How to Write A Website Design RFP
How To Write a Web Design RFP That Attracts Top Tier Agencies
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Strategy
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How to Write the Perfect Site Redesign RFP [+Free Template]
Ah, the RFP. Three innocent letters that somehow strike fear into the hearts of marketing teams everywhere.
On paper, it’s just a “Request for Proposal”: a structured way to get bids from vendors. But in reality? It’s your first impression. Your pitch to potential partners. Your way of saying, “Here’s what we need. Show us what you’ve got.”
The problem? Most RFPs read like bureaucratic homework assignments. They’re overly vague, stuffed with formalities, and often written more for procurement than performance. No wonder they attract the wrong vendors or worse, no responses at all.
That’s not what you want.
A great RFP should do three things:
- Attract better vendors (the ones you actually want to work with)
- Clarify your internal goals (so your team knows what success looks like)
- Kickstart a successful project (by setting expectations from the start)
- Enable agencies to submit a great proposal by providing a well-structured process and clear timeline
This guide will walk you through how to write an RFP that cuts through the clutter, gets top-tier agencies excited, and sets your website project up for real, measurable wins.
Ready? Let’s make RFPs something you’re glad you sent out.
The Real Purpose of a Website Design RFP
At its core, a website design RFP (Request for Proposal) is a structured document that outlines your goals, needs, and requirements for a new website project (sometimes also called a website request). It gives vendors the context they need to submit proposals that actually solve your problems, not just sell you a prettier homepage.
Think of it like writing a job posting, but instead of hiring a full-time employee, you’re bringing on an agency to help you build one of your most important business assets.
When an RFP Is Worth the Effort
Not every website project needs an RFP, but if your project meets any of the following criteria, writing one is a smart move:
- Launching a new website for a brand, product, or service
- Redesigning an existing website that’s underperforming
- Rebranding and needing a visual and messaging overhaul
- Rolling out a new product or feature that your current site can’t support
- Consolidating multiple digital properties after a merger or acquisition
- Evaluating multiple potential vendors for a project with real budget and complexity
- Managing active or ongoing design projects where you need agencies to preview and bid on current web design work
Here’s a quick example: Say you’re the VP of Marketing at a SaaS company rolling out a new enterprise pricing tier. You need more than a landing page. You need a conversion-focused site experience, revamped messaging, and new gated content areas. This is not a “grab a template and go” kind of job. A well-written RFP will help you attract agencies that can handle both the technical lift and the strategic nuance.
When You Might Not Need One
Skip the RFP if:
- You already have a trusted design and development partner who deeply understands your business
- You’re doing a simple landing page update or a small design tweak
- You’re experimenting with a quick MVP or A/B test
If your project is low-stakes or time-sensitive, a phone call and a quick scope might get you there faster.
Why Bother With an RFP? Four Reasons That Actually Matter
Let’s be honest. RFPs can feel tedious. But when done right, they deliver real ROI.
Forces Internal Alignment
Before you can explain your needs to an agency, you have to get clear on them yourself. Writing an RFP forces your team to ask hard questions:
- What are our business goals for this project?
- What’s broken about our current site?
- What does success actually look like?
That process surfaces disagreements, sets priorities, and saves a ton of back-and-forth later.
Saves Time Comparing Apples to Apples
A vague request leads to vague proposals. A structured RFP gives every agency the same playbook, so you can compare capabilities, timelines, and costs with confidence. For example, ask every agency to break out design versus development versus strategy costs in their response. That way, you can quickly spot who’s overloading creative fees or underpricing dev work. By providing detailed information in your RFP, you help agencies fully understand your needs and submit more accurate proposals.
Pro tip: Use a spreadsheet (we like Notion or Airtable) to track responses side by side across criteria like timeline, budget range, experience, and technical fit.
Sets Realistic Expectations Early
A good RFP helps you set boundaries and surface red flags before contracts are signed. If your budget is $100K and an agency responds with a $300K proposal, you know the fit is off. Likewise, if someone promises a full redesign in two weeks, that’s your cue to run.
