Your guide to writing an airtight website RFP

So, you’re writing an RFP?

It might seem like a daunting task. After all, your team is counting on you to shape the organization’s digital future.

However, unless you have expertise in modern web development, there will be a lot of unknowns to consider. It’s best to start with some research. For example, what information is most important to include in your Request for Proposals (RFP)? How can you encourage the right agencies to respond? What will lead good agencies to ignore your RFP? And by the way, congratulations—the fact that you’re reading this means you’re on the right track.

This article will provide tips, must-haves, and watch-outs for getting quality proposals from qualified digital agencies. We’ll answer all these questions, giving insight into what makes an excellent digital partner. Plus, compare multiple proposals and gauge a digital agency’s skills beyond their proposal. There’s also a free RFP template at the end to get you started.

An agency’s point of view. 

RFPs are a contentious subject for many agencies.

Some love them, and some hate them.

Some are consistently successful at winning them, and others are not so much.

Consultants tell agencies to stop responding to RFPs, nurture inbound leads and grow their portfolio of work. This is straightforward advice, but it’s not always practical. RFPs are often widely distributed, meaning there’s often a readily available stream of potential opportunities.

Agencies often gripe about the cost of responding, the selection process, or inadequate information. Agencies also put significant time and resources into responding to RFPs. Therefore, as a partner, agencies love it when you return the favour by creating a transparent, thoughtful, and fair tendering process.

RFPs are not all bad. They’ve allowed us to find clients we would have never reached otherwise and take on exciting new projects from around the world. Through an RFP, we had the opportunity to work with an innovative social enterprise from Atlanta that uses blockchain technology to solve food insecurity. How cool is that?

Disclaimer: It’s tricky for agencies like ours to advise about these things without promoting our self-interest. Of course, we want more RFPs matching our skillset, bigger budgets, and more creative freedom. We’re aware that publishing content like this serves that purpose. So, in full transparency, this article aims to encourage you to approach RFPs our way. Having said that, we think you’ll agree that this approach benefits both parties.

Goals for every RFP.

Let’s start the same way we do with all projects: identifying the objectives. The goals for creating a rock-solid website RFP should include the following:

Communicate clearly

Clear communication is the foundation of a successful RFP. By explicitly identifying your organization’s challenges, agencies can better understand the problem they’re being asked to solve. Start by taking time to define and articulate your needs with as much clarity as possible. Consider these guiding questions: What specific goals are you aiming to achieve with a new website, and what obstacles are currently in your way? What’s most important to your organization in this project, and, equally, what’s less critical? Clear answers to these questions provide agencies with the context to propose targeted solutions.

Use straightforward, jargon-free language whenever possible, focusing on real-world impacts rather than technical buzzwords. Additionally, avoid assumptions; agencies may not fully understand your industry-specific terms or internal processes, so spell out any unique terms or concepts. By providing this clarity, you empower agencies to respond thoughtfully, making it easier to find a partner who understands your objectives and is prepared to address them effectively.

Pre-qualify and pre-disqualify.

It’s ok to tell agencies what you’re looking for (and not looking for) in a digital partner.

Being upfront about who you’re willing—and not willing—to work with is key to a successful RFP process. Clearly stating your requirements helps potential partners gauge whether they’re the right fit, saving both parties time and effort. For example, consider your stance on location. Are you open to working with agencies from out of province, state, or country, or do you prefer local partnerships? This can have a significant impact on project logistics, collaboration style, and costs.

Other factors might include experience in your industry, familiarity with certain technologies, or specific credentials that are essential for your project. Just be sure to align these criteria with legal and trade agreement considerations. A well-prepared RFP gives agencies insight into what you’re looking for in a partner, helping attract the right matches and discouraging those who may not be aligned with your needs. This approach brings greater clarity to the selection process, making it smoother for everyone involved.

Set expectations

Setting clear expectations early on is essential for a successful project. By outlining your vision for the project, timeline requirements, and budget parameters, you give agencies the information they need to assess whether their expertise, resources, and approach align with your needs. Be specific about what success looks like for your organization. Are there particular features, performance standards, or user experience goals you aim to achieve? When do you need the project completed, and are there any hard deadlines?

Budget clarity is equally important. Even a ballpark range can help agencies understand the scale and scope you’re envisioning, and it saves time by ensuring that only agencies who can work within your constraints respond. This transparency makes the selection process smoother and helps you find a well-equipped agency to deliver on your vision.

