Pushing a rhinoceros up a hill.
Cleaning a frat house the morning after a homecoming party.
Evaluating proposals to choose a new website design & development agency.
If you’ve ever had to perform the latter task on behalf of a mission-driven organization, you know firsthand that it can seem every bit as difficult as the others on that list. It’s one of the most critical investments an organization can make. Done correctly, it’s also one of the most time-consuming.
As with most things, there are best practices you can adopt that will guide you to better results. UK-based creative digital agency Crucible recently published an insightful blog post with tips on how to effectively evaluate a web proposal, which we highly recommend reading.
On top of the standard evaluation criteria, mission-driven organizations frequently have additional factors they need to consider. In this post, we’ll share the most important questions your organization should be asking as part of your due diligence.
1. Does the agency understand your mission and goals?
A strong proposal begins with a deep understanding of your organization:
- Rather than just pitching generic services, look for signs that the agency has taken the time to truly understand your organization’s goals.
- This includes both the full scope of work and the broader purpose of your website — whether it’s to inspire action, increase donations, or engage members/leadership.
The best agencies will ask thoughtful questions during the proposal phase and reflect your priorities in their responses.
2. Do your values align?
For mission-driven organizations in particular, this is fundamentally important:
- Does the agency demonstrate a commitment to causes similar to yours?
- Are they mission-driven themselves, or do they approach projects solely from a commercial standpoint?
An agency that shares your values will often bring more passion and insight to the project.
3. Are they specialized in your field (but not too specialized)?
However, sometimes when you work with an agency that specializes exclusively in one specific vertical, you end up with a cookie-cutter design; this is why it’s also important to make sure their experience isn’t too narrow. Diversity in an agency’s portfolio is a sign of broader expertise and fresh ideas.
4. What’s their track record?
Take a good look into their history and stability:
- How long have they been in business? An agency with many years of experience often brings a level of expertise that newer firms lack.
- What are their employee and client retention rates? High retention is a strong indicator of a reliable, well-run agency.
- What social proof validates their experience? Look for client testimonials, case studies, and ratings on platforms like Clutch.co, where reviews often provide detailed insights about an agency’s reliability, communication, and impact on similar projects. Have a gander at ours, for example.
5. Can they deliver the basics?
Before you fall in love with a proposal, ensure it meets your foundational needs:
- Timeline: Is it realistic for your organization’s schedule?
- Budget: Does it align with your financial constraints?
- Scope: Does it comprehensively address your requirements?
Think of this as the Maslow hierarchy of needs for your project. After all, for your website to shine, first it needs to work!
6. Whom will you be working with day-to-day?
This is a big one. You’ll work most closely with the agency’s design & dev teams, not their sales or marketing reps. So, ask to meet the people who will actually handle your project:
- Project Manager: Your primary point of contact.
- Designer: The person responsible for the website’s look and feel.
- Developer: The individual who will bring the design to life.
Also ask how they intend to handle staffing requirements:
- Full-time employees tend to have a more vested interest in the agency’s mission, and are familiar with their team members and internal processes; this often allows them to work more efficiently.
- Relying on contractors allows the agency to hand-pick specific skill sets for your project needs — but as hired guns, they may not be as invested in the project or the overall mission.
One more point: if they plan to use full-time staff, clarify if they’ll need to hire additional people. If so, ask how long their onboarding process usually takes. Not that this should be a dealbreaker; but knowing these things at the outset prevents surprises down the road.
7. Do they have really great skills?
Napoleon Dynamite’s astute observation about girls should also be true for your selection process. At least when it comes to technical skills. Bow-hunting, not so much.
Again, even the most beautiful website can fail if it doesn’t perform well. Run their sample websites through tools like Google Lighthouse to evaluate:
- Accessibility: Does the website work for users of all abilities?
- SEO Performance: Will it rank well in search engines?
- Code Quality: Is the website fast, secure, and maintainable?
8. Can they provide realistic references?
Any agency can provide glowing testimonials. Instead, try asking for a reference about a challenging project:
- What went wrong, and how did they resolve it?
- Did the client remain with them afterward?
Their answer will reveal a lot about how they handle obstacles and maintain relationships. It’s the reason this question is a standard part of job interviews.
9. What happens after launch?
Websites aren’t static. They need ongoing care to function optimally and ensure longevity — and provide maximum value for your investment. That’s why it’s essential to ask any prospective agency these questions:
- Do they offer post-launch support or enhancements?
- Will they help your site evolve as your needs change?
F.W.I.W., here at Kanopi we believe that a website should look and work great on launch day — but it should look and work even better years down the road. Continuous support is not an add-on for us; it’s a core service. This is why the websites we design, build, and support regularly last 10 years or more. Just thought we’d put that out there. 😉
Strictly for the Drupal
Since this post is all about questions, we have one for you:
Is your organization looking to build/rebuild in Drupal?
If so, you’re in luck. The Drupal Association has created this helpful template & guide to help organizations in search of a Drupal Certified Partner write an effective RFP tailored specifically for, you guessed it, Drupal.
And make no mistake about it, Drupalites, you do not want to mess around with providers who aren’t certified. Unless you enjoy living in a prolonged state of rage and tears while spending lots of money to fix problems caused by incompetence. (Did I neglect to mention that we’re one of just 100 Drupal Certified Partners in the whole wide world?)
In fact, we recommend that you check out the template & guide even if your site isn’t Drupal. Its structure and content will prove useful for anyone writing a website RFP.
You’re picking a partner, so make it a good fit!
Particularly for mission-driven organizations, evaluating a web design proposal is about more than picking the cheapest or fastest option. It’s about finding a partner that truly believes in your mission and will create a website that supports your goals. By asking these vital questions, you can ensure that the agency you choose is the right fit for your organization — which hopefully means you won’t need to push that rhino up the hill again for a very long time.
Need more guidance? Feel free to reach out — at Kanopi, we’re here to help mission-driven organizations like yours succeed.
