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A website redesign request for proposal (RFP) determines the quality of agency proposals you’ll receive and shapes your entire redesign project. So, a website redesign RFP is more than just paperwork.
This guide walks you through everything you need to know about how to write a website redesign RFP that helps you find and vet an agency for a website overhaul. We’ve broken down each essential component with specific examples and provided fill-in-the-blank templates to make the process straightforward.
We’ve even included a free template you can download to use. Scroll down to get your templates.
Beyond the Basics: What Makes Website Redesign RFPs Different
A website redesign Request for Proposal (RFP) lays out everything from what you want to accomplish to technical requirements, timelines, and budget constraints.
This document does double duty – it helps your organization think through exactly what you need, and it gives potential web design agencies the information they need to propose relevant solutions.
At its core, a website redesign RFP defines:
- The project scope
- Your business goals
- Technical and creative requirements
- Budget and timeline constraints
- And what success will actually look like
Unlike RFPs for new websites, redesign RFPs must account for existing assets, systems, and performance history. You’re not starting from scratch; rather, you’re building on and improving what already exists. This means your RFP needs to address five website-specific areas that most general RFPs don’t.
1. UX/UI Requirements
Redesigns are often driven by poor user experience. Your RFP should specify what’s not working in your current design and what kind of experience you want to deliver post-launch.
2. Content Migration Plan
You likely have dozens (if not hundreds) of existing pages. Which ones should stay, be updated, or removed? Your RFP should briefly outline how you want to approach content migration. Specify if you need a 1:1 rebuild or a complete restructure.
3. SEO Preservation Strategy
Redesigns are notorious for tanking SEO if done poorly. Clear directives like preserving URL structures, redirects for removed pages, and re-optimizing top-performing content should be included. So your RFP should outline content audit processes and migration strategies
4. Analytics & Tracking Integration
What tools are you currently using (e.g., Google Analytics, Hotjar, Mixpanel), and what KPIs matter most to your team? A website redesign RFP should mention how data tracking will be handled during and after the redesign to ensure continuity.
5. Performance Benchmarks
Speed, uptime, and Core Web Vitals are must-haves. A strong RFP outlines current performance metrics and sets targets for what “better” looks like after the redesign.
Free RFP Template For Website Redesign Projects
Just put the block here.
Step-by-Step Guide on How to Write a Website Redesign RFP
Writing a clear website redesign RFP doesn’t just get you better proposals, it helps you cut costs and avoid project delays.
At Antibe, we’ve seen that well-prepared RFPs allow us to deliver high-performing websites starting at $1,000, which is 10x less than traditional agencies, because we can skip long discovery phases and use website redesign RFPs as a guide to build a desired website.
Here’s how to write one that sets your project (and your agency partner) up for success.
1. Company Background
Help agencies understand who you are, what you do, and who your customers are. This context ensures that design decisions align with your brand story and business goals.
What to include:
- Year founded
- Industry or niche
- Type of customers or partners
- Team size and business model
- Mission or core value
Example: Hris Organics is a premium organic food distributor founded in 2015 specializing in locally-sourced produce and specialty items. We serve high-end restaurants and specialty grocery stores across the Northeast with a team of 23 employees. Our mission is to connect local farmers with quality-focused businesses while promoting sustainable agricultural practices.
| Fill-in-the-blank: [Your Company] is a ____________ founded in _______ specializing in ______________. We serve _____________ across ____________ with a team of _______ employees. Our mission is to _____________________. |
2. Website Audience
To design a website that converts, web design agencies need to understand exactly who the website is for.
Your audience’s behaviors, needs, and expectations influence everything—from layout to copy to navigation. The more detailed your description, the more tailored your redesign will be.
What to include:
- Who your primary and secondary audiences are
- Their goals when visiting your site (e.g., to buy, learn, book a call)
- Their level of digital comfort (Are they tech-savvy? Do they browse on mobile?)
- Demographics (age, profession, region, income level-if relevant)
- Pain points they face that your website should help solve
Example: Our primary audience consists of restaurant procurement managers, ages 30-45, who are looking for consistent, high-quality organic ingredients to solve menu planning and supply chain challenges. Our secondary audience includes specialty grocery store buyers. Our users typically access our website via mobile phones during weekends and have low technical proficiency. So we want a responsive website
| Fill-in-the-blank: Our primary audience consists of _____________ who are looking for _____________ to solve _____________. Our secondary audience includes _____________. Our users typically access our website via _____________ and have _____________ technical proficiency. |
3. Current Website Features
This section helps the agency understand what’s not working and why you’re seeking a redesign.
Be honest and specific. A vague description like “it looks outdated” doesn’t provide enough direction. Clear challenges help your redesign partner avoid repeating past mistakes and build a site that actually moves the needle.
