The online architect

When Francis Gichuhi set up a website for his business in 2003, things took a dramatic turn — many people started contacting him and making orders online.

That is how A4architect, a company he had operated for two years, moved its business online to offer architectural consulting services.

People make orders for architectural designs on www.a4architect.com, the company’s website, which it executes. These are then uploaded on the website for potential clients to view and make suggestions or adjustments. 

Today, A4architect transacts half of its business online, while the rest is done through the traditional face-to-face method. Most of its online clients, Mr Gichuhi says, are Kenyans living abroad with projects back home.

However, increasing internet uptake is driving orders locally, he adds. According to Ms Nyokabi Njuguna, a marketing consultant and chief executive of Marketing Strategies and Solutions, even when selling online, one still needs a business plan.

“You need to position and differentiate your business,” says Ms Njuguna. “You must find ways to drive traffic to your website, monetise, build brand equity, and create trust,” she says.

Can a company depend solely on sourcing for business online? It depends on the business they are in. “An online platform can be the only platform or yet another ‘location’ or ‘address’ where clients and other stakeholders find you,” she says.

“It has almost become a lifestyle the world over that if I want to know about you or your business, I will Google or use other search engines. Chances are, I will buy you if you make sense to me immediately.”

Ms Njuguna says that in her business, 70 per cent of enquiries come from the website. The online location can be prime “real estate” managed well, she says. Back in 2003, when A4architect moved its business online, internet access in Kenya was negligible and expensive.

Now with fibre optic connections, Kenyans are trooping online and Mr Gichuhi says, change in mindsets is what remains for people to embrace online products.

He picked the name A4architect because it is easy to remember, he says. The company has invested in search engine optimisation (SEO) to rank well on search engines like Google, MSN, and Yahoo.

Mr Gichuhi, who went into business in 2001 after graduating with a degree in architecture from the University of Nairobi, says online consulting reduces the cost of doing business and is convenient for clients. The company employs one other architect and several architectural assistants.

To check authenticity, A4architect requests the client to supply his deed plan before initiating a design. Midway, the enquirer is requested to pay a commitment fee of 5 per cent of the total agreed fees.

Projects are delivered within a week or two and payments can also be done online through Paypal, M-Pesa, or using money transfer companies. 

“We target both individuals and corporates, and uploading the designs online is also a way of marketing,” says Mr Gichuhi, who is also a member of the Architectural Society of Kenya.

Ms Njuguna says that with online marketing platforms like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Delicious, among others, you need to carefully pick those that are relevant to your business. Some of the hugely successful, purely online brands include eBay and Amazon.

She adds that now businesses are realising that if you are not online, you are not on. An online presence is inevitable, especially geographically.

Internet security is a big challenge for businesses. “Get proper advice from your IT consultant on guarding your website,” Ms Njunguna advises.

Online secure payment plans, especially in Africa, are perhaps the biggest challenge. She says it is one thing a business must take care of in its business plan before it starts operating.

“You can also get overwhelmed by the traffic and the orders, like one handmade boots company in the US. It had to go off-line to first service the orders that were going into three years — something it had never experienced before.”