

Proposal for Updating the Biller Family Foundation website
Below are proposals for planning, WordPress, deliverables, timing, and budget considerations.
Planning
Before we get started on updating your website, we want to clarify the task and scope of work: What have I missed? What else do you need? What do you not need? We have a Q&A ‘discovery’ document that can facilitate this process.
Next, I want to make sure I understand your messaging framework thoroughly, to ensure it informs every decision in meeting our task. Every recommendation will be informed by this shared understanding.
Crucial to this understanding is defining your audiences clearly: How are they distinct from each other? How are they similar? What is your distinctive value to them? How do we put their needs front and center on the website? How do we strengthen your connections with them?
We would also review your aesthetic preferences and sensibilities — what are your expectations?
Then I would want to absorb your “evolved” story — the successes and impacts, the names and faces and places, and the data behind the stories. Together, we would look at how to shape narrative and presentation to fit within your message framework, as well as assets and opportunities to display and organize the stories visually.
Finally, with all this in mind, we would take inventory of the websites’s strengths and weaknesses and make a plan for how to achieve your task. All of this will inform a concise creative brief and estimated budget.
Wordpress
I agree that you should continue to run the site on WordPress. It is very powerful, flexible and optimizable. We have built, maintained, and trained many clients on WordPress sites. Apart from major design adjustments, learning to update content in WordPress is straightforward — comparable to using word-processing software. Furthermore, if you are interested, there are several alternative hosting options to consider, each of which are optimized for WordPress functionality and security, giving you greater choice, cost, and quality to choose from. That said, your current host, WPEngine, is an excellent option.
Page Builder
An advanced page-builder dramatically extends the functionality and editability of your WordPress site. We recommend working with one of the top two tools — WPBakery Page Builder or Elementor — which are inexpensive and easy to incorporate into your set-up (plugin). Other builders, such as the one that comes with the popular and powerful Avada theme framework, are excellent options, as well.
Redesign and Updating Content
Next, we would outline the basic architecture and navigation scheme for the site. We would take that outline, revise it as necessary, and begin to identify specific pieces of content and specific tools that fit each section.
At this point, if I am hired to also work on developing content (e.g., case studies, infographics), we would focus on completing that task and identifying all other content while beginning site redesign.
Once we have chosen a platform and host, agreed upon the basic site architecture and navigation logic, and have approved content to work with, I would begin on page design, prioritizing the home page and sample pages for each primary section of the site. From there, we would finalize the design and approach and begin to (re)populate the site with the rest of the content.
All this work is done in a staging environment, where anyone on your team can review the draft website at any time; it remains unseen to the public until we are ready to launch. In the meantime, your current site will be up and functional. Making the switch to the new site can take place seamlessly in a matter of hours or less.
Post-Launch
Once launched, we will conduct WordPress training for key staff and remain available for help and troubleshooting per our pre-determined arrangement (see “Budget Considerations” section below).
Deliverables
We would like to offer you the following services, based on your needs:
Planning
We provide you with a discovery process and creative brief that will help clearly identify the core tasks for refreshing or redesigning the website (see “Planning” above).
Develop, build, and launch a fully functional WordPress website
This includes:
- Site architecture and navigation scheme.
- Art direction, including assistance with photo and other art procurement.
- Content infill and placement.
- Custom theme framework and design.
- Software (plugins, etc.) to enhance functionality of site loading speed, security, and SEO.
- Connection to your marketing/communications platform (newsletter database, etc.)
- Workflow guidelines for updating content.
- Six months of design adjustments as the project “settles.”
WordPress training
Six months of WordPress editing training from the date of launch.
Website maintenance
Based on an additional monthly fee, this includes vigilant site-security monitoring and reporting, website traffic reporting and analysis, software updates, Help-Desk, basic content updates, and troubleshooting. (Note: significant technical problems, e.g., a “hack,” may incur additional costs.)
Additional content development
Beyond website design and development, I can work with you to develop or update your written and visual content:
- Headers.
- Message framing.
- Content sections.
- Case studies.
- Infographics, data displays, and other interactive presentations. Good visual display of information not only can explain complicated data much more easily, it can be made interactive and easily shareable — whether on the website, in an email, social media, or print.
- Supplements to your house style/branding guide.
We can work with existing content, help create new content, or both — whatever you need.
NOTE: A certain amount of content development will result naturally from the collaborative planning phase and editing and execution of the site. Here, I’m referring to more substantive work for which I would be assigned as the primary writer/creator.
Social Media
The Biller Family Foundation has Facebook and LinkedIn pages. Are you on additional social media platforms? We can help assess and assist with your social media strategy, including ways to best integrate it with your website.
Marketing
What kind of email communication (aka marketing) program do you use and have you considered any changes or updates? There are a number of powerful options to connect to your website and databases and leverage them to enhance your relationship with your audiences. I would be happy to explore this further with you.
Timeline
In general, the timeline depends on a final agreement of deliverables and the most logical progression thereof. Here is a basic timeline based on the deliverables outlined above:
- Planning/Inventory: 2-4 weeks.
- Site architecture plan/wireframe: 2-4 weeks.
- Content development: 4-6 weeks.
- Draft site: 4 weeks.
- Site review and updates: 4 weeks.
- Final prep and launch: 1 week.
Note: These items can be and likely will be somewhat concurrent, allowing for a compressed timeline. Depending on your expectations, readiness, and final definition of the task, I would expect to revamp and re-launch each site within a 2-5 month period. That said, we are flexible and able to compress the timeline based on your needs.
Is there is a particular milestone or point on the timeline that makes sense to launch — a key event, key grant period, etc.? It may make sense to coordinate the website launch accordingly.
Budget Considerations
If we go forward together, a process of honing in on the final task and deliverables would be necessary for determining final estimated costs. (For example, we talked about a “refresh” versus a wholesale “redesign,” so it would make sense to further clarify precisely what you need.)
Budget and pricing depend on what we eventually agree to be the scope of work, but, generally, I segment pricing by flat fee. Here are typical ranges based on the task as outlined above:
- Planning, design, content updates, and launch of the website, plus WordPress training: $5,000-$15,000. I would require 1/3 of the fee before commencing work and 2/3 upon website launch. The final cost depends on the extent and nature of the “refresh” or “redesign.”
- Website maintenance, Help Desk: $300/mo (post-launch), paid annually in advance.
- Assisting with additional development of content (see above): TBD, depending on complexity may be folded into website development budget. We can discuss further.