A great AEC firm website doesn’t just happen. It needs a defined process with each phase informing the next. LecoursDesign was honored with winning the Best Website Award at the SMPS Awards Gala for Randall Lamb’s site. We repeated the win, at the next Gala, for Bergelectric’s site. Creating award-winning websites requires visionary clients and a process of specific phases to ensure smooth project delivery. To help you with your next website project, I summarize each phase below.
Planning (2″“4 weeks)
First, we establish goals and tactics for your new site. Every new client and employee will pass through your website. So we consider how your new site will be a hub for your firm’s offline and online marketing initiatives. We review your current site’s analytics to see where users go on your site, how long they stay, and how they find your site (keyword search and referring sites). We review sites you admire, including your competitors to evaluate their online presence.
Architects call this phase programming. In website development, we call it planning. In both cases, it’s about gaining clarity on the why, what, and when of your new site. Even more important, it’s about who; the user and their needs. We develop three “personas” for the targeted user archetypes who will be visiting the new site. These “personas” are a compilation of demographic information and user profiling at the three buying stages: researcher, evaluator, and purchaser. It may sound silly, but I recommend giving each persona a name and a photo so they seem as real as possible.
This phase focuses on information architecture: what sections/pages to include in the new site and how will the user find her way to the information she seeks. This results in a Site Map: an outline of all the proposed pages organized by navigation buttons and page titles.
Deliverable: Findings & Recommendations, Strategic Brief (2″“3 page document outlining why, what, when, who, goals and scope of the new site), Personas, Keyword/SEO Research, Site Map
Prototyping (2″“4 weeks)
After approving the Site Map, we create greyscreen prototypes of the key page templates. Greyscreens, also called wireframes, are sketches of content on each key page template. They are grey because color at this point is distracting. The goal in this phase is to focus on content, not design. We used to present printed greyscreens, but now prefer digital. To really understand how a user experiences navigating from one page to the next, these greyscreens need to be on screen and clickable within a browser environment.
Knowing all page titles, you must begin wrangling content. This means gathering case stories, blog content, project descriptions and photos, people stories and photos, and about the firm information. A determination must now be made for a writer and photographer or illustrator to create content you’ll need for the new site. We can help you with all this.
Deliverable: Greyscreens
Design Exploration (2 weeks)
We bring the greyscreen key templates to life with design by introducing color, typography, photography, illustration, backgrounds, graphic elements, buttons, etc. We present two design explorations of the Home, About, Project Gallery and Project page templates. If the new copy and photography isn’t ready, we use placeholder photos and copy.
Deliverable: Static Screenshots presented on screen.
Design Refinement (4″“8 weeks)
We refine the design by adding actual copywriting and imagery to the initial key templates. Upon approval, we apply the chosen design to all the remaining page templates. Interactive elements like rollovers or motion are shown as storyboards. If the site features responsive design (optimized for desktop, tablet and mobile), and it should, then we fine tune the design for different sized screens. Design refinement continues through the coding phase, and even after launch. A great website is never “done.” There are always opportunities for improving the user experience.
Deliverable: Static .jpg Screenshots presented on a laptop and smart phone
Coding (4″“8 weeks)
Except for the greyscreens, pages so far are static. Coding brings the pages to life by making them interactive, and fully functioning within modern web browsers. We code sites by creating a Content Management System (CMS) framework to allow clients to take over maintenance of key sections of their sites.
Deliverable: Coded site viewable within a web browser
Content Management System (CMS) and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Training (1 day)
After coding the first key templates, we hold a training session with you on how to use your shiny new CMS. We share best practices for adding and updating content so your site stays fresh without having to hire an outside coder every time you want to make changes. We can also hold a training session for you to optimize each page of your site for search (SEO).
Content Population (4″“6 weeks)
Newly trained on your CMS, you can now populate your entire site with all the copy and imagery you have gathered since the Prototyping phase. This helps you learn the CMS in a “real environment” with a safety net of the site not being live yet. Plus, you’ve got an available expert (us) should you run into roadblocks.