Set a budget. Or a range.

Every RFP should specify a budget or range, as it’s a fundamental pre-qualifier that helps agencies determine if they’re a realistic fit for your project. A budget doesn’t lock all proposals into the same price—agencies with competitive advantages will still look to match the desired value with their unique strengths and pricing. However, comparing proposals effectively is nearly impossible without a budget since price points can vary widely. Setting a budget range makes it far easier to compare agencies based on the quality of their product and processes within the exact general cost.

Let’s consider an example. Say your maximum budget is $75,000, but ideally, you’d like to keep it closer to $50,000. Be transparent about both. This allows agencies to propose what they can deliver at the lower range while showing you the added value they could bring at the higher level.

Unless your requirements and specifications are exceptionally detailed, simply asking, ‘How much will it cost?’ rarely holds up. We can build a great website for $50,000, an even better one for $100,000, an exceptional one for $200,000, and so on—each price point reflects a different level of features, customizations, and strategic refinements. Without a defined budget, proposals often become agencies’ ‘best guesses’ about what you might want, leading to a wide range of estimates and making it harder to identify the best partner for your needs.

Alternatively, if you have a budget but decide not to disclose it, you may hope an agency will surprise you with a low bid. In practice, this can often lead to disappointment: either the final product lacks essential features due to missed expectations, or your budget is genuinely lower than needed to achieve your goals. By providing a budget range upfront, you get proposals that align with your expectations from the start, giving you a clearer view of each agency’s approach to quality and value at a price point you’re comfortable with.

Determine outcomes

Clearly outlining how proposals will be evaluated gives agencies insight into your decision-making process and lets them prioritize their submissions accordingly. This transparency benefits both sides: it levels the playing field, enables agencies to tailor their proposals to your most important criteria, and helps you efficiently identify the best digital partner for your needs.

Consider defining specific evaluation categories, like experience, technical approach, understanding of your project goals, and estimated timeline. You might weight these categories based on what matters most to your organization. For instance, if innovation is crucial, assign higher points to the agencies that bring fresh ideas and creative solutions. Additionally, including a scoring rubric or summary of how you’ll rank each component helps agencies focus on the most important aspects to you, ensuring they deliver a proposal that aligns with your goals.

A structured evaluation process makes it easier to compare proposals side-by-side, especially when they’re close in cost or qualifications. This approach clarifies your selection and ensures that agencies feel they’re given a fair shot, leading to proposals that genuinely aim to meet your expectations.  

Get technical.

Providing specific technical details about your project’s requirements will help agencies understand the scope and complexity of what you’re looking for. Include any known needs related to your CMS, desired functionalities, key features, and integrations with other systems. For example, are there specific tools your team relies on that will need to integrate with your new website? Or are you aiming for particular functionalities, like e-commerce, user accounts, or advanced search features?

If you’re unsure about specific technical requirements, that’s completely fine. Be open to any uncertainties, and invite agencies to propose solutions based on their expertise. They may offer valuable recommendations you hadn’t considered. Alternatively, you might consider engaging a technical consultant to help clarify these details and refine your RFP. Up-front clarity in technical requirements helps agencies craft proposals that truly address your needs and ensure your project’s success.

Be specific and realistic. 

Clarity and alignment are essential when writing an RFP. Begin by ensuring your internal team is on the same page about the project’s goals and desired outcomes. Define what success looks like, and outline the core deliverables you’re looking for in a digital partner. Being specific about your vision, essential features, necessary integrations, and expected results sets clear expectations and minimizes misunderstandings, leading to more relevant, tailored proposals.

A realistic approach to timelines is also critical in the RFP process and the project itself. Consider the classic ‘Good, Cheap, Fast’ principle: while it’s natural to aim for all three, focusing on achieving two typically leads to better outcomes. For example, a project prioritizing quality and speed will likely come at a higher cost, whereas aiming for ‘good and cheap’ often requires a longer timeline. Rushing can compromise quality or drive up costs, so balance these factors based on what’s most important to your organization.

A clear and feasible project timeline benefits everyone. Agencies can allocate the time and resources needed to execute your project effectively, while you’re more likely to see results that align with your vision. You’re setting up the project for long-term success by prioritizing quality and thoughtful planning.

