A Website RFP Template: A Foolproof Guide for Anyone

A Website RFP Template: A Foolproof Guide for Anyone

You’re ready to build or redesign your website, and you know you need professional help. But how do you communicate your needs, compare proposals objectively, and ensure agencies understand your vision? The answer: a comprehensive Request for Proposal (RFP).

A well-crafted RFP does more than solicit bids—it forces you to clarify your goals, establishes clear expectations, and attracts agencies with relevant expertise while filtering out poor fits. Research from Forrester shows that organizations using structured RFPs experience 40% fewer scope changes mid-project and 35% higher satisfaction with final deliverables.

This foolproof template walks you through creating a website RFP that gets results, whether you’re a small business, nonprofit, or enterprise organization.

Why You Need a Website RFP

Even for smaller projects, an RFP provides critical benefits:

• Forces strategic thinking: Writing an RFP requires defining goals, audience, and success criteria
• Creates apples-to-apples comparison: All agencies respond to same requirements
• Reduces misunderstandings: Clear documentation prevents costly mid-project surprises
• Demonstrates professionalism: Quality agencies respect clients who’ve done their homework
• Protects your budget: Defined scope prevents scope creep and cost overruns
• Establishes accountability: Creates baseline for measuring agency performance

Think of your RFP as the foundation for a successful partnership. The effort you invest upfront pays dividends throughout the project.

Website RFP Template: Essential Sections

Section 1: Executive Summary and Company Overview

Start with context that helps agencies understand your organization:

What to Include:

Company/Organization Background

• Legal name and DBA if applicable
• Mission statement or purpose
• Years in operation
• Number of employees
• Annual revenue/budget (optional but helpful)
• Geographic locations served
• Key products, services, or programs

Brief Project Summary

• High-level description of what you need (new site, redesign, specific features)
• Primary motivation for the project
• Expected launch timeline
• Budget range (consider including this to filter inappropriate agencies)

Example:

“Boston Community Foundation is a 35-year-old nonprofit connecting donors with local charitable organizations. We serve the greater Boston area through grant-making, donor-advised funds, and community leadership programs. With 12 staff members and $8M in annual giving, we’re seeking to redesign our website to better communicate our impact, improve donor experience, and streamline our grant application process. We aim to launch the new site by September 2025 with a budget of $40,000-$60,000.”

Section 2: Project Goals and Objectives

Clearly articulate what success looks like:

Primary Business Objectives

List 3-5 specific, measurable goals:

Example Goals:

1. Increase online donations by 40% within 12 months post-launch
2. Reduce grant application abandonment from 62% to under 30%
3. Improve organic search traffic by 50% through improved SEO
4. Decrease time-to-information for common questions (reduce support inquiries by 25%)
5. Enhance mobile user experience (reduce mobile bounce rate from 71% to under 45%)

User Experience Objectives

What should visitors be able to do easily?

• Learn about our mission and impact within 30 seconds of landing
• Find grant application requirements in 2 clicks or less
• Complete donation process in under 90 seconds
• Access board documents and annual reports intuitively
• Submit volunteer applications on mobile devices seamlessly

Brand and Marketing Objectives

• Modernize brand perception (currently seen as traditional/outdated)
• Communicate transparency through accessible financial reporting
• Showcase grant recipient success stories effectively
• Position as thought leader in community philanthropy

Section 3: Target Audience Definition

Help agencies understand who they’re designing for:

Primary Audiences (Rank by Priority)

Persona 1: Individual Donors

• Demographics: 45-70 years old, college-educated, household income $100K+
• Tech comfort: Moderate (use email, social media; less comfortable with complex processes)
• Goals: Make meaningful local impact, simplify giving, receive recognition
• Pain points: Unsure where donations will have most impact, want transparency, busy schedules
• Key website actions: Donate, establish donor-advised funds, read impact reports

Persona 2: Grant Seekers (Nonprofit Organizations)

• Demographics: Executive directors and development staff, 30-55 years old
• Tech comfort: Moderate to high
• Goals: Secure funding, understand eligibility, navigate application process efficiently
• Pain points: Application process confusing, unclear requirements, long wait times for answers
• Key website actions: Search grant opportunities, submit applications, check application status