Browser Testing & Launch (1 week)
We test your site on major browsers (both desktop and mobile) and operating systems (Mac, PC, iOs, and Android). Once ready, we prefer to go live with the new site as a soft launch where you don’t make a big announcement for at least a week. This let’s us all fine tune any quirks (there will be some). Then you announce that you are live and launch a promotion to drive visitors to your new site.
Obviously I’m biased, but I recommend you hire a web consultant focused on Architecture, Engineering and Construction (A/E/C) firms to help you with your next website. With the guide above, you’ll be an informed partner in the process. Who knows, it may lead to your next site being awarded “Best Website.”
I see a lot of firms dabbling with content marketing “when they have time for it.” With sporadic content sharing, firms see sporadic results, if any, and then abandon this valuable marketing channel. Content marketing can’t be a luxury for when you have free time. Nobody has free time. Content marketing requires a plan and commitment. This post will help you get started.
Buy-In From the Top
In order for a marketing initiative like content marketing to work, you must have support from the C-Suite.You need this buy-in because content creation will only occur when the C-Suite makes content creation part of technical staff job descriptions. There is a chicken-and-egg conundrum of needing a content marketing plan to persuade the C-Suite, while needing support of the C-Suite to spend your time creating a plan. This post is a short-cut to help you create your content marketing plan before, or after, you have C-Suite buy-in.
Creating content (start with writing for your blog) is alien to technical staff and thus outside their comfort zone. Knowledge is the antidote to fear, so I recommend getting C-Suite approval for training technical staff to become better writers and speakers (see Resources at the end of this post).
Those in the C-suite often ask, “what firms are using content marketing successfully?” Peer pressure can be persuasive, so here are a few examples:
Array Architects
HOK
Gensler
Populous
Brown & Caldwell
DPR
American Express
“Content is an important piece in all of our marketing efforts…extending our messaging through content is a great way for us to continue to convert our customers from simply seeing a message to considering our brand.”
““ Walter Frye, Director of Entertainment Marketing & Sponsorships at American Express
Start With Strategy
Like any marketing channel under consideration, start with strategy. Determine who you are trying to reach, and what is the intersection of their pain points and your expertise. This intersection will answer the question of what to write/speak about. For example, I wrote this post in response to several Marketing Directors expressing interest in content marketing, but needing to develop a plan to get buy-in from their C-Suite.
Commit to at least a year. Part of what makes content marketing work is putting your audience on a regular drip of valuable content. You never know when buyers, in the sales process, cross the threshold from the research stage to the intent to hire stage. So it’s key to keep your firm front of mind with consistent publishing of content.
No single piece of content, no matter how excellent, will be as successful as a steady, long term flow of quality content.
““Chris Butler, author of The Strategic Web Designer
Define Personas
It’s always more effective to write with a single reader in mind rather than an amorphous group. Therefore, I recommend that you clarify your target audience by creating 3 personas for ideal clients. Personas are short fictitious biographies for those you wish to influence. At minimum, include the following in your personas:
• name
• age
• sex
• job title and responsibilities
• dreams and goals at work
Find a photo and post a cut-out of this “person” to keep your target audience front of mind when creating content. Consider creating one persona for each stage of the buying process (research, evaluation, decision) for your 3 personas.
Start Small and Then Scale
I see a lot of firms get excited about all the channels at the content marketing buffet: podcasts, blogs, newsletters, speaking, white papers, etc. Firms fail because they bite off more than they can chew. I recommend starting with a blog, and committing to one post per month for an entire year. Posts about new hires, project wins, and awards do not count. True content marketing must be original content that your audience can use to be better at their jobs. Aim for 500″“1000 words per month. Once you’ve mastered a year of blog posts, and have resources to scale, then take on new content marketing channels, while increasing to 2k”“3k words of new content on your blog per month.