Include your timeline, internal review process, and any non-negotiables (like must-have CMS platforms or integrations) in the RFP to weed out mismatches early.
Protects You From Scope Creep Later
Scope creep is one of the fastest ways to tank a project. A clear RFP locks in requirements and deliverables from the start, so everyone knows what’s in and out of scope. Make sure to document specific requests in your RFP to avoid misunderstandings about what is included. It also gives you leverage when new ideas pop up mid-project. If it wasn’t in the original RFP or proposal, you’ll have documentation to renegotiate timelines and pricing.
Pro tip: Use tools like Trello or Asana during the RFP process to start documenting deliverables and milestones. Agencies that are process-oriented will appreciate it, and you’ll be one step ahead.
Before You Dive In: Audit Your Current Website
Before you start planning a new website or redesign, take a hard look at your current site. This isn’t just about listing what you like or don’t like. It’s about gathering real data and insights to guide your goals and shape the entire website design process.
Start with Analytics
Use tools like Google Analytics to answer questions like:
- What does your traffic look like?
- Where are users dropping off?
- Which pages are converting?
- Which ones are just collecting digital dust?
Layer in tools like Hotjar or Microsoft Clarity for heatmaps and user recordings. These will show where users are clicking, scrolling, or getting stuck, valuable intel for improving user experience.
Check the Tech
Evaluate your current infrastructure:
- Is your site slow?
- Is it hard to update?
- Are there missing or broken integrations?
- What features or content does your team rely on?
- What pain points keep coming up?
The goal here is to decide what to keep, what to improve, and what to leave behind in the next iteration of your site.
Why This Matters
By taking stock of your existing site, you’ll be able to:
- Set clear, specific project goals
- Write a well-informed RFP that reflects your actual needs
- Attract agencies that understand where you're starting from and where you want to go
This level of clarity streamlines the redesign process. It also helps you find a partner who can deliver real results, not just a fresh coat of paint.
The Next Step: Get Aligned Internally
If you skip this step, even the best-written RFP won’t save your project. Misalignment inside your team is one of the fastest ways to derail timelines, frustrate vendors, and blow budgets.
Before you write a single word of your RFP, gather the right people, including your sales team, to help set lead generation and sales-related goals, ask the hard questions, and get on the same page.
Step 1: Define Stakeholders and Decision-Makers
Start by identifying who actually has a voice in this project. That includes both the people signing off on the budget and the ones who’ll be in the weeds during day-to-day execution.
Your core group should usually include:
- Project manager: responsible for coordinating the project, managing workflow, and ensuring deadlines are met
- Marketing leadership: Director or VP level
- Sales leadership to ensure alignment on lead quality and sales funnel goals
- Executive sponsor: someone who can unlock budget and help move things forward
- Optional: IT or engineering, especially if there are platform or integration requirements
Pro tip: Use a RACI chart (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) to clarify roles. Tools like Miro or Lucidchart make this easy to map visually.
Step 2: Align on Goals
This is where many teams get tripped up. “We want a better website” is not a goal. Be precise.
Ask:
- What business outcomes does this website need to support?
- Are we trying to increase qualified leads, focus on lead generation, generate sales-ready leads, educate prospective buyers, address the needs of prospective buyers, reduce churn, improve product adoption, or drive event signups?
- What metrics will we use to define success?
Example: A SaaS company might define success as increasing demo requests by 30% in six months. That gives agencies something real to design around.
Step 3: Set a Realistic Budget Range
You don’t need to land on an exact number, but you should be able to answer the question: Are we talking $50K or $500K?
Agencies can tailor their approach if they know your budget range. Specifying your project budget upfront allows vendors to propose solutions that may include additional features or functionalities within your financial constraints. Without it, you’ll get wildly different proposals that are impossible to compare.
Pro tip: If you’re unsure about what a realistic budget looks like, use our Huemor project calculator to get your custom website cost estimate in less than 2 minutes.
