Last year I studied 163 architecture websites (crazy, I know!). I studied them because I was tired of hearing architects say: “My website doesn’t matter… I get all my projects from referrals or word-of-mouth”. But in today’s Google-driven, economic-uncertain, pandemic-plagued world, nothing could be further from the truth. Architecture practice websites do matter. Your practice website is your key to getting more (and better*) clients through the door. (*And by better clients I mean … [Read more...]
Why Your Architecture Practice Website Matters
5 Podcasts Every Entrepreneur Architect Should Be Following
Podcasts (an episodic digital series of audio or video files subscribed to and downloaded through web syndication or streamed online to a computer or mobile device) are a great way to learn the lessons about business that many of us lacked during architecture school. Below are my 5 current favorites: EntreLeadership | Dave Ramsey w/ Host Chris LoCurto One of the most successful podcasts on the planet, EntreLeadership focuses on personal success, business and leadership. For about 45 … [Read more...]
Michael Gallin: Entrepreneur Architect
While at Carnegie Melon University’s school of architecture in the early 90’s, Michael Gallin developed a passion for finding innovative solutions combining design and technology. Although his primary interest has always been architecture, computer technology has been a close second. Gallin founded his architecture firm just north of New York City in 1999. He recently merged his practice with another firm, forming Gallin Beeler Design Studio. The current office, with a staff of nine, has a … [Read more...]
My Time Online: Presenting Portfolio, Creating Context and a Top Google Rank
This week, we've been exchanging website URLs over at the Entrepreneur Architect Linkedin Group. It is very interesting to learn some background on the people we're interacting with on that forum. I shared our website URL (which is in the midst of an upgrade from our original site to a new one). Then, I posted links to all my other work online. Here is my original post: In addition to our website at http://www.fivecat.com, below are the other places I spend my time online (and with my spare … [Read more...]
Dream Big: Develop Your Business Plan Using a Narrative
ArchDaily.com picked up my friend and Entrepreneur Architect Linkedin Group member Bob Borson's blog post today. If you haven't read Bob's writings, I recommend that you visit him at LifeofanArchitect.com. Leave him a comment and tell him we said "hi". Bob describes how he uses a narrative during the programming phase to learn what his clients want, both functionally as well as emotionally. At Fivecat Studio, we use a similar process using a questionnaire and other fun programming exercises to … [Read more...]
Is Our Profession Really Experiencing a “Meltdown”?
Many of you have probably already read this article posted to Salon.com this past Saturday. There have also been a few similar articles written in the New York Times and WSJ. Is our profession really experiencing an all-out "meltdown", or are we no worse than most other businesses and industries trying to survive the most depressed economy since the Great Depression? (Many claim it is even worse than the Depression, but that is not the topic I want to discuss here.) It is bad, no doubt. … [Read more...]
Recruit Your Clients to Help you Better Serve your Clients
Starbucks Coffee Co. has built a website dedicated to the interaction with their customers. It's called My Starbucks Idea. Have an idea that will improve the Starbucks customer experience? Drop them a line at their website. The best ideas are actually implemented in Starbucks stores throughout the world. Check out the website here: mystarbucksidea.force.com How can we recruit OUR clients to help us serve them better? … [Read more...]
TED
One of the best sites on the web...TED. … [Read more...]
Beyond Your Website
I enjoyed participating as a panelist today, discussing How Businesses Can Use “New Media” to Grow. The event was coordinated by the Westchester County Association. Nancy Shenker, founder and President of The ON Switch, did a superb job as moderator. My fellow panelists, both much more knowledgeable of the subject than I, were Lena West, founder and CEO of xynoMedia and Howard Greenstein, co-founder of Social Media Club. Nancy invited me to discuss my experience using social media as part of … [Read more...]
Big Firms or Small, Everyone Should be Online
This past Wednesday evening, the AIAWMH Practice Management Committee discussed websites and their relevance to architects. As I have posted before and have been preaching for years, I think being online is critical to business success. My belief is that if you're not online, you don't exist. I presented my ideas to the committee, visited my firm's website and showed them some of the other work I've done on the web. Then we surfed a bit and checked out many examples of architects' sites … [Read more...]
Designing Your Firm’s Website
As a follow up to my post earlier week on the importance of architects being online, Architectural Record online has an interesting article on what to consider when designing your firm's website. … [Read more...]
www.YourFirm.com
When I launched our firm's website back in 1999, there were few architects online. We started Fivecat Studio with no clients and no cash. A few friends commissioned us to design small residential, retail and restaurant projects. We photographed them, launched Fivecat.com and the rest is history. From those early projects to this day, the majority of our leads have been generated by our website. It is the main element of our marketing strategy. Since experiencing our success, I have been on a … [Read more...]