# Websites for architects

> Websites for small architecture practices that show finished projects properly, explain fees and stages in plain English, and speak to homeowners as well as developers.

- Source: https://nerdsharks.com/industries/architects
- Publisher: Nerdsharks (Exeter, Devon, UK)
- Updated: 2026-09-27

There are 14,480 architecture practices across 372 UK local authorities (ONS UK Business Counts, SIC 71111, 2025, OGL v3.0).

## How customers choose

Most small practices depend on residential clients - extensions, loft conversions, renovations, new homes - and those clients are usually doing this once. They search for "architect" plus a town, or for their project type, and they judge on photographs of finished work close to what they want and in their area. They are often unsure what an architect does compared with an architectural technician or a builder’s drawing service, what it costs, and how long planning takes, so the practice that explains the process honestly wins their confidence. Commercial and developer clients behave differently: they check sector experience, project scale, and whether you can take a scheme through planning. Many residential enquiries also arrive via builders, and they are checking that the practice looks serious.

## What most websites in this trade get wrong

Architecture websites are often designed to impress other architects rather than to help a homeowner: minimal navigation, cryptic project names, full-bleed images and very little text. A homeowner with a kitchen extension in mind cannot tell if the practice does projects their size, what happens first, or what fees look like. The fix is not to abandon good design but to add the explanation: projects grouped by type with location, budget band and what was solved; a clear page on how you work, stage by stage; and honest guidance on how fees are structured. The other gap is credentials - "architect" is a protected title in the UK and can only be used by people on the ARB register, which clients rarely know and practices rarely explain.

## What the website has to do

- **Initial consultation or site visit request** - The standard first step for a residential project.
- **Project enquiry with type, location and budget** - Lets the practice decide fit before a visit.
- **Project page engagement** - Comparable finished work is what persuades a client.

## Pages

- **Home** - The kind of work you do, where, and a strong finished project.
- **Projects** - Grouped by type - extensions, new build, commercial - with locations.
- **How we work** - Stages from brief to completion, including planning.
- **Fees** - How fees are structured, with typical ranges where you can.
- **About** - Named architects, ARB registration and RIBA membership.
- **Contact** - Project enquiry form.

## Features that matter

- **Project pages with type, location, brief and outcome** - Clients look for work like theirs, near them.
- **A step-by-step explanation of the process and planning** - Most residential clients have never hired an architect.
- **Honest guidance on fee structures** - Fear of cost is the main reason people do not enquire.
- **ARB registration and RIBA membership displayed accurately** - The protected title is the clearest trust signal in the profession.
- **Large, fast-loading architectural photography** - The work sells the practice, but not if it takes ten seconds to appear.
- **An enquiry form that asks project type, site location and rough budget** - Qualifies the enquiry before a site visit.

Trust signals: ARB registration of named architects; RIBA Chartered Practice status or RIBA membership, where held; Finished projects with locations; Professional indemnity insurance; Planning approvals achieved, described factually.

Seasonality: Residential enquiries rise in January and spring as people plan the year’s projects; they are sensitive to interest rates and the housing market.

## Local authorities with the most

| Local authority | Businesses |
|---|---|
| Hackney | 370 |
| Camden | 330 |
| Islington | 300 |
| Westminster | 295 |
| Southwark | 265 |
| Lambeth | 170 |
| City of Edinburgh | 165 |
| Birmingham | 155 |
| Kensington and Chelsea | 155 |
| Wandsworth | 155 |

## The offer

- **Monthly**: £299 upfront, £99/month (the upfront is a setup fee), 12-month minimum term. We build it, host it and look after it - and after 24 monthly payments, it is yours.
- **Own It**: £1,795 upfront, £49/month, no minimum term. Buy the website outright. It is yours to keep, move or cancel.
- **Pro**: £6,950 upfront, £299/month, 12-month minimum term. No limits. For large, multi-site and fast-growing businesses.
- Payment: The setup fee is paid when you book, and it starts the design. Monthly fees are collected by Direct Debit, covered by the Direct Debit Guarantee, from the day your site goes live.
- Guarantee: You see your finished design on your phone and approve it before anything goes live, with two full rounds of changes included. Nothing launches until you are happy with it. The Monthly plan runs for 12 months from launch.
- Bolt-ons: Google Business Profile management £29/month; Local SEO pack £49/month; Business email £5/month. Coming soon, not yet on sale: Missed-call text back, Review booster.
- VAT: We are not VAT registered, so there is no VAT to add to these prices.

## Questions

### Should my website mention ARB registration?

Yes, because "architect" is a protected title in the UK that only people on the Architects Registration Board register can use. Most clients do not know this, so a short note explaining it and naming your registered architects is both honest and persuasive. Add RIBA membership or Chartered Practice status alongside it where you hold them.

### Should an architect publish fees on their website?

Explaining how your fees work is usually more useful than publishing exact figures. Say whether you charge fixed fees by stage, a percentage of build cost or hourly, and give typical ranges for common projects where you can. Clients who understand the structure are much more likely to get in touch.

### How important is photography, really?

In visual trades it is the entire decision. Customers shortlist from photographs and read the words afterwards, if at all. It is worth paying a photographer for half a day once a year - it will change the size of the jobs you are asked to quote for more than anything else you could spend the money on.

### How do I look established without exaggerating?

Name your people, show your qualifications and registrations, be specific about who you work with, and publish something that demonstrates you know what you are talking about. Vague claims about excellence read as filler; specifics read as competence.