Persona 3: Community Leaders and Researchers

• Demographics: Journalists, academics, policymakers, 30-65 years old
• Goals: Understand community needs data, access reports, contact for expertise
• Key website actions: Download reports, access data visualizations, contact staff

Secondary Audiences:

• Current donors checking grant progress
• Potential board members researching organization
• Volunteers seeking opportunities

Section 4: Current Website Analysis

Provide context about existing site:

Current Website Details

• URL: www.example.org
• Platform: WordPress 5.8
• Launch date: March 2018
• Monthly visitors: 8,500
• Mobile traffic: 58%
• Top traffic sources: 45% organic search, 30% direct, 15% social, 10% referral

What’s Working

• Blog content generates consistent traffic (40% of sessions)
• Online donation integration functions reliably
• Grant recipient stories are well-received
• Email newsletter signup conversion is strong (12%)

What’s Not Working

• Mobile experience is poor (75% bounce rate on mobile)
• Grant application portal is confusing (62% abandonment rate)
• Site search returns irrelevant results
• Slow page load times (4.2 seconds average)
• Difficult to update content (requires developer assistance)
• Not accessible to users with disabilities (fails WCAG 2.1 AA standards)

Analytics and Performance Data

• Average session duration: 2:18
• Pages per session: 3.2
• Bounce rate: 61%
• Conversion rate (donations): 1.8%
• Top landing pages: Homepage (45%), Grant Programs (22%), About Us (12%)
• Exit pages: Grant Application (28%), Donation Page (18%)

Section 5: Scope of Work and Technical Requirements

Be specific about what you need:

Site Structure and Pages

List required pages and sections:

Main Navigation Pages:

• Home
• About Us (Mission, History, Team, Board, Annual Reports)
• Our Impact (Grant Recipients, Success Stories, Community Impact Data)
• For Donors (How to Give, Donor-Advised Funds, Planned Giving, Recognition)
• For Grant Seekers (Grant Programs, Eligibility, Application Process, FAQs)
• Resources (Reports, Data, Publications, Blog)
• Contact

Special Functionality Pages:

• Online donation system (integrated with existing payment processor)
• Grant application portal (multi-step form with document upload)
• Grantee login area (check application status, download resources)
• Donor login area (view giving history, manage recurring donations)
• Event calendar and registration
• Volunteer application and matching system

Blog/News Section:

• Minimum 50 existing posts to migrate
• Categories and tagging system
• Author profiles
• Social sharing
• Email subscription integration

Estimated total pages: 45-60 (including dynamic content)

Required Features and Functionality

Content Management:

• Intuitive CMS for non-technical staff to update content
• Page builder or template system for easy layout creation
• Media library management
• Version control and content approval workflow
• SEO controls (meta titles, descriptions, alt text)

Forms and Data Collection:

• Multi-step grant application form with conditional logic
• Document upload capability (PDF, Word, Excel)
• Form data export to CSV
• Integration with CRM (Salesforce)
• Email notification workflows

Search and Navigation:

• Robust site search with relevant results
• Filtering and sorting for grant programs
• Breadcrumb navigation
• Related content suggestions

Integrations Required:

• Salesforce CRM (existing system)
• Stripe payment processing (existing account)
• Mailchimp email marketing (existing account)
• Google Analytics 4 and Search Console
• Social media feeds (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn)
• Calendar integration (Google Calendar or similar)

Design Requirements:

• Responsive design (mobile, tablet, desktop)
• Accessibility compliance (WCAG 2.1 AA minimum)
• Brand guidelines adherence (will provide style guide)
• Photography style (authentic, local, diverse representation)
• Video embedding support
• Interactive data visualizations for impact reporting

Technical Requirements:

• Platform: WordPress (current) or alternative recommendation with justification
• Hosting: Cloud-based, scalable, 99.9% uptime SLA
• Security: SSL certificate, regular backups, malware protection, security monitoring
• Performance: Sub-2-second page load times, optimized images, CDN
• SEO: Technical SEO best practices, structured data, XML sitemap
• Browser compatibility: Latest two versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge

