Yesterday I was reviewing the results of a recent online survey we conducted. One question we asked you was if your business maintains a website. Would you be surprised to know that 30% of you don’t have a company web site? I was surprised.

In addition to that question, we also asked you to comment on your Internet usage. Again, many responses included comments like these: “We don’t use the Internet” or “The Internet is a waste of time and money.”

Really?

On one hand, I understand the incredible power of word-of-mouth marketing. Many of you I’ve interviewed over the years tell me you don’t do any marketing because all of your business is by referral (but all of you I interviewed at least have a web site). That’s a powerful endorsement of the way you do business, and congratulations to all of you who operate this way.

On the other hand, how can you not have a company web site in 2010? Even the people referred to you by current or past clients need a place where they can review your past projects, and learn about your approach to design and construction. Yes, you’ll cover that in your initial face-to-face meeting with them, but they’ll still want to investigate you a bit before meeting you.

Maybe I’m looking at this from a glass-is-half-empty perspective. Maybe 70% website saturation is an improvement from this time last year, and the year before that. In this case, it’s good to see so many of you on board.

But if this is as good as it gets, I’m a little disappointed, and perplexed.

What do you think is going on here? Let me know. Or, scroll up to the first paragraph of this blog entry, look to the right and click where you see, “Leave a comment” or “Post or view comments.”

When was the last time you sketched a house for fun? Was it back in college, or high school? Or did you jot down a few ideas last week?

Designing for fun can be a nice break from chasing clients, arguing with banks and competing in a down market. Consider spending five or ten minutes this week to doodle a little. Give it a shot and see how you feel when you’re done. It doesn’t have to be a full set of construction documents. Start with a front elevation to get things going.

Think back to the last time a client rejected your idea. Isn’t it frustrating? Why not design a home the way you want to see it designed?

I’m sure you have a few design ideas floating around in your head. Get them on paper. Then file that paper in a folder and save it for later. Do this once a week and you’ll have a nice idea file in no time. You never know when you might be able to make them a reality.

The temptation to make lists at this time of year is strong. Logically, I made one for you, but it’s unlike any list you’ve seen before. This list contains complaints rather than resolutions.

An informal online survey we conducted reveals that, apparently, clients are the most annoying part of your job. Frequently mentioned on the list are the way clients undervalue good design, and how they use cost-per-square-foot to compare builders. Here’s the rest of the list:

Pet Peeves in the Custom Home Market
• Having to be a client’s personal therapist
• Subs that don’t call back
• Subs that show up late or not at all
• Dirty job sites
• The bid system
• Cost-per-square-foot comparisons
• Clients who find fault with everything
• Clients who don’t understand cost
• Clients who can’t make decisions
• Client’s with no vision
• Clients who undervalue the planning process
• Clients armed with piles of magazine photos
• Clients who expect you to read minds
• Clients who “draw up” their own home design
• Clients who meddle throughout the entire process
• Clients who don’t value good design
• Builders who don’t understand good design

You might be wondering where this list came from. A few weeks ago, we asked a few architects, designers and builders to tell us what annoys them about doing business in the custom home market. Some answers were submitted via e-mail.

Other pet peeves were posted within the Residential Design & Build social networking group at LinkedIn.com. Complete reader responses can be seen on pages 22 and 24 of the January 2010 issue, so keep your eyes open for it in a few weeks.

Another frequently mentioned pet peeve is a lack of knowledge about good construction and design practices. Architects and builders who don’t educate clients along these lines were called out several times.

Want to share your own pet peeves? send me an e-mail, or, scroll up to the first paragraph of this blog entry, look to the right and click where you see, “Leave a comment” or “Post or view comments.”

A story in USA Today this week details how first-time home buyers prefer smaller homes, mostly because they are more affordable. It also explores how builders are accommodating this trend.

The article states; “The trend cuts across the industry. The median square footage of new homes has dropped 9% from a peak of 2,300 square feet in the third quarter of 2006 to 2,100 square feet in the July-September period this year, according to data from the National Association of Home Builders.”

Smaller homes don’t need to feel smaller. The article mentions a few design tricks to make a home appear larger than it is. These tricks include high ceilings, larger windows and open floor plans.

But I wanted to dig a little deeper into these design ideas, so I called Tony Crasi of The Crasi Company in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, who shared a few with me. Tony will be teaching a very popular class at the International Builders Show in January called Affordable Million Dollar Details.

Here are a few thoughts Tony (pictured above) shared about not only making a home seem bigger, but also how to create more perceived value:

“One thing we do is beef up the walls around openings. Rather than using 2×4s, bump them up to 2×6 or 2×8 to give it beefier, bigger feel.”

Regarding higher ceilings, Tony says: “We don’t go more than 9 ft. because of cost.”

On the topic of exterior scaling, Tony says it’s important not only to match exterior components to the home’s architectural style, but to buy the right-sized components as well. But it all starts with understanding the basics of any architectural style and knowing how to create the right proportions.

Windows, as the article mentions, are key to making smaller homes seem bigger. “We like to have a lot of glass in a little home. It makes it lighter, brighter, and it expands the view to the outside. Frank Lloyd Wright eliminated walls and corners and replaced them with glass to carry the eye outside.

Do you have any design tricks?

Share your thoughts in an e-mail, or, scroll up to the first paragraph of this blog entry, look to the right and click where you see, “Leave a comment” or “Post or view comments.”