Additionally, be upfront about any hard deadlines or flexibility. If your project has non-negotiable deadlines, let agencies know early so they can assess the feasibility of meeting them. On the other hand, if there’s room for flexibility, agencies can propose schedules that maximize quality without compromising deadlines.

Finally, consider a realistic timeframe for the RFP process, allowing agencies enough time to develop thorough, thoughtful responses. Rushing this stage can result in underdeveloped or poorly tailored proposals. Build in time for follow-up questions, clarifications, and even rounds of discussion if needed. A realistic, well-paced process yields higher-quality proposals and lays the foundation for a smoother project experience for everyone involved.

Nine must-haves for a stellar RFP.

You may wish to include more items in your RFP, but at a minimum, ensure you have these components covered.  

1. Organization Overview: Assume agencies have never heard of your organization. Tell us who you are, what you do, where you’ve been, and where you’re going. Tell us how you prefer to work and/or communicate (time zone, video call, email, Slack, etc.). Indicate the designated Project Lead and your organization’s resources to commit to the project. 
2. Audience Breakdown: Describe your various users and stakeholders and identify why they’re coming to your website. If you have any analytics to support the audience information, share that, too. This can be provided on a high level; a good digital agency will dig deeper into this information in the discovery process.
3. Current Website Deficiencies: If you currently have a website, tell us why you need a new one. What are the pain points? What needs to be improved, updated, removed, and re-prioritized? Are there performance deficiencies such as speed or mobile-friendliness? Again, analytics can help improve metrics such as bounce rate or page views.
4. Extra Features: Include any optional feature add-ons and functionality not core to the website, but your team would like to explore. This allows agencies to separate these costs from the main project deliverables. Add a new Association Management Software (AMS) or Learning Management System (LMS) to your RFP!
5. New Website Needs: Highlight your organizational and technical goals and how the new website addresses these objectives. Could adding features to your new website help your organization operate more efficiently? Can it automate tasks your team is currently doing offline? Be clear on the scope of functionality requirements and asset and content needs.
6. Project Specifics: You should definitely include the scope of deliverables, expected timeline, and budget range for the project.
7. Proposal Requirements & Review Process: Outline your timing and phases of the RFP process. Be specific about what you expect to see in the response, such as a company background, relevant case studies, team bios, technical specs, and whether there is a page limit. What is the process for selecting a vendor? Who are the decision-makers on the proposal review committee?
8. Communication Opportunities: Tell agencies how to contact you with questions about the RFP. Is there an opportunity for agencies to connect with you before sending a proposal? Are you open to calls, emails, or a virtual meeting?
9. Evaluation Criteria: Guide agencies in pre-qualifying the opportunity by sharing the agency requirements and telling them how you’ll evaluate their proposals. Do you only accept domestic or local proposals, or are you open to receiving proposals from national or international agencies? Do you require specific industry expertise from the agency?

Common pitfalls to avoid.

There are certain things within an RFP that are considered to be red flags for digital agencies. This could cause highly qualified agencies to decide not to respond. You want to get a variety of responses from exceptional agencies. Here are some watch-outs to be mindful of when crafting your RFP.

When more is not better.

Some RFPs are often super lengthy, drawn-out information and tons of extra pages, making it difficult for agencies to determine what’s most important. Find the balance between providing valuable details while avoiding information overload.  

Don’t ask for free work.

Don’t overreach for deliverables in the proposal phase. Asking for spec work or advanced technical consultation can turn away qualified agencies that would otherwise be a great fit. Smart agencies know spec work provides little value because we must diagnose the problem before coming up with a solution. It’s also unethical and can lead to issues down the road if the solution you do select ends up looking like a solution you didn’t.

Avoid standardized proposal forms.

Let agencies be creative and showcase their brand and team personality. By submitting responses in their preferred proposal format instead of filling out standardized forms, you’ll get a glimpse of their creative potential, not just their boilerplate answers.

Having no budget is a no-go.

We’ve already discussed why setting a budget is essential, but it’s worth noting the practical ways that skipping this step can derail your RFP. Without a budget, agencies are left to guess the scope, often leading to inconsistent proposals that are difficult to compare. Some agencies may assume a conservative budget and limit their recommendations, while others might propose a comprehensive solution that doesn’t align with what you’re prepared to spend.