Content Services Needed:

• Content migration from existing site (identify what’s included)
• Content audit and recommendations
• Copywriting for 10-15 new pages
• Professional photography (budget separately or include?)
• Video production (if recommended)

Section 6: Project Timeline and Milestones

Desired Timeline:

• RFP release: January 15, 2025
• Questions due: January 29, 2025
• Proposals due: February 12, 2025
• Agency presentations: February 19-26, 2025
• Agency selection: March 5, 2025
• Contract execution: March 15, 2025
• Project kickoff: March 20, 2025
• Desired launch: September 1, 2025

Expected Project Phases (Flexible):

• Discovery and strategy: 2-3 weeks
• Information architecture and wireframes: 3-4 weeks
• Design: 4-5 weeks
• Development: 6-8 weeks
• Content migration and creation: Concurrent with development
• Testing and quality assurance: 2 weeks
• Training: 1 week
• Launch and post-launch support: Ongoing

Section 7: Budget and Pricing

Budget Range: $40,000 – $60,000

Request pricing breakdown for:

• Strategy and planning
• Information architecture
• Design (mockups and revisions)
• Development (front-end and back-end)
• Content services
• Quality assurance and testing
• Training and documentation
• Project management
• Post-launch support (specify duration)

Ongoing Costs (Separate from Project Budget):

Please provide estimates for:

• Monthly hosting and maintenance
• Annual platform license fees (if applicable)
• Premium plugin or tool subscriptions
• Recommended ongoing support retainer

Payment Terms:

Preferred structure: 30% upon contract, 40% at design approval, 30% at launch. Open to agency’s standard terms.

Section 8: Agency Qualifications and Selection Criteria

Required Agency Qualifications:

• Minimum 5 years experience with website design and development
• Portfolio demonstrating 5+ nonprofit or mission-driven organization websites
• Expertise in WordPress (or proposed alternative platform)
• Proven SEO and accessibility implementation experience
• References from at least 3 similar projects
• Team includes dedicated project manager, designer, and developer
• Located in New England or willing to meet on-site for kickoff (preference, not requirement)

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with Salesforce integration
• Nonprofit sector expertise
• Content strategy and copywriting services
• Ongoing support and maintenance offerings
• UX research and testing capabilities

Selection Criteria (Weighted):

• Relevant experience and portfolio quality: 30%
• Proposed approach and methodology: 25%
• Team expertise and availability: 20%
• Cost and value: 15%
• Timeline and project management approach: 10%

Section 9: Proposal Requirements

Agencies must submit:

1. Agency Overview (2-3 pages)

• Company history and mission
• Team size and structure
• Core services and specializations
• Office locations
• Relevant certifications or partnerships

2. Relevant Experience (4-6 pages)

• 3-5 case studies from similar projects
• For each case study include: client name, project scope, challenges, solutions, results, timeline, budget range
• Links to live examples
• Client testimonials

3. Proposed Team (2-3 pages)

• Bios and relevant experience for all team members who will work on project
• Team members’ roles and time allocation
• Account management and communication structure

4. Project Approach and Methodology (5-7 pages)

• Detailed project plan with phases and milestones
• Specific approach to discovery, design, development, testing, launch
• How you’ll address our stated goals and challenges
• Communication and collaboration process
• Quality assurance methodology
• Risk mitigation strategies
• Assumptions you’re making

5. Technology Recommendations (2-3 pages)

• Recommended platform (WordPress or alternative with justification)
• Hosting recommendation
• Required plugins, tools, or third-party services
• Security approach
• Scalability considerations

6. Detailed Pricing (2-3 pages)

• Itemized cost breakdown by phase and deliverable
• Hourly rates if applicable
• Included services vs. additional costs
• Payment schedule
• Ongoing maintenance options and costs

7. Timeline (1-2 pages)

• Detailed project schedule from kickoff to launch
• Key milestones and dependencies
• Client responsibilities and review periods
• Assumptions affecting timeline

8. References (1 page)

• Minimum 3 client references from similar projects within past 3 years
• Include: client name, contact name and title, email, phone, project description, dates

