A website design RFP (Request for Proposal) should outline your project’s needs and expectations to potential web design agencies. It helps ensure you find the right partner by clearly communicating your goals, timelines, and budget.
In this post, we’ll explore how and when to create a website design RFP, as well as how it can benefit your business. We’ll also provide a list of top agencies to consider for the best results.
Table of Contents
- What Is a Website Design Request for Proposal?
- 9 Steps To Structure Your Website Design RFP
- Website Design RFP vs. Website Redesign RFP
- Why Is a Website Design RFP Important?
- When Should You Create a Website RFP?
- How To Send Your Website Design RFP to Agencies
- Website Design RFP Template
- Top Agencies To Send Your Website Design RFPs to in 2025
- Wrapping Up on Website Design RFP
What Is a Website Design Request for Proposal?
A website design RFP is a document that details your new website’s requirements, project scope, goals, timeline, and budget. It serves as a guide to potential agencies by helping them understand your needs and submit proposals that align with your objectives.
Creating an RFP ensures you and the agency you choose are on the same page, reducing the risk of miscommunications or unmet expectations down the road.
In addition to website design, an RFP can also focus on:
- Web development
- Software development
- Digital marketing
- Mobile app development SEO
- IT services
- eCommerce
- Branding
- Social Media
9 Steps To Structure Your Website Design RFP
So how exactly do you create a website design RFP? We’ve broken the process down into nine simple steps:
- Introduce your company
- State your budget
- Specify your project’s timeframe
- Define your goals
- Provide website examples and inspiration
- Define your target audience
- Include your web design wish list
- Set your criteria for vendor selection
- Detail your RFP submission requirements
1. Introduce Your Company
The RFP process starts by writing an introduction about your brand. This includes a short “about” section of your company, why you need a new website design, and a brief outline of what the project will cover.
Keep this section short and direct to the point to avoid overwhelming potential vendors — organizations respond to 175 RFPs per year on average.
2. State Your Budget
Your budget is an important part of the RFP because it allows vendors to determine whether they can provide the scope of work within the desired budget and respond accordingly.
Your web design cost will depend on three main factors: the expertise of the team members who will work on your project, the agency’s hourly rate, and whether you opt for a custom or template website approach.
To better understand how much your web design project should cost, you can read blog posts, online forums, or client reviews that discuss project budgets.
3. Specify Your Project’s Timeframe
Providing a realistic timeframe and expected launch date for your website design project allows vendors to determine whether they can complete the project by the desired deadline.
Ultimately, a timeframe sets a clear direction for tasks to be completed and keeps everyone involved in the project on the same page. Ensure that your timeframe also includes hours for reviewing, revisions, and approval.
Here are the different deadlines that are important to note on your RFP:
- RFP release date: State your web design RFP’s release date for vendors to see how recent your RFP request is.
- Response deadline: Place a cutoff date on your web design RFP to notify vendors until when you expect to receive an RFP response from them.
- Vendor selection date: Put a date on your RFP for when vendors should expect a reply from you about your decision.
- Project kickoff: Add a date to your RFP for when vendors and their teams should expect to start working on your web design project.
- Desired launch date: Set a realistic date on when you would want your web design project to launch. Typically, a website project can take up to 14 to 18 weeks to complete, depending on its complexity.
4. Define Your Goals
Whether you want to increase sales or educate potential customers about your brand and offering, defining your project goals emphasizes your required design services and the scope of your project. List your primary goal and secondary goals as needed.
Your web design goals might include:
- Generating more qualified leads
- Increasing brand awareness
- Improving your online presence
- Improving engagement with existing and potential customers
5. Provide Website Examples and Inspiration
Provide visuals and examples of websites you like to give vendors a better picture of how you’d like your website to turn out. List around five websites that you like, including their specific URLs and the features that you like about them.
You can also list your competitors’ websites to show vendors what your competitive landscape looks like.
6. Define Your Target Audience
Before designing your website, it’s important to define your target audience. Your website should address your target audience’s needs and expectations to increase engagement and conversions.
Ensure vendors know who your target audience is by adding user personas to your request for proposal. Include details about your target audience, such as demographics, purchasing habits, or preferred content.
7. Include Your Web Design Wish List
Illustrate your ideal website by including both “must-have” web design features and those that would be nice to have, if possible, within the allotted time frame and budget.
These features might include:
- Visible contact details
- Sticky navigation
- On-brand color palette, typography, and visuals
- Engaging and relevant content
- SEO strategy
- Social proof such as client testimonials or media mentions
- Live chat
- “About Us” page
8. Set Your Criteria for Vendor Selection
In this section of your RFP, explain the criteria you’ll use when selecting your vendor. This might include agency expertise, years of experience, portfolio, capabilities, and relevant projects.