What to include:
- What frustrates your users (e.g., slow load time, confusing navigation, poor mobile experience)
- Internal frustrations (e.g., hard to update content, no integration with CRM, outdated tech stack)
- Business consequences (e.g., low conversion rates, poor SEO rankings, high bounce rates)
- Any features or sections that are currently underperforming
Example: Our current website includes the following features that perform well and should be maintained in the redesign: 1) Product catalog with seasonal availability indicators which allows users to plan menus in advance, 2) Order history dashboard which supports repeat ordering, 3) Farm story profiles which enables customers to learn about the sources of our products.
| Fill-in-the-blank: Our current website includes the following features that should be maintained: 1) _____________, which allows users to _____________2) _____________ which supports _____________3) _____________ which enables _____________” |
4. Current Website Challenges
Before a web design agency can build the right solution, it needs to understand what’s not working today. This section gives you a chance to be honest and specific about your site’s weaknesses, so your redesign partner can avoid repeating them.
It also helps the agency tailor their proposal with solutions that directly address your pain points, whether that’s performance, user experience, or technical debt.
What to include:
- Design/UI issues (e.g., outdated look, not mobile-responsive)
- UX issues (e.g., hard to navigate, poor search function, unclear CTAs)
- Technical problems (e.g., slow load times, poor CMS, legacy code conflicts)
- SEO or traffic-related challenges (e.g., declining traffic, low conversions)
- Content issues (e.g., difficult to update, inconsistent voice)
Example: Our website faces several challenges that need addressing:
- Non-responsive design resulting in 78% of mobile users abandoning the site,
- The complicated checkout process is causing a 45% cart abandonment rate,
- An outdated content management system is leading to 3-day delays in product updates. Our current metrics show a 65% bounce rate, a 2.3% conversion rate, and an average session duration of only 1:45 minutes.
| Fill-in-the-blank: Our website faces these challenges:1) _____________ resulting in _____________2) _____________ causing _____________3) _____________ leading to _____________Current metrics: _____% bounce rate, _____% conversion rate, and _____________. |
5. New Website Must-Haves
Lists the features and functions your new website absolutely must include to support business goals and eliminate current challenges.
Think of this as your website’s wishlist, but narrowed down to the essentials. These must-haves help the agency scope the project accurately, avoid missed expectations, and ensure the final result drives ROI.
Example: The redesigned website must include these non-negotiable features: 1) Fully responsive design that accomplishes seamless mobile ordering, 2) Inventory integration with our ERP system that enables real-time product availability, 3) Streamlined 3-step checkout that improves conversion rates, 4) Technical requirement: page load times under 2 seconds to ensure higher search rankings and user satisfaction.
| Fill-in-the-blank: The redesigned website must include:1) _____________ that accomplishes _____________2) _____________ that enables _____________3) _____________ that improves _____________4) Technical requirement: _____________ to ensure _____________ |
6. New Website Nice-To-Haves
This section captures the “wish list” features that aren’t essential for launch but could significantly enhance user experience, streamline operations, or add value to your brand if the budget permits. This allows you to plan your redesign for scalability from day one
Example: If budget allows, we’d like to incorporate: 1) an AI-powered product recommendation engine to enhance cross-selling opportunities, 2) Interactive delivery schedule calendar to support logistics planning, 3) a Customer recipe sharing platform to enable community building among our restaurant clients.
| FIll-in-the-blank: If budget allows, we’d like to incorporate:1) _____________ to enhance _____________2) _____________ to support _____________3) _____________ to enable _____________ |
7. Project Timeline & Communication Procedure
Clear timelines and communication channels help your redesign partner stay accountable and aligned with your internal teams. This section sets expectations for key project phases and defines how collaboration should flow.
We’ve found that clients who include detailed timelines and a designated point of contact reduce delays by 30% and too many corrections, especially for quick redesigns or seasonal campaigns.
Example: We require this project to launch by September 15. Key milestones include: initial concepts by August 20, development completion by September 3, and testing by September 5. We prefer weekly meetings via Zoom with Maria Chen, our Marketing Director, as our main contact.
| Fill-in-the-blank: Project launch target: _____________Key milestones:- Initial concepts by: _____________- Development completion by: _____________- Testing completion by: _____________We prefer _____________ meetings via _____________ with _____________ as our main contact. |
8. Project Budget
Transparency around the budget allows agencies to tailor proposals realistically. For example, at Antibe, our starting price for redesigning a website is $1,000. While competitors charge $8,000 as a starting price.
We prioritize features and pages that align with your expectations and business goals.
