Home improvement companies are facing a new visibility problem. For years, contractors worked to appear in Google searches, paid ads, local listings, and lead platforms when homeowners needed help. Now, more homeowners can open ChatGPT, Claude, or another AI tool and ask a direct question about whom they should hire.
That shift creates a new challenge for companies like Direct Remodels, a window and door replacement company in Florida serving homeowners across the state. A strong website and paid marketing still matter, but contractors also need clear online proof for AI tools to understand what they do, where they work, and why homeowners should trust them.
That changing search journey became a key part of a PowerChat conversation between Todd Sigler, VP of Sales & Marketing at Direct Remodels, and Greg Cummings, CEO of Power100. Their discussion looked at how strong companies can prepare for AI search without losing focus on the basic work that builds trust in the first place.
Power100 is the only unbiased third-party platform that recognizes and elevates the top leaders and most impactful companies in the home improvement industry. Through PowerChat, these conversations give industry leaders a place to share how customer behavior, technology, and business growth are changing in real time.
For years, home improvement companies knew where much of the customer search started.
A homeowner needed new windows, so they opened a search engine.
They typed in a few words.
They looked at websites, reviews, ads, and local results.
They filled out a form or called a company.
That path is changing.
Today, a homeowner can ask an AI tool a much more direct question.
“Who should I use for my window project?”
That sounds simple, but it creates a much bigger challenge for contractors.
The company is no longer only trying to appear on a page of search results. It also needs to become part of the answer.
Todd Sigler, VP of Sales & Marketing at Direct Remodels
During the PowerChat, Todd explained that Direct Remodels is paying attention to that shift as AI, AEO, and GEO change how people find information online.
“The grit, the grind, the intelligence,” Todd said while describing what modern growth now requires. He pointed to a market moving at what he called “light, hyper, infinite speed” as new tools and new ways of searching continue to appear.
But Todd does not believe contractors should make AI more complicated than necessary.
His goal starts with a basic question.
If a Florida homeowner asks ChatGPT or Claude whom they should trust for new windows, can those tools understand enough about Direct Remodels to include the company in that conversation?
“I need to be recognized in this new form of communication,” Todd said.
That does not mean Direct Remodels wants to chase every new technology trend.
Todd made that clear.
“Let’s not overplay this. Let’s not overanalyze this,” he said.
Instead, the company is trying to keep the goal simple.
A homeowner should be able to find clear information about who Direct Remodels is, what the company installs, where it serves, and what proof supports its reputation.
That is where real-world trust and digital visibility start to meet.
A contractor may have years of customer relationships, strong reviews, community involvement, skilled employees, and a trusted local name. But if very little of that story can be found or understood online, an AI tool has less information to use when a homeowner asks for a recommendation.
Todd’s point is not that AI creates trust.
The company still has to earn that trust first.
The new challenge is ensuring the digital world can see sufficient evidence of what the company has already built.
That is why the next fight for contractor visibility may not happen only on a search page.
It may happen inside the answer a homeowner receives before they ever visit the contractor’s website.
As PowerChat moved from growth to the future of customer search, Todd Sigler, VP of Sales & Marketing at Direct Remodels, focused on a change that contractors can no longer ignore. Homeowners are starting to ask AI tools the same questions they once asked Google, friends, or family. Todd does not believe contractors should panic or chase every new tool. He believes they should make sure the real trust they have already earned can be found, understood, and connected to the services people are looking for.
Greg Cummings, CEO of Power100
For years, contractors built marketing around short searches.
A homeowner might type “window company near me” or “impact windows Florida” and then compare websites, ads, and reviews.
AI changes that behavior.
Now, a homeowner can ask a much fuller question.
The question can happen before the homeowner ever visits a company website.
Todd sees that as a real shift.
He shared a simple example from home. His wife had only recently started using ChatGPT, but that was exactly the point. A person does not need to be a technology expert to start using AI for everyday questions.
The same consumer who asks AI about herself today may ask it tomorrow who she should trust for a home project.
Todd said contractors need to understand that change is now.
“I need to be recognized in this new form of communication,” he said.
