“…My firm engaged Bekhor Management to develop our website after having already had two false attempts at this initiative. We were striving to create a website that would capture my design philosophy as an architect, a goal that had proven elusive to date. Working with Sandra, however, I was seamlessly able to achieve the desired result. Her thorough process enabled us to design and implement a website that communicated our essential creative values. With Sandra’s diligence and persistence, our vision became a reality…”Richard Librach Architect Inc.
Architects have come to see their websites as a convenient way to share their portfolios with clients, prospects and referral markets. But, other than the convenience of online viewing, that doesn’t really get them further ahead. Architecture firms would have had a portfolio with or without a website. So, some firms are asking themselves what else their website can do to bolster their marketing efforts. Here are some of the specific questions raised by our clients:
- “We haven’t seen much return from the website as of yet. Were wondering if that would change if we updated it.”
- “We know that websites have come a long way over recent years and we’re wondering which features are important to consider incorporating on our site.”
- “Right now we don’t make much use of the website. But if we did, it would need to more closely reflect what we do. We don’t know how to make that happen.”
- “When we meet with our clients, we know how to speak to different sectors differently. If we go bigger with our site, it would need to do that too. Would that become complicated or confusing?”
- “We’ve invested quite a bit in photography and are wondering how to better showcase that on our website.”
- “We’re debating about getting started with a video project and are wondering how the website and video could have synergies with each other.”
Architecture firm websites that deliver results:
Improving a website and improving results are not the same thing.
The answers to these questions and more depend on the business case for your site – your goals, your target market, how your website fits into your overall marketing plan – so that changes are driven by business requirements, rather than being rudderless improvements.
Consider what you’d like your site to accomplish. Do you want to create awareness? Generate inquiries? Improve close rate on new leads? Save time on initial consultations? Build profile? Generate media interest? Encourage loyalty? Recruit talented candidates? Shape the firm’s culture?
While each of these objectives can certainly be supported by an architecture firm’s website, each would entail a change in scope, creative direction and approach.
So, the first step towards better results is deciding which results you want.
Don’t hold back.
While there’s no one size fits all solution for architecture firm websites, one thing is for sure – generic content won’t deliver on the potential you were hoping for. Regardless of the specific objectives you set out, you will still need to broadcast your vision in a manner that communicates what you’re doing right and why it matters.
Whether you’re considering an entirely new site or a refresh there may be a number of considerations to address before getting started. From establishing the business case through to implementation, our approach was designed to help you sort through your questions, develop a strategy focused on the needs of your practice and build a website expected to deliver on your goals.
Marketing for architecture firms:
To discuss how we can develop a coaching program to build and enhance your architecture, engineering or design firm, contact us for an initial consultation, in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) or via web conference anywhere in Canada.
