How To Write A Winning Request For Proposal:
Web developers respond to website RFP (request for proposal to develop or redesign a website) based on the details it provides. While some designers respond instantly and positively, others take time or do not respond at all. This can be attributed to factors within the RFP or elements outside the proposal like character of the responder.
Why do you need a RFP for your website?
Like every project where an external team is involved, there is need to provide the team with details about what you want. It is similar to opening a bidding process. The clarity of details included in your bid proposal determines the quality of bidders who respond to your offer. The RFP communicates what you have and what you need to have. It also indicates what you expect from the developer or designer.
What forms a quality RFP?
From your RFP, a developer will gauge the quality of client you will be. Some developers will ignore clients who seem to have no idea of their expectations because of the possibility of conflicts and misunderstanding. As such, your RFP should be clear and straightforward. It must capture details and information that makes it easy to respond and shows your understanding of the matter at hand. Here are elements that form a strong RFP.
Executive Summary/Introduction:
The section gives a general overview of your company or brand. Capture the values and what your company is involved in. Before going into the details of expectations and demands, the developer will have understood the kind of client you are.
Business Overview And Background:
This may be regarded as a continuation or overflow of the introduction. It calls for a brief insight of what the company is about, the services or goods you provide, your driving or motivating factor, uniqueness and why you think you need the website designed or redesigned, etc.
This section is aimed at helping the vendor to understand and appreciate where you are and where you are coming from. This forms the basis for the next step which will be development or design of the website.
Target Audience And Project Goals:
Information provided at this point determines, to a great extent, the success of your project. Identifying the target audience or consumers enables the developer to customize the product for them. The developer needs to know who will be the consumer so that the features included are appropriate for that consumer.
You need to articulate the current problem and describe specific solutions you think will enhance the product under development. The developer needs to understand the problem that you are solving. Your suggestions will serve to direct the creativity of the developer. Outline the outcomes you hope to achieve through such examples as better leads, a higher rate of productivity, etc. These suggestions guide the developer.
Scope Of Work And Deliverables:
This is among the most thorough sections of your proposal. It will inform the details of your contract. In some cases, it is the longest. Deliverables will help weed out developers who cannot meet your expectations. It also guides the developers when they are drawing an estimate. Deliverables helps the designers to give you a more accurate estimate.
In most cases, you will not know everything about design and thus might not capture all deliverables. However, there are obvious elements that you should capture in your proposal. They include:
1 – Project management- will you be managing the project or the provider will handle it?
2 – Strategy on continuous content development
3 – Copy-writing
4 – Front and back end coding and designs
5 – Quality assurance and testing
6 – Training of local team
7 – Continuing support
Seems like there is a lot of work and money involved here, doing it right the first time is always better. Go Here to see what I mean.
Ecommerce and other specific features where needed:
Passwords and management of membership
Connected devices and partnerships
Many other elements should be captured based on the uniqueness of your business model. An expert in proposal development will help you design a comprehensive proposal that will receive the response you anticipate.
Budget:
Every organization or project is based on a budget. Determine how much you are willing to pay for the project. Eventually, you will pay less or more based on the package you get from potential developers. However, it gives the developers the opportunity to read your mind and understand your expectations.
It should be given as a range so that the responder is not guided into overcharging you or to avoid locking out potential developers who might consider the price as too low. Potential developers will also suggest or recommend other elements based on your expectations that are still within the budget to boost the product they are offering.
Timelines:
When do you intent to close the proposal period and when should the project be completed? These elements guide developers in decision making especially scheduling delivery. It is especially important since the launch may affect other products and operations. A timeline on when you will be choosing the successful bidder is also important so that the bidders can avoid waiting too long for a project that has already been awarded to another developer.
What could be wrong with your proposal?
1 – There are reasons why proposals fail to attract responses. Here are the common mistakes clients make when writing their proposals.
2 – Omit important details about the project. The developer is looking for tangible information that will inform his development plan.
3 – Too limiting- a proposal that does not leave room for creativity or is impossible to execute will discourage people from bidding.
4 – Failure to synchronize budget and requirements- your expectations must be commensurate to how much you pay. Check market rates and consider them when designing your proposal.
5 – Unrealistic timelines- developers know how much time is required to perform certain tasks. If the timelines are unrealistic, many developers will decline regardless of the pay.
The success rate of your website RFP will depend on the details you provide. Consult a specialist who will help you design a proposal that is realistic and will deliver your expectations. Leave room for negotiations and always negotiate from a point of knowledge. While the budget is important, focus more on long-term value for money.
All of this can be very expensive and time consuming but if you build your site from the bottom up with a good foundation to set your website on then you will not have to do all this. I build all my sites on Wealthy Affiliate, I have 24/7 help from 1000s of members and the owners plus the training and videos to use, (no credit card needed) later you can join if you wish to when you understand the benefits of becoming a member.
I hope all of this was helpful to you, I hope to hear a comment from you you good or bad or just a question, I will get back to you.
Wayne