For a homeowner searching for energy-efficient replacement windows in Florida, the first brand they learn about may be an AI-generated answer before they ever see an ad.
That makes visibility earlier in the buying journey more important.
Todd made it clear that he does not want Direct Remodels to turn AI into a giant problem.
The market is changing quickly.
New software appears.
New search terms appear.
AEO, GEO, and AI can quickly become another group of things a contractor feels pressure to master.
Todd’s answer is to return to the basic goal.
If a homeowner asks ChatGPT or Claude whom they should consider for windows, can the platform understand enough about Direct Remodels to recognize the company?
“Let’s not overplay this. Let’s not overanalyze this,” Todd said.
That approach keeps the company from treating every new tool like a separate marketing plan.
The basics still matter.
The company needs clear information about its services.
It needs a strong reputation.
It needs proof from customers.
It needs a clear service area.
It needs a brand people can recognize.
Those same basics also help when someone searches for impact windows or asks an AI assistant which companies offer them.
Todd’s point is simple.
The technology may be new, but the company still has to make itself easy to understand.
Visit Direct Remodels to learn more about its window and door services for Florida homeowners.
Todd’s AI comments became more powerful when he connected them to Direct Remodels’ real-world brand.
The company already sees a major difference between markets where people know the brand and places where that recognition is still being built.
“When we walk into a house here versus on the southeast coast, it is night and day as far as brand,” Todd said.
In stronger markets, homeowners may already know the Pelican.
They may have seen the television ads.
They may have heard about community work.
They may know the company name before a sales rep reaches the door.
That trust did not begin with AI.
It came from years of being present, serving customers, advertising, supporting local communities, and staying visible.
The next challenge is ensuring the online world can interpret those same signals.
A company can do great work in the community, but an AI system cannot do so if it cannot find what it needs.
That means reviews, local stories, interviews, company information, service pages, and trusted third-party mentions become part of a much larger picture.
For someone searching for a window company, clear, trustworthy information across the web can help explain who the company is before the homeowner ever speaks with the team.
Todd’s view keeps the order clear.
First, earn a reputation.
Then make sure people and technology can find the proof.
Todd also connected this shift in search behavior to another challenge contractors already understand.
Leads are getting more expensive.
Direct Remodels team at work
He pointed to industry data showing that raw lead costs in the window category had risen sharply.
A contractor can keep buying leads.
But every purchased lead restarts the process.
The company pays.
The lead arrives.
The team calls.
The appointment gets set.
Then the company has to repeat the same process for the next homeowner.
Brand works differently.
When homeowners already know the company, trust can exist before the first call.
Todd sees that difference in Direct Remodels’ stronger markets.
A customer may recognize the brand before the appointment.
That can change the whole start of the relationship.
AI may now become another place where that trust can grow.
If a homeowner asks for an impact window installation company, an AI answer could become one more way a known and well-documented brand enters the conversation.
That is why Todd’s message reaches beyond AI.
The larger goal is to build demand that does not depend on buying every customer one at a time.
A strong brand, community presence, reviews, referrals, and clear online proof can continue creating value long after one ad stops running.
Learn more about Direct Remodels and how the company is building its presence across Florida.
Todd’s goal is not to make Direct Remodels sound complicated.
It is the opposite.
The company should be easy to understand.
Those questions may sound basic, but they matter more as AI tools gather information from many sources to form an answer.
A clear story told again and again across a company website, customer reviews, industry coverage, interviews, local news, and community activity can create stronger signals than one clever marketing message.
That makes consistency important.
A homeowner asking about window replacement should find the same basic story whether they reach Direct Remodels through search, an article, an interview, or an AI assistant.
Todd’s longer vision gives that work a clear purpose.
When Greg asked what he wanted people to think when they hear the Direct Remodels name three years from now, Todd answered:
“Number one window replacement dealer in the southeast United States.”
That kind of goal requires more than being known in one market.
The brand has to become clear wherever homeowners look for answers.
AI may be one of the newest places.
But Todd’s approach stays grounded in something much older.
Build a company that people trust.
