Dear architect, would you like more of the ‘right’ kind of clients? Well, if you are hoping the web will help you with this goal, let me give you a tip: your website sucks.
I know, it isn’t a very polite thing to say. But I’m helping architects here, not trying to be the best-liked blogger on the Internet.
The Mistake 0n 99% of Architect’s Websites
Oh Yeah - And Don't Use Flash!
Many architects affirm that websites do not produce leads. And the leads that do come through don’t turn into paying clients. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be done.
By nature architects are visually inclined; we like images. We assume our prospects are similar and that our best chance to catch their interest is with eye-popping pictures. This is where architects go wrong with web design.
Architect’s websites have a predicable format: a prominent portfolio page, a services page, and an about us page. As architects we have worked hard to win commissions and design buildings. We are rightfully proud of our work and want to display it to the world, especially to our prospective clients. We think our work is what differentiates us from other architects. We think that if our prospects like the buildings we have designed, they will take an interest in our work and hopefully choose us for their next commission. Mistakenly we assume that the best use of our website is to focus on our work.
For our purposes, sites that follow this format are called brochure websites. Brochure websites, as the term suggests, don’t offer more than what a prospect can get from a physical brochure.
Ok, So What’s the Problem?
Nothing really, if your goal is to showcase your projects. If however, your goal is to generate viable leads- your website needs a redesign.
The problem is that 99% of architect’s websites are not designed to capture new clients. They are designed to showcase the architects’ work. Architect’s websites look like they were designed for architects!
In other words, the problem is that your website is all about you. It is about your work. It is has your bio. It even has your name on it! Let’s be realistic here – unless you happen to be Zaha Hadid or Steven Holl, the prospect doesn’t care about you and much less your work. They don’t care about your firm, where you went to school, your cat, your current work or all of the past projects that you’ve done- although I’m sure they are great.
Potential clients care about themselves, their needs, and their wants. In their search for an architect, what the prospect cares about is simple: finding an architect they like and trust who can meet the goals of their project.
How to use the Web to Become the Prospect’s Architect
So how does one become the architect the prospect likes and trusts? Aside from face-to-face networking, your website is the best tool to make this happen. And here is the secret sauce: become an educator. I’m not talking about a know-it-all, in-your-face, I am the expert type of demeanor. I refer to a more subtle, cooperative kind of sharing. The goal is to shove so much value towards your prospects that they have no choice but to choose you as their architect.
When a new visitor lands on your website, they should be engaged with useful, educational content.
Here is a simplified outline of how to take your website from sucky to killer:
- Step one: Bring visitors to your website. Use social media outreach, search engine optimization (SEO), and advertising. Keep up your local person-to-person networking.
- Step two: Add content to your website focused on fulfilling the needs of your prospects. This is done through blog posts, articles, white-papers and webinars that are hosted on your website. For example, write a blog post about “local building costs” or “how to select the right contractor”. Your portfolio section remains. However, focus is shifted to client-centric content.
- Step three: Provide a call to action that gets your prospect to interact with you and your website. Provide an email newsletter sign-up form, a blog comments section, or a link to your social media profiles. This is the critical step of engagement.
- Conclusion: As the prospects filter through this process, they will be pre-screened. The prospects who make it through are the prospects who have chosen you to be their trusted adviser.
Here’s the Take-Away
Get past a pretty portfolio brochure website and turn your site into a lead generator. Add user-centric content. Make one change today on your website meant to engage with prospects. This may be something as simple as a link to a social media profile.
Finally, if you are thinking of getting a website redesign, ask a prospective designer these questions:
- How will a social media strategy be included in the website? This is the key to bringing fresh prospects to your site.
- What is the lead generation strategy? This how prospects are converted from browsers into buyers.
- Lastly, what metrics will be used to measure the lead generation strategy? If it isn’t measurable, how can it be improved?
If the designer is clueless about the answers to the above questions; move on. Remember, prospects want information first, design second.
What do you think? Is it possible to turn an architect’s website into a lead generator?
P.S. Sign up below to be notified when I post a few examples of this strategy in action.
April 13, 2012 at 4:40 pm
Very nice article Enoch. I am launching a website now and your comments are surely appreciated.
April 24, 2012 at 8:56 pm
J- thanks for dropping by, I’m glad the information is useful!
April 12, 2012 at 11:41 am
Thank for this very informative article! I guess I need to re-do my website!
April 24, 2012 at 8:57 pm
Patricia, thanks for dropping by!
March 23, 2012 at 8:09 am
Some great thoughts about how I can improve my website. I hadn’t ever considered actually making my website a tool to qualify new clients…
March 5, 2012 at 6:47 am
Thank you Enoch,
Looking for your strategy samples.
February 5, 2012 at 9:24 pm
thanks for the help, i will change some things.
grettings from méxico.
February 8, 2012 at 5:08 am
Mauricio – Bienvenido. Glad you liked the article.
January 17, 2012 at 8:18 am
Good timing on this article! We are in the process of designing our website. I could not agree more on the insight. Bill
February 8, 2012 at 5:09 am
Hi Bill – glad you found some value here! Best of luck with the new website.
January 17, 2012 at 6:41 am
Great article, Enoch. I totally understand how we all have to wrap our minds around leading the client to our website with what we can do for them, via SEO, blogging, direct mail, cold calling, newsletters, writing simple to understand articles and beyond. My website is “chock full” of product but we are constantly changing copy, updating landing pages, etc., etc. We are slowly getting off the bandwagon of who we are, what we did, who we know and back into doing what’s best for the client. Thanks for a great piece.
February 8, 2012 at 5:10 am
Hi Mary, thanks for sharing your input and strategy. It is definitely about what we can offer the client and not “who we are”. Ha!
January 14, 2012 at 5:00 am
Excellent article.
