What Is an RFP and When Do You Need One?
An RFP (Request for Proposal) is a document you send to potential web agencies or freelancers that describes your project requirements and asks them to submit a proposal with their approach, timeline, and pricing. It is the professional way to shop for a web partner.
You do not always need a formal RFP. For a straightforward business website, a detailed email describing what you need is often sufficient. But an RFP becomes valuable when:
- Your project is complex with multiple features or integrations
- You are comparing three or more providers and need standardized responses
- Multiple stakeholders in your organization need to review proposals
- Your budget is significant enough to warrant a structured evaluation process
- You need to document the selection process for organizational or compliance reasons
What to Include in Your RFP
Company Background
Start with a brief description of your business. Include what you do, who your customers are, how long you have been operating, and your general business goals. This helps providers understand the context and tailor their proposals to your specific situation.
Project Overview
Describe what you need at a high level. Are you building a new website from scratch, redesigning an existing one, or adding features to a current site? State the primary purpose of the website: lead generation, e-commerce, information, portfolio, or something else.
Specific Requirements
List the features and functionality you need. Be specific but avoid dictating how things should be built. Tell providers what you need, not how to build it. Common requirements include:
- Number and types of pages (home, about, services, contact, blog)
- Content management capabilities (will you update the site yourself?)
- E-commerce or online booking functionality
- Contact forms, live chat, or other communication tools
- Integration with existing tools (CRM, email marketing, social media)
- SEO requirements and search engine visibility goals
- Accessibility requirements
- Mobile responsiveness expectations
Budget Range
Including a budget range is controversial, but it saves everyone time. If your budget is $2,000 and an agency's minimum project is $15,000, neither of you benefits from the proposal process. You do not need to give an exact number. A range like "$3,000 to $5,000" helps providers right-size their proposals.
Timeline
State when you need the project completed and any hard deadlines (like a product launch or seasonal event). Also include the RFP timeline: when proposals are due, when you will make a decision, and when you want to start.
Evaluation Criteria
Tell providers how you will evaluate their proposals. This might include portfolio quality, relevant experience, price, timeline, and references. Being transparent about your criteria helps providers focus on what matters to you.
Submission Instructions
Specify how proposals should be submitted (email, online portal), the deadline, a maximum page length if desired, and who to contact with questions. Provide a point person for follow-up questions.
Common RFP Mistakes
- Being too vague: "We need a modern website" does not give providers enough to quote accurately. Be specific about what you need.
- Being too prescriptive: Specifying exact pixel dimensions and technology stacks removes the expertise you are paying for. State goals, not implementation details.
- Sending to too many providers: Three to five is ideal. Sending to ten or more signals that you are casting a wide net, which discourages serious providers from investing time in their proposals.
- No budget indication: This leads to wildly different proposals that are impossible to compare fairly.
- Unrealistic timelines: Giving providers a week to respond to a complex RFP results in rushed, low-quality proposals.
- Ignoring ongoing costs: Your RFP should ask about hosting, maintenance, and support costs, not just the build price.
After You Receive Proposals
Once proposals come in, evaluate them consistently. Use a simple scoring matrix with your evaluation criteria weighted by importance. Schedule follow-up calls with your top two or three candidates to ask clarifying questions and get a sense of working style.
For detailed guidance on evaluating agencies, see our guide on picking the right web agency.