Web Design and Development - Drafting a Request for Proposal (RFP)

When website design and development becomes the requirement of any company, the company gets a Request for Proposal (RFP) drafted and written. After the RFP is written, it is either sent directly to the vendors concerned or posted on the internet.

The purpose of the RFP is to receive accurate bids from the vendors. This mainly depends on how clearly the RFP communicates with the vendors. It is on the basis of the RFP that the vendors are going to quote the price of their services.

Through the RFP, the prospective vendors get an overview about the business goals, the limitations and hurdles in achieving the goals. A perfectly written RFP decreases the need of lengthy meetings or telecommunication. The prospective vendor easily comes to know what the business is looking for. A perfect RFP saves time, money and resources.

Some of the most important components of the RFP are as follows.

Background:

The RFP should have information about the organization, its history, primary objectives, description of the website project, the budget limitations and date on which the business wants the website to be launched on the internet. The maximum flexibility allowed should also be mentioned.

Marketing:

The RFP should mention the target audience or the targeted market segment, current users of the website, the technical adaptability of the current website users and buyers, they type of internet connection that most of current buyers have, and the projected size of the market.

Corporate Branding and Designing Requirement:

The RFP should have information about any specific Corporate Branding and Designing guidelines if they have to be adhered to. This usually pertains to colors, fonts and graphics, adjectives and phrases to be used, inclusion of animations and list of things NOT to be included.

Technical Expertise:

The RFP should clearly mention the technical expertise it wants the web design and development company to have. This is because the browsers and operating systems differ. The flexibility of the website depends on the language used for coding. The service provider should be able to design the website in such a way that it is easily downloaded by the prospective buyer.

User Interface:

The requirements of forms to be filled by the buyer needs to be mentioned in the RFP. This is very necessary and important to receive feedback and especially in the case of e-commerce website where the products are ordered online.

Search Engine Friendly:

If there are specific requirements pertaining to search engine optimization then it should be elaborately mentioned in the RFP.

Updating:

The business should mention in the RFP the frequency of the updating that it requires to be done and by whom would the business like the maintenance to be done? Would the business go for a third party or the same that is going to take up this contract?

Project Administration:

The RFP should clearly state the person or the authority to be contacted for submitting the quotation and who is going to represent the business on the table of discussions about the website design and development.