Example: Our budget range for this project is $5,000-$9,000. This should include design, development, CMS implementation, and basic SEO optimization. We have an additional $1,500 monthly for ongoing maintenance and marketing. Our payment schedule preference is 30% upfront, 40% at development completion, and 30% at launch.
| Fill-in-the-blank: Our budget range: $_____________ to $_____________This should include: _____________Additional budget for maintenance/marketing: $_____________Payment schedule preference: _____________ |
9. Project Goals
This is where you define success. Clear project goals give your redesign partner a direction and a finish line.
Avoid general goals like “make it look better.”
Instead, tie your goals to business outcomes and user behavior. This helps the website redesign agency prioritize design, tech, and content decisions that align with your real objectives.
What to include:
- Primary goal (e.g., increase conversions, improve brand perception, boost organic traffic)
- Secondary goals (e.g., easier content updates, faster load speed, ADA compliance)
- KPIs you’ll use to measure success (e.g., % increase in leads, bounce rate reduction, session time, form submissions)
Example: Our primary goals for this redesign are: 1) Increase online order volume by 40% within 3 months of launch, 2) Improve mobile conversion rate by 50%, 3) Enable self-service order management for our restaurant customers, 4) Resolve payment processing delays completely.
| Fill-in-the-blank: Our primary goals for this redesign:1) Increase _____________ by _____% within _____________2) Improve _____________ by _____% 3) Enable _____________ for our _____________4) Resolve _____________ completely |
10. RFP Submission Instructions
If you want to make the selection process faster and holistic, then add clear submission instructions.
What to include:
- Submission deadline
- An email or portal for sending proposals
- Preferred format (PDF, Google Docs, etc.)
- Required information (portfolio, timeline, pricing, team, etc.)
- Who to contact with questions, and by when
- Your evaluation and decision timeline
Example: Please submit proposals by May 15, 2025, to rfp@greenleaforganics.com. Proposals should be in PDF format and include portfolio examples, timeline, detailed pricing, and team structure. Questions may be directed to James Wilson at jwilson@greenleaforganics.com by May 5. We will select finalists by May 25 and make our decision by June 1.
| Fill-in-the-blank: Submit proposals by _____________ to _____________Format: _____________Required elements: _____________Questions: Contact _____________ at _____________ by _____________Selection timeline: Finalists by _____________, final decision by _____________ |
How To Write Your Website Redesign RFP [Best Practices + Examples]
1. Be Specific
The more specific you are in your RFP, the easier it is for agencies to give tailored proposals that meet your business goals. Avoid general language and be clear about what you want.
Vague: “We want a modern website design.”
Specific: “We want a clean, minimalist design with a white background, large hero images on the homepage, and a focus on showcasing our product portfolio with easy navigation.”
2. Include Facts + Figures
When describing your current website and the goals for the redesign, use quantifiable data to give agencies a clearer understanding of your project’s scope and objectives. Providing facts and figures helps to manage expectations and helps agencies align their proposals with your needs.
Example:
- Current Website Stats:
- Bounce rate: 55%
- Average session time: 2 minutes 30 seconds
- Conversion rate: 2.3%
Goals for Redesign:
- Reduce bounce rate to 40% in 6 months
- Increase average session time to 3 minutes
- Boost conversion rate to 4%
3. Add Inspirational Web Designs
Include references to websites that you like. This helps guide the creative direction of the redesign. Don’t just say “we want a sleek design.” Provide examples that represent your vision.
Example:
We love the clean, user-friendly design of Magnolia’s website. The homepage uses a bold hero image that captures attention immediately, while the navigation is simple and intuitive. We’d like something similar for our homepage, with a focus on large visuals and easy access to key product categories.
Screenshots of a website designed by Antibe
4. Address Your Website Worries
If there are specific challenges or concerns with your current website, address them upfront in the RFP. Be clear about the issues you’re facing so that the agency can propose solutions that will directly tackle those problems.
Example: “Our current website has poor mobile responsiveness, with 60% of our visitors abandoning the site when viewed on a mobile device. We need a fully responsive design that adapts seamlessly to all screen sizes, ensuring a better user experience for our mobile visitors.”
5. Ask questions
An RFP is a two-way conversation. By asking questions, you can learn more about an agency’s capabilities, processes, and previous work. It also demonstrates that you’re open to collaboration and want to ensure you’re choosing the right partner for your project.
Example:
- “How do you ensure that your websites are optimized for speed and performance?”
- “Can you provide case studies or examples of past redesign projects where you’ve successfully improved SEO performance?”
- “How do you handle content migration and ensure SEO is preserved during a website overhaul?”
How To Choose An Agency For Your Website Redesign.
Once your website redesign RFP is ready, the next step is to choose the right agency to send it to. But with so many options out there, how do you know which website redesign agency is the best fit?
Look for an agency that not only has a strong design portfolio but also understands your industry, goals, and target audience. Read this guide on how to choose a website redesign agency.
