Sending out a Request for Proposal (RFP) to CRO agencies? Most RFPs ask the wrong questions — they focus on company history and certifications instead of methodology, results, and fit.
This template helps you evaluate CRO agencies on what actually matters: their process, their technology, their track record, and how they’ll deliver measurable revenue impact for your business. Skip generic questions; ask the questions that predict results.
How to Use This RFP Template
- Customize Sections 1–3 with your company, project scope, and evaluation criteria
- Send Sections 4–8 to 5–7 shortlisted agencies
- Set a clear deadline (2 weeks is standard)
- Use the scoring rubric (Section 9) to evaluate responses objectively
- Shortlist 3–5 agencies with highest scores for follow-up presentations
- Make your hire decision based on scores + cultural fit
Section 1: Company Overview (You Fill In)
Provide enough context for agencies to give specific recommendations, not generic ones.
| Field | Your Details |
|---|---|
| Company name | [Your company] |
| Website URL | [Your URL] |
| Industry | [eCommerce / SaaS / B2B / DTC / Other] |
| Platform | [Shopify / WooCommerce / Magento / Custom / Other] |
| Annual revenue | [Range: Under $100k / $100k–$1M / $1M–$10M / $10M+] |
| Monthly website traffic | [Sessions/month] |
| Current conversion rate (if known) | [Your baseline] |
| Primary conversion goal | [Purchase / Signup / Lead / Demo request / Other] |
| Current CRO tools | [GA4, Hotjar, VWO, etc.] |
| Previous CRO work | [None / Internal team / Previous agency — note results if any] |
| Key success metric | [Revenue / AOV / Trial-to-paid / Sign-up / Other] |
Section 2: Project Scope
Be specific. Vague scopes lead to vague proposals.
What you need (check all that apply):
- Full CRO audit (heuristic analysis + heat maps + recommendations)
- Ongoing A/B testing program (monthly tests, continuous optimization)
- One-time optimization project (specific pages or funnel)
- Strategy + recommendations only (no implementation)
- Full-service (strategy + design + development + analysis)
- Specific focus area: [checkout / product pages / pricing / signup / landing pages / other]
Pages/flows in scope:
- Homepage
- Product/collection pages
- Cart and checkout
- Pricing page (SaaS) or product listing (eCommerce)
- Signup/onboarding flow
- Landing pages
- Other: [specify]
Timeline:
- Desired start date: [Date]
- Initial engagement length: [3 months / 6 months / 12 months / other]
- First results expected by: [Date]
- Cadence of tests: [1/month / 2/month / continuous]
Budget:
- Monthly budget range: [Under $5K / $5K–$10K / $10K–$20K / $20K+]
- Annual budget ceiling: [If applicable]
- Is this flexible? [No / Flexible if justified by results]
Section 3: Evaluation Criteria
Weight these factors according to your priorities. Default weights are listed; adjust if needed.
| Criterion | Your Weight | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Methodology & process clarity | 25% | Process predicts results. Vague methodology = vague results. |
| Relevant case studies + revenue impact | 20% | Past work in your industry predicts success. Insist on specific numbers. |
| Technology & innovation | 20% | Tools and AI capabilities affect speed and accuracy. |
| Pricing transparency & value | 15% | Hidden costs and scope creep kill budgets. |
| Team quality & communication | 10% | Good communication saves time and prevents surprises. |
| Cultural fit & responsiveness | 10% | You’ll work together for months. Fit matters. |
Section 4: Agency Questions — Methodology (Critical)
These questions reveal how the agency thinks. Generic answers = generic results.
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Walk us through your end-to-end CRO process. Describe each phase: research → audit → hypothesis → test → analysis. How long does each take?
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What prioritization framework do you use to decide which tests run first? (Examples: ICE, SHIP, PIE, AXR, custom). Provide an example from a real project.
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How do you incorporate behavioral science into your work? Which frameworks or heuristics guide your process?
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Show us 2–3 real test hypotheses from past client work. Format should be: “Because [observation], we believe [change] will result in [outcome].” How are these grounded in data?
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What’s your typical A/B test win rate? How do you define “winning”? (Stat sig? Revenue impact? Lift %)
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What’s your approach to statistical analysis? Do you use Bayesian or Frequentist methods? Why? When do you stop a test?
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How do you ensure statistical validity? What’s your minimum sample size? When do you run tests and for how long?
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Do you use AI or automation in your CRO process? If yes, what tools/tech and for what purpose? If no, why?
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How do you validate findings after a test? Do you re-test winners? How long until you declare a finding “real”?
Section 5: Experience & Case Studies
Numbers matter. Insist on specific revenue impact.
- Provide 3 case studies from companies similar to ours (industry, size, platform, traffic level).
For each, include:
- Company size and industry
- Baseline metric (current CVR, revenue, etc.)
- Key changes tested
- Results (revenue lift %, absolute gain, time to result)
- How long the engagement lasted
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How long has your agency been doing CRO? (Minimum: 3 years; 5+ years is stronger)
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Do you have experience with our platform? ([Shopify / WooCommerce / etc.]) How many clients on this platform? What are typical results?
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What industries are you strongest in? Where have you seen your biggest wins?
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Can you provide 2–3 client references? Include contact info and permission to discuss the relationship.
Section 6: Technology & Tools
Don’t let agencies hide behind vague “we use best-in-class tools” speak. Ask for specifics.
