How is the District Agency different than a web design company?

District Agency was formed to help prepare, organize and supervise your website project regardless of budget, resources, or needs. We are not a web vendor; we are a vendor-neutral consulting company that helps organizations like yours through a very difficult process.

When a company decides to build or redesign a website, they typically write an RFP, and send it out to a random list of vendors. With very little (if any) interaction, the selected web design firms submit proposals based on the contents of the RFP. The result is a stack of proposals with a wide range of different offerings, solutions and price ranges. This scattershot approach makes selecting the right solution, and the right vendor, nearly impossible.

Most web design companies you are thinking of hiring

• have very little interaction with your organization prior to submitting a proposal
• don't understand your company needs, and rely solely on what you provided in the RFP
• write proposals using specific technologies without knowing your requirements
• base their pricing on pre-determined assumptions about your company's financial situation

 

The simple truth is that most companies don't know how to write an RFP. Very often the RFP is simply a wish list, with little consideration placed on the technologies, cost, and resources necessary for the project. In turn, the submitted proposals are very difficult for organizations to understand and compare.

If your company is like most, you

• do not have enough expertise to write a good RFP
• will have difficulty understanding the details of your vendors proposals
• will be very concerned why there is such a price disparity between proposals
• won't have a clue about the technologies your vendor is recommending

District Agency will help you

• understand what your company really needs
• write an RFP so you get specific, reliable proposals
• choose the right vendor(s)
• through any and all of the phases of a project life cycle

 

There are many moving parts to this process – we break our services down so they are easy to understand. Your organization can pick and choose any of our services, based on your current resources, time limitations, and budget.

It all starts with a phone call (410-740-9181). We'll give you a wealth of information in the first ten minutes we are on the phone at no cost.

Let us help you with any of the following services.

Strategy Consulting and Needs Analysis - the most important aspect to this process is for you to understand what your organization needs, the best technologies to accomplish these needs, and how much each one costs.

Document Writing - once your organization understands what you need, an RFP is created to distribute to vendors to bid on. The RFP needs to be specific, well defined, and articulated in a way that vendors know you are educated, and have a keen sense about your business needs and processes.

Project Management / Oversight - during the web design process, you are at the mercy of your vendor, and many times feel helpless for weeks because you don't know how to assess the work they are completing. District Agency can provide you with an expert that holds the web vendors accountable during the project life cycle to ensure there are no surprises as the project comes close to completion.

Design / Usability - one of the most important aspects to a website project is the design and usability of your website. District Agency designers have been building websites for 10 years for an impressive international clientele. We understand that good design and usability can equate to "leadership in your niche". We will ensure that the vendor you have chosen can execute these vital requirements.

Testing and Debugging - Every technology project has issues. It is the nature of this industry. District Agency experts understand how to test and debug websites and software to make sure you are not left with a product that doesn't work properly. We hold your vendors accountable for every piece of functionality your organization paid for.