The world is a different place in 2021, and construction companies need to know how to get back on track in order to find success in a post-pandemic marketplace. It has been a challenging period for construction companies, and although the pandemic is not yet over, there are reasons to now be optimistic looking ahead. Construction companies will be looking to take on new projects that will help them to get back on track and recover from COVID-19, so what are a few tips that will help a business to find success? Keep reading for a few tips for construction companies in 2021.
Update The Company Website
A good place to start is to update your company website. When people are researching construction companies, they will always pay close attention to the company website, and it should be modern, attractive, and easy to use. It is also important that you acknowledge the pandemic and provide detailed information on what steps and measures you take to protect clients, your staff, and public health as a whole. Nothing will deter a potential client faster than a dated website, so updating the website using the latest web design trends and fresh content can make a big difference.
Upskill
If you are between projects, instead of worrying about what to do you should instead use this time to upskill. You can use training and development to improve the abilities of both yourself and your team, and this can be a great way to prepare for a post-pandemic marketplace. While a lot of construction has been placed on hold in recent times, there will be pent-up demand, and there is likely to be a boom in the coming months and even years. By upskilling, you can improve the abilities of your company as a whole and could find new projects while also keeping your team busy, motivated, and happy.
Contact Previous Clients
It is also worthwhile getting in touch with previous clients to see if they have any work that needs doing or if they know anyone that does. Networking is always one of the best ways to find new work when it comes to construction and, if you have previous clients that were happy with your work, you should not shy away from asking for referrals.
Additionally, it is worthwhile gathering reviews from previous clients that you can put on the company website and on social media. If there is any constructive criticism, consider how you can act on this to improve your services in the future.
Reduce Costs
Now is also a good time to reduce the costs for your construction company. In a time where a lot of companies have been struggling and do not have as much money coming in, as usual, you can soften the blow of this by reducing your costs. You need to be careful when it comes to cutting costs, though, because you do not want to negatively impact the quality of the service that you can provide or make work harder than it needs to be for your team.
Use Digital Marketing
In order to attract new clients and compete at a high level, it is vital that you have a strong online presence for your construction business. People will first turn to the internet when searching for construction companies, so you want to be easy to find and have a strong presence. You can achieve this with digital marketing, and you will want to use the services of an experienced digital marking agency for the best results. Outsourcing digital marketing will ensure that you have a strong online presence for your business while also freeing up time and energy for you to focus on other important aspects of your role.
Use social media Effectively
Following on from this, you will also want to make sure that you are using social media effectively. This can be a fantastic tool for construction companies, but very few use the platforms properly. The key is to create and share high-quality content that will paint your organization in a positive light, catch the interest of your target customer and showcase your expertise. In addition to updates on any projects that you are working on, you could create how-to guides, tips, video demonstrations and videos on construction that will be useful for your target customer. Additionally, you should be responsive to comments and always try to spark conversation to make your social media presence stronger.
Go Green
In 2021, construction companies need to make sure that they are green and sustainable. The shocking climate events around the world have shown the importance of acting now, plus you will find that today’s consumers are becoming increasingly selective of the companies that they use, and this is true of construction companies too. In addition to the ethical reasons, you should find that going green will improve your reputation and could lower costs too. So, what are a few of the best ways to make your business greener?

• Use green materials
• Increase recycling
• Stop using paper
• Use electric cars
• Use renewable energy
• Remote work where possible

