seem like a company that could provide the services
you seek. Once you find a few companies that seem like they could be a good
match, contact them and ask where you should send your RFP and how you
should send it. Most will give you an e-mail address where you can send
your RFP. Send it as a PDF and ask recipients if they think they will respond.
Questions and Answers
It's important for you to be open and accessible once you've sent
your RFP. You may have left important details out of your request for a proposal.
If Web design companies are confused, they won't respond or may not respond
well. The best way to handle questions is to allow recipients to e-mail
questions to you during a specified period of time. Then, to be sure everyone
is on the same page, answer each question received and send all questions
and answers to everyone who has received an RFP. Remember, the more information
the Web development firms have, the better their responses will be.
Reviewing Your Responses - What to Expect
If you've asked recipients whether they'll respond to your RFP, you should
have a good idea of how many responses you'll receive. If you receive too
many, it will be difficult to evaluate them all. If you don't receive enough,
you may have to change your deadline, prepare a new RFP or simply choose
from a pool made up of sub-standard candidates.
Some Web development companies may deviate from what you expect. That's
okay! Don't miss an opportunity to create an excellent new Web site simply
because a responder has prepared a proposal that's a bit different than
what you thought it would be. Read each response carefully and judge each
on its merits. How does it meet your needs? Are all your requirements met?
Which solutions seem to be the most efficient and cost-effective? Are there
future costs that aren't covered? Do you feel comfortable with this company?
Making a Decision
Before you decide which company to hire to build your new Web site,
you may want to interview the finalists. Ask them any questions they didn't
address in their proposals. Get a feel for how they will work with you on
a daily basis. You can interview candidates in person or over the phone. Choose
the company that has provided the best solutions for you and the one that
has a portfolio you admire and make sure you feel comfortable with your decision.
Once you've made your decision, contact every company that has sent you a
response, thank them for their time, and let them know you've selected another
company. Remember, it takes time, effort and thought to respond to your request.
Companies that prepare a proposal for you deserve the courtesy of a response.
If you don't find a company you feel comfortable with,
feel free to start again. It's better to feel confident in your decision
than to hire the wrong Web consultants just because they were the only
ones to respond to your request.
Contact
Blue Ray Media for a free Web development consultation. We'll be happy
to talk to you in person or over the phone about your needs and goals
and the services we provide.
This article is Copyright © Blue Ray Media,
Inc.