Step 4: Define a Timeline (And Be Honest)
Do you need this launched before a product rollout or a big event? Do you have enough internal bandwidth for reviews and feedback cycles? Be sure to set a clear target date for having the site live to clarify expectations for all parties.
Spell it out. And be upfront about constraints like:
- Upcoming trade shows
- Hiring freezes
- Budget approval windows
Example: “We need to launch before our Series B announcement in Q2, with the site live by May 1st. We have one stakeholder on maternity leave until March. Legal review requires two weeks of lead time.”
That level of detail will help vendors build a more accurate and achievable timeline.
Step 5: Clarify Must-Haves vs. Nice-to-Haves
Every stakeholder has a wish list. Your job is to sort it into two columns:
- Must-haves: things like CMS preference, multilingual support, or CRM integrations. Be sure to account for all the services required for a successful website project, not just features. This ensures nothing essential is overlooked in your planning.
- Nice-to-haves: animations, gated resource libraries, advanced personalization, etc.
Being transparent about this helps agencies propose smarter solutions without overengineering things you don’t need.
Tool to try: Use a shared doc or Notion table where each stakeholder can add features. Have the team vote or rank items before the final review.
Step 6: Agree on What Success Looks Like
This one sounds simple, but it’s often the hardest. Sit down with marketing, sales, leadership, and (if relevant) IT, and come to an agreement on what finished and successful actually means.
It could be:
- A fully responsive site built on Webflow, HubSpot, or WordPress
- A homepage with under 2.5 second load time
- A 20% lift in conversion rate within 90 days of launch
- A flexible backend that allows the marketing team to build new pages without developer help
Write it down. Commit to it. This becomes the north star for the RFP and the project itself.
The 10 Essential Sections of a Great Website RFP
A strong website RFP does more than check a box. It sets the stage for a successful project by attracting the right agency, aligning expectations, and protecting your time and budget. These ten sections are the foundation of any serious RFP. Use them to bring structure to your process, clarify your goals, and connect with vendors who are truly qualified to help you succeed.
1. Company Overview
Who you are, what you do, and why it matters.
You don’t need to give your full origin story, but do paint a clear picture of your brand. This is your chance to help agencies understand the context behind the project.
Include:
- Your industry and product or service focus
- Core values and positioning in the market
- Unique differentiators (why do customers choose you)
- Why this project is happening now (new product, rebrand, leadership change)
Example
“We’re a B2B SaaS company serving mid-market healthcare providers. Our platform helps clinics automate insurance verification and reduce paperwork. We’ve recently secured Series B funding and need a website that reflects our growth and aligns with our new positioning.”
2. Project Overview
Outline what you’re looking for at a high level. Is this a redesign of an existing site, the planning and launch of a new site, or a net-new build? Or perhaps a consolidation of multiple properties?
Also include:
- A summary of what’s not working with the current site
- Where you’re seeing friction or drop-off in the user experience
- What’s triggering this project (poor conversions, brand misalignment)
Pro tip: Be honest about past issues. Agencies appreciate transparency because it leads to better solutions.
3. Goals & Success Metrics
If you don’t define success, you can’t measure it.
Don’t stop at “we want a better website.” Translate business goals into trackable outcomes.
Break goals into:
- Primary business metrics (increase qualified demo requests by 25 percent, reduce bounce rate to under 40 percent, improve digital marketing ROI, boost leads generated through digital marketing campaigns)
- User-focused metrics (more clicks on product CTAs, higher engagement with content, improved user experience from website development enhancements)
- Internal outcomes (easier site updates, more alignment between sales and marketing, streamlined website development processes)
Pro tip: Tools like Hotjar and GA4 can help you benchmark current site performance before setting future goals.
4. Target Audience & User Personas
Great design starts with understanding who it’s for.
Agencies can’t build for everyone. Give them a clear understanding of who matters most by identifying and addressing the needs of your target audiences.