Use Off-Site Construction
Leading on from this, many construction companies are now using off-site construction, which can bring a few benefits. As the name suggests, this involves building and assembling elements at a separate location to the final installation location. The benefits of this are that it can increase efficiency, it is safer by working in a controlled environment, it reduces waste, and is time-saving. In 2021, this could also be safer in terms of COVID-19 by allowing construction workers to work in a controlled environment, so it is easy to see why this is a trend emerging in 2021.
Work On Soft Skills
You certainly need to have hard skills in order to find success in construction, but soft skills are essential too. One of the hardest aspects of construction is actually winning over potential clients, and the best way to do this is with excellent communication skills. You need to be able to listen to the needs and concerns of potential clients, build rapport, develop trust, and show your expertise. Working on your communication skills should help you to win over more clients as well as improve your abilities as a manager.
In addition to communication skills, working on other key skills such as time-management, leadership, and organizational will help to improve the day-to-day running of the company and help you to lead your team effectively.
Take An Engineering Management Masters
Being a leader in this industry during such a big period of change and disruption is incredibly challenging. This is why one of the biggest engineering trends right now is taking an engineering management masters, which will teach managers the key skills needed to succeed right now. Supply chain issues, disruptions in the tech sector, building delays, managing remote teams, and low morale are just a few of the key challenges that managers have been facing. As mentioned before, there are also new opportunities that will be available moving ahead, so having the skills and knowledge to thrive in a management role will be key for helping to get your business back on track.
Protect Your Business with Insurance
Lessons must be learned from COVID-19, and it has clearly shown the importance of having insurance in place. COVID-19 has shown that the unexpected can happen, so you need to make sure that you have adequate insurance in place to protect you from different eventualities. In addition to making sure that you have protection in the event of various potential problems, this will also help to provide peace of mind – something that every manager will want in times like these. There are many different types of insurance that you might need, including:

• General liability insurance
• Professional liability insurance
• Vehicle insurance
• Workers comp insurance
• Cyber insurance
• Asset protection

Analyze The Competition
During times like this, keeping a close eye on your competitors is smart. Every business is having to act and make improvements in order to get back on track, so you should analyze the competition to see what action they are taking and if there are any gaps in the market that could be filled. It is always smart to keep an eye on your competitors, but now more than ever, you can learn from them and use what you find to your advantage.
Network In Person
Networking is always important in the construction industry, but this has obviously been tough during the pandemic. With life returning to some kind of normality, now is a good time to start networking in person (safely) once again. Success in construction occurs when you have a large professional network, so you should look to attend relevant industry events and make new contacts with relevant figures in your industry. In addition to making new contacts, you also need to maintain your existing network – this is easy to do online, but for important contacts, you may want to think about meeting up to reconnect and strengthen your relationships.
Upgrade Tools & Equipment
If you want to kick on and find new levels of success after COVID-19, you should look to make upgrades to your operation. One of the best ways to do this is by upgrading your tools and equipment, which can help to improve the quality of your work, speed up processes and make work easier for your team. There are always developments and improvements being made to construction tools and equipment, so this is certainly worthwhile if you have not made any upgrades for a while.
Obviously, this can be a major cost to cover, which is why you may want to look into a loan to cover the costs. There are many different types of loans to consider, and you should view this as a long-term investment in your company that will help to aid your COVID-19 recovery.
Prioritize Cybersecurity
You also need to be aware of the threat of cybercrime, which has risen dramatically during the pandemic. It is a threat even for construction companies, so you need to make sure that you have strong cybersecurity protection in place with anti-virus software, a firewall, and a VPN. You should also have sensitive data backed up externally in case of a breach. You must also use staff training to help them to prevent any data breaches, especially if you have staff working remotely. Most breaches are a result of staff negligence, so staff training is one of the most important steps to protect sensitive data.
Strengthen Health & Safety Measures
It is obviously welcome news that life is returning to some kind of normality and that construction projects are commencing once again, but it is important to note that the pandemic is not yet over. This is why you need to strengthen health and safety measures to prevent an outbreak of COVID-19 (or any other illness that could interfere with the project). You need to provide sufficient PPE for workers and others on site, encourage social distancing where possible and provide hand sanitizing stations. You should also utilize enhanced cleaning procedures and keep a record of everyone onsite. You can keep all of the important measures in people’s minds with signage around the construction site.
Look After Staff Wellbeing
Leading on from this, you cannot expect things to be “business as normal” moving forward. The pandemic has affected everyone in one way, or another and experts predict that the mental health implications will be severe and felt for some time to come. This is why you need to prioritize staff wellbeing and do all that you can to support them during this difficult period.
Hopefully, these tips will come in useful and help you to find success in 2021 and beyond. It has been a tough time for construction companies, but there are reasons to be optimistic looking ahead, and you will want to be able to capitalize on pent-up demand to kickstart your recovery.