This lack of clarity can result in missed opportunities or misaligned proposals, either narrowing the potential of your project or driving up costs unexpectedly. Ultimately, a well-defined budget empowers agencies to shape their proposals to match your vision, helping you make more informed, meaningful comparisons.

Don’t outsource your decision (to procurement).

While procurement teams are skilled at quantifying data and managing an evaluation process, they often lack the specialized knowledge to assess what truly matters in a website or digital project. Effective digital projects require a nuanced understanding of brand, audience engagement, and the specific goals of your marketing and communications teams. Without this insight, important aspects like user experience, design quality, and adaptability can be overlooked or undervalued. Including your marketing and communications team in the process helps ensure that the RFP criteria align with your goals rather than focusing only on easily measurable metrics.

Procurement-driven RFPs tend to become overly complex and lengthy, which can discourage quality agencies from participating. Highly skilled digital partners often value efficiency and clarity and are less inclined to invest time in lengthy forms that prioritize formality over substance. In many cases, the best partners are looking for clients who understand the value of collaboration and are willing to have transparent conversations about project goals and vision. When the RFP process feels like a check-the-box exercise, you risk losing the interest of the most innovative and capable agencies.

Additionally, procurement’s focus on driving down costs can backfire in the context of digital projects. When cost is emphasized over quality or flexibility, the result often falls short of expectations. Skilled digital agencies bring valuable expertise that supports long-term brand goals, but they also have operating costs that reflect the quality of their work. Agencies forced into a low-budget proposal often compromise on customizations or innovations that would truly set your project apart, ultimately leading to a website that feels templated or fails to adapt to future needs. A balanced approach, where procurement and marketing work together, can create a process that respects budget while ensuring that quality, brand alignment, and vision are not compromised.

What makes website RFPs different?

You know your business inside and out, but technical expertise may not be your strong suit. So, how do you write RFPs for a technically advanced audience? What’s more, how do you evaluate and compare their technical prowess? This is what makes writing a website RFP especially challenging for many organizations.

It’s okay not to have all the answers from a technical standpoint. If you don’t know specifics about the platform and functionality, simply state that in the RFP and ask agencies for their recommendations. Agencies will have their preferences and solutions for what they would include in the build.

When comparing multiple seemingly similar digital agencies, here are some questions you can ask to get a better sense of their capabilities:

• What is your preferred CMS, and why?
• What technologies do you use, and how do they benefit my organization?
• Who is on your team, and what experience do they have?
• What are your strengths in building websites?
• What is your process for web development, and at what stages do you involve the client?
• Do you outsource design and development?
• What quality guarantees does your agency have for the website?
• What are some projects you’ve completed that are similar in scope?
• Do you provide services outside of website development?
• What is involved in your website support and maintenance?

Looking for digital partners.

Your shiny RFP is all ready to go. Now what? How do you get it in front of suitable agencies? There are two approaches that you can take.

Make your RFP findable.

Post your RFP on the most relevant channels to get a mix of responses from suitable agencies.

• Share your RFP on LinkedIn and ask your network to recommend their favourite creative or technical teams.
• Post on your company’s website and social channels
• Post on online RFP databases and directories such as Bids & Tenders and Merx.

Bring your RFP to them.

You can also reach out directly to top agencies whose work you admire.

• Find websites you love from similar organizations and figure out who built them. An agency link is usually mentioned in the website’s footer. You can also contact the organization to ask who their digital agency is.
• Search online for digital agencies with expertise in your industry or desired platform. Clutch is a great place for this because it has genuine, verified reviews.
• If proximity is important to you, you can also refine your search to agencies in your region, province, state, or country. 

Figuring out the right fit.

Agencies often hear stories of clients flipping to the last page of a proposal to see the cost. There has to be more to it than that. Seek out an agency with proven expertise and success with projects of similar size to yours.

Pro Tip: Look closely at their portfolio. Do the websites have diverse styles and functions, or do they all follow a similar template? This will give you an indication of the agency’s ability to adapt the solution to your brand. 

Of course, the proposal itself matters. You’re looking for a proposal tailored to your specific ask, not just one that swapped in your company name for someone else’s. However, getting to know the people behind the proposal is also essential.

Pro Tip: Set up a meeting. By taking the time to meet in person or virtually, you’ll get an immediate vibe check. You’ll see their personality and passion for your project—what it’s all about.

Get started with our RFP template.

You can use this template as a starting point for your website RFP and tailor it to your organization’s needs.