Hawks Developments: Marketing Review

Last Updated on June 1, 2026

By Whito. Published June 2026.

Most builders get work through word of mouth and Checkatrade. That works until the referrals slow down or the platform fees eat into margins. The builders who stay busy long-term are the ones who can generate their own enquiries without relying on a third party to send them.

Hawks Developments is an independent residential builder based in Faversham, Kent. They have been operating for over 15 years, hold strong Checkatrade scores, and cover kitchens, bathrooms, extensions, loft conversions, renovations, and new builds across Kent. Their website is one of the better builder sites we have reviewed.

But a good website is only part of the picture. Here is the full review.

What Hawks Developments is

Hawks Developments Ltd is a residential building company run by Joe Hawkes, based in Faversham, Kent. They cover a wide range of services: kitchen fitting, bathroom installations, full renovations, extensions, loft conversions, new builds, and garden projects. They serve Faversham, Whitstable, Canterbury, Herne Bay, Maidstone, Ashford, Ramsgate, and wider Kent.

The company is Checkatrade verified with consistently perfect 10/10 review scores, City and Guilds qualified, and fully insured. They are also listed on MyBuilder and Houzz. This is a well-established local business with genuine credentials. The question is whether the marketing is set up to generate enquiries independently.

The marketing scorecard

What they are getting right

The website structure is excellent for a builder

Separate pages for kitchens, bathrooms, extensions, loft conversions, new builds, renovations, and garden projects. Each page has a photo gallery of completed work. On top of that, local area landing pages for Faversham, Whitstable, Canterbury, Herne Bay, Ashford, Ramsgate, and Thanet. This gives Google a clear reason to rank Hawks for searches like “kitchen fitter Canterbury” or “builder Whitstable.” Most builders put everything on one services page. Hawks has done the structural work.

The Checkatrade scores are flawless

Every visible Checkatrade review scores 10 out of 10. That is not easy to maintain over 15 years. For prospective clients comparing three or four builders, a perfect Checkatrade record is a powerful differentiator. The badge is displayed prominently on the website, which is the right call.

Instagram is active and visual

1,150 followers with regular project photos and Reels. For a builder, Instagram is the right platform. People want to see the work, not read about it. Before-and-after shots, progress videos, and finished project reveals all perform well. Hawks is doing this consistently, which puts them ahead of most builders who have no social media at all.

Multiple contact methods including WhatsApp

Phone, email, and WhatsApp are all available. WhatsApp is increasingly how people prefer to contact tradespeople: quick, informal, and they can send photos of what they need done. Having it as a primary contact option removes friction from the enquiry process.

What needs fixing

1. No blog or educational content

A builder with 15 years of experience has answers to every question a homeowner asks before starting a project. “How much does a loft conversion cost in Kent?” “Do I need planning permission for an extension?” “How long does a kitchen renovation take?” These are all high-intent searches that a blog post could rank for. Right now, Hawks has no blog. That is organic search traffic going to competitors who do.

Even one post per month targeting a specific project-related question would compound over time. Our guide to content marketing for UK businesses covers how to start.

2. No detailed case studies

The photo galleries are good but they tell half the story. A proper case study says: “This was a three-bedroom Victorian terrace in Canterbury. The client wanted a rear extension and full kitchen refit. The project took 12 weeks and came in on budget.” That level of detail converts browsers into enquiries because the prospective client can see themselves in the story.

Three to five detailed case studies with before-and-after photos, project scope, timeline, and a client testimonial would significantly improve conversion rates. They also make excellent LinkedIn and Instagram content.

3. Facebook is dormant

Instagram is active, Facebook is not. For a builder targeting homeowners in Kent, Facebook is still where a large portion of the audience spends time, particularly the 35-55 age group who are most likely to be commissioning building work. Cross-posting Instagram content to Facebook takes minutes and doubles the reach. Our guide to social media for UK businesses covers how to manage multiple platforms efficiently.

4. Google review count appears low

For a builder who has been trading for 15 years, the Google review count should be in the hundreds. Checkatrade reviews are strong, but Google reviews matter more for local search rankings. A simple post-project text with a direct Google review link would fix this over time. Our guide to getting more Google reviews walks through the system.

5. Missing industry accreditation badges

Hawks displays Checkatrade and City and Guilds badges. Missing from the site are Federation of Master Builders (FMB), TrustMark (the government-endorsed quality scheme), and a stated public liability insurance amount. For higher-value projects like extensions and new builds, these accreditations can be the deciding factor for clients comparing quotes. Adding them, if eligible, would strengthen trust on the pages that matter most.

The priority list

Where Hawks Developments sits in the framework

Using Whito’s Start, Build, Scale framework, Hawks Developments is firmly in the Build stage. The Start fundamentals are solid: a professional website with proper service and location pages, active social media, strong review scores, and clear contact options.

What is needed now is Build-stage content work: case studies that convert enquiries, a blog that captures organic search traffic, and a Google review strategy that builds the local SEO profile. The website structure is already there to support all of this. It just needs the content to fill it.

The verdict

Hawks Developments has a better website than 90% of builders in the UK. The service pages, local area pages, and visual content show a business that takes its online presence seriously. The Checkatrade scores and 15 years of trading history speak for themselves.

The gap is content depth. No case studies, no blog, and a Google review count that does not reflect the volume of work delivered. These are not expensive fixes. A few case studies, a monthly blog post, and a review collection system would turn an already strong website into an enquiry-generating machine.

Want to see where your building business stands? Whito’s free Growth Report checks your website, SEO, social media, and local visibility in under three minutes.

Hawks Developments is a residential building company based in Faversham, Kent. Visit hawksdevelopmentsltd.com or call for a quote.

Related reading

• Builder Marketing Guide
• Local SEO: Rank Higher in Your Area
• Get More Google Reviews
• Content Marketing for UK Businesses
• Service Pages That Convert

Whito

Whito exists to stop businesses scaling the wrong way. We focus on structure, leverage, and measurable growth, not noise, not vanity metrics.

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