Pages an architect's website should have

Your website is the first thing a lot of people see before they ever call you. For an architect, that matters more than most. Clients are about to hand over a big sum and a lot of trust, and they want to know who you are, what you do and whether you're the real thing.

So here's the plain version. A small practice doing homes and small commercial work needs eleven pages, give or take. Not forty. Only build the ones that match what you really do. Skip any section you don't offer. Each page below has a job, a short list of what goes on it, and a few things to leave off.

Purpose: To tell a visitor in a few seconds who you are, what you design and where, and to point them to the next step.

Start with one clear sentence at the top. Something like: "Architects designing homes and small commercial buildings in [your area]." Say it plainly, and say it first.

Underneath, give a short summary of your services with a link to each. Add two or three of your best projects as images with a line each, linking through to the full project pages. Put your main enquiry button where people can see it without scrolling, and repeat it lower down.

Show your registration with the Architects Registration Board (ARB) somewhere visible, and keep the wording accurate. Add your phone number and email, and the town or region you work in. If you've got reviews from real clients, one or two short ones can sit here too, with a link to the full set.

Keep it light. The home page is a signpost, not the whole story. People want to see that you're a proper practice, then get to the detail they came for.

Avoid vague taglines like "creating spaces that inspire". They say nothing. Avoid a slideshow that moves too fast to read, a wall of text about your design philosophy, and stock photos of buildings you didn't design. Don't hide your phone number behind a form. And don't cram in every service and every project; that's what the other pages are for.

Purpose: To say exactly what you do, so the right people get in touch and the wrong ones don't waste your time.

List only the work you actually carry out. For most small practices that's design, planning applications and project management. Give each its own short section with a heading.

Under each, say what it covers in everyday language. What does a client get? Where does your involvement start and end? For design, you might explain that you take a brief and turn it into drawings. For planning applications, say you prepare and submit the application and deal with the council on the client's behalf. For project management, say what you oversee once building starts.

Be honest about what sits outside your scope. If you don't do interior design, structural engineering or landscape work, a line saying you work with other professionals for those saves confusion later.

Mention the kinds of project you take on: homes, extensions, small commercial buildings. Keep it matched to your real work.

Link each service to a relevant project page and to your enquiry page. A reader who's finished the section should know what to do next.

Avoid listing services you only occasionally do, or ones you'd like to do someday. Avoid jargon the client wouldn't use themselves. Don't copy the same paragraph across several service pages with only a word swapped; Google's spam policies treat many near-duplicate pages made mainly to manipulate rankings as spam, so each page needs something genuinely different. And don't promise outcomes you can't control, such as planning approval.

Purpose: To show real work, with real context, so a visitor can picture what you'd do for them.

One page per project, and only projects you have the client's permission to show. Ask before you publish. Get the permission in writing, so there's no argument later.

Each page should cover three things. First, the brief: what the client wanted and what the site or building was like to begin with. Second, what you did: the design decisions, the problems you solved, the stages you handled. Third, how it ended up: the finished building, with good photographs.

Write it as a short story. "The clients wanted more light and a kitchen that opened onto the garden" is more useful than a list of dimensions. Describe your role honestly. If you handled the planning application and the client used another firm for the build, say so.

Use drawings as well as photos if you have them. A before and after helps. A plan beside a finished room helps more.

Add a short line about the type of project and the general area, if the client's happy for that to be shown. Link back to the relevant service page and forward to your enquiry page.

Avoid projects that aren't yours, or work you only contributed to in a small way without saying so. Avoid publishing anything the client hasn't agreed to, including their address. Avoid dark, blurry photos and captions that just say "House 3". Don't fill the page with technical detail nobody outside the trade can follow. And don't invent a testimonial to go with it.

Purpose: To explain how a project runs, step by step, so a nervous first-time client knows what they're signing up to.

They don't know what comes first or what they're expected to do. This page takes the fear out of it.

Lay out the stages in the order they happen. A typical run might be: first conversation, site visit, brief and concept design, planning application, detailed drawings, tender or builder selection, then work on site. Use your own stages, not that list, if yours differ.

