In today’s highly competitive HVAC industry, price shoppers can pose a significant challenge to business owners. These are potential customers who prioritize cost above all else when selecting a service provider, often at the expense of quality, expertise, and reliability.

While it’s tempting to lower prices to win these customers over, doing so can hurt your bottom line and undervalue your services. As a result, it’s important for HVAC business owners to have a clear strategy in place to overcome price shoppers and communicate the value of their services effectively, especially when it comes to your most profitable installation services.

In this article, we’ll explore some effective tactics that you can use to attract and retain customers who prioritize quality over cost.

Want to bring in new customers, stand out from the competition, and boost your revenue?

Then it’s time to get smart with your HVAC marketing strategies. Check out this guide for fifteen effective ways to promote your business, complete with tips and tricks for building brand awareness and attracting more customers.

Trust is a crucial factor in any business, but it’s especially important in the home service industry where customers are inviting contractors into their personal spaces. As an HVAC business, it’s essential to establish trust with potential customers from the start…which, more often than not, starts with a new visitor coming to your website.

So what are they going to see when they get to your site? And how can you keep them there longer…and taking the action you want them to — like clicking to call or filling out a quote request?

One way to do this is by creating a top-quality website design that provides essential information about your business. This includes your service area and contact information, clear and focused service pages with a clear call-to-action (like “Book an Appointment”), as well as any relevant experience you may have.

In addition to providing basic information about your business, you can also use your website to gain the trust of potential customers by offering helpful resources and information. For example, you can create informational blog posts that help customers solve common HVAC problems. This not only demonstrates your expertise in the field, but it also shows that you’re willing to go the extra mile to help your customers.

It’s important to remember that in this digital age, customers go online to research businesses before deciding where to take their business. And that there’s a “standard” visitors expect when they get to your site.

That’s why your website is crucial for making a good first impression — it serves as your virtual storefront for prospects. A whopping 75% of people judge the credibility of a company based on the design of its website (we wrote about that in detail at our post here).

Make sure your site is visually appealing and easy to navigate, and be sure to optimize it for mobile devices. With more and more people accessing the internet on their phones — and the fact that Google mainly uses the mobile version of a site’s content (crawled with the smartphone agent) for indexing and ranking) — it’s essential that your website is mobile-friendly to ensure a positive user experience.

In summary, building customer trust as an HVAC business requires a combination of providing essential information about your business, offering helpful resources, and creating a top-quality website design that is mobile-friendly. By following these basic steps, you can start to establish credibility and trust with potential customers and set the foundation for a successful marketing presence online.

Retaining your existing customers should be a top priority for any business, and that includes HVAC companies. According to Harvard Business Review, the cost of acquiring a new customer is significantly higher than what you would spend on retaining an existing one – anywhere from 5 to 25 times more. That’s why it’s essential to focus on keeping your existing clients happy and satisfied with your services.

One way to do this is by using HVAC marketing strategies to identify any problems or issues that may be causing dissatisfaction among your current clients, or troubleshooting in advance for issues they may not be aware exist in their home. This could involve collecting information that can be helpful for your client and your bottom line.

For example, if your technicians install an AC and note that the age of the furnace in the house is getting to that “end-of-life stage,” you could schedule a follow up with your customers at an appropriate time to offer your “client rate” for a new furnace installation during your traditionally slower times. By gathering this information, you can tailor your marketing efforts to better meet the needs of your customers.

Good customer service is also essential when it comes to retaining existing clients. Homeowners are typically pretty protective and sensitive about the work that goes on in their homes.

Make sure you’re responsive to their needs and willing to go the extra mile to address any issues they may have. Building strong, long-lasting relationships with your customers is crucial to the success of your business, so do what it takes to manage these highly beneficial relationships.  Don’t get me wrong, they don’t need a therapist — they just want to know that you care.

In summary, good customer service is essential for retaining existing clients and building strong, long-lasting relationships with them. This can be achieved by:

By following these guidelines, you can ensure that your customers are satisfied, continue to support your business, and actively refer their friends and family.

