Marketing your architecture/drafting services?

[uhcafigdc]

How do you guys sell your Architecture/Drafting services? What sort of internet-based tools do you use to network and advertise? Lots of words on a website and good SEO? Is it mostly word-of-mouth and personal reference?

 

We are planning to add a bunch of content to our website, describing some of our past work, our philosophy, etc. However, I have no idea how to go about marketing this kind of business on the internet.

 

Ideas?

[mrbucket]

References are huge. Pictures of finished projects speak volumes over pretty drafting sheets depending on your clients needs. Do you work directly with the public or work in a collaborative group on a project?

[uhcafigdc]

References are huge. Pictures of finished projects speak volumes over pretty drafting sheets depending on your clients needs.

This is the plan so far, but I want to know how to market the website, or how to market the business using the internet, aside from the website itself.

 

Do you work directly with the public or work with a collaborative group on a project?

Both.

[mrbucket]

Honestly, Websites are tough nowadays. Just about everyone has one. Dont get me wrong, they can be a useful tool and if you didnt have one that would appear odd. For local advertising, anything that shows the web address "gorilla style marketing" (Bumper stickers on employees/work cars, signs in the yard of current projects, etc.) are far more useful than expensive radio or tv advertising. Im not sure what exactly your business entails, but tv and radio doesnt work unless your targeting a wide demographic. ex.- Bob's Used Toilet Seat Emporium. Although Bob has an odd business, he is very popular with large apartment complex's and remodel's, not the general public. Does that make sense?

 

Is it an easy address to remember and browse later? ex.- www.bigdogdrafting.com or www.extremedesigns.com

 

People are so inundated with media nowadays that they tune out alot of it. Something that catches your eye or something you are forced to stare at while at a light pulls your address into their head can be more productive in getting a response with far less cost. I guess Im just saying to think outside the box and try to figure out a better way to target your demo. Obviously bumper stickers and what not dont work well with high-end clientele. But no one is just gonna come across a website for Drafting services on accident. It has to get out there!

[10west]

market through the larger networks, like Craigslist, this way Google and other search providers will broadcast your efforys across the inet. The advantage of large network and research such as through http://www.alexa.com, is you can target across a variety of webs, which are further aided by their popularity.

 

As far as a web, BE SURE YOUR WEBHOST HAS GREAT THROUGHPUT, like http://www.hostmonster.com, http://www.bluehost.com and other technically rated top tenners. A limited throughput can be the difference between a 15mil alexa site rank, and a 1.5 mil traffic rank, Google being number one. That infrastructure is probaly the single most, free, decision you can make for SEO right out of the box.