Clearly stating your selection criteria will help you weed out agencies that are unable to offer everything you’re looking for.
9. Detail Your RFP Submission Requirements
Outline the requirements you expect from responding vendors who want to take on your web design project and detail how they should send their response (usually via email).
Typical details you should request from vendors include:
- Agency name, email, address, website, and contact details
- Company’s years of experience, size of the team, certifications, and awards
- Approximate hours and timeline of the project from start to finish
- Client references
- Five of their best, relevant projects that include links to each case study
Website Design RFP vs. Website Redesign RFP
A website design RFP focuses on creating a new website from scratch, outlining the project’s scope, requirements, goals, and budget for a brand-new digital presence.
On the other hand, a website redesign RFP deals with revamping an existing website and specifying updates to design, functionality, or structure while maintaining some of the original elements.
When creating a web design RFP, you’re starting with a blank slate, so the focus is often on defining your brand identity, user experience, and overall site structure. An RFP website redesign, however, looks to address the shortcomings of your current website, such as outdated design, poor performance, or user experience issues.
By distinguishing between the two, businesses can ensure they provide clear objectives tailored to their needs — whether it’s building something new or improving what already exists.
Why Is a Website Design RFP Important?
A website design RFP is important because it sets clear expectations and goals for both the business and the web design agency. It helps you define your project’s scope, budget, and timeline, allowing agencies to provide more accurate proposals. By outlining your specific needs in detail, you reduce the risk of miscommunication and ensure the project stays on track.
Additionally, a website RFP encourages competition among agencies, leading to higher-quality proposals and better value for your investment. It also saves time by streamlining the selection process and allowing you to compare agencies side by side based on their capabilities, experience, and approach.
Ultimately, a well-structured RFP ensures that the final product aligns with your business goals and provides a strong return on investment.
When Should You Create a Website RFP?
You should create a website design RFP when you’re ready to invest in building or redesigning a website and need to select a design agency that aligns with your goals. Typically, this happens after you’ve clearly defined your:
- Objectives
- Target audience
- Budget for the project
Creating an RFP is also ideal when your project requires specialized services, such as:
- eCommerce functionality
- Custom web development
- UX design
An RFP is especially important if you’re seeking proposals from multiple agencies to compare their expertise and pricing. Having an RFP early on ensures a smoother selection process and better alignment with your chosen partner, which leads to a more successful project outcome.
How To Send Your Website Design RFP to Agencies
There are several different ways you can send out your website design RFP:
- Publish it on your website: Build a landing page that includes every detail related to your web design project that will serve as a reference page for potential vendors. Position your RFP as a downloadable file.
- Showcase it on the RFP Database: The RFP Database is a website portal that allows you to display your website project to different vendors. To display your RFP on the site, simply create an account, click the “Add an RFP” link, and fill out the short form.
- Search for agencies on Google: Web design agencies that appear at the top search engine result pages (SERPs) are likely knowledgeable about SEO. Check if the agency employs SEO best practices, such as optimized title tags, headers, and meta descriptions, and whether they rank well for relevant keywords. If SEO is a crucial factor for your web design project, find an agency that optimizes its own site and adheres to SEO best practices.
- Ask for recommendations: Reach out to other companies about their experiences with outsourcing a web design agency and see if it worked for them. If you get positive feedback, you can invite those recommended agencies to bid on your website design project.
Website Design RFP Template
A website design RFP template is useful for creating your own request for proposal from scratch, as it already contains all the essential fields and questions that agencies need to fill out.
Here are the main elements you should include for a well-rounded web redesign RFP template:
- Company background: Provide a brief overview of your company, including your industry, mission, and any relevant history. This sets the context for agencies to understand your business better.
- Budget: Clearly state the budget range for the project to ensure agencies provide proposals within your financial expectations. Be transparent about flexibility if applicable.
- Timeline and deadlines: Outline the expected project start date, key milestones, and completion deadline. This helps agencies determine if they can meet your time requirements.
- Main challenges: Highlight the specific problems or issues you want the new website to address. This could include anything from user experience concerns to technical limitations.
- Goals and objectives: Define the primary goals you want the website to achieve, such as increasing traffic, improving user engagement, or boosting conversions. These will guide the design agency’s approach.
- Target audience: Describe the demographics, behaviors, and needs of your website’s target audience. Your target audience ensures the design aligns with the user experience you wish to deliver.
