Here it is, my own Blog!

I know what you’re thinking…it’s about time…I’m thinking the same…

But probably just like you, I’ve been looking into the pros and cons and all the different social media (Blogs, Twitters, Facebook and More…) and finally realized that there is a lot to gain from it.  The big down side is the time you need to invest in all those.  But hey, I decided that when you are passionate about what you do, you can provide great content while having a good time doing it.

So I do hope that you will follow me and enjoy the ride with me!

If you want, you can sign-up to my Facebook account here; Christian Hogue – Architect Profits
And to join me on Linkedin – Christian Hogue
And to follow me on Twitter @hoguechristian

That said, I want to talk about a great article by Alissa Walker just a few weeks ago in the magazine Fast Company with the outrageous title; “Why Can’t the World’s Best Architects Build Better Sites?’

In a nut shell, she talks about how difficult it is to navigate through most architects’ website and the problems that you get from using animated technology like Flash.  You need to read this article if you are using such technology.  If you don’t have a website yet…well, you’re in trouble.

Here’s the link to the article…be sure to share your comments once you’re done reading it:
http://www.fastcompany.com/1594118/why-cant-the-worlds-best-architects-build-a-better-web-site

Here’s some ‘highlights’ of the article if you are on ‘the fence’ about reading the article or not;

“Architects are the original interactive designers. They’re skilled at creating navigable structures. They specialize in designing rich experiences for their users. But if architects designed their buildings the way they designed their Web sites, they’d all fall apart…

…So say you do end up finding the project you were looking for—you’re not able to index or email it. This is when you find yourself saying things like, “Click on projects, then roll over the little museum icon, then click Michigan, then click on the floating image in the white square…” Can you imagine giving the same kind of directions inside, say, a building?…

…But architects—perhaps the most design-savvy business people of all—suffer from an industry-wide anti-usability epidemic. And the higher-profile the firm, the sorrier the site…

…And then there’s this befuddling fact: A surprising number of Pritzker laureates don’t seem to have Web sites at all. But maybe in this case, that’s a good thing…

…Last month I had the misfortune of visiting the sites of several Australian architectural firms. What a tortuous experience. Sort of reminded me of trying to open a bag of potato chips, where the package designer thought of everything but how the consumer will get the bag open. LOL!
Oh, and like the potato chip customer, if there is a problem with usability/design, I suspect most consumers will opt to do business with a competitor.”

And by the way, don’t forget to read some of the comments from people that are not architects, but maybe a future prospect.  

I’m glad that I’m not the only one that thinks that your website should be a tool for prospects to find the information they need as oppose to be a ‘shrine to your greatness’!!!

Enjoy the article…and my new Blog!

To your success,
Christian

PS.  Don’t forget to join me at Facebook
And/Or on Twitter
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