Include:
- Primary and secondary audience segments
- Key jobs to be done or pain points
- Buyer journey details (how long is the consideration cycle)
- Known behaviors or insights (our users are mostly mobile and bounce if load time exceeds 3 seconds)
Example
“Our primary audience is HR decision-makers at manufacturing firms. They’re looking for benefits software that simplifies compliance. Secondary audience includes brokers and CFOs who influence purchasing decisions.”
5. Design & Functionality Wishlist
This is where your inspiration meets reality.
Give the agency a feel for your design taste and must-have features.
Include:
- Links to 3 to 5 websites you admire and why (clean layout, interactive elements, storytelling)
- Specific features you need (product filtering, location finder, video integration, hover states, web application)
- Any brand guidelines or style constraints
Pro tip: Tools like Figma or Pinterest are great for collecting and organizing design inspiration to share with your vendor.
6. Content Strategy & Migration Needs
Content is often the biggest wildcard. Get ahead of it.
Clearly outline where content is coming from, who owns it, and what needs to change.
Cover:
- Will content be migrated, rewritten, or created from scratch?
- Who will handle copywriting and editing?
- Is your current content structure working, or does it need rethinking?
- Are there any plans for a blog, knowledge base, or gated content hub?
Example
“We have over 300 blog posts, but only the top 50 drive traffic. We need help auditing and migrating key pieces, then sunsetting the rest.”
7. Technical Requirements
This is where you weed out agencies that aren’t a fit.
You don’t need to be a developer, but you do need to list known requirements and preferences.
Include:
- CMS preferences
- Web development requirements or specifications
- SEO best practices
- Accessibility expectations
- Performance benchmarks
- Key integrations
Pro tip: Tools like Screaming Frog and Google PageSpeed Insights can help surface performance and SEO issues worth addressing in the new build.
8. Budget & Timeline
Avoid the black hole of proposals that don’t match your reality.
Even a rough budget range is better than none. It helps agencies propose an approach that fits within your parameters. If your only goal is to price shop, remember that RFPs are not the best tool. Calling agencies directly may be more efficient for general pricing.
Include:
- Your budget range (example: $75,000 to $125,000)
- Key milestones:
- RFP submission deadline
- Finalist interviews
- Vendor selection date
- Project kickoff
- Ideal launch date
Be clear about what’s fixed and what’s flexible. If you’re open to a phased approach or MVP launch, say so.
9. Evaluation Criteria
Tell vendors how you’ll choose. It helps them submit stronger proposals.
Outline what matters most to you, such as:
- Experience in your industry
- Results from past projects
- Strategic thinking and process clarity
- Communication style and cultural fit
- Collaboration tools and workflows
- Your selection process and timeline for notifying vendors
Optional: Ask for feedback on your brief or ideas for improving the scope. This tests creativity and shows who’s really thinking about your business.
10. Submission Requirements
Make it easy for agencies to respond and for you to evaluate.
Be specific about what you want to receive and how to submit it. Request a comprehensive proposal response that addresses all key sections and project specifics.
Ask for:
- Company overview and bios of key team members
- Relevant case studies and client references
- Proposed timeline and budget estimate
- Process overview from discovery to launch
- Hosting and support capabilities (post-launch)
- Submission format (PDF, presentation, video walkthrough)
- Submission deadline and contact person
Pro tip: Create a shared submission inbox (such as rfp@yourcompany.com) to keep everything organized.
What Sets Great Proposals Apart (So You Know What to Look For)
You’ve sent out your RFP, and the responses are starting to roll in. Some look polished and professional. Others feel like they haven’t been updated since 2009.
But here’s the thing: good design alone isn’t enough.
A strong RFP does more than just invite attention. It attracts the right kind of attention. When your RFP is clear and well-structured, it draws in high-quality proposals from agencies that actually understand your goals.
The best proposals don’t just look good. They show the agency gets your business, has a solid plan to help you grow, and can deliver results without unnecessary headaches.
Here’s how to tell which proposals deserve your shortlist and which ones are just filling inbox space.
They Demonstrate a Clear Grasp of Your Business Goals
Top-tier agencies do more than restate your RFP. They show you they understand the why behind your project.
