A lot of companies struggle with how best to buy a website. Understandable given that commissioning a project of this nature isn’t an everyday occurrence and that for many marketing teams it’s their first time doing so.
Here are a few useful pointers on digital procurement from an agency that’s been around the block a few times (and then some).
Know what you want
Undoubtedly the hardest part of procuring a website is knowing what you want in the first place. The Internet is a vast and wondrous place, full of technologies, ideas, and incredible feats of possibility. Being certain - and realistic - in what you need is incredibly important, otherwise you risk picking a supplier based on the wrong criteria.
Content Management Systems (CMS) are an area of particular consideration and a question we always ask when invited to tender is ‘do you have any preference of CMS?’. You’d be surprised at how many briefs don’t state one, but then the team behind it has a hard requirement to use something like Umbraco or Drupal. There’s no right or wrong answer here, but know that most agencies specialise in a certain tech stack, if not a single CMS, so there’s no point inviting a WordPress agency to pitch if you desperately want (or need) Drupal.
Do your research
Similar to the above, taking the time to research agencies and look through their body of work before inviting them to pitch will save everyone a lot of time. Of course, don’t feel like you need to do all the work yourself (agencies should be able to sell themselves, after all) but have a good think about what matters to you before reaching out. For instance, do you need your agency to be based in the same location as you? Geography can be a surprisingly important factor and one many purchasers don’t consider until the final pitch.
Sales, especially anything that involves pitches, is a hugely time consuming process, not just for the agencies involved, but for the client commissioning the work. The more you know about the agencies being invited, and the more you’re certain you could genuinely work with them, the more beneficial the sales process will be.
Have a realistic budget
Well, obviously we were going to mention budget! It’s a huge factor in any sale and digital procurement is no exception. The Internet is a vast and varied place and websites can range from ‘free’ to ‘millions of pounds’. Setting a realistic budget and clearly outlining it at the start is key to ensuring you get the right fit for your needs.
Don’t know what a realistic budget is? Ask! Reach out to other companies or marketeers or even agencies and quiz them on costs. Not only will it save you time in the long run, but it will help you ensure you get the best product for your money.
Provide feedback
One of the most neglected aspects of procurement is providing feedback to suppliers once the process is over. And we mean both to the supplier who won as well the ones who lost.
One of the best sales experiences we had was with a company who gave us tremendously detailed feedback even though we had won the job. They took the time to tell us what they liked (and didn’t like!) about our proposal and pitch which proved to be both insightful and a very valuable learning experience.
Of course, providing feedback to agencies who didn’t make the cut goes without saying. And try to be as specific as possible. We appreciate it can sometimes boil down to the finest of details, but even knowing that we lost simply because of chemistry is better than nothing.
Get some help
Finally, if you’re still struggling, get some external help. Some of the smoothest procurement processes we’ve been through were facilitated by third party consultants, people who knew the industry inside out and were able to independently guide the client to making the most suitable purchasing decision. From helping to write the brief, whittling down agencies, and then advising during the pitch, a consultant may be just the thing you need.