For each one, say what you do, what the client does, and roughly what they'll see at the end of it. Be clear about decisions that sit with the client, such as signing off a design or choosing a builder.

Say who they'll deal with. In a small practice that might be you, and it's fine to say so. If others are involved, say what they do.

Keep each stage to a short paragraph. A numbered list works well here, because the order matters.

Don't promise fixed timescales unless you can keep to them. Say that timing depends on the project and on outside parties such as the council, and that you'll give an estimate once you know more.

Avoid dense paragraphs of professional language. Avoid skipping the client's own responsibilities, which only leads to disappointment later. Don't copy a stage list from a professional body without making it fit how you work. And don't leave out the awkward bits, like what happens when the planning decision takes longer than hoped.

Purpose: To explain how you charge, so people can decide whether to get in touch without feeling they're walking into a mystery.

You don't need to publish a price list. You do need to say how you quote.

Describe your method. Do you charge a fixed fee for each stage? A percentage of the build cost? An hourly rate for smaller jobs? Say which you use and when. If it varies by project type, say that too.

Explain what shapes a quote: the size and complexity of the project, how much of the process you're asked to cover, and whether the site has any particular difficulties. Be clear about what a fee does and doesn't include. Planning fees paid to the council, surveys and other consultants are usually separate, so tell people to ask what's covered. Check with the relevant bodies for anything that applies to your work.

Say how people get a quote and what you need from them. A short line such as "Tell us about your project and we'll send a written quote" does the job. Mention whether the first conversation is free, but only if it really is.

Be calm and straightforward about it. Talking about money plainly makes you look more professional, not less.

Avoid putting up figures you can't stand behind. Avoid vague phrases like "competitive rates", which mean nothing. Don't hide the fee structure and then make people dig for it. And don't use the page to talk down other practices.

Purpose: To prove you're properly registered and qualified, in terms a client can check.

Under the Architects Act 1997 (section 20), a person may not carry on business under a name, style or title containing the word "architect" unless they are registered with the Architects Registration Board (ARB). Titles such as "naval architect", "landscape architect" and "golf-course architect" are allowed. A firm may use the word if a registered person controls and supervises its architectural work at every site. That's the rule as set out on legislation.gov.uk.

So state your ARB registration accurately, and link to the register so a visitor can check for themselves. Give the name that appears on the register, so it matches your site.

Put your registration on its own page and mention it in the footer on every page. If other people in the practice are registered, say who.

If you're a UK limited company, show the registered company name, the registered number, the registered office address and where you're registered. GOV.UK sets that out. A footer is a sensible place.

Add other genuine credentials too, such as membership of a professional body or relevant qualifications. Only list ones you hold now. Check the exact wording with the body concerned.

Avoid using the title "architect" if you're not entitled to it; check with the ARB if you're unsure. Avoid logos you have no permission to use. Don't list expired memberships, and don't be vague, as in "fully accredited", without saying by whom. Don't copy someone else's registration number. If you've got a credential you can't prove, leave it off.

Purpose: To make it easy for the right person to get in touch, and to give you enough to reply properly.

Keep the form short. Name, email, phone number, project location, and a box for a few lines about what they want to do. That's enough to start a conversation.

Add a couple of optional prompts: roughly when they'd like to start, and whether they already have a site or a building. Don't ask for everything. Every extra field is one more reason to give up.

Say what happens next. "We'll reply within [your real timescale] to arrange a call" is better than a form that vanishes into silence. Only promise a timescale you can meet.

Put your phone number and email on the page as well, for people who'd rather not fill in a form. If you offer a first chat or site visit, say whether it costs anything.

Be clear about the sort of work you take on, with a short line at the top. It spares both sides a pointless exchange.

Check the form actually works on a phone. Send yourself a test message. And look at where the messages go, so none gets lost in a spam folder.

Avoid long forms with a dozen compulsory boxes. Avoid vague buttons like "Submit"; use "Send your enquiry". Don't ask for sensitive details you don't need. And don't leave the page without a way to reach you if the form fails.

Purpose: To say where you work, so people know whether you can take on their project.

List the towns, counties or regions you cover, in plain terms. If you work from a studio and visit sites, say how far you'll travel.