Considering Outsourcing Writing Since your technical staff are under pressure to maintain billable efficiency, consider hiring professional writers to write compelling content. Technical staff should brief the writer on the article, provide key terminology, and fact check. The Bloom Group conducted research last year with 50 consulting firms and found that those whose website thought leadership content generated the greatest number of client leads on average used ghostwriters for more than 50% of their articles. Consulting firms with the fewest number of leads from their website content on average had 22% of their online articles ghostwritten.
Your Website Is The Hub or Home Base
All your brilliant content needs to have a home. That home should be your website and the content must be indexable by search engines. Within your website, the content must live under a button listed in your main navigation. This button could be titled Blog, News, Thinking, Thought Leadership, Thoughts, etc. Avoid creating a separate blog with a separate URL because you then dilute your SEO.
All your outbound channels (Twitter, Email Marketing, Pinterest, Linked-In, Direct Mail) for promoting your content should pull your audience back to your website to read the entire story. Hence the term “inbound marketing.”
Remember: Your Content Must Be Searchable
Whatever form your content takes, be sure that at least part of it is posted on your website in searchable form. In other words, don’t just post PDFs or videos. If you do, search engines won’t pick them up, and you lose the opportunity the unaware finding you through a google search. Be sure to include a summary of the PDF, video, or podcast in your blog.
Conclusion
Content Marketing is difficult, so few firms do it well. This is why it’s an opportunity for your firm to stand out. By following the steps outlined above, you’ll create a “scalable plan for regularly adding high quality, educational content to your website that will attract prospects, inform them of your expertise, and engage them in a helpful and conversion focused process that transitions visitors to qualified and viable leads.” ““Mark O’Brien, author of A Website That Works
When your firm’s content and expertise becomes archived, and accessible to everyone in your firm, you begin to build a Core Brilliance Culture. This is also known as knowledge management. This adds significant value to your firm as a marketing, recruiting, and ownership transition asset. Maybe this is how you get your C-Suite to approve your content marketing plan?
For Discussion
How did you get your content marketing initiative started?
How do you motivate technical staff to write and speak?
Most A/E/C firms tout proficiency with the latest technology and excellence in user experience (a.k.a. client service) written on their websites. But if those websites are only designed for viewing on a desktop computer, then they are contradicting any claims of technology or user experience prowess. The medium must match the message.
Have you had the painful experience of navigating a website on your smart phone by pinching in and out to touch one button without accidentally hitting the adjacent button? It reminds me of the childhood board game Operation where you test your dexterity by tweezing out body parts without getting zapped. Responsive Design prevents your website users/visitors from getting “zapped.”
Your next A/E/C firm website must incorporate Responsive Design because it provides an optimal user experience on all screen sizes. In this post, I’ll share the following:
What is Responsive Design?
How Does Responsive Design Work?
Why Do You Need a Responsive Design Site?
Who is Using Responsive Design?
What is Responsive Design?
Responsive Design is a new design and coding approach to provide an optimal user experience based on the user’s screen size and orientation. The content of the site “responds” to fit a smart phone, tablet, laptop or desktop computer.
“Instead of building alternate versions of your website for mobile devices or platforms, responsive design is a method that allows you to build one site that adapts to the context in which it is viewed” explains Chris Butler, author of The Strategic Web Designer.
If you are into etymology, the term “responsive design” originated from a 2010 blog post from Ethan Marcotte.
How Does Responsive Design Work?
You don’t want to hear technical nerdspeak about code, so I’ll focus on what the user experiences when viewing a responsive design site. Responsive design is based on a fluid grid that adjusts the layout of the site based on the size of the visitor’s screen. Here are 3 screen sizes and what happens to the content.
Why Do You Need a Responsive Design Site? 1. Mobile
By summer 2013, there will 7.1 billion mobile subscriptions. This equals the number of humans on the planet. Since we look at our mobile phones, on average, 150x per day, there’s a good chance that your website will be viewed on a mobile phone. Responsive design helps to ensure the user experience on your website is favorable regardless of screen size. At best, the technology is transparent and the user simply finds what she needs. At worst, the user notices the responsive design and makes a mental note of your firm’s technical savvy.
