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Sample RFP Template:Content Management SystemBRIDGELINE WHITEPAPER SERIES Copyright 2014 Bridgeline Digital Inc. Bridgeline.com 1-800-603-9936

the digital engagement companyIntroduction: How to Use the WebContent Management RFP TemplateOrganizations often issue a Request For Proposal (RFP) to begin a search for a newweb Content Management System (CMS) to power their new enterprise-grade website.But before we dive into what good looks like in terms of RFPs, let’s quickly provide anoverview to the selection process – what a CMS is, what questions to ask potentialvendors, whether a RFP is even necessary in your search, and how to structure thedocument to meet your needs.What is an Enterprise-Grade Web Content Management System?In its most simplistic purpose, a top-tier, enterprise-grade Content Management System (CMS) allows users tocentralize data, content creation, editing, and publishing – all on a single back-end system. The primary goal is toarm non-technical business users with a solution to manage how content appears on a company’s website.RFP vs. RFIDepending on who you talk to, the debateof how an organization should solicit CMSvendors to engage in a project is varied. Thereis a growing contingent who believe a RequestFor Information (RFI) will save both yourorganization and the software vendors youare reaching out to a considerable amount oftime.While you can certainly limit your searchfrom 15-20 vendors to just 3-4 through anRFI, eventually a scope will have to occur,on both sides; consequently, developing anRFP is far from a fool’s errand. Again, so longas it’s understood that your team is strictlyestablishing a baseline. (In other words, we can all agree specifics about a vendor’s ability to deliver under budgetfor your vague, yet-to-be discussed web project seems rather unreasonable.)The optimal outcome here is productive follow-up conversations aided by a mutual understanding forged by theRFP. And that starts here. This RFP template will help you gather information you need from vendors to determinewhether or not they can meet your project’s requirements.Bridgeline Digital Whitepaper 2014 - Sample RFP Template: Content Management System Connect with Us:1

the digital engagement companyHow to Structure Your RFPCreating an effective RFP is an introspective process. Your team has a 2015 plan forgrowth. Start there. Look inward, across every level of your organization, in order tofigure out how your new website will help achieve the goals linked to your plan. Themore granular the better. Initially, the task may seem arduous, but the exercise will helpestablish critical Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and results you ultimately need thisproject to produce.Developing DealbreakersTo reiterate, the whole point of a RFP is to eliminatevendors from the courtship process. Everyone has bellsand whistles that they’d like to see a vendor show off,but more pressing is the shortlist of requirements that thisproject needs to be a success. This is where you shoulddig through internal pain to showcase the primary – andessential – needs your new website should address.Establishing Business GoalsYour selection committee must determine an optimalReturn On Digital Investment (RODI) that yourCMS purchase should yield to justify cost. This can bepredicated a number of factors – some may be intangible– but your business goals should be predicated on blackand white results.Examples of Business Goals may include: Increase revenue by 25% Increase up-sell conversions by 15% Increase new customer acquisition by 10%These projections are not all directly related to your project,but your team should reconcile corresponding metrics thatyour website must produce to support these goals. Whattype of traffic can a vendor assure their CMS will produce?Are there case-studies of post-launch success? How doestheir software cater to existing customers by personalizingthe web experience?Understanding Operational GoalsRemember how we stated that RODI can be measuredthrough intangible terms? Well, more often than not,companies find themselves in a market for a new CMSbecause their outdated legacy system has created agreat deal of headaches.Talk to the marketing and ITdepartments to figure out what they need out of a newCMS to make their lives easier (and drive results).Put Marketing Back In ControlContemporary marketers understand that technology andsoftware plays a critical role in making their ideas come tolife. And while every member of your marketing departmentshouldn’t have to be experts in HTML or API development,the software that powers their website should empowerthem to control the message – without having to call IT.To that point, learning curves can exist, but CMS softwareshould be intuitive, not a hindrance.Custom DevelopmentMarketing shouldn’t have all the fun, though – right? Ofcourse not. Your organization is unique, and thus, yourwebsite requires special considerations and functionalityto optimize RODI. This is where your RFP should ask forsimilar case studies or references of previous customdevelopment done for customers that is similar to yourneedsBridgeline Digital Whitepaper 2014 - Sample RFP Template: Content Management System Connect with Us:2

the digital engagement companyCreating a TimelineThis is the beginning of a relationship. You’re not just buying software, you’re forging apartnership, and building a quick timeline will provide all parties involved with transparency.Moreover, it will help weed out the pretenders from the contenders.MilestoneDate(s)Distribute RFPRFPs must be returnedSelect Short List of VendorsMeet with Short List of VendorsConduct Evaluation of Short List VendorsSelect and Purchase WCMBridgeline Digital Whitepaper 2014 - Sample RFP Template: Content Management System Connect with Us:3

