AEC firm leaders know that their website reflects the best of their business, becoming a major benefit to marketing success. Though its importance is clear, the steps to advising its creation and maintenance may not be. We have provided five best practices to focus on that will anchor your goals toward building and sustaining the ideal website.

As the Client Relations Director at Calder Richards Consulting Structural Engineers, there is much to learn from Nancy Wolthuis. She's worked in the AEC industry for 35 years, and has developed the skills and network to help firms grow through leading by example. She knows clients want to communicate with the people working on their projects, and she works hard to shape up her people and spaces to make sure every connection to clients is a strong one.

In order to quickly and accurately communicate your brand to others, you need to know it from inside and out. With Vision, Voice, Visuals, and Values, you'll be able to hit the four biggest facets to ensuring your brand is known. From there, you're already on the pathway to creating the brand guidelines that will make your company come together.

Branding envelops every aspect of running a company, and it is essential to understand what it is and how to control it. In order to have a successful brand, you have to consider more than just aesthetics, so what is it? Where do you have to consider branding and when is it relevant? 

By prioritizing the direction of your public relations plan, you can ensure you are getting the return on investment (ROI) expected from your firm leaders. It may be hard to determine which efforts will be most rewarding for your firm. Pick the tactics that will work best with your marketing strategies, within your budget and timeframe.

Do you know what clients and potential clients think of your firm? Does it match what you believe is true about your firm? Because “perception is reality,” it’s important that you make the effort to understand the perception of your firm within your industry and market sectors.

For Myrna Wagner, Vice President of Business Development at Swinerton Management and Consulting, the most important step to marketing mentality was to create a culture of collaboration and accountability with the leadership team. Her approach is to provide them with tools to help and encourage their involvement with business development. MARKETLINK Principal Stephanie Craft asked some questions to find out more.

Do you have rainmaking skills? How about real relationships? Create a downpour of work by building on relationships and expanding your network.

Client Perception Surveys aren’t just about learning how you need to improve – it’s more important to discover where your firm excels. Why not learn your differentiators directly from the ones who know what they are - your clients?

Whether your firm has a formal Client Care Program or not, one way to enhance your client relationships and further your career is by thinking of yourself as a Client Care Manager.