If your website is not optimized for mobile, users may hate your website . A 2012 survey of mobile users by Sterling Research and SmithGeiger show that nearly half of all mobile users say they feel “frustrated and annoyed” when visiting poorly mobile optimized sites. And 36% say they feel like “they’ve wasted their time” when they visit those sites. Responsive design can fix this.
2. Content Marketing
If your firm engages a content marketing strategy, and it should, responsive design supports users engaging with your content regardless of their device. User’s often begin consuming content on one device, only to finish on another. I often browse my twitter stream in Hootsuite on my phone, and send longer blog post links via Evernote to read later on my iPad. I may get an email on my desktop computer about a firm I’d like to research, then send it to Evernote to read later on my iPhone while waiting at the airport. Your website, and it’s content need to live and work like you do (everywhere).
3. Single Site, Single Web Address
The old model was to create a separate website for each device: desktop, tablet and phone. This tripled the amount of design and coding required. It often resulted in dumb-downed versions of your site for phones. It also potentially created 3 different URLs: desktop.you.com, tablet.you.com, and phone.you.com. Which URL do you use, or do others use, when virally sharing your brilliant content? Responsive design let’s you update and share one URL: you.com.
Successful Examples of Responsive Design
Time magazine recently upgraded Time.com to a responsive site. Their pages viewed per visit, mobile, tablet and desktop usage, are all up considerably:
Mobile is up 23%
Home Page uniques are up 15% and time spent is up 7.5%
Mobile bounce rate decreased by 26%
Conclusion
Is Responsive Design simply a website trend that will become obsolete 5 years from now? I doubt it. But the web is always evolving. I can guarantee you there will be something new down the road. If you want to back up your project delivery claims of using the latest technology, plan to update your website every 3″“5 years. If you are planning a a new website now, call David Lecours 760-632-7619. We’re very responsive.
Marketers are buzzing about “story.” Ten years ago, we were frothing about “branding.” Like “branding,” I’m concerned that the term “story” is being applied too liberally, and will lose its credibility. To avoid this, we need to be precise when referring to “story.” Story has a definite structure. By learning this timeless structure, all AEC marketers can better tell stories to win new business.
Robert McKee, a Fulbright Scholar praised in Hollywood for his consulting on narrative structure defines story as “the expression of how and why life changes. A story begins with balance, then something throws life out of balance, then a story goes in to describe how balance is restored.”
In previous posts, I shared why AEC Marketers should use story (the why), and the three stories we must master (the what). Now, I’ll recommend how to craft your stories (the how). Story structure will make your stories, and firm, more memorable. Stories move a prospect along the continuum of getting to know, like, and trust you, and your firm. Well constructed stories filled with emotion and vulnerability build relationships. As you know well, relationships win new business.
Story Structure 101 After reading a gripping novel or seeing a moving film, have you ever wondered if there is a secret formula for story success? There is, and it’s no secret. You may have heard of the famous 3 act play: Introduction, Rising Action, Resolution. I prefer the structure below from What Great Salespeople Do: The Science of Selling Through Emotional Connection and the Power of Story by Mike Bosworth and Ben Zoldan. These 5 stages are the “secret sauce” for all great stories. I’ll use an example of an AEC “Who We’ve Helped Story” to illustrate these 5 stages.
Setup – This is where you drop your listener into your story. Quickly ntroduce your characters, location, and any relevant background information. To make your protagonists likable, share what makes them human (dreams, fears, desires, etc.). The audience needs to connect with your project team and want them to succeed.
Conflict – If there is no struggle, there is no plot. It just isn’t interesting. There needs to be something formidable that stands in the way of your project team’s success. In the AEC world, this could be timing, personalities, budget, politics, or physical constraints.
