BE A PART OF THE 1ST CANADIAN ECOMMERCE CHALLENGE!

Transcription

1 BE A PART OF THE 1ST CANADIAN ECOMMERCE CHALLENGE! RFP Questions Due Date: May 31, 2013 Response Due Date: June 6, 2013 Please submit all questions and the final proposal to tema@frankonlinemarketing.com CONTENTS Overview and Project Objectives... 2 Why Become A Part of This?... 3 What Are We Looking For?... 4 Section 1 Methodology and Experience... 4 Section 2 Development and Implementation... 5 Section 3 - Timing... 5 Section 4 Proposed Budget... 5 Are You Up To The Challenge?... 5

2 OVERVIEW AND PROJECT OBJECTIVES What is the Canadian ecommerce Challenge? The Canadian ecommerce Challenge will turn Canadian companies into winners on the world s Internet stage. It will encourage and help Canadian companies use the Internet to increase their sales, either by selling directly online or by using online tools to increase referrals and/or store-based purchases. It consists of three main elements: 1. A weekly podcast/videocast 2. Success stories from Canadian companies (including Canadian suppliers of internet-related services) 3. A Canada-wide competition 1. The weekly podcast/videocast teaches participants in clear, non-technical language how to do essential components of effective online marketing. Each episode provides free Canada-specific information, lessons and tutorials to Canadian businesses wanting to get more involved in e-commerce. We are already laying the groundwork for this aspect of the Challenge with the Frank Online Marketing Show ( which is sponsored by IBM Canada and launched in October There is currently no other show like this targeted specifically at a Canadian audience, and profiling Canadian success stories and Canadian suppliers. Once the Challenge begins, each week we will issue a challenge to participants to try a specific technique we have taught in that week s episode. By providing bitesized activities each week it becomes easier to find chunks of time to make progress. The goal is to launch the official Challenge in September The podcast series will take Challenge participants in an orderly fashion through topics such as: a. Thinking through your e-commerce strategy

3 b. Tools of the trade, including video demonstrations of things like how to set up a Word Press website, how to install Google Analytics, how to set up and monitor social media accounts c. Essential web content elements d. SEO e. Social media essentials f. Website usability and sales funnels g. Security h. Payment systems i. marketing tools j. Video basics k. Testing, measurement, monitoring and improving 2. Success stories. Most weeks podcasts include an interview with a Canadian company that is doing e-commerce successfully. They discuss how they got to this point, what hurdles they faced, how they overcame them, and their future plans. (We are already doing this on the Frank Online Marketing Show.) We may also pick a few companies to follow throughout the Challenge, and do interviews with them as the program progresses. This could add a reality TV show type of element to the Challenge. 3. The Challenge. All Canadian companies will be eligible to participate in the challenge. The goal of the Challenge is to get them involved in e-commerce, and to grow that involvement in ways that strengthen their business (and, thus, Canada s economy). Awards will be based on measureable progress made and ROI results, not just popularity votes. WHY BECOME A PART OF THIS? Companies that participate will gain tremendous exposure to prospective clients across Canada. We are already collaborating with IBM Canada (which sponsors the podcast), Google Canada (which sits on the Advisory Board), and luminaries such as Mitch Joel (also on the Advisory Board). It will bring your company to the attention of a large number of prospective clients who are actively looking for services like yours; it will help you stand out among a sea of competitors.

4 WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR? We need a Canadian web design partner and sponsor who shares our vision of making Canada take its place on the world s Internet stage. You will provide web design to help the Challenge gain massive traction over the coming months. You will be a recommended supplier for companies participating in the Challenge. This will include promotion on the Challenge website, the Frank Online Marketing website, our social media profiles, and the podcast. You will be a featured expert company we interview on the podcast about web design. To get maximum exposure, we recommend that you also provide web design services as one of the prizes to the winners. SECTION 1 METHODOLOGY AND EXPERIENCE 1.1 Philosophy and Approach Outline your company s approach to web design in general, and what you consider to be key elements of the process. How would you tackle this particular project? 1.2 Personnel Provide the name, job title, expertise and project responsibilities of the key members of your design team that will be involved in this project. Please also outline who else is on your team and what areas of expertise they have that would be relevant to companies that register for the Canadian ecommerce Challenge. 1.3 Portfolio Provide samples of at least 5 websites that you have designed within the past two years, along with contact information for the clients who hired you to build those sites.

5 SECTION 2 DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION What would you see as being the main navigational categories required on the website based on the information provided? Do you have any experience building sites with a private members-only area? Please give examples. How do you test the effectiveness/usability of your designs? What CMS software do you propose using and why? SECTION 3 - TIMING Our goal is to launch the Challenge at the beginning of September The website needs to be up by late June or early July at the latest. Please outline the proposed project schedule. Be realistic! If you can t meet this deadline, please say so. If you commit to this deadline and can t do it (assuming we give you content and decisions on time), we ll have trouble recommending your services. SECTION 4 PROPOSED BUDGET Although your work for the Challenge will be a contribution in-kind for the sponsorship, we need to have a realistic estimate of what it would cost if we were paying for it in order to: a) Provide you with a sponsorship valuation for your taxes. b) Know whether or not your services would be affordable to typical Challenge participants. Please submit an outline of the services you would recommend for our project along with pricing. ARE YOU UP TO THE CHALLENGE? RFP Questions Due Date: May 31, 2013 Response Due Date: June 6, 2013 Send proposal to tema@frankonlinemarketing.com