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What A/B testing tools do you recommend or require? (VWO, Optimizely, Convert, etc.) Do you have certifications or partnerships?
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What’s your full tech stack for CRO? Include: analytics (GA4?), behavioral tools (heatmaps, session recording), testing, AI/automation, reporting.
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Do you have proprietary technology? (Custom AI, heuristic scoring, prediction models, etc.) Describe what it is and what it does.
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How do you implement test variations? (Visual editor, custom code, server-side, platform-native?) What’s easiest / most reliable on our platform?
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Walk us through your reporting process. What does a typical monthly report include? (Metrics, insights, next steps?) Provide a sample.
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How do you document learnings? (Knowledge base, wiki, spreadsheet?) Can we access findings after the engagement ends?
Section 7: Team & Communication
You’ll be working together for months. Get to know them.
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Who will be assigned to our account? Provide names, titles, experience, and relevant case studies.
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Is this a dedicated team or shared? (Dedicated = 1–2 people assigned; shared = you compete for time)
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What’s the communication cadence? Weekly check-ins? Monthly strategy? Slack channel? What happens if issues arise?
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What do you need from our team to succeed? (GA4 access? Design resources? Dev time? Marketing support?) What’s the expected time commitment?
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Who’s the primary contact if something goes wrong or needs urgent attention?
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How do you handle scope creep or requests outside the original agreement?
Section 8: Pricing & Legal Terms
Read the fine print. Surprises hurt.
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Provide a detailed pricing breakdown. What’s included in the monthly retainer vs. what costs extra (rush work, additional tests, tool licenses)?
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What is the minimum engagement length? (3 months? 6 months? Month-to-month?)
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Are there performance guarantees or SLAs? (E.g., “We guarantee 2 tests/month” or “Results within 4 weeks.”)
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What’s your cancellation policy? (Notice period? Early termination fee?)
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Who owns the test data, insights, and assets if we part ways? (You should own everything.)
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Are tool/platform licenses included in your fee, or do we pay separately?
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What happens to our account if the assigned team member leaves?
Section 9: Scoring & Decision Matrix
Use this rubric to score each agency objectively. Eliminates bias and makes comparisons clear.
Scoring Scale
- 5: Exceptional (exceeds expectations, clear differentiation)
- 4: Strong (meets expectations, good specificity)
- 3: Adequate (meets baseline, some specificity)
- 2: Weak (falls short, vague or concerning)
- 1: Poor (misaligned with needs, red flags)
| Criterion | Weight | Agency A | Agency B | Agency C | Agency D | Agency E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Methodology clarity | 25% | __/5 | __/5 | __/5 | __/5 | __/5 |
| Relevant case studies | 20% | __/5 | __/5 | __/5 | __/5 | __/5 |
| Technology + Innovation | 20% | __/5 | __/5 | __/5 | __/5 | __/5 |
| Pricing + Value | 15% | __/5 | __/5 | __/5 | __/5 | __/5 |
| Team + Communication | 10% | __/5 | __/5 | __/5 | __/5 | __/5 |
| Proposal quality | 10% | __/5 | __/5 | __/5 | __/5 | __/5 |
| Weighted Score | 100% | __/5 | __/5 | __/5 | __/5 | __/5 |
Shortlist: Agencies with scores 3.8+ advance to presentation. Below 3.0: pass.
Tips for Better Proposals
Before you send the RFP:
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Schedule brief pre-RFP calls (15 min each) with agencies you’re seriously considering. Let them ask questions about your business. Better proposals result from real context.
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Share anonymized GA4 data (or key metrics: traffic, conversion, top pages). Agencies with data give more specific, useful recommendations.
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Set a clear deadline (2 weeks is standard, don’t extend).
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Tell agencies how many others are in the process (full transparency helps).
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Ask how long they need before they can start (avoid 6-month waiting lists).
When NOT to Send an RFP
RFPs work for $10K+/month engagements where the stakes are high. For smaller budgets or fast-moving companies:
- Start with an AI audit (free–$99, ~3 min) — Get real findings before formal RFP
- Run a test project ($2K–$5K) — Test-drive an agency with a single audit or strategy sprint
- Skip the RFP — Work with freelancers on hourly/project basis instead
FAQs
Q: How should we weight methodology vs pricing? A: Methodology first (25%), pricing second (15%). A cheap agency that has no process will waste money. A methodical agency is worth the price premium.
Q: What if agencies have very different pricing models? A: Ask them all to quote the same scope (e.g., “3 tests per month for 6 months”). Apples to apples. Include tool costs so you know the true all-in price.
Q: Should we do a paid trial project before full engagement? A: For big engagements (3+ months), yes. Spend $2K–$5K on a trial audit or strategy sprint. You learn whether they’re a fit without long-term commitment.
Next Steps
- Copy this template. Customize Sections 1–3 with your details.
- Identify 5–7 agencies. Mix tier 1 (national), tier 2 (regional), and 1–2 freelancers/consultants.
- Schedule 15-min intro calls before sending RFP. Let them ask questions.
- Send RFP. Set 2-week deadline. Expect proposals 1 week in.
- Score using Section 9. Shortlist top 3–4 for presentations.
- Present and decide. Ask questions; gauge fit.
- Hire and measure. Set clear KPIs for the first 90 days.
Good agencies make the hiring process easy — they ask great questions, give detailed proposals, and talk about measurement. Red flag: vague proposals and empty promises.