You might add a short note for the main places you work. But each area page must carry something genuinely different. Google's spam policies treat many near-duplicate pages made mainly to manipulate rankings as spam. So don't publish ten pages that differ only by the town name. A separate page for an area only makes sense if you've got real things to say about it: projects you've done there, local planning matters you've dealt with, or details of the practice's links to the place.

If you haven't got that, one page listing your areas is better than many thin ones.

Tie this to your Google Business Profile. The areas on your site and the ones on your profile should match.

A simple map can help, if it's clear and accurate.

Avoid claiming to cover places you don't actually serve. Avoid pages that repeat the same text with a different place name. Don't list every village in the county as a trick. And don't state local planning rules unless you've checked them; point people to the local council for those.

Purpose: To show real feedback from real clients, in their own words.

Only publish reviews that are genuine. Take them from clients who've agreed to be quoted, and keep the wording as they gave it. Don't tidy a review into something they didn't say.

Ask after a project finishes, while it's fresh. A short message is enough: thank them, ask if they'd write a few lines, and say where. Make it simple to do.

Show the client's first name or initials and the type of project, if they're comfortable with that. Link to the place the review was originally left, where you can, so visitors can see it's real.

Include the mixed ones if you've got them. A page that's entirely glowing can look odd. And reply politely to criticism; a calm answer says a lot about you.

A handful of honest reviews beats a long list that looks too good. If you've only got three, show three.

Keep reviews up to date. A page that stops two years ago looks forgotten.

Avoid writing reviews yourself or asking friends to post ones that aren't based on real work. Avoid paying for reviews. Don't edit the meaning of what someone wrote. Don't make up a name or a job. And don't claim a rating you can't show.

Purpose: To introduce the people behind the practice and tell visitors how to reach you.

People hire people. So say who you are. A short account of the practice: who runs it, how long it's been going, what you care about in your work. Write it in a natural voice, not a brochure's.

Add a photo of yourself and anyone else on the team, if you're happy to. Give names and roles. A small practice is a strength, so say so plainly.

Mention your registration and any relevant qualifications, linking to the credentials page. Say what kind of projects you enjoy.

Then the contact details: address of your studio if clients can visit, phone, email, and opening hours. If you're a limited company, include the registered details GOV.UK requires. Make sure these match your Google Business Profile exactly.

Add a link to the enquiry page and keep it easy to find. Make the page easy to read on a phone, and check that the phone number is clickable.

Avoid a long personal history that wanders away from the work. Avoid vague claims of being "passionate" without anything behind them. Don't use a photo that's years old or a team you don't have. And don't leave contact details out to look bigger than you are.

Purpose: To make sure that when someone searches for you or for an architect nearby, your details are right and ready.

Search interest is real. Estimates for UK monthly searches (DataForSEO, 18 Oct 2026) put "architect near me" at around 6,600. These are national estimates, not per town, so treat them as a rough guide, not a promise.

Use the real-world business name, as it appears on your shopfront, your website and your stationery. Don't add keywords to the name. You can't pay for a better local ranking, so don't believe anyone who says you can.

Keep your opening hours updated, including holiday hours. Add your phone number, website and a short description. Upload good photos of your work and your studio.

If you travel to clients and don't have a shopfront visitors can visit, treat yourself as a service-area business. Remove the address from the profile and set service areas instead, up to 20. Edits to service areas can take up to 48 hours to show.

Make sure the details match your website exactly: name, address, phone number and hours.

Avoid stuffing the business name with extra words. Avoid listing an address you don't work from. Don't ignore the profile after setting it up. And don't set up several profiles for the same business.

1. Home page: a clear statement of who you are, what you design and where, with a way to get in touch.
2. Services: only the work you really do, in plain language.
3. Project pages: a few real projects, with permission, showing the brief and what you did.
4. Registration and credentials: your accurate ARB registration, linked to the register.
5. Enquiry page: a short form and your contact details, so people can reach you.

You might have most of these pages already. You might not know which ones are thin or absent. Seracu offers a free snapshot that shows which topics your site lacks compared with competitors.

It's a quick way to see where to start. And you can decide what to do with it from there.