This is another in our continuing series of reviews of 2018 Best Construction Blog entries.
I really enjoy the fresh, inviting, and large-image graphics for cnstrcr – the social building space, an entry in the 2018 Best Construction Blog competition.
This is a generalist site, which seeks to generate content on more specific topics (it has categories defined in part by building division codes), and it may take a while before the community/content reaches the critical “tipping point” where participation and engagement drive the process forward. (There are for example, several forum postings/headers with only one entry.)
Another challenge for a generalist site is to provide enough depth for specialist relevance/value without becoming too immersed in arcane details.? This is especially the case if you are writing for the industry rather than the general public. As an example, this overview article about LEED provides worthy numbers and a description of the reason behind of US Green Building Council (and Canadian Green Building Council)’s program. The challenge here is that I think architects, engineers, contractors and owners within North America’s construction industry certainly by now have familiarity with the program’s general implementation and rules, but would be more interested in specific ideas about how to most efficiently comply with LEED standards or perhaps creative implementations, rather than the restating of public statistics. (The wow factor about LEED has long gone; though the program has certainly proven its sustainability.)
I also note that the site owner doesn’t really declare who he/she is anywhere visible and the site owner uses a service to hide its identity (though I have contact information from the competition entry). If the goal is to generate advertising revenue, there may be an uphill battle, in part because of competition from publications/media that have clearly defined niches and relevance and — if the site owner hopes to get an AdSense account — because of the increasingly stringent requirements for that program.
Take a look at the site yourself. I welcome your comments, as well.
You can vote for this blog and/or others of your choice until March 31.
Did you enjoy this article?