Turning Point – Stories are explanations of how and why life changes. This is the aha moment that changes your team. This could be some new insight that alters how your team solves problems on the job site, or the reason why you entered a new market. The turning point could even be an epiphany that changed the strategic direction of your firm.
Outcome – This is an untangling of events in your story. Think of movie credits rolling where we learn what your favorite characters are doing with their lives today. The resolution explains how your story ends and what effect the experience has had on your team.
Your Point – In this stage, you reinforce your theme or point of your story. This is often a core belief or value that your firm holds. If your firm has a new way of delivering projects, this is where you would share that process. It might sound something like this, “as a result of what we learned by continuously overcoming X, our firm believes that Y not only is the best way to deliver projects, but it also separates us from our competition.
Recommended Story Development Process The way in which you develop a good marketing story is not the order in which you ultimately write or tell that story. Because clarity and brevity are so important in marketing stories, write or tell the story in chronological order (stages 1 thru 5 above). Develop the story in this order:
Your Point – Ask yourself, “why am I/we telling this story?” Possible answers may be to share your impressive safety record, demonstrate your creativity, or persuade that your project delivery method saves money. Always start with why.
Outcome – To make sure your story ends in a way that supports your point.
Setup
Conflict
Turning Point
Now you have the key elements, practice writing or telling the story in chronological order.
Share Emotion Great story structure without emotion is like a jumpy house before it’s been inflated. Emotion gives it life, makes it interesting, and ultimately memorable. There are 6000 words in English to communicate emotion. Use them to describe how your main characters feel, not just what happened. If you just recount the facts, expect to put your audience to sleep. Consistently ask yourself, how did your protagonist feel at each stage of the story. Feelings are the glue that constructs real and likable characters. Emotional connection is also what makes your story, and your firm memorable.
Reveal Vulnerability This is the hardest thing to do for AEC firms. Our work is so highly technical, and we are consistently asserting our expertise, that to reveal vulnerability seems weak. But we actually gain power when revealing vulnerability. Try this with a friend. Reveal something you may be struggling with, or a mistake you’ve made and watch what happens. Because of what neuroscientists call mirror neurons, your friend will most likely share something vulnerable in return. In simple terms, this “monkey see, monkey do” behavior is a mutual exchange of emotion. This is the definition of a relationship. By telling your story, your prospect may tell you their story. This is where you learn what your prospect’s pain points are, and what you can do to solve them. It takes courage, but going first in revealing vulnerability, is critical. You establish that it’s safe to be real, that your prospect can trust you with their authentic story. It’s counterintuitive, but vulnerability makes you more likable, not less. Perfection is boring, stiff, and lifeless. It’s our imperfections, that make us likable. Stories about when your firm made a mistake, what you did to correct that error, and what you learned, are incredibly powerful relationship builders.
Nothing is more intimidating to a writer than a blank sheet of paper. My intention is that this post serves as a template for you to jump-start your stories. By utilizing a proven story structure, and integrating emotion and vulnerability, you will create stories that elevate your firm’s proposals, presentation interviews, and websites to win new business.
What Do You Think? Does having a structure constrain or enhance your creative storytelling?
Any examples of where you’ve revealed vulnerability, and it’s helped or hurt you?
As mentioned in the previous post, Why AEC Marketers Must Master The Power of Story, stories that connect on an emotional level are persuasive. But does this mean stories about your cat will help you win new business? No, there are three specific stories all AEC Marketers should master. These are the About Me, About Our Firm, and Who We’ve Helped narratives. Telling these stories well will make you and your firm more memorable, build authentic relationships, and demonstrate your ability to solve problems that prospective client may be facing.
Where To Tell These Stories:
The About Me Story
This is the story that introduces you to someone new. You want to make your first impression memorable and meaningful because people hire people they know (and trust). The only way to build trust is to share who you are in an authentic manner. The key to this story is to move beyond a list of your accomplishments, or a chronology of your work experience. Cold facts lack the emotional impact needed to connect with your audience.