January 15, 2012 at 8:02 am
Hey Andrew! Thanks for dropping by! I enjoyed looking at your website – beautiful work. Love the “architect’s home”. A great contemporary design. Is that yours?
December 21, 2011 at 6:48 am
Right, Enoch, right!
People are not concerned about the architect. They usually search for solutions or answers to a certain problem or question. So it is a much better chance to get them searching for tips to build cheaper houses than searching for a glam architect.
I wrote a few years ago an article called “The Secret Of The Cheap Houses”. The article were had an amazing success over the time. Many websites, magazines and newspapers shared it and even a television asked for an interview.
After that article, the people used to call and start with “I’ve read your article! Congratulations for the valuable information! I will like to build a house, can I drop to your office and discuss about?”.
Now I still try to write a new, better article.
December 21, 2011 at 6:53 am
Hey Octavian! Quit giving away all the good secrets!
December 21, 2011 at 7:39 am
Look who’s talking! You started this!
As for the article, the “secret” was a good design, nor the cheap materials or cheap contractors.
December 12, 2011 at 11:12 am
Here is an example of an architecture firm that does a great job at generating leads by pulling people in through keywords and converting them with valuable resources:
http://www.modative.com/
Here is a firm that does an excellent job with content creation with their Architecture Happy Hour series:
http://www.hpdarch.com/
January 4, 2012 at 5:58 am
Sean- thanks for sharing the great examples!
December 12, 2011 at 11:05 am
Would love to see your example site.
December 9, 2011 at 6:50 pm
Enoch-
Terrific info, thanks. Do you know of example sites that you would deem highly effective and/or follow the 4 step process for reference?
December 9, 2011 at 9:00 pm
Hey Jason! Thanks for dropping by. As for your question about highly effective sites that follow these steps, I do know a bunch, but none in the architecture industry. As a matter of fact, I’m planning on launching an example site that architects can follow along with from start to finish. Sign up above for email updates and I’ll let you know when I start. In terms of architect’s sites that do all of this well, I haven’t found one that I’d set out there as an example…yet. There are many pieces to the puzzle and it is hard to nail all of them.
December 6, 2011 at 3:26 am
Great article, I’m wondering if the same things can be applied to architecture student portfolio websites. Some interaction would be great.
December 6, 2011 at 6:35 am
Hey Rahma- that is a great point. I hadn’t thought about that. That brings up some interesting thoughts….maybe a future blog post.
December 3, 2011 at 9:30 am
OK, I’ll admit it! I have been involved in “if-come” projects. This is what I try to do to encourage clients to pay up front! I make sure the client understands that if we work together in a traditional way (you pay me!), the fee for my services is “X” , but if you want me to be at risk with you, my fee is X+y. The Scope of work doesn’t change, just my fee. Sometimes I win (really?) and sometimes I loose. Life is a crap shoot!
December 6, 2011 at 6:34 am
Michael- thanks for dropping by. Good comment.
December 2, 2011 at 2:12 pm
Hit the nail on the head.
December 2, 2011 at 5:04 pm
Hi Sean, thanks for dropping by. I encourage all to check out Sean’s company Hinge Marketing, they specialize in marketing professional services. They have some great info over there.
December 5, 2011 at 7:52 am
Thanks for the shout out Enoch. Your points on conversion and metrics are very strong. These vital pieces are often ignored when in fact they are the most important in marketing a prof services company.
November 17, 2011 at 7:17 am
Totally agree with the article. Most architect’s web sites I have come across in the past were basically perhaps unintentionally to show off to other architects and not for the benefit of prospective clients.
Back in the day of working for another practice I designed their web site, it came out well and was easy for a potential client to find what they were looking for, but my hands were tied to get a good search engine friendly format. The web page ranked but only just. What I was able to do was put more textual content in the pages beyond the home page, there were ranking better than the home page.
December 2, 2011 at 5:13 pm
Hi Darren! Thanks for dropping by and thanks for the comment. I also find it true that most architect’s websites seem to be designed for other architects. Just go view any blog post that reviews the best architecture websites. Most judge “best” by aesthetics, design, layout, etc, not making $$ as I’m advocating here.
All the best,
Enoch
November 9, 2011 at 10:04 pm
Hi Enoch,
Great article – had a chuckle at the title.
This is actually exactly what we’ve been aspiring to do with our website. About 6 months ago when we started doing research we found that most architects’ websites were almost exclusively online portfolios. Beautiful, but boring. Our challenge was how to ENGAGE with clients. As a medium-sized firm in New Zealand (way out in the South Pacific somewhere!) our website is a crucial tool to connect to others around the world.
It does take a lot of commitment to keep the content fresh and up-to-date and we’re still learning, but we’ve had a good response so far.
December 2, 2011 at 5:06 pm
Awesome Catherine! Great comment! Its great to hear about firms that are taking it to the next level in web design. So for you, this is preaching to the choir. But thanks for coming along for the ride anyway – and reaching out to say hello.
November 8, 2011 at 12:53 pm
interesting article (linked thru from the linkedin group)
it makes sense and is easy to see why it would work in theory, i would imagine it is very difficult to put into practice and then to maintain for any length of time.
i am one of the many people made redundant and set up on my own, my website is exteremly simple, just a collection of images/drawings to show what kind of projects i have done (or am working on) with little or no text, it gives a quick graphical overview of what i do, which has landed me a few jobs. I also decided to put some of the production works on there which helps to pay everyones bills but no one wants to admit! which has definitely found me more small works, guess it depends what you want to work on…
I am interested to see the real world examples of the strategy, maybe i can redesign soon!
November 8, 2011 at 3:10 pm
Bari, thanks for your interest. Stay tuned for real world examples coming soon. You can sign up to receive updates using the “Get Updates” form above. All the best, Enoch