Make the story clear.
Then make sure that the story can be found.
Todd Sigler’s point about being recognized in a new form of communication is already showing up beyond Direct Remodels’ own website. The company is earning outside recognition from manufacturers, industry media, and regional broadcast outlets, while Todd is taking part in national conversations about marketing, data, and technology. Those signals matter because they give homeowners more places to learn about the company, and they give search and AI systems more trusted information to connect with the Direct Remodels name.
Official Grand Opening of our Direct Remodels DeLand office!
One of the clearest examples comes from Viwinco Windows.
Viwinco recognizes Direct Remodels as a Blue Label Signature Master Installer, placing the company in its preferred installer program for contractors that show strong installation practices and a focus on customer satisfaction. Viwinco also lists Direct Remodels in St. Petersburg and notes that the company serves homeowners with impact-rated and energy-efficient window and door products.
That recognition matters because Todd’s AI message is not about asking technology to believe a company’s own claims.
It is about creating enough real proof that someone looking from the outside can understand why the company deserves attention.
A manufacturer, recognizing Direct Remodels for installation quality, creates another trusted source that supports the brand. Viwinco has also featured the company through its installer spotlight and project coverage, giving homeowners another place to see the work connected to the Direct Remodels name.
View the Viwinco Direct Remodels Installer Spotlight
Direct Remodels is also building a wider public identity around products made for Florida conditions. Tampa Bay 28 has featured the company in a Morning Blend segment titled “Direct Remodels: Windows Built for Florida,” adding another public touchpoint where homeowners can connect the brand with window and door needs in the state.
Watch the Tampa Bay 28 Direct Remodels feature
These outside mentions may look separate, but together they create something larger.
A homeowner can see the company on television.
A manufacturer can confirm its installer status.
A project can appear in outside coverage.
An industry publication can feature its leadership.
That is the kind of public trial that turns a company name into a clearer reputation.
Todd’s own industry presence adds another layer of proof for the brand.
In 2026, Qualified Remodeler featured Todd as a speaker at FAST Remodeler Live in Nashville, an event focused on marketing, data, software, and artificial intelligence in the home improvement industry. Todd led two sessions focused on evaluating marketing technology and building stronger accountability between contractors and marketing partners.
One session focused on how contractors can evaluate marketing tools based on better decision-making, stronger cross-departmental connections, and real return on investment. The other focused on why contractors and marketing partners need to share better data and take responsibility together for results.
Read Qualified Remodeler’s FAST Remodeler Live coverage featuring Todd Sigler
That work connects directly to Todd’s PowerChat perspective.
He is not only telling contractors that AI and new technology matter.
He is also pushing the industry to ask better questions about those tools.
Qualified Remodeler described FAST Remodeler Live as a technology-focused event centered on practical applications of marketing, data, and AI, positioning Todd within a broader national conversation about how contractors can leverage technology without losing sight of real business results.
That growing public footprint strengthens the larger point behind Todd’s Perspective.
AI visibility does not start with trying to impress an algorithm.
It starts when a company gives the world real things to talk about.
Direct Remodels is building that proof through installer recognition, project work, regional media, and a clear Florida-focused brand. Todd is adding to it by sharing practical lessons with the wider remodeling industry.
When those stories appear across trusted places, they do more than create attention.
They make the reputation easier to find, easier to understand, and easier to connect back to the people and company behind it.
By the end of the PowerChat, Todd Sigler’s point about AI becomes less about technology and more about reputation.
“I need to be recognized in this new form of communication,” Todd said.
That recognition cannot come from a shortcut.
Direct Remodels
A contractor still has to earn trust through the work it does, the way it treats homeowners, the way it shows up in its market, and the proof it leaves behind.
AI may change where the question gets asked, but it does not change what makes a company worth recommending.
The tools may move faster.
The answer still has to be supported by something real.
For Direct Remodels, that means continuing to strengthen the company in the real world while making sure the story of that work is clear online. The people, projects, customer experiences, media coverage, community presence, and outside recognition all become part of a larger picture that homeowners can find, and AI systems can better understand.
