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Whether you are developing a new website or
redesigning an existing one, there are many considerations that will
determine the scope of the project, the cost, and the positive end
result - or ultimate return on investment (ROI) - your organization
will see. The following document is a guide to help you build
a detailed request for proposal to help you select the right vendor
for the job.
Overview
Explain your project in general - what functionality do you want
your site to have? What content will you require? How
much input do you expect from us?
Not sure what you need? No problem - indicate that you are
interested in evaluation services, which can range from a simple
assessment of the current situation to an extensive strategic
process that includes market research and focus groups.
Goals
What are the overall goals for your web site?
It could be as simple as a wish to keep up with the competition or a
more ambitious rebranding effort to appeal to an increasingly
younger, internet-savvy customer base.
What are the measurable goals of the project?
You might need to retain and generate new customers, add features to
enable you to improve your sales process efficiency. Improve
the way you answer frequently asked questions. Reduce the
number of clicks users have to make to access the top content on the
site. The important thing is to know what you want to
accomplish - we will work with you to define what steps will be
taken to measure the agreed-upon goals, or what will need to be
developed or monitored to measure the results set by the goals of
the project.
Infrastructure and Hosting
Explain the Information Technology Architecture you will require;
- E-mail
- Security
- Internet Access
- Existing website hosting
If you are a financial institution that provides
customers with secure access to accounts via your website, please
discuss your contract with your existing Online Banking Provider and
Data Service Provider.
Explain your existing hosting architecture (process for accessing
the website for updates) and requirements, if any.
Branding and Market Research Data
Explain how the website integrates into your organization's overall
marketing strategy - what is the demographic of your users, is there
any CRM data available, and, if you have a current site, how do you
monitor usage?
Sales Model and Business Model
Your sales model is the process by which your organization sells its
goods or services, taking into account the operational timeline.
For example, for a realtor the timeline runs from getting a listing
to the actual closing date. For a manufacturer, it's from raw
material to finished product, to successfully shipping/delivering to
the customer.
Your business model is the concept behind how you make money, i.e.,
selling real estate or making and selling a product.
Special Features
Explain any special features or functionality that you want to
incorporate into the new website, such as dynamic functionality
incorporating databases, forms, multimedia (Flash, video, audio),
email marketing, discussion forums, content management systems (CMS)
or e-Commerce.
Are there any forms that will need to be developed (i.e., contact
forms, secure loan applications, shopping carts)? If so, will
the data need to be stored in a database?
Functional Requirements
Are there any special requirements that need to be built into the
site? (i.e. alternate content when plug-in's aren't installed,
minimum browser functionality requirements)
Maintenance
Who will maintain the website? What aspects of the site will
need to be developed for website administration. (content,
databases?)
Post Deployment Marketing Strategies
What strategies do you have to promote the site once it goes live?
Do you need to create a strategy?
Security
Explain any security requirements. (i.e. secure online application
forms)
Content
What content will be provided to Orion Design Studios for the design of the site,
and in what file format (PDF, Word, jpeg, BMP, etc.)?
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Copywriting
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Programming
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Images (existing photos of staff/offices/etc. and any corporate
artwork, such as logos, may need to be scanned or re-shot for
digital use)
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Process maps for databases and forms development.
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Keywords
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Gif or Flash Banner ads
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Branding Document
Site Comparisons
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Name 3 of your local competitors
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List their websites
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List what you like/don't like about their sites
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Identify any 3 websites you like (not necessarily in your industry)
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Describe what you like/don't like about them
Budget
Having determined the scope of the project and the requirements for
getting it done, we can better decide if your resources are adequate
to achieve your goals.
Timeline
When do you want/need to go live? We'll work with you to get you
online on time and on budget.
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