How to Write a Website Redesign RFP Agencies Want to Answer

Most website RFPs are written with care and still produce disappointing responses. They run twenty pages, list every feature anyone mentioned in a meeting, and leave out the two things agencies need most: what the site has to accomplish and roughly what you plan to spend.

A good RFP is shorter than you think. Its job is to help the right agencies understand your project quickly, decide whether they are a fit, and send proposals you can actually compare. Here is what belongs in one.

1. Start with the organization and the problem

Open with a few paragraphs about who you are, who your audiences are, and why you are redesigning now. Be honest about what is not working. "Donors cannot find the giving page on mobile" is far more useful than "we need a modern, user-friendly website."

2. Define goals you can measure

List three to five outcomes the new site should support. Examples include more qualified inquiries, higher online donations, fewer support calls, faster content updates for staff, or meeting WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards. Clear goals let agencies propose the right approach instead of guessing.

3. Describe the scope, not the solution

Give agencies the facts they need to estimate the work:

• Approximate number of pages and templates, and how much content will be rewritten.
• Your current platform, such as WordPress or Shopify, and whether you are open to changing it.
• Integrations: CRM, donation platform, email marketing, event registration, or ecommerce.
• Who will write content, supply photography, and handle translations.
• Accessibility, privacy, and hosting requirements.
• Whether you need ongoing support after launch.

Avoid prescribing exact features or page layouts. A strong agency will bring ideas you have not considered, and an overly rigid scope makes that difficult.

4. Share a budget range

This is the section most RFPs leave out, and it causes the most wasted time. Without a range, one agency proposes a template site and another proposes a custom platform, and neither proposal helps you decide.

For reference, our own pricing for custom work typically falls into three ranges: a marketing website from $5,000 to $20,000, a combined brand and website project from $20,000 to $75,000, and platform or enterprise builds starting at $75,000. Sharing your range, even a broad one, lets agencies show you the best version of the project at that level.

5. Set a realistic timeline

Include the date proposals are due, when you expect to choose a partner, and when you hope to launch. A typical custom redesign takes several months from kickoff to launch, depending on content readiness and approvals. If a board meeting, campaign, or fiscal year drives your deadline, say so.

6. Ask for what you will actually evaluate

Ask each agency for a short list of items you can compare side by side:

• Relevant work, ideally with organizations similar to yours.
• The team who will actually work on your project, and their roles.
• Their process, from discovery through launch.
• How they handle SEO migration and accessibility.
• Pricing broken into phases, and what ongoing support costs.

Skip requests for speculative design work. Spec design is created without research, so it rarely reflects the final result, and many senior agencies decline to provide it.

7. Explain how you will decide

Share your evaluation criteria and the people involved. Leave room for a short call with your top two or three agencies. Chemistry and communication matter on a project that lasts months, and a conversation reveals more than a proposal can.

A simple outline

1. About the organization
2. Project background and challenges
3. Goals and success measures
4. Scope, platform, and integrations
5. Budget range
6. Timeline and key dates
7. Proposal requirements
8. Evaluation criteria and contact

Most of this fits in four to six pages. Shorter RFPs tend to receive more thoughtful responses, because agencies can spend their time on your problem instead of your formatting requirements.

Talk before you send it

If you are drafting an RFP and want a second opinion on scope or budget, we are happy to talk it through. Hooten is a senior-led team that has worked with nonprofits, lifestyle brands, and technology companies on websites of every size. Learn more about our website redesign services or our work on nonprofit websites.