8 Essential Features of an Architecture Firm’s Website
Like designing a building, an architecture firm’s website should be thoughtful and highly functional designed with the end user in mind.
Photo by Pankaj Patel on Unsplash
In the past, architects counted on building a deeply personal, face-to-face relationship with prospects; it was their way to acquire new clients and present their expertise professionally. However, in the digital era, websites have replaced first impressions; a solid online presence is essential for any business, and architecture firms are no exception.
Due to the latest trends in website development, several new sections were added to commercial websites, like testimonials, blogs, and team members.
Additionally, the latest technologies enable tracking website visitors and analyzing their browsing journey with fruitful reports about their online experience. Therefore, websites evolved from online information centers to lead-generation platforms that can attract online traffic, convert visitors to clients, close deals, and increase revenue.
A professionally developed website sets an architectural services firm apart from competitors. In this article, we’ve put together the top eight features of an architecture firm’s website.
Make a Unique Impression With Website Design
Like designing a building, an architecture firm’s website must relate to its personality and vision, make an excellent first impression, represent the company’s architectural approach, and, most importantly, stand out online.
Incorporate the logo, typography, and color scheme without going overboard with outrageous font and color combinations. Maintaining an elegant and stylish website will reflect confidence and professionalism and draw in visitors.
Additionally, “Buyer Persona” should be considered when designing; for example, what works for real estate developers might not be appropriate for homeowners.
Website design doesn’t end once the website is launched online; as previously mentioned, it’s similar to a building that requires ongoing supervision and maintenance, which can result in increased website maintenance costs, but keeping the website functioning properly is worthwhile.
Optimize Design for User Experience
Since architectural design services are usually planned to be user-focused, the user experience is nothing new to an architecture firm. In website development, the same terminology applies, and UX refers to online user experience.
The firm’s website must be attractive for every visitor with engaging calls to action. Building a clear website hierarchy with a straightforward browsing map will help visitors find what they’re looking for easily and simply. Following are some design-savvy ideas:
Responsive Design
Ensure your architecture firm’s website is mobile-friendly and responsive to various screen sizes. The majority of users will access the website using their smartphones or tablets.
Provide an Easy-To-Read Content
Visitors skim information online so they won’t spend too much time reading long, complicated paragraphs. Instead, include the information in straightforward, logical text formats that users can read and comprehend.
Make Sharing Simple
Visitors will enjoy sending or saving the photos for later use. Disabling right clicks will prevent them from doing so, and enabling it will increase brand awareness through content sharing.
Showcase Work and Success
The main goal of having a website for an architecture firm is to build a robust online presence and become an efficient marketing channel; therefore, showing previous work is essential. Demonstrating expertise and real work examples attracts new prospects.
The best practice is highlighting projects on the homepage with a catchy caption and imagery and linking each project to a dedicated page with more in-depth details, including the completed project’s design process, images, and videos. Additionally, adding testimonials is critical to building trust and increasing credibility.
Walk the extra mile to impress visitors and benefit from an augmented reality platform for architects, which provides a real virtual tour inside the project, giving the visitors a memorable experience.
Images Speak More
Architects are artists, and each project is a masterpiece that must be displayed properly; visitors will not expect less. Utilize professional photos to showcase previous projects or the firm itself from the inside. High-quality photos are a must to attract visitors, evoke their interest, and make them want to see more. To get the best of the images, here are some tips:
- Make images the focal point on every page by using large and bold visuals
- Keep the other design elements, such as fonts and text, to the minimum; after all, a picture says a thousand words
- Hiring a professional photographer will be a great bonus to ensure the images reflect the real creativity and beauty of the work
Showcase the Firm Team
A strong portfolio can impress people, but they need to know who they will deal with in the architectural business. Establishing a personal connection with potential clients is essential, and it is known that the core of architectural work is communication.
The first step in communication will be to meet the creatives behind the fantastic work displayed in the portfolio. It will be more professional and personal if each team member’s headshot is accompanied by a brief bio, helping to establish trust with clients upfront.
The most critical step, however, is reflecting the real offline persona of the company, not faking it. Watch after the small details; for example, clients will expect the same dress code when they visit the firm office as is stated on the website.
Optimize the Website for Search Engines (SEO)
A well-designed website that’s not yet discovered is worthless. Search engine optimization (SEO) is a website improvement process to enhance its ranking on search engine results; the higher it goes, the more traffic will be generated, which increases conversion and ROI. However, SEO is a daunting task yet vital for success. Here are some SEO marketing practices:
- Choosing an easy-to-read and clear website title. A complex title confuses both users and Google bots. A clear title makes it easier for them to classify the firm’s website and business
- Content is the cornerstone of any SEO strategy, and adding useful content with the right keywords is essential
- Keeping workable links and repairing broken ones regularly
- Creating a Google My Business account and adding the firm to Google Maps
- Hiring an SEO expert will be a great step if possible
Write Articles and Blog Posts
The best strategy for efficient SEO and traffic generation is content. Architecture firms keep the content to a minimum and concentrate on using cutting-edge visualization technology like augmented reality platforms for architects or adding fascinating visual content to the website pages.
To fill that void, creating a special section for blog posts and articles will give plenty of room to use keywords, add interesting content that drives targeted traffic, and ensure Google will find the website easily. The content may discuss potential problems, how the firm resolves those issues, how it works, the most recent developments in the architecture industry, etc.
Include a Call to Action
The main goal of the architecture firm’s website is to impress visitors and motivate them to contact the company. Therefore, each website page must have a distinct call to action (CTA) button.
CTAs vary in shape and activity. Check the following examples for reference:
- Contact us today
- Schedule an obligation-free consultation
- Download our free e-book
- Subscribe to our industry-specific newsletter
Conclusion
Best practices for website design are universal, but they become more interesting when applied to architectural firms. Architects work in the mysterious world of creativity, which needs to be reflected in their website layout, graphics, and other elements.
With the augmented reality platform for architects, showcasing a portfolio also advances. Maintaining a well-designed, responsive website will attract more potential customers and lead to future projects.
