The quality of website design / development RFPs (Requests for Proposals) for sale online can vary wildly depending on source.
Some RFP portals that claim to sell “qualified” RFPs are actually huge databases of general-purpose projects scraped from thousands of government agencies.
It can take your agency several hours to simply sort through dozens of 50-page RFPs, let alone apply.
What’s worse, after you read a 50-page RFP of legalese you can find it’s totally irrelevant to your agency.
So what’s the solution? Are all RFP subscription websites worthless? Do good web design and development RFPs even exist online?
The answer is yes. Finding good web design and development RFPs online is possible but it takes understanding what a good web design leads is and how it gets sourced.
To help, here’s my criteria for a good qualified website design / development RFP lead:
4 Non-Negotiable Criteria for Good Website Design / Development RFPs:
1. Realistic Budget ($20,000+)
The first criteria for a good web design RFP is a realistic high-paying budget. For most web design / development projects that is going to be somewhere in the $20,000–$100,000+ range. The exact number can depend on the complexity of the project, of course, but if a client hasn’t stated a budget above this threshold – they may not be worth pursuing.
2. Actively Looking to Hire a Web Design Agency
Unlike a lead list that was scraped off a domain registrar, a good web design / development RFP not only wants a new website – they’re actively looking to pay an agency to do it right now. In other words, they already know they have a problem, and recognize they need to hire an agency to solve it. This is key. It’s a waste of time to try and pitch someone who isn’t looking for the solution you sell. That’s why every lead inside Agency Leads PRO has an active Request For Proposal (RFP) requesting proposals from agencies like yours. This ensures that every organization you reach out to wants to hear from you which makes the sales process 10× easier.
3. Strong Company Reputation
Scammy-looking companies are never good leads. If a company or organization doesn’t look reputable or trust-worthy, their RFP is most likely not worth pursuing. The chances are very high that they will either not convert or make a bad client. In fact, I’d stay away from entire industries that tend to have a reputation for bad business.
4. Realistic Scope of Work
One final criteria I recommend is a realistic work scope outlined in the RFP. In combination with budget, a realistic scope of work usually equals realistic expectations throughout the project. If a client wants an eBay clone built in 3 days for $500, this is an obvious warning flag – and even substantial budgets can become impractical if the scope of work isn’t appropriate.
These 4 criteria are the bare minimum prerequisites web design and development agencies should use to filter RFPs. You might choose to be even more strict or specific (for example, qualifying by industry) about the RFPs you pursue.
Where to Buy Good Website Design and Development RFPs
With the criteria above in place, here are some high-quality websites you may interested in buying RFPs from:
1. Agency Leads PRO
Since I’m writing this guide to you I thought I’d mention what I believe is the absolute best option first.
Filtering through RFPs with the above criteria can take a long time.
That’s why I’ve taken the entire list of qualifications above and created a done-for-you RFP finding service that curates the 500+ best web design and development RFPs each year.
Where our RFPs come from: Our RFPs are sourced directly from decision-makers at companies who have either 1) reached out to us directly or 2) publicly posted in search of an agency. In short, it means every lead we send is a ready-to-pitch “perfect match” lead for your agency. They’ve been pre-qualified and are actively looking to hire an a web design or development agency like yours right now.
How we qualify them: On top of sourcing leads who are currently in the buying process, we hand-qualify each opportunity to make sure they’re great opportunities worth $20,000–$100,000+ in project work, have a realistic scope of work and strong company reputation. That way you don’t have to spend hours combing through RFPs like on most sites. We do it for you.
How the bidding process works: We’ve gotten tons of testimonials from agencies who’ve landed clients from the program in as little as a few weeks. Typically the process is as simple as sending in your proposal via email. You can reach out to several high quality organizations within hours on day one.
How much it costs: Agency Leads PRO costs $197 per month, which comes out to less than $5 per RFP. If you land just one project from the subscription every 8 years you can pay for your subscription for life. Every subscription also comes with a 30-day 100% money-back guarantee so you can literally land a client then decide if it’s right for you.
I honestly believe that Agency Leads PRO is the best RFP subscription service for 99% web design agencies looking for new RFPs.
However, if for whatever reason it’s not for you, here are some other good options you might check out.
2. RFPMART
RFPMART is one of the better subscription RFP marketplace that offer a high volume of RFPs. While the volume of leads is good, it can take some time to sort through and pick out the opportunities you actually want to contact. Most likely, you or someone on your team will have to spend about 30-60 minutes a day combing through RFPs to see if they’re a fit for your agency.
3. The RFPdb
Previously, RFPdb was another good RFP site where agencies could buy RFPs or get access to them by sharing RFPs on the platform. The main downside was it was very limited in volume, you’d only see a handful of web design leads per week. Update: RFPdb was recently acquired by MyGovWatch. As a result it looks like some parts of the site are no longer working.
4. FindRFP
Like a lot of the options listed above, FindRFP is a general-purpose RFP site. This means you’ll find web design and development leads mixed in with RFPs for things like construction and janitorial services. Update: While I do have a FindRFP subscription, some of the functionality on the site has broken down in recent weeks.
5. BidPrime
This is a somewhat hard-to-use RFP site geared toward finding qualified Federal, State & Local government contract opportunities.
6. OpenGov
OpenGov appears to be a new software that many organizations are using to procure website design and development. Typically you don’t have to sign in to see the RFP details which is one thing I like about it. We use Google to search through websites using OpenGov for Agency Leads PRO.
7. Google
Because of the vast number of sites indexed each day, Google can be a great source of RFPs. You’ll have to search daily for new RFPs and can typically unearth anywhere from 3-10 good RFPs. Pro-tip: use “type:pdf” in your search to surface PDFs.
8. LinkedIn
LinkedIn is actually one of my favorite place to go for RFPs because hiring managers and decision makers post RFPs on the site directly. This gives you an awesome opportunity to meet and talk to the right people. Note: you will have to sift through a fairly high amount of content marketing to find quality RFPs on LinkedIn. Click here for a full walk-through on how to use LinkedIn to find RFPs and other clients.
8. Facebook
In recent years, a ton of organizations and companies have taken to Facebook for promoting their RFPs. Like LinkedIn, you’ll have to sort through a lot of content marketing and irrelevant spam – but if your particular niche is Facebook-centered, it might make sense.
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Reliable lead generation isn't just difficult. It’s downright nearly impossible to find great leads each month that are both a fit for your agency and looking to hire a team like yours. That's why Folyo exists. We send the 500+ best web design / development RFPs each year. You get instant access to a pool of great hot leads, on autopilot for less than a cup of coffee. Learn more and try Agency Leads PRO today.
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