Updated December 13, 2019 and September 2021
Today, over 100,000 HVAC businesses in the United States compete for a piece of the $81.1 billion/year industry. And, With more than 72 million homes in the United States with a central HVAC unit, how can your HVAC business stand out above the rest in such a competitive industry?
A couple of key tactics to help make your phone ring are...
There are 8 simple yet critical elements that every HVAC business website MUST follow to be successful in attracting new customers:
Pay close attention to the last element! It used to be that when people wanted to hire an HVAC professional, they opened up a big fat phone book and scanned the yellow pages for a heating and cooling company they’d seen advertised in a commercial or local newspaper. Some even asked their friends and neighbors for a recommendation. But one thing is for sure - they definitely didn’t pull out their smartphone and search for “heating repair in West Bloomfield, MI”!
RELATED READING: 4 Proven Reasons Blogging Will Grow Your HVAC Business
Today’s digital world is a totally different culture than it was even 10 years ago. If your HVAC business isn’t online, you’re already losing customers to your competition. But if you are online, your website MUST be up-to-date with the latest SEO tactics and HVAC digital marketing best practices to ensure your business is visible to those searching for your services.
How does your website compare?
Many of your customers often use directories like Home Advisor and Angie’s List to find local, credible HVAC businesses in the area. While those are typically paid directories, other options you can get listed on that we recommend include:
With every business listing you set up, make sure you have a plan to monitor it. When you receive positive feedback, send that customer a quick “Thank you” reply! If you receive an unfavorable review (it happens, so don’t stress too much over it), respond to it promptly. This demonstrates your genuine concern for the customer’s issue and willingness to work towards a solution.
How do you monitor your online reputation and run an HVAC company at the same time? Easy! And it can be done for free through Google Alerts.
Google Alerts is one of the most convenient and easy-to-step-up tools to monitor your brand’s reputation. Simply go to google.com/alerts and fill out the search form with your company name. You can filter what type of media results you would like, how often you would like to be updated with your results, and so on. Now every time your brand is mentioned online, Google will send you an alert.
The most important of all your online business and directory listings is Google My Business (Google Map listing). According to research conducted by Google and research company Ipsos Media, consumers are 38% more likely to visit and 29% more likely to purchase products or services from businesses with a complete Google Maps listing.
A Google Maps listing makes it easy for customers to gain quick and relevant information about your business, such as where you’re located, when you’re open for business, and a phone number or email address where they can reach you. A well-optimized GMB listing also displays any reviews your customers have posted for you and a ‘star’ rating to indicate how well your customers rated their experience with you.
You can even link your Google Maps listing to your Google+ page. Google rewards businesses that actively manage their Google Maps and Google+ pages, so by adding new content regularly, you can boost the ranking power of your listing.
https://www.gybo.com/downloads/search-listing-research.pdf
Whether you have a tabletop VA like Alexa doesn’t matter, the mobile device in your hand right now is at your service. Some occasional frustrations are reported, but overall, voice search is easy, and it’s definitely on the rise.
According to John Mueller at Google, for the near future, no special adjustments to websites are required to be more voice friendly, just the continued focus on making content information useful and easy to access.
You must make it your business to stay current by doing your best to understand search engine algorithms so you can stay in front of your competition. The obvious first step is to build your HVAC website in a way that it rises to the top of searches.
When a potential customer in your area needs HVAC services, you want to be their first choice. Your business has to be simple to find and easy to contact. With the vast increase of persons using voice search, when someone says to Google or Siri, “I need air conditioning repair near me,” how do you land at the top of search results? The person needing the A/C repair will be directed to HVAC companies within their current location that has the best-organized content on their websites, with the most up-to-date listings and relevant information.
Monitoring the internet to claim and manage critical listings belonging to your organization is an important part of running your business today. It is vital for your business to stay current with search engines, maps, GPS, and business directories. It is as much your address as your physical structure, and of course, you want it to be its best!
https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/consumer-insights/near-me-searches/
First, you don’t pay for a lead unless it converts (a person clicks on your page or contacts you).
The second thing to know is that HVAC PPC marketing delivers results by targeting people in your immediate area who are looking for your service (the lead is already qualified).