Look for:
- A summary of your goals in their own words (not just copied from your document)
- A breakdown of how their solution ties directly to those goals
- Signals that they understand your audience, competitors, and market dynamics
Example:
Instead of saying, “We’ll redesign your homepage,” a strong proposal might say, “We’ll restructure the homepage to prioritize product features above the fold and reduce friction to demo requests. This aligns with your goal of increasing conversions by 30 percent.”
That’s not fluff. That’s someone who’s paying attention.
They Propose Realistic Timelines and Budgets
If a vendor promises the world in six weeks for $10,000, something’s off. Quality work takes time, and good agencies know how to explain why.
Great proposals:
- Include a phased timeline with dependencies and milestones
- Factor in time for stakeholder feedback and revisions
- Call out potential risks or bottlenecks based on your internal process
Pro tip: Use tools like Asana, ClickUp, or TeamGantt to validate whether the proposed timeline fits your review cycles.
They Offer Transparency Into Their Process
Anyone can say “we have a proven process.” Great vendors will show you what that actually looks like.
Look for:
- A detailed walkthrough of each project phase (discovery, strategy, design, development, QA, launch, post-launch support)
- How your team will be involved at each step
- What communication and collaboration will look like (weekly standups, Slack access, shared project board)
Example:
A strong proposal might outline, “We run weekly sprint reviews with shared Figma access so you’re never in the dark. You’ll always know what’s in progress, what’s coming next, and what’s blocking us.”
They Provide Strategic Suggestions, Not Just Order-Taking
You’re not hiring a design robot. You want a strategic partner who can make you smarter, offer new ideas, and challenge assumptions when needed.
Strong proposals include:
- Initial ideas on UX improvements, messaging clarity, or conversion opportunities
- Questions that go deeper than your brief, like “Have you considered personalizing your product pages by segment?”
- Suggested trade-offs based on budget, user data, or technical complexity
This is a sign the agency isn’t just checking boxes. They’re already thinking like part of your team.
They Include Examples of Measurable Success
Great proposals back up big promises with actual results.
Look for:
- Case studies that match your industry, audience, or challenges
- Before-and-after data tied to business goals (conversion rate increases, lower bounce rate, improved SEO performance)
- Client testimonials or video reviews that speak to long-term impact, not just a pretty launch
Pro tip: If the proposal includes metrics like “122 percent increase in lead quality,” ask how they defined and measured that. Vague stats can sound good but mean nothing.
When you’re comparing proposals, your goal isn’t just to find the most creative or the lowest cost. You want the team that clearly understands your business, knows how to deliver results, and will be a true partner from kickoff to post-launch.
If you’re reading a proposal and thinking, “They get us,” that’s the one worth paying attention to.
Free Resource: The Website Redesign Blueprint for Marketers Who Want Results
Ready to take the guesswork out of your website RFP?
We’ve put together a free Website Redesign Blueprint that breaks everything down step by step. Whether you're writing your first RFP or refining a draft, this resource will help you move faster and make smarter decisions.
Inside, you’ll get:
- A fully editable RFP template with prompts for each section
- A vendor comparison worksheet
- A pre-kickoff alignment checklist for your internal team
- Real-world examples of what good inputs look like
Perfect for:
Marketing leaders, project owners, and teams who want a smoother, more strategic website project from day one.
Grab the blueprint and start your project with confidence.
Great Projects Start with Great RFPs
The best RFPs don’t just get responses. They spark real conversations. They attract agencies that ask the right questions, bring fresh ideas, and become true partners in your growth.
Yes, writing a great RFP takes work. But that upfront investment saves time, reduces risk, and leads to better outcomes, the kind you can measure, celebrate, and build on.
If you’re ready to start the conversation, we’d love to hear from you. Let’s build something memorable together.
Website Redesign Blueprint
Want the full blueprint for your next redesign?
Our website redesign blueprint gives you all the tools you need to make your next project a success. A digital guide, a full redesign checklist, agency interview cheatsheet, and website redesign RFP template.