As noted earlier, it’s essential to make it easy for potential customers to contact you on your company website. This means including your contact information in a prominent location and offering options like webchat or a mobile app for convenient communication. If a prospective customer is interested in your HVAC services, they should be able to easily reach out to you and get a quick response.

To ensure you’re providing excellent customer service and maximizing your chances of converting HVAC leads into clients, it’s crucial to have a fast response time.

In summary, make it easy for prospective customers to contact you, and be sure to respond promptly to inquiries — especially when customers are in the buying mode, like asking for an installation quote. By doing so, you’ll improve your chances of converting leads into clients and establish a reputation for excellent customer service.

When it comes to finding local services companies for HVAC installation, maintenance, or repair, potential customers turn to search engines like Google and Bing. And because most of these searches are location-specific, the results almost always show Local Maps results.

This means that the higher your company ranks in local listings, the more likely you are to be chosen by prospective clients. So, how do you ensure that your website ranks highly in these listings?

One way to improve your rankings is by fixing any incorrect or inconsistent citations that may be affecting your website. Citations are business listings or local directories that can be found on search engines or local listings websites. If these citations contain incorrect information or are inconsistent with your business’s name or location, it can negatively impact your ranking.

A super complete citation is called a NAP, which stands for phone number, address, and company name. Even if the mention of your business doesn’t include a link, it’s still considered a local citation. For example:

Obtaining online reviews is a crucial advertising strategy for HVAC businesses because it helps to build trust with potential customers. In today’s digital age, people rely on online recommendations to make purchasing decisions, and this is especially true for local services companies.

And reviews will significantly impact the performance of your local search rankings in the Local Maps.

According to a Podium survey, 88% of people decide whether to do business with a local company based on online recommendations. This means that having positive reviews can significantly impact your company’s success.

So, how can you get more online reviews for your HVAC business?

One way is to ask your customers to review your business on various platforms, such as Google or social media. You can do this in person when you’ve completed a job or through a follow-up email or card with review URLs. It’s essential to be ethical when requesting reviews and to avoid incentivizing customers for positive feedback.

It’s also crucial to respond promptly to any reviews you receive, whether they are positive or negative. This shows that you value your customers’ feedback and are willing to address any concerns they may have. By actively seeking and responding to online reviews, you can build trust with potential customers and improve your chances of attracting new business.

In addition to asking for reviews directly from your customers, you can also consider using review management software to help manage your online reputation. This type of software allows you to track your reviews across multiple platforms and respond to them in one place, making it easier to manage your online presence.

Another way to build trust with potential customers is by being transparent about your business practices. This means being upfront about your pricing, providing clear information about your services, and being honest about any potential delays or issues that may arise (like when unpredictable supply chains push back installation dates). By being transparent, you show that you value your customers’ trust and are willing to be open and honest with them.

Overall, building trust with potential customers is crucial for the success of any HVAC business. By actively seeking and responding to online reviews, using review management software, and being transparent about your business practices, you can establish a reputation for excellent service and increase your chances of attracting new clients.

Social media is an essential part of any HVAC marketing strategy because it helps to improve your online visibility and reach potential customers. Search engines use social signals as a key ranking factor when determining where to place your website in search results, so having a professional social media page can significantly impact your website’s ranking.

Once you’ve created a social media page for your HVAC business, you can use it to share links to your blog content, videos, and photos of projects you’ve completed. This helps to showcase your expertise and capabilities and gives potential customers a sense of what it’s like to work with your company.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

By experimenting with different types of content and paying attention to what your audience engages with the most, you can develop a social media strategy that effectively keeps your followers interested and engaged.

Overall, having a strong social media presence is an important part of any HVAC marketing strategy. By using social media to share your expertise, connect with customers, and engage in marketing efforts, you can improve your online visibility and reach more potential clients.

Using pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, also known as search engine marketing (SEM), can be an effective way to drive traffic and leads to your HVAC website.

PPC advertisements show up in relevant search engine searches and in the news feeds of social media platforms for the people you’ve identified as your target customers. When executed well, PPC advertising can provide a return on investment that is multiple times the amount you spent initially.

