You’ve accomplished something pretty big; you’ve started an HVAC company. We imagine it’s been your dream for some time now to work for yourself. After years of building your skill set in the industry, you’re ready to go it on your own. Congratulations! But how to build a web presence is on your mind.
Now what?
If you want to build your business for success, then you have to market it. And the absolute best way to market any business is online. A web presence is critical but goes beyond a canned website just to have something for people to land on. So, buckle-up: you’ve got a journey ahead as you get your heating and air business out into the world.
Beyond That Canned Website…
Like we mentioned, your website can’t feel like the description of your business was copied from a dated Encyclopedia with basic stock images and no flair. First, it has to look appealing and draw the attention of anyone who visits – you want them to stick around for a while. The content on your website needs to be engaging, giving the potential client an opportunity to discover why they would rather hire you than the next guy on the list. The means you’re going to have to get a little personal and connect with them regarding the motivation and mission of your company.Â
You’re also going to need an active blog and, again, it needs to be engaging. Beyond that, however, your blog needs to be informative rather than just a sales pitch. Give those looking for heating and air conditioning DIY help a leg up on how to do something simple, like change their HVAC filter or relight the pilot. Share information on what they should look for in a reliable HVAC company. The more you share without making the whole thing a sales pitch, the more likely the client will be to choose and trust your business.Â
Next, Tackle Google
Google is, obviously, the number one search engine in existence. And it’s typically the first place someone will go to find an HVAC business in their area. How do you get to the website you just spent so much time on? Start with setting up your Google Business Profile. Once it’s set up, you can post special offers/promotions, images, and updates much like on social media. This is also the best place to send clients when you ask them for reviews (and you should be asking all of your clients for reviews, but that’s another blog post).Â
The stronger your Google Business Profile, the better your chances of getting those click throughs to your website.
Catch Attention from Every Corner
A potential client might specifically search Google for heating, ventilation and air-conditioning companies in their area, or they might hit up one of the many websites that list home service companies. These hubs have become increasingly popular with homeowners to find service professionals because of the rapidly increasing reviews available on them, even beyond Google reviews. That’s because all of these sites provide a means of protecting homeowners by keeping all interactions with the company on that site (and the sites also push for those coveted reviews). There are many available. Consider setting up a business profile on the top two or three, or all of them. The most popular are:
Of course, setting up these profiles requires engaging content and images, just like everything else online.Â
Get Social
Obviously, a web presence means social media, too. There are four social media platforms right now that have been successful marketing hubs for HVAC business owners, each with different demographics and effective approaches.Â
- Facebook – We’ve seen everyone from Gen-X to boomers use this platform to find home service professionals. Finding specifically what works to engage and building followers can take some time, but Facebook should never be overlooked.Â
- Instagram – Instagram is video and image heavy. It’s about having the right images to grab attention and captions and hashtags to garner searches that land potential customers on your account. Reels are a growing trend here too, such as a timelapse of you cleaning an HVAC system, or what the scope camera sees on those internal system checks.Â
- TikTok – This is where reels got their start (and are now seeping into Instagram, as well as some on Facebook). A video-only platform, most businesses post 30-second to three-minute videos here with all the bells and whistles that are currently trending, and then duplicate that post on Instagram and Facebook for added traction.
- YouTube – This site provides the space for you to create three- or 30-minute videos to engage potential customers. While you can share “watch me do it” videos here, you’re going to get more traction with informational type videos, essentially turning your blog posts into videos with clear visual examples.Â
The key with any of these social media platforms is finding which ones are most heavily used by your target demographic and making sure you have an active profile there. Posting regularly is key to being seen and reshared by others, which is key to building your following on any of these platforms.Â
Build a Web Presence: The Key to Lead Generation
No one expects you to do all of this work alone. Managing a website with regular, quality blog posts is hard enough, let alone upwards of ten business profiles and social media accounts. Assistance with managing the content is vital to the success of your heating and air business – someone to organize the website, profiles and social media posts. Then there’s managing the lead generation, too.Â
You might have guessed by now that The Get Smart Group excels at all of this. We’re ready and willing to be the behind-the-scenes guardians of the web presence for your HVAC company. And once the leads start coming in, we can help you manage them, keeping them engaged through that first service call and beyond. Our team is ready to get started, how about you? Schedule your free consultation today to get started on a web presence that can get your HVAC business in front of all your potential customers.