The third thing to do is develop PPC Ads targeting your area and converting leads. Many people don’t understand Google Ads or say they aren’t getting results or the results are poor. Most frustrating is they are not able to measure ROI and feel the effort and investment are a waste.
It is worth the time to understand Paid Search Ads, aka PPC, or consult with someone who does. You should be able to see ROI and measurable results and know that your ad money isn’t wasted. It takes some effort, but your business needs it to thrive in a highly competitive online world.
Promoting seasonal services and specials can generate more sales for the following season.
For example, during the fall months, HVAC businesses have a big opportunity to build their brand and gain more furnace repair and installation clients. As winter approaches, the need for heating maintenance starts, and all you have to do is create the right paid search campaign to turn those needs into leads!
You can also promote your seasonal deals on your website or social media pages to get your prospects’ attention. This can be a discount on a furnace tune-up before the winter cold settles in, or an AC precision tune-up before the summer heat comes.
https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/6224841?hl=en
It’s no secret that word-of-mouth advertising can help promote your business at a fraction of the cost of paid marketing. However, most businesses don’t know how to motivate their customers to become ‘brand advocates' and ultimately refer more business to you.
The reality is that most people need an incentive to do something they wouldn’t otherwise normally do. Consider offering your past and current clients a referral credit, such as a $25-$50 gift card for anyone they refer to you (that becomes a new customer!). You can even offer discounts - not just to the customer who referred someone but offer an additional discount to the new customer as well.
This helps create a lot of positive feelings about your business, providing an even higher level of value. According to Texas Tech, 83% of consumers are willing to refer others after a positive experience****. That being said, that $25-$50 credit has the potential to come back to you tenfold!
Reviews matter and your reputation are all over the internet. You may fear there isn’t much you can do about it... or is there?
Reputation is largely formed by what your customers say about you. Or write. Your customers can write about you on dozens of sites like Yelp, Google, Facebook, BBB, and industry-specific sites such as Angie’s List, HomeAdvisor, or WebMD.
The authority of word-of-mouth around town has evolved to reading about you on the internet. What if a negative review is written? What can you and your company do?
You can manage your online reputation.
You need to gather good reviews; in this case, more is better. Ask your customers to review you online. Some companies even offer a discount if they do. Also, stay engaged with your customers and manage your reputation. Responses to poor reviews tell search engines that you follow up and care. It is all about being credible.
High ratings and good reviews will place you higher in search engine results. Positive reviews build trust with potential customers and with search engines, too, and you will be rewarded with increased sales.
The word ‘complementary’ might scare some small business owners, especially when it deals with high-cost repairs like a broken furnace. However, that’s not the point. It’s not about offering a free furnace repair to attract a new customer. It’s about broadening your service offerings and blending lower-margin services with higher ones.
What does that mean? Offer a FREE energy audit, duct cleaning, or indoor air quality assessment as a lead-in for other services requiring a larger investment. This technique has proven to be successful, resulting in additional new customers, sales leads, and even new opportunities discovered, such as equipment replacement jobs that you wouldn’t have landed otherwise.
An easy and effective strategy that many businesses overlook is the value of wrapping your company truck(s).
Think about it... you only pay for it once; the average vehicle wrap lasts 8-10 years. If you’re constantly driving around town all day every day, people will see your trucks everywhere. This effort alone is a big part of building brand recognition within the areas you serve.
The key to a successful vehicle wrap is to make it noticeable enough that people can read your truck's company name and phone number from at least 50 ft away. Keep in mind, less is more, so don’t overcomplicate it! But do be sure to include your fundamental HVAC service marketing points like:
With a little thought and effort, your trucks can be great mobile billboards to establish and grow your brand’s recognition, so use them to your advantage!
Let’s face it, as technologies and the way people use them continue to evolve, successfully marketing your HVAC business in today’s world can be a big challenge.
At High Level Marketing, the sole purpose behind everything we do is empowering small business owners like you to leverage today’s technologies to best position your brand in front of the very people who are looking for the services you offer and, more importantly, drive them to call YOU instead of your competitors.
We’ve worked with numerous HVAC businesses throughout the U.S. to develop an effective website and digital marketing strategy that drives traffic and converts leads! Check out our portfolio here, or contact us today for a FREE initial strategy session.
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