The heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) contractors industry is experiencing a boom in the demand for new installations as well as repairs to existing systems. According to data from the industry research firm IBISWorld, the HVAC contractors industry in the United States is worth $82 billion and employs over 557, 946 professionals.
Additionally, improving per capita disposable income and the growing popularity of energy efficient systems (which are designed to lower operating costs for businesses and homes) will drive demand for new installations in existing structures. Meanwhile, according to another study from Cleveland-based research firm, The Freedonia Group Inc., demand for HVAC equipment in the United States will rise 6.8% annually through 2019 to reach $20.4 billion.
More pointedly, because the HVAC contractors industry is small-scale and localized in nature, there are no companies with a dominant market share in the industry. Nevertheless, despite the fragmented nature of the industry and the growing demand for the services of licensed and experienced HVAC technicians, HVAC companies face stiff competition in their local markets from other companies.
While it’s true that many HVAC companies succeed the old fashioned way (by providing quality services to their clients, and getting referrals and word-of-mouth promotions as a result), many HVAC companies add more leads and prospects to their networks—and get more work as a result—because they have a great marketing strategy in place.
MARKETING YOUR HVAC COMPANY THE OLD FASHIONED WAY
Many HVAC companies prefer to market their services the traditional way—they make a minimum number of sales calls per week, hand out an X number of business cards each day, and knock on doors to introduce themselves to prospective clients. Many also ask existing clients for referrals and go back to them periodically with new offerings.
While these marketing tactics are obviously important, this “hands-on” approach won’t suffice. Why is that? It’s because the vast majority of your prospective clients are turning to the Internet when they’re looking for a reputable HVAC company in their area. Gone are the days when prospective clients used the physical yellow pages or asked the neighbors next door for the number of a reputable HVAC company.
In fact, 81% of consumers conduct online research before purchasing a product or service, and an overwhelming 89% of consumers use search engines to acquire services. Furthermore, your prospective clients aren’t just conducting online research on their desktop computers, as many are also using their mobile devices, tablets, and other gadgets to conduct online research.
YOU NEED TO COMPLEMENT YOUR TRADITIONAL MARKETING WITH A DYNAMIC DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY
You need to establish a well-designed and well-optimized website for your business. This website should contain accurate and up-to-date information about you and your business, as well as relevant and informative content. As for technical requirements, your website should be easy to navigate on and mobile-friendly, and should make proper use of keywords and links.
Why is mobile-friendliness important? It’s vital because a growing number of consumers perform searches on their mobile devices. (According to the latest statistics from comScore, 190.3 million people in the United States owned smartphones during the three months ending in June 2015.)
Unless you possess a mobile-friendly website that adjusts and displays seamlessly across an array of devices, you won’t be able to target prospective clients who’re looking for reputable HVAC technicians in their area using multiple devices.
Your website and other web properties should show up prominently in the search engine results pages when your prospective clients perform local searches. Aside from organic traffic, you also need to ensure that your business website is getting quality traffic from referral, paid, direct, and social sources.
Even if your prospective clients do find you, will they find solid reviews about you from your past clients? Do you have active social media accounts that enable prospective clients to learn more about your services? Do you offer relevant and informative content on your blog and other publishing platforms?
As HVAC services target a specific geographical area, you need to maximize the full potential of online local searches. According to recent studies, consumers who conducted local searches increased from 70% in 2010 to 80% in 2014. In addition, 54% of searchers include a local modifier (such as a city or zip code) in their searches.
Aside from search results, does your HVAC business have a strong presence in local listings, maps, and directories? If your answer is no, then you could be losing out on a significant number of leads and prospects, as well as conversions and sales.
Busy HVAC contractors like you don’t have time to create and implement a digital marketing strategy. You need to focus on your business.
Don’t worry—we’re here to help. Our Brand Optimization Service and other Online Marketing Services can build and expand your brand’s presence online.Whether you’re offering your clients residential, commercial, or industrial HVAC services, our online marketing services will help you attract and nurture more leads, convert them into clients, build a positive online reputation for your brand, and gain a real edge over your competitors.
Send us an email now at info@deviatemedia.com or call us at 877-341-9289 so we can schedule a free consultation with you today.
