Or: Why has your web project "gone to the dogs"?
As a web designer and web developer, you need a lot of information to create a quote for building a website. Time and time again, I see incomplete information about a project in RFPs. Ideally, you involve your Internet agency or web developer at the specification stage. They know what is important and will work with you to develop the successful solution for your project. Here is the most important information needed to determine the most accurate price and a predictable time frame:
Concretized project specifications
- Type of website (e.g. corporate website, e-commerce website, blog, portfolio, etc.).
- Target audience and intended use of the website.
- Functionality requirements (e.g. contact forms, shopping carts, user management, etc.).
- Special requirements such as multilingualism, accessibility, SEO optimization, etc.
- There are so-called mandatory requirements (must-haves) and requirements that are downstream in priority (nice-to-haves). A helpful subdivision could be. "Urgent - Important - Nice".
- Interfaces to external systems such as merchandise management, accounting or order import.
Design requirements and layout wishes
- If you already have design concepts or ideas, share them with the designer.
- Color scheme, fonts and style preferences.
- Examples of websites you like can be helpful.
Content elements or new German Content
- Do you supply existing content such as text, images, and videos, or does the designer need to create/procure it?
- If you need to create content, text, or video, clarify whether the web developer can help with content creation or referrals to specialists.
Scope and page structure
- How many pages should the website have?
- Which product categories exist?
- Which main pages and sub-pages are required (e.g. home page, about us, services, contact, blog, etc.)?
Technical requirements for your web project
- Hosting preferences or requirements.
- Domain registration (if required).
- CMS preferences (e.g. WordPress, Joomla, Drupal) or a custom solution?
Visibility and marketing
- Search engine optimization(SEO) of content through keyword analysis and content optimization.
- Marketing in search engines and social networks(SEA)
Interaction and functions
- User interactions and user experience requirements.
- Integration of third-party services such as payment processing, social media, newsletter sign-up, etc.
Time frame of your web project
- Desired completion date or time frame.
- Are there specific milestones or deadlines that need to be met?
Budget web project and ecommerce
- Your budget or budget range for the project.
- Planned monthly marketing budget especially for Ecommerce project
Maintenance, personnel and software & content updates
- Considerations for long-term maintenance and updating of the website.
- Who will be responsible for updated product uploads or assortment revisions in the future?
Once your agency or web developer has this information, he can prepare a detailed offer, which will specify the price and time frame for the implementation of your project. In public administration and public services, there are also legally defined formalities on how a request for proposal must be made. It is therefore important for success to communicate all details as clearly as possible to avoid misunderstandings and to ensure that the offer meets the actual requirements.
