Websites don’t suddenly fail, they quietly leak credibility over time. Nothing breaks. Nothing crashes. But slowly— the story feels old, the images become dated, and opportunities slip by. That’s why a yearly website evaluation—especially in the first quarter—can pay outsized dividends.
Don’t “Set It and Forget It”
Small, thoughtful improvements made regularly almost always outperform single, large redesigns every five years. A site that evolves with your firm sends a powerful signal: we’re current, we’re active, and we care about how we present our work. This doesn’t mean full redesigns aren’t valuable—they are. But waiting years between updates leaves too much on the table.
Why the First Quarter Is the Sweet Spot
For architects, developers, and property managers, the first quarter is often the calm before the storm. Projects are ramping up, but teams are still mostly in the office. That makes it the ideal time to step back and assess how your website—and your imagery—are working for you.
Ask a few practical questions:
Do our images reflect where the firm is now, not where it was a few years ago?
Are there gaps in our portfolio?
Does the site tell the right story to the clients we want next?
Start With Your Photography (It does the heavy lifting)
Your photography is often the hardest-working asset on your site—and the easiest place to make meaningful improvements. Revisit the images produced last year and look for opportunities:
The projects you never got around to adding
You got busy and simply never had time to add them to the site. Also, new initiatives, such as sustainability, make for great visual storytelling
Missing shots
That lobby that couldn’t be photographed because signage wasn’t installed yet. The exterior that needed final landscaping. Those gaps matter more than you think.
Smarter use of existing images
A single strong photograph can often yield multiple assets. Cropping in on a grand shot to highlight a specific material or detail can create a fresh image for your site.
People and portraits
Have you added new staff who aren’t represented visually? Are your current team photos getting a bit dated? Can you show your staff in the workplace or at industry conferences and seminars, showing the dynamism of your firm?
Think Beyond the Website: Plan a Year of Content
Here’s an easy win: Pull together some of your strongest images that aren’t currently on your website and build a monthly social media plan.
Create twelve posts at once, each featuring a different project, detail, or behind-the-scenes moment. Schedule them out over the year. You’ll put it on autopilot and continue marketing even when your staff is busy, without scrambling.
The Bottom Line
A yearly site evaluation is all about continuous improvement. Regular image updates, thoughtful content tweaks, and strategic storytelling keep your website aligned with who you are today and where you’re headed next.
And the best time to do it? Right now—before things get busy again.