[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”justified” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” text_font_size=”15″]<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Is your building materials website currently doing its JOB? Is it attracting architects and contractors and then converting them into a good lead for you to follow up with?<\/span><\/p>\n I\u2019m guessing not. Not that it\u2019s your fault. You just did what everybody said you were supposed to do. Or you followed what it looked like everybody else was doing.<\/span><\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t seem that long ago that companies were racing to get online. Just getting a website put up, so you appeared to be a viable company. <\/span><\/p>\n But as you\u2019ve most likely seen, that\u2019s just not enough anymore. Architects are increasingly looking to your website before anything else, as a way to decide if your product is right for them. So doesn\u2019t it make sense to make sure your website has the information they want and need to make a decision.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Now is the time that you need to step back and think critically about what questions you need to be asking yourself and others in your company. The questions that will help lead you to the answers to drawing more high-quality leads to your website and getting them to \u201craise their hand,\u201d asking for more information. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1 – How does an architect choose one product over another?<\/b><\/p>\n According to a recent <\/span>architect research report<\/span><\/a> from Venveo, 70% of the architects surveyed said case studies are the most helpful type of content when deciding on what product to spec. The same amount of architects said they felt having a way to order product samples quickly and easily was another factor a manufacturer\u2019s website should have.<\/span><\/p>\n According to building materials marketing expert, Mark Mitchell<\/a>, when we look at what the primary motivation of most architects, their main concern is their reputation.<\/p>\n The overarching thing that helps an architect make the sometimes tough decision to risk their reputation and specify a new or unfamiliar product is <\/span>to have a better understanding of it<\/i><\/b>. Knowing how it works\u2026 How it fits into the overall picture of the building project they are designing\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n If your website can help them get to that point of better understanding your product, then if and when they finally do call you, the conversation can be a much different one. Instead of starting at ground zero – explaining your product\u2019s features and benefits \u2013 they\u2019re coming to you with that base knowledge already in their head. <\/span><\/p>\n And they\u2019ll just be looking for clarification on how your product can best solve their specific situation.<\/span><\/p>\n And <\/span>as we\u2019ve discussed before<\/span><\/a>, in a previous blog post, \u00a0video is a proven way to get your prospects to understand your product.<\/span><\/p>\n 2 – How does an architect research your products online?<\/b><\/p>\n Does he Google it, or does he go to an online product site like ARCAT.com, or Sweets?<\/span><\/p>\n If you\u2019ve been reading my blog for a while, you\u2019ve heard me talk about how <\/span>the \u201cold school\u201d Sweets catalogs<\/span><\/a> were the catalyst that inspired me to take the path I\u2019m now on – Helping building material manufacturers like you better explain your products through visualizations. <\/span><\/p>\n But how viable are directories like Sweets and ARCAT anymore? Do architects still use them like you think they do?<\/span><\/p>\n If you were to walk into any architecture firm today, chances are you\u2019d see a lot of empty shelves where the directories and vendor catalogs used to be. Unless, of course, they have an interior design department\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n The interiors folks still tend to have many sample books on hand, since their role requires having something a client can see and touch first hand, so they can \u201csell\u201d them on using it. That might be a good clue — if you have something that requires good visuals to sell through the architect or designer\u2026 that might be a good thing to get into your prospects\u2019 hands… <\/span><\/p>\n But for the most part, architects are going to your website for the most current information (and education) they can get their hands on.<\/span><\/p>\n 3 – What can a manufacturer do to help architects?<\/b><\/p>\n This question is <\/span>key<\/span>. You need to focus your time and attention on answering this big question. How do you do that? <\/span><\/p>\n Ask the architects. Send out short surveys to your e-mail list to get feedback\u2026 <\/span>(You are collecting leads on your website aren\u2019t you?!? That\u2019s another post altogether, but for now just know that you need to be doing that\u2026)<\/span><\/i> Add a pop-up survey on your website asking a few key questions to see what you could do differently.<\/span><\/p>\nSix key questions you should be answering\u2026<\/h2>\n