One platform for PPC advertising is Google Ads (formerly known as Google Adwords). This platform allows you to create targeted ads for your HVAC company and can be an excellent way to generate new customers.

It’s important to remember that HVAC leads can be hard to come by and can be costly, so it’s essential to make sure you’re generating them from qualified potential customers in your local area. This way, your team will be able to respond quickly to their needs when they contact you.

To ensure that you’re maximizing the effectiveness of your PPC efforts, it’s a good idea to employ geotargeted strategies to limit your service area. This way, you can avoid wasting valuable marketing budget on targeting customers who are too far away for you to service quickly.

Another option to consider is Local Service Ads (sometimes known as Google Guaranteed). These ads can help fill in the gaps in your HVAC marketing strategy while you’re waiting for your SEO efforts to take effect.

Google Ads is a particularly useful platform because it allows users to customize their messages to appeal more effectively to specific groups within different geographic areas based on data points like keyword usage history and demographic traits.

In summary, PPC advertising can be an effective way to drive traffic and quality leads to your HVAC company. In experienced hands, PPC advertising is a fantastic tool for scaling up and growing your HVAC company.

Facebook ads can be a valuable tool for HVAC companies looking to increase their visibility and reach potential customers.

With Facebook’s targeting options, HVAC companies can target their ads to specific groups of people based on factors such as location, age, income and interests, making it an effective way to reach homeowners and businesses in need of HVAC services.

The ability to track the performance of Facebook ads in real-time allows HVAC companies to see how many people are seeing their ads, how many are clicking on them, and how much they are spending on the campaign. This information can be used to optimize the campaign and make adjustments to improve its performance.

Facebook offers a variety of ad formats that businesses can use to reach their target audience. Here are some of the most popular formats:

• Single Image Ads: These are the most basic ad format, which includes a single image and a short amount of text.
• Video Ads: These ads feature a video that can be up to 120 minutes long. They can be used to showcase products, services, or company culture.
• Carousel Ads: These ads allow businesses to display multiple images or videos in a single ad, which can be swiped through by the user. They’re great for showcasing different products or services or telling a story.
• Slideshow Ads: These are similar to video ads, but they use a series of images to create a video-like experience. They’re a good option for businesses that don’t have the resources to create a professional video.
• Collection Ads: These ads are designed for businesses that want to showcase multiple products in a single ad. They feature a cover image or video, and users can click through to see more products.
• Instant Experience Ads: These ads are designed to be fast-loading and engaging, and they allow users to interact with the ad without leaving Facebook.
• Lead Generation Ads: These ads allow businesses to collect contact information from potential customers directly within the ad.
• Messenger Ads: These ads are delivered directly to a user’s Facebook Messenger inbox, and they allow businesses to communicate with potential customers directly through the platform.

These are the main ad formats offered by Facebook, but the platform is constantly evolving and updating its ad options, so it’s worth checking back from time to time to see if there are any new formats available.

The variety of ad formats allows HVAC companies to choose the format that best suits their message and goals, whether it’s promoting their services, running a seasonal promotion or building brand awareness.

Facebook lead forms are effective because they allow businesses to easily collect contact information from potential customers. They are quick and easy to fill out, and can be completed directly within the Facebook platform.

Additionally, the lead forms are mobile-friendly, which means that they look great and are easy to use on both desktop and mobile devices. This is important since most of the Facebook users access the platform through mobile devices.

If you’re not getting any business from your Facebook ads, then it’s likely that you’re not using the platform effectively. There could be a number of reasons why your ads aren’t performing well. Here are a few potential issues to consider:

• Targeting: The most important aspect of any Facebook ad campaign is targeting the right audience. If you’re not reaching the right people, your ads won’t be effective, no matter how well-designed they are. Make sure you’re using the targeting options available on the platform to reach the right people based on factors such as location, age, gender, interests, and behaviors.
• Ad design: The design of your ads is also important. Make sure your ads are visually appealing and clearly communicate your message. Use images and videos that are high-quality and relevant to your product or service.
• Ad copy: The text of your ads should be clear and compelling. Make sure it’s easy to read, and use action-oriented language to encourage people to click on your ad.
• Budget: Make sure you’re allocating your budget effectively. If you’re not spending enough on your ads, they won’t be seen by enough people to be effective. Additionally, monitor your campaigns’ performance regularly, and adjust your budget accordingly.