9. Terms and Conditions (1-2 pages)

• Standard contract terms
• Intellectual property rights
• Warranty and support policies
• Change order process
• Termination clauses

Format Requirements:

• Submit as single PDF document
• Maximum 30 pages (excluding case study links and appendices)
• Include table of contents
• Label sections clearly matching RFP structure

Section 10: Evaluation Process

Our Selection Process:

Phase 1: Initial Review (February 12-15)

• Proposals reviewed by evaluation committee
• Scored against selection criteria
• Top 3-4 agencies selected for presentations

Phase 2: Presentations (February 19-26)

• 60-minute presentation with 30 minutes Q&A
• Meeting with proposed team members
• Review of additional work samples if needed

Phase 3: Reference Checks (February 26-28)

• Contact provided references
• Verify project outcomes and client satisfaction

Phase 4: Final Selection (March 1-5)

• Committee deliberation
• Final negotiations if needed
• Selection announcement by March 5

Section 11: Terms and Conditions

Submission Guidelines:

• Proposals due by 5:00 PM EST on February 12, 2025
• Submit electronically to: [[email protected]]
• Subject line: “Website RFP Response – [Agency Name]”
• Late submissions will not be considered

Questions and Clarifications:

• Questions must be submitted by January 29, 2025 to [[email protected]]
• Answers will be provided to all agencies by February 3, 2025
• No direct contact with organization staff except through designated RFP coordinator

RFP Terms:

• Organization reserves right to reject any or all proposals
• Organization is not obligated to select lowest-cost proposal
• Organization may request additional information from agencies
• Proposals become property of organization
• Organization reserves right to negotiate with selected agency
• This RFP does not commit organization to award contract

Confidentiality:

• Proposals will be kept confidential during evaluation
• Agencies must keep all information in this RFP confidential
• Selected agency information may become public after contract award

Section 12: Contact Information

RFP Coordinator:
[Name]
[Title]
[Email]
[Phone]

Organization Address:
[Street Address]
[City, State ZIP]
[Website]

Common RFP Mistakes to Avoid

1. Being too vague about goals: “We want to increase engagement” isn’t specific enough
2. Unrealistic timelines: Quality websites take 3-6 months; don’t demand 6-week turnarounds
3. Hiding budget: Stating budget range attracts appropriate agencies and prevents wasted time
4. Focusing on features, not outcomes: Explain why you need features, not just what you want
5. Ignoring ongoing costs: Budget only for initial build without considering maintenance
6. Too prescriptive about solutions: Allow agencies to recommend best approaches
7. Insufficient evaluation time: Don’t rush selection; take time to assess properly
8. No stakeholder alignment: Ensure decision-makers agree before issuing RFP

After You Receive Proposals

Evaluation Tips:

• Create scoring rubric before reading proposals to ensure objectivity
• Have multiple stakeholders score independently, then compare
• Look for agencies that ask clarifying questions—shows they’re thinking critically
• Don’t be swayed by fancy design of proposal itself; evaluate substance
• Check references thoroughly; ask about challenges, not just successes
• Review live examples of their work, especially on mobile
• Assess cultural fit and communication style during presentations

Red Flags:

• Proposals that don’t address your specific goals
• Cookie-cutter approaches without customization
• Significantly lower pricing than others (may indicate lack of understanding or quality issues)
• Promises that sound too good to be true (“First page Google ranking guaranteed!”)
• Reluctance to provide references or case studies
• Vague timelines or deliverables
• High-pressure tactics or urgent decision requests

Downloadable RFP Template

To make this easier, we’ve created a downloadable Word template you can customize with your specific needs. The template includes all sections above with guidance notes and placeholder text.

Need Help Creating Your Website RFP?

Crafting an effective RFP requires strategic thinking and industry knowledge. At Capetivate, we help New England organizations develop comprehensive RFPs that attract the right agency partners.

We can also respond to your RFP if you’re seeking an experienced agency specializing in nonprofit, B2B, and mission-driven websites.

Explore our website services or schedule a free consultation to discuss your website project and RFP development.