The point of the About Me story is to explain why you do what you do. For example, tell why you are a marketer for an architecture firm that specializes in higher education. Once you answer why you do what you do, go back and build your story to arrive at this conclusion. For more information on story structure, read this post: How To Structure Stories To Win New Business.
The following story archetypes can give your About Me story a head start in connecting with your audience because there is built-in familiarity. The challenge plot has you overcoming a formidable challenge. Examples include David vs. Goliath, any underdog, or Star Wars. A rags to riches plot describes you as a normal person achieving something extraordinary. Examples include Cinderella, Annie, or Oprah. The what I’ve learned plot shows you, as the main character in struggle (often with yourself). An example of this is Abraham Lincoln and what he learned from the many failures he overcame.
David Lecours’ About Me Story Example
The About Our Firm Story
This is the story of your firm’s journey. Try to resist a historical timeline. A better approach is to focus on a few key milestones that add emotion, not just facts.
The About Our Firm story doesn’t tell what your firm does, or how, it tells why. The point of this story supports the purpose of your firm. For example, KAA Design’s purpose is to “design beautiful warm contemporary homes that enrich people’s lives.” Their next step to develop their story is to mine the company history for events that led them to arrive at this conclusion.
A good story involves conflict. This could be an internal strategic struggle such as trying to be experts in too many market sectors. Or, this could be an external struggle such as responding to a changing marketplace. Companies typically resist including struggle in their stories because they fear it will make them appear weak. But the opposite is true. Showing vulnerability adds power by showing that your firm is real and can overcome challenges.
There are a couple of timeless story archetypes that fit really well for About Our Firm stories. A vision plot that describes the future of your firm or the future your firm can create if hired. The recommendation here is to take a bold position, be polarizing. People don’t follow tepid leaders. A great vision plot is the I Have a Dream speech from Martin Luther King Jr. This vision plot is great for attracting likeminded clients and employees.
A revenge plot can be effective. Apple employed this strategy in their famous Mac vs. PC ad campaign. It can be more effective for AEC firms to seek revenge on a societal or building problem, not a competitor. For example, if sustainability is a core value of your firm, then taking revenge on inefficient buildings and climate change is a compelling story.
The Who We’ve Helped Story
This is not one story, but a series of short stories. These stories are so essential for Professional Service firms to tell because they demonstrate your ability to solve problems that prospective client often face. It allows prospective clients to see how your firm thinks, and deals with problems.
All you can sell is a future promise. The best way to demonstrate a future promise is by telling stories of your firm fulfilling past promises.
Challenge plots work well because they demonstrate overcoming adversity. Another option is the classic love story plot where boy meets girl, boy messes it up, boy works hard to get her back. This is a great opportunity to show vulnerability. Aquatic Design Group tells a story of specifying a pump that their vendor recommended without doing their own due diligence. The pump turned out to be insufficient for the massive university swim stadium they had designed. Aquatic Design Group took responsibility for the error, had the pump replaced at their own expense (costing half of their design fees), and won lifelong loyalty from the client.
Mine your past projects for bright spots. Share stories where clients adopted your firm’s unique value proposition, and how they benefitted. Develop your story by first establishing your point: why the client chose to hire your firm. The resolution is how your firm delivered, and what benefits the client received as a result.
I recommend that you have a Who We’ve Helped story for each of the main objections you consistently hear in your business development efforts. For example, if you consistently hear that your fees are higher than your competitors, share the story about how a previous client had the same concern, and how your firm added so much value to their project that any incremental fee difference more than paid for itself.
Randy Mendioroz, Aquatic Design Group, Who We’ve Helped Story Example
Conclusion
As Professional Service Marketers, our enemy is commoditization. Stories are the antidote. Nobody can legitimately tell your About Me, About Our Firm, and Who We’ve Helped Stories. Your stories are unique and they will set you apart from your competition.
What Do You Think? Have you used one of these stories? Was it effective?
Did telling your story inspire your prospective client to tell you their story?
by Dan and Chip Heath
by Dan Pink
