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  1. #1
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    RFPs for website solutions legit?

    Just wondering if any web-firm out there, seriously, has found that RFPs are a source of good revenue?

    I could rant for hours about it, i think most are BS. Either they were just commissioned by their boss to "look into upgrading our website" and the process doesn't go through, or they already had a preferred vendor and are just doing their homework.

    Not sure if anyone has any good experiences with RFPs?

    That is, cold RFPs where you _weren't_ the preferred vendor.


    Lawrence
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  2. #2
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    My experience with RFPs is from the software world, not web design, but the issues you raise probably apply in many industries. On the other hand, not all are just going through the motions.

    The thing to do is to automate your responses as much as possible: atomize all the various pieces, so for any new RFP, you take paragraphs 3, 9, 22, and 57, or whatever, to cover most of your answers, customizing where needed. That will keep your time costs down, hopefully enough so that the wins you get make it worthwhile.

  3. #3
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    Well, it's not just web design, we do a lot of custom software /databases as well.

    I'm sure there are legit uses for RFPs. Probably in < 10% of the cases, it seems like they are actively seeking a new provider and are trying to ascertain who is the best.

    But it just seems like the vast majority, are just going through the motions. I mean, assuming they were real, does understanding what the make-up of the team, or their particular methodologies or whatever really matter?

    Some also feel like they had the best of intentions, but really it's just tire-kicking and asking for quotes, and then they don't have the budget for it anyways. (It keeps the intern busy.


    Lawrence
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  4. #4
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    Right; especially the boilerplate about team experience and methodologies can be re-used pretty much as is. Large companies and organizations just seem to want all that stuff, often because they have hired a consultant who helps them write the RFP and puts it in, even if the clients themselves don't care one bit about it.

    What is hard to avoid doing from scratch is the custom programming. When they ask for something that only vaguely resembles five different projects you've done before, but not any of them closely enough so that you can use that one as your template, well, that's a tough one to produce a proposal for in an efficient enough way to cover the possibility that they're just going through the motions.

    I guess in those situations, it depends on whether you have the resources free at that moment to estimate and write up the proposal; it's certainly honorable to politely decline (and for that you can use boilerplate suggesting how delighted you'd be to work with them in the future for other projects, etc.).

    Sympathies - putting tons of work into a carefully estimated and written proposal just to see the work awarded to someone's nephew is no fun. If my experience from software is any indication, over time, you will become the go-to source for serious clients, especially if you are working with clients who use consultants. Your name will become established in the RFP world, and then perhaps you will be the company that the RFPs start getting written for!

  5. #5
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    I wouldn't say I'd consider them a good source of revenue, but have had a few jobs from them. Normally, however, I'd not be seeking them out - I'd do one when I was referred or approached specifically about a project that required one.

    I liked having them to some degree, though, since I'd get a pretty good idea of what the client/org would be like to work with based on how they put together their requirements.

  6. #6
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    Yes, the ones we seem to win, are either a "good" referral, or we were the ones writing it. I'm talking about COLD RPFs.

    What i don't particularly like are the unrealistic timelines and projects conditions i seem to be getting. It's also possible they don't really understand what they are SPEC'g, and are confusing RFP with RFQ.

    But it seems like the last 2 i got, were like "we need a CMS, multilingual, blah blah blah and the kitchen sink.. and we don't want to pay too much fro it, and need it done in 2 weeks after the 2-months of approvals". Makes no sense.

    Answers seem to be the same: "We'll decide on what we need depending on your costs..." and "yes, we DEFINITELY need that.. or at least put the programming to put it in later.."

    On a related note, i was doing some searching and came across "RFP GOP" articles.. very funny. Like that's a legit RFP. Either that's the worst RFP i've ever seen... or that's the worst-attempt at hiding a fix.


    Lawrence
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  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by maknet View Post
    But it seems like the last 2 i got, were like "we need a CMS, multilingual, blah blah blah and the kitchen sink.. and we don't want to pay too much fro it, and need it done in 2 weeks after the 2-months of approvals". Makes no sense.
    I am really seeing a strong trend in more unrealistic expectations and particularly people NOT willing to pay a reasonable fee for design/dev work lately - I would say it became especially prounounced starting at the first of this year. One of the reasons I am not doing that kind of work anymore and am focusing on growing my hosting biz instead.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by goddess_dix View Post
    I am really seeing a strong trend in more unrealistic expectations and particularly people NOT willing to pay a reasonable fee for design/dev work lately - I would say it became especially prounounced starting at the first of this year. One of the reasons I am not doing that kind of work anymore and am focusing on growing my hosting biz instead.
    Well, sort of like the printing industry, everyone grabs a copy of dreamweaver or some kind of template and now they are a "webmaster".

    Lawrence
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  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by maknet View Post
    But it seems like the last 2 i got, were like "we need a CMS, multilingual, blah blah blah and the kitchen sink.. and we don't want to pay too much fro it, and need it done in 2 weeks after the 2-months of approvals". Makes no sense.

    Answers seem to be the same: "We'll decide on what we need depending on your costs..." and "yes, we DEFINITELY need that.. or at least put the programming to put it in later.."
    Well, I guess there isn't a really good solution to this, unless maybe you're able to turn their cluelessness into a consulting opportunity to help them better define their requirements?

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by The Hosting Team View Post
    Well, I guess there isn't a really good solution to this, unless maybe you're able to turn their cluelessness into a consulting opportunity to help them better define their requirements?
    Have you ever dealt with people wanting RPFs?

    It's not just about cluelessness.. it's more about an attitude like "hey, i'm doing YOU a favor by letting you bid on this proposal!"

    Typically they aren't the decision-maker anyways, so all they can do, is try to put everything into the RFP (so they don't miss anything).

    I can educate them over the phone, but then it really gives them other fodder for competitors (or at least their preferred vendor to come up with something.

    In fact, sometimes for RFPs, you can give a low-bid just to give the guy a harder time, if you feel he has a preferred vendor and is just going through the motions. Have them justify why this company with "more experience and a better solution for less cost shouldn't be the preferred vendor." Of course, they'd probably summarize it differently, but at least they'll have to sweat it out a bit. That or just put in a no-bid on the deadline date.

    Few things that have tipped me off on occasion:
    - prospect didn't want me to come in, in-person to talk for an hour to consult about their needs
    - the marketing company already rejected my first RFP the first-time around citing typical reasons. So the 2nd RFP is clearly just column-fodder
    - upgrade is more of a pet-project and don't actually have budget-approval (typically when the person isn't as experienced and wants to make an impression on management)

    On the flip-side, if the person sending out the RFP is "experienced", i can't really detect how serious they are (for the project, or for my company). Those are the ones i feel are a waste of time because they game me good!


    Lawrence
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