If you are reading this article, you might not think of your website, Google profile, or social media pages as part of your day-to-day business operations, especially if you work in HVAC, renewables, or construction.
It is an industry that relies heavily on referrals and word of mouth. Isn’t it?
But here’s the uncomfortable truth:
If your online presence is weak, invisible, or out of date… you’re probably losing work.
And not just from younger, tech-savvy customers, everyone checks online before making a decision these days.
And yet, we still see so many websites in the built environment that are simple brochure sites, no lead magnets, limited content. Are 5-year-old websites still good enough?
Let’s look at what it could be costing your business, and what you can do about it.
1. Missed Leads You Never Knew You Lost
Most people won’t call you to ask for details.
They’ll Google you, search for you on social media, or even ask Chat GPT about your company.
If they don’t find what they need, they’ll move on to the next result.
Examples of what might be losing you leads:
No website, or one that looks outdated
A slow-loading website, especially on mobile devices
No clear list of services or areas covered
No reviews or case studies to back up your quality
With nothing to capture their attention, you’ve lost out before you have even had a chance!
2. Being Compared to Competitors You Could’ve Beaten
If someone compares your website with a competitor’s and theirs is clearer, more trustworthy, or easier to use, you’re at a disadvantage, even if your service is better.
We see this so much in building services, HVAC and training. A website can make a huge difference to how you are perceived.
A slick, well-structured, top-performing site can attract the attention of high-profile customers, add real value to your business, and grow your brand.
If you stand out for the right reasons online, it can give you an advantage in a crowded market.
Conversely, if your competitors have better websites, this is a big problem, and it will cost you business.
3. Trust Signals That You’re Not Giving
People want reassurance before they commit, especially for high-value services like heat pumps, commercial HVAC installs, training courses, or retrofit projects.
These industries are built on trust; they always have been, and that needs to translate online.
Your online presence is your chance to say:
“We’re professional.”
“We’ve done this before.”
“Others trust us, and you can too.”
If your site lacks testimonials, project photos, accreditations, or clear service pages, you’re not giving people the confidence they need to choose you.
If you use AI to write everything, and only use stock images or AI-generated images when your competitors are using real images, who do you think the potential customer will trust more?
4. You’re Building a Business Without Foundations
An online presence isn’t just about short-term leads, it’s a long-term asset.
Your competitors who started investing in SEO, content, reviews, and regular updates 12–18 months ago? They’re reaping the rewards now. They are playing the long game, and you need to catch up.
You can’t fast-forward trust. You have to build it, over time, with good quality content, service pages, location pages, and a strong about us page.
The longer you delay, the longer it takes to catch up.
But the great thing about a long-term strategy is that it adds real value to your business by strengthening your domain’s reputation. A strong website and domain history are more sellable.
What You Can Do
Here are some (relatively) quick fixes that can make a huge difference:
Google your business, see what shows up, then Google your main competitors. What are the differences? What are you missing that they have, and where are you strong against them? Then create an action plan and work through it.
Update your Google Business Profile with services, hours, and photos.
Start sending Google review requests to your best customers and make it part of your process to get review requests each time you deal with a customer.
Add at least one testimonial or case study to your site, with real images and quotes.
Make sure your site loads fast on mobile (use Google PageSpeed Insights). Ask your developer to help you. Some of the most dated sites have video animations in the background. Ditch them; they might look nice, but they are slowing you down.
You’re Already Doing the Work, Let People See It
No HVAC or construction business we speak to is failing at what they do; they just don’t know how to make the digital world work for them.
They’re doing great work offline, but their online presence doesn’t reflect it.
If you want to win more work, attract better clients, and stand out from the crowd, your online presence isn’t a ‘nice to have’.
The most dramatic instance of this was helping GTEC design and build a new website and implementing a highly effective SEO strategy.. This led to them gaining the attention of United Living Group, which acquired a majority share in the company in 2024 (just under 12 months after the new website was launched).
It’s a revenue stream, it adds value, and it makes your company more attractive to the right people. So don’t ignore it!