Facebook Ads are an excellent part of a solid HVAC marketing plan, but they require an in-depth understanding of messaging, offer shaping and campaign execution.

Google My Business is a free tool that allows businesses to manage their online presence across Google, including Search and Maps. Google basically decides how high your business shows up in local search results by looking at a few things:

1. First, it checks if your Google My Business listing is a good match for what someone’s searching for.
2. Next, it looks at how far your business is from the person searching or the location they put in their search.
3. Lastly, it checks how popular your business is based on stuff like how many websites link to it, how many reviews it has, what people are saying in those reviews, and how well optimized your website is.

Many local businesses haven’t claimed their free GBP account, so it’s essential to take advantage of this opportunity to improve your online presence and reach more potential customers. It’s easy…just do the following:

By leveraging the power of GBP and optimizing your profile, you can stand out in the crowded HVAC market and attract new clients. Overall, Google My Business can be a powerful marketing tool for HVAC businesses looking to improve their online presence and reach more customers.

As an HVAC professional, you know better than anyone just how many homeowners don’t know how to change their HVAC filter or perform other basic maintenance tasks.

When these homeowners need to learn something new, what do they do? According to a survey of U.S. viewers, 86% say they regularly turn to YouTube to learn new things. This is no surprise, considering that YouTube is the world’s second-largest search engine.

Not only is video becoming the preferred way for many people to consume information, but it also has the potential to significantly increase conversion rates.

The key to successful video marketing is creating the right kind of videos and distributing them on platforms that your target audience uses, such as social media, your website, and email.

When creating videos for your HVAC business, it’s important to keep a few things in mind:

• First, try to limit your videos to two minutes or less to increase the likelihood of viewership. No one wants to watch a long, boring video, especially when they’re just trying to learn something quickly.
• Second, consider placing your videos on popular service pages of your website. This will make it easier for customers to find them when they’re looking for information about your services.

You can also incorporate videos into your blog content to provide valuable information to your customers and increase engagement. This can be especially helpful for homeowners who prefer to watch a video rather than read a long article.

In addition to uploading your videos to your website, don’t forget to upload them to your YouTube channel as well. This will give you an additional platform to reach potential customers and increase your visibility.

Video is also a powerful tool on social media. By posting videos on platforms like Facebook and Instagram, you can showcase your business and engage with your customers in a more interactive way. Just be sure to use hashtags and tag relevant accounts to increase the reach of your videos.

In summary, video marketing can be a powerful tool for HVAC businesses. By creating short, informative videos and distributing them on your website, YouTube, and social media platforms, you can reach a wider audience and increase your conversion rates.

It’s becoming increasingly important for businesses to offer live chat options on their websites, as a significant percentage of consumers expect it. According to recent studies, 41% of consumers expect live chat on desktop websites and 50% expect it on mobile websites.

If your HVAC business doesn’t currently offer website chat services, now is the time to consider adding them. Not only do they provide near-instant responses to customer questions, but they also leverage artificial intelligence to chat with website visitors without requiring additional resources from your customer service team.

In addition to providing a convenient and efficient way to communicate with customers, website chat services can also increase website conversion rates by an average of 2%.

Overall, website chat services are a valuable addition to any HVAC marketing plan. They provide convenience and efficiency for customers while also increasing conversion rates and driving more leads to your business. If you’re not currently offering live chat options on your website, it’s time to consider adding them.

HVAC SEO is the process of optimizing your HVAC business website in order to rank higher in organic search results and attract more clicks from users. When someone searches for HVAC-related terms on Google, they will see a combination of paid advertisements, organic search results, and featured snippets.

Organic search results are ranked based on algorithms that consider a variety of ranking factors, making SEO an important aspect of internet marketing for HVAC businesses…after all, PPC costs are not going to go down in the future.

