Marketing for builders, contractors and developers in Sussex
Builders and contractors rarely lose work on price. They lose it before the quote, when a developer or homeowner lands on a slicker competitor’s site first. Phoenix Marketing fixes that for construction businesses across Sussex and Surrey, and the best way to show how is with a client’s numbers.
Rated 5.0 from 20 Google reviews · A local SEO agency based in Haywards Heath
What we did for MLS Contractors
A full rebuild for a West Sussex building and civil engineering firm that had the reputation and the crews, but an outdated web presence that was not generating consistent enquiries. We rebuilt the website around its core service lines, brickwork, groundworks, landscaping, hardscaping, foundations and ground source heat pumps, gave developers and homeowners a clear route to request a quote, shot bespoke photography of real projects, and built the search visibility underneath.
£2.4M
Contracts won from
website leads
100K
Avg. contract value
per enquiry
24
Qualified enquiries
(last 12 months)
£1.4m
+ total quote value
And for a developer
Bluestone Developments needed a digital presence equal to the quality of the build. We built the master brand site and a dedicated microsite for Twineham Grange Farm, a gated scheme of six eco homes, and ran the SEO behind it. The development reached full occupancy, with organic visibility peaking at around 40 ranking keywords and 250 visits a month. Read the Twineham Grange Farm case study.
Why construction marketing is its own job
Because the buyer is checking you out, not browsing. A developer shortlisting groundworks contractors wants to see the projects, the accreditations, the team and a way to get a price. A homeowner wants to know you are real, insured and local. The website has to answer both in seconds, which is why photography of your own work matters more in construction than in almost any other sector, and why we shoot it ourselves.
What we do for construction businesses
- Websites structured around your service lines, with a quote route on every page
- Project photography and drone video, shot on site
- SEO and local SEO for the searches developers and homeowners actually make
- Google Ads for high value, low volume terms
- Lead generation that feeds your pipeline rather than a lead reseller’s
For sole traders and smaller trades, our trades marketing page is the better fit. For tree surgery, see what we did for Bronzeleaf in Horsham.
Related reading: the Bluestone development story · website design · local SEO
Frequently asked questions
Do you work with small building firms or only larger contractors?
Both. MLS Contractors works on domestic and commercial projects across Sussex and Surrey. For sole traders and small trades businesses our trades marketing service is usually the better starting point.
Why does photography matter so much for builders?
Because your work is the proof. Stock imagery tells a developer nothing; photographs of your own brickwork, groundworks and finished plots do. We shoot on site so the website shows what you actually build.
How many enquiries should a builder expect?
MLS Contractors received 24 qualified enquiries in twelve months, worth £2.4m in contracts. Construction is a high value, low volume market, so we measure quote value and contracts won, not clicks.
Can you help a developer sell or let a scheme?
Yes. For Bluestone Developments we built the brand site and a microsite for Twineham Grange Farm, which reached full occupancy. Read the case study for the detail.
Talk to us about marketing your construction business
A friendly 15 minute call, no obligation.
or call 01444 523105