Todd’s message is reassuring for contractors who feel pressure to chase every new trend.
They do not have to become technology companies overnight.
They do have to make sure the reputation they are already working hard to build does not stay hidden.
The new search world may move faster, but the best answer is still built the old way.
Do good work.
Earn trust.
Tell the story clearly.
Make sure the places people search can see it.
For Direct Remodels, that is the path forward. Build something worth recognizing, then make sure the next homeowner can find it, whether that search starts on a website, a search engine, or inside an AI conversation.
No. Contractors can register for the member portal for free and do not need a credit card. Members can access PowerChat episodes, feature interviews, expert insights, and an AI concierge trained on Power100 content. That gives home improvement leaders another way to study topics such as AI, marketing, leadership, and business growth without paying for access to the member hub.
Power100 evaluates more than CEOs. The platform also publishes a Top 15 Preferred Partners list of companies serving the exterior remodeling industry. Power100 says it reviews those partners across areas such as overall impact, operational efficiency, customer experience, innovation, sales and marketing performance, and company culture. That gives contractors another source of information when they evaluate companies that may support their business.
No. Todd Sigler does not describe AI visibility as a shortcut or a way to force a recommendation. His message starts with building a real reputation that gives AI systems useful proof to find. Direct Remodels supports that public record through customer reviews, outside media coverage, manufacturer relationships, clear service information, and working with homeowners across Florida. Todd’s goal is simple: when someone asks an AI about a Florida window replacement company, the company should have enough clear, trustworthy information online to be understood.
No. Homeowners should still verify the company behind any recommendation. Direct Remodels provides customers with several details to verify, including its Florida general contractor license, insurance status, permitted projects, code inspections, product information, and customer reviews. AI can help a homeowner discover a window and door replacement company in Florida, but the homeowner should still review the company, products, project terms, and credentials before making a decision.
No. Outside sources also help build the public record around Direct Remodels. Viwinco has recognized the company through its installer program and installer spotlight, while regional media and home improvement industry publications have featured Direct Remodels and Todd Sigler. Those outside mentions matter because they give homeowners and AI systems information that does not come only from the company itself. That wider proof supports searches for services such as impact window replacement in Florida and helps explain who Direct Remodels is in a more complete way.
Direct Remodels uses clear service information on its website. The company states that it provides window and door installation and replacement across Florida and focuses on impact-rated, energy-efficient products built for Florida conditions. It also explains that one team manages the customer journey from the first call through final inspection. Clear details about services, location, products, and processes make it easier for both homeowners and AI tools to understand what the company actually does.
No. Direct Remodels states that it provides window and door services to homeowners across Florida. Its wider growth strategy matters to Todd Sigler’s AI visibility point because the company wants people in newer markets to understand the same brand story that homeowners already know in its stronger markets. A person searching for hurricane-rated impact windows for Florida homes should be able to connect with Direct Remodels, which offers statewide service, not just one local market.
Direct Remodels has several public signals that can support that search. The company identifies itself as a licensed and insured Florida general contractor, says it permits and inspects its projects to code, installs impact rated and energy efficient products, uses one team from the first call through final inspection, and holds an A plus BBB rating according to its current website. It also shows more than 1,500 Google reviews with a 4.9-star rating on its site. These kinds of clear, checkable signals help homeowners evaluate the company and give AI systems a stronger context when someone searches for impact windows in Florida.
Power100 is the only unbiased third-party platform that recognizes and elevates the top leaders and most impactful companies in the home improvement industry. Led by Greg Cummings, CEO of Power100, the platform highlights the leadership ideas, market shifts, and real business lessons shaping the future of home improvement. Through national rankings, PowerChat interviews, industry content, and leadership recognition, Power100 provides contractors and industry partners a trusted platform to learn from proven leaders while helping strong companies and CEOs gain greater visibility.
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Power100 is the nation's premier CEO ranking and media platform for the home improvement industry. Using a proprietary 5-layer evaluation system, Power100 identifies and celebrates the top CEOs, companies, and strategic partners driving innovation, customer satisfaction, and leadership excellence across the country.