One key element of HVAC SEO is the use of strategic keywords. Keywords are the terms and phrases that people use when searching for a specific product or service. By understanding what potential customers are searching for, you can incorporate target keywords into your HVAC website design and content.

Many homeowners search online to find local professionals, so it’s essential to optimize your website and marketing efforts for local keywords.

For example, if you own a company in Toronto, some HVAC keywords might include:

• “Toronto HVAC company”
• “HVAC in Toronto”
• “Toronto furnace installation”
• “Toronto AC repair”

In addition to using commercially valuable keywords, it’s also essential to have high-quality content on your HVAC website related to your service categories. Quality content helps to establish your authority in the industry and can improve your search engine rankings.

In addition to targeting general and local keywords, it’s also a good idea to focus on low-hanging fruit keywords as part of your HVAC SEO strategy. These are keywords that have low-to-medium search volume and low keyword difficulty, making them easier to rank for.

It’s a common misconception among home improvement contractors that price shoppers are not serious about purchasing their services. However, this belief can end up costing contractors a significant amount of lost revenue.

When a potential customer calls to discuss services, it’s important to approach the conversation as a sales opportunity. This means applying common sales techniques, such as:

• understanding the customer’s needs
• building value and rapport
• addressing any concerns.

Contractors can build value by highlighting their technician expertise, hiring process, service warranties, industry experience, customer reviews, and accreditations.

It’s also important to provide a comforting reason for why you can’t give them pricing over the phone. Without seeing the issue in person or knowing more about the home and seeing the set up firsthand, it’s impossible to provide accurate pricing.

Ultimately, the goal is to transition from the pricing discussion to setting up an appointment for someone to come and take a look at the issue. By following these tips and avoiding the common pitfalls of discussing pricing on the initial call, contractors can increase their chances of booking appointments and winning business.

Email marketing can be an effective way to increase revenue from existing HVAC customers. By promoting special offers, service upgrades, and new services through email, you can remind your customers about your business and build stronger relationships with them.

Here are a few steps to help you get started with email marketing to your existing clients:

1. Plan your content: While it’s important to occasionally include sales messages in your emails, you should focus most of your content on educating and informing your readers about HVAC systems. This will help keep your clients subscribed and engaged, and will demonstrate your expertise.
2. Offer value: In order for your clients to read your emails, you need to provide them with something valuable. This could be a blog post with air conditioning usage tips, a discount on your services, or some other type of value-added content.
3. Write a strong subject line: The subject line is the first thing your clients see when they receive your email, so it’s important to make it interesting and compelling.

Automating email marketing can help you save time and effort, communicate with your subscribers consistently and personalize your message, and measure, test and optimize the effectiveness of your campaigns.

With automation, you can scale your email marketing efforts to reach a large number of subscribers without having to manually send each email.

By following these steps, you can effectively use email marketing to promote your services to existing clients and increase revenue.

A customer referral program is a great way to leverage the power of word-of-mouth marketing and encourage your loyal customers to spread the word about your business. Referral programs can be an effective and cost-effective way to attract new customers, as long as you offer the right incentives to your current and referred customers.

Here are a few examples of referral incentives you could consider:

1. Offer a discount on your services as a reward for successful referrals. For example, you could offer a $50 discount on the next A/C maintenance visit for referees, or a similar discount for furnace maintenance in the summer.
2. Offer a cash or credit reward for closed sales resulting from referrals. For example, you could offer $100 in cash or credit per closed sale.

Run a contest where referring customers are entered into a drawing for a grand prize, such as a $200 Visa gift card. This can be a fun and engaging way to encourage referrals and reward your most loyal customers.

There are many other creative ways you can incentivize referrals, so be sure to consider what would be most appealing to your customers. By implementing a customer referral program, you can tap into the power of word-of-mouth marketing and grow your business.

If you want to get more leads for your HVAC business, online marketing is a great way to do it. It’s not only effective and cost-efficient, but you can measure your success too. But it’s not just going to happen on its own. The HVAC companies that are rocking it have a plan and stick to it consistently. The difference between just getting by and really growing your HVAC business is having an effective online marketing system that helps you grow and adapts to keep growing with you.