the digital engagement companyThe RFP TemplateNow that you’ve established the requirements, goals & timeline for the CMS project, youcan develop your RFP. Below is the order in which you should insert these essentialsin the beginning of your RFP. Following the introduction, a more granular and intensivequestionnaire begins.Critical RequirementsBusiness GoalsOperational GoalsRFP TimelineRoadmap to Success: Open-Ended SurveyDescribe how your software and services solve real-worldbusiness issues for clients.What is your overall value proposition?In terms of competitive vendor analysis, detail keydifferentiators that your software and services provide.Please provide your technology roadmap over the course ofthe next few years.Client RefrencesPlease list clients in our industry. Where appropriate, includeat least one case study of a client within our industry.Bridgeline Digital Whitepaper 2014 - Sample RFP Template: Content Management System Connect with Us:4

the digital engagement companyCommon Questions AboutSoftware CapabilitiesVendor ResponseCapabilities and Requirements1- Out of the Box2-Customer ImplementationAdditional VendorDetailsContent Creation and EditingDoes the CMS support content editing, including support for richtext with HTML and style (CSS) enforcement?Does the CMS support “in-line editing” via a WYSIWYG editorwhich displays how potential edits will appear in the resulting Webpage(s)?Does the CMS allow editing from Microsoft Word, includingstripping of special characters and other formatting issues thattypically occur with content originating in Microsoft Word?Does the CMS provide the ability to create and maintain sharedassets that are used throughout one or multiple websites?Does the CMS provide a means to browse reusable contentavailable in the content repository?Does the CMS provide common “library services” includingrevisions and versions?Which of the following content types are supported out-of-the-box?Rich TextPlain textHTMLImageFile (PDF/Word/etc)Calendar EventsFlashVideoMeta Data ManagementDoes the WCM support editing of metadata by contentcontributors, including structured information such as publicationand expiration dates, titles, and call-outs?Does the WCM provide tagging functionality to group pages, aswell as site map of categories for site visitors to select from?Can these tags and categories lists be used across all site content,from blog posts, to landing pages and other pages to best promoteclick through from one page to the next?Does the CMS allow for meta-data tagging using the schema.orgtaxonomy?Bridgeline Digital Whitepaper 2014 - Sample RFP Template: Content Management System Connect with Us:5

the digital engagement companyCommon Questions AboutSoftware Capabilities (continued)Vendor ResponseCapabilities and Requirements1- Out of the Box2-Customer ImplementationAdditional VendorDetailsBloggingDoes the CMS provide a built-in, integrated blog?Does the CMS allow multiple blogs within one website?Does the CMS allow RSS feed generation for blogs?Does the CMS allow for comments and comment moderation onany page?Does the CMS allow blog content to be intermixed with other sitecontent, pages and related link lists?Social MediaCan the CMS display external social site content?Does the CMS allow for external RSS feeds to be displayed inline?Does the CMS have social sharing widgets?Does the CMS allow for comments to be used on any site page?Does the CMS provide the ability to generate polls?SEODoes the CMS ensure that Page Title, Page Summary and othercritical SEO elements can be created even by casual contentcontributors?Does the CMS identify pages that are missing critical SEOelements?Does the CMS provide marketers the ability to create and trackURLs that are SEO-friendly?Does the CMS provide marketers the ability to retain URLs whenchanges are made to avoid broken links from search engines?AnalyticsDoes the CMS provide out of the box integration to Analyticsplatforms? Please specify.Does the CMS allow marketers to determine how contentpublishing activity impacts site traffic?Does the CMS allow marketers to determine where on the site topublish new content?Does the CMS allow marketers to determine how frequently toupdate or create new content based on site traffic goals?Bridgeline Digital Whitepaper 2014 - Sample RFP Template: Content Management System Connect with Us:6

the digital engagement companyCommon Questions AboutSoftware Capabilities (continued)Vendor ResponseCapabilities and Requirements1- Out of the Box2-Customer ImplementationAdditional VendorDetailsDesign and TemplatesDoes the CMS provide a page building and layout environmentwhere users can select or drag and drop from a palette of pageelements (or modules) to change page designs?Does the CMS provide out-of-the-box, responsively designedtemplates?Does the CMS provide the ability to create a design by modeling iton an existing site or design?Can designs from third-party designers be imported?Can design changes be easily applied to existing pages across thewebsite?Can designers preview what pages will look like on various mobiledevices?NavigationDoes the CMS provide the ability to create lists of pages based ondirectory, tag or category that update automatically as new contentis created?Does the system provide support for mega-menus?Does the system provide support for navigation when viewed on amobile device?Roles and UsersHow are users and user authentication managed?Are there limits to the number of users that can be added ascontent contributors?Can you create a workflow environment with custom roles andassociate users to roles through an easy-to-use administrativeinterface?Can a given user be assigned to multiple roles?Bridgeline Digital Whitepaper 2014 - Sample RFP Template: Content Management System Connect with Us:7