- Website requirements: List the must-have features and functionalities for the website, such as eCommerce, mobile responsiveness, or integration with third-party tools. Be as specific as possible to avoid miscommunication.
- Proposal submission instructions: Provide clear instructions on how and when proposals should be submitted, including preferred formats, deadlines, and any additional documents required. This streamlines the submission process for agencies.
Top Agencies To Send Your Website Design RFPs to in 2025
To guide you in your search, we’ve recommended the top website design agencies that can help realize your vision:
1. Baunfire
Agency services:
- Web & UI/UX Design
- B2B Marketing
- Front-End Web Development
- Brand & Digital Strategy
Minimum budget: $50,000 & Up
Notable clients: Google, Nike, Arlo, Velodyne, and Aurora
Baunfire is a Silicon Valley-based digital agency specializing in high-end website design for ambitious brands. Its approach to web design is both strategy-led and design-driven, ensuring each project delivers visually impactful and highly functional user experiences. Additionally, the agency creates websites that drive engagement and conversions for their clients by integrating mood boards, wireframes, and responsive design.
A key aspect of Baunfire’s service is its focus on user-centric design tailored to meet the needs of target audiences. It emphasizes creativity and technology to build scalable, future-proof websites. This positions Baunfire as a leader in creating digital experiences that captivate users and help brands achieve their business goals.
2. RNO1
Agency services:
- Web Design
- Branding
- Digital Product Design
- eCommerce Strategy
- VR & AR Apps
Minimum budget: Inquire
Notable clients: Disney, Finlandia Vodka, Airbnb, Adobe, and Ericsson
RNO1 is a digital agency based in California with a focus on delivering transformative web designs. The agency’s web design services prioritize user experience and ensure responsive designs that work seamlessly across all devices. With a design-first mindset, RNO1 creates websites that look great and function effectively to meet business goals.
One of RNO1’s standout features is its subscription-based service model. This allows brands to continuously update and optimize their websites so they can stay ahead of competitors. By offering scalable and adaptable web solutions, RNO1 ensures that brands can grow without the constraints of traditional design contracts.
3. Digital Silk
Agency services:
- Custom Web Design
- Branding
- eCommerce Development
- SEO & Content Marketing
- Social & Paid Marketing
Minimum budget: Inquire
Notable clients: IBM, AT&T, NYU, NFL, NASA
Digital Silk offers custom web design services tailored to each brand’s unique online presence. The agency combines visually striking designs with functionality, ensuring each website is engaging and intuitive to navigate. The websites are built to be responsive across all platforms and devices.
Moreover, the agency’s custom approach allows for highly personalized websites that evolve with the brand.
4. Lounge Lizard
Agency services:
- Web Design
- Branding
- Digital Marketing
- Web Development
- App Development
Minimum budget: $25,000 - $50,000
Notable clients: Honeywell, Disney, Dylan’s Candy Bar, Canon, NYU
Lounge Lizard specializes in creative and user-focused web design services. The agency’s custom website designs reflect each client’s brand identity while ensuring a seamless user experience and responsive design that adapts to any device.
What sets Lounge Lizard apart is their ability to combine great design with strategic business goals. The agency creates impressive websites that also drive results. Their services span across UI/UX optimization with a focus on intuitive navigation and mobile-first designs.
5. ESimplified
Agency services:
- WordPress Web Design
- Web Development
- eCommerce Development
- SEO
- Digital Marketing
Minimum budget: $1,000 - $10,000
Notable clients: Clear Compare, Soup Nutsy, Realty Space, Mobilease, Ajax Super 8
ESimplified is a Toronto-based agency offering custom web design services. Its team focuses on creating websites that are visually appealing, easy to navigate, and optimized for SEO. With a user-centric approach, ESimplified designs responsive websites that deliver seamless experiences across all devices.
Additionally, ESimplified integrates advanced web development features into its designs, such as B2B applications and eCommerce functionality.
Wrapping Up on Website Design RFP
A website design RFP outlines the important details of your project so you can find a qualified agency that fits your needs.
To recap, your website design RFP should include your:
- Company background
- Budget range
- Project timeframe and deadlines
- Website goals
- Website examples and inspiration
- Target audience
- Website must-haves
- Criteria for vendor selection
- Submission requirements
Once your RFP is ready, it’s time to send it out! Position it as a downloadable file on your website, showcase it on the RFP database, search for agencies on Google, or ask around for recommendations. After receiving submissions, weed through the responses, shortlist several agencies, conduct interviews, and partner with the best agency for the job.
