For heating and air conditioning companies, 2017 should be the year to stop relying solely on traditional advertising methods. Dependence on Yellow Pages, TV, radio and print advertising is netting companies a smaller and smaller portion of the market each year. To stay competitive, HVAC contractors need to implement an effective online marketing strategy.
The best way to tackle this is step by step. There’s a ton of information out there and it’s easy to get overwhelmed or confused by the endless flow of marketing advice. What really matters is taking care of the fundamentals first and setting your next priorities accordingly.
In this article, we’ll look at a few ways to get your company’s online marketing on the right track. Set the foundation right and create plenty of room to grow. This is not by any means a comprehensive or unattainable list. Rather, we’ll provide an overview of the basic building blocks needed to set you up for future success and make it easier to scale and grow your digital marketing.
1. Website Design
Quality web design should be a top priority when you start looking into overhauling your online marketing efforts. Your website needs to look great, load fast and function well across desktop and mobile devices. Get in touch with some website design services in your area to get a good idea of what’s involved with a redesign and how much it will cost.
2. Claim Your Local Listings
Your company’s Google My Business page is an invaluable asset when it comes to local search rankings. If you don’t have a page set up, make this a priority. If you already have a page, make sure it is updated with accurate contact information and photos. This will give you a better shot at showing up in the map results.
Don’t forget to set up your local profile on Bing and Yahoo as well. Bing is gaining a larger portion of the search engine market every day, so don’t miss out on your opportunity to connect with Bing, Yahoo and Google users.
3. Get Those Online Reviews
Encourage your happy customers to leave reviews online. Five-star Google reviews will show potential customers that your company has a solid track record of providing great customer service and quality work. It will also show Google that your business is valued and trusted.
4. Optimize On-Site for Local SEO Results
While accurate search listings and good reviews are essential off-site components, on-site optimization will send the right signals to search engines and help you attract more relevant traffic. Some fast and relatively easy changes include the creation of location-specific, keyword optimized landing pages and optimized urls.
Take a close look at the content on your pages to ensure it is informative and relevant to the search phrases that drive traffic to that page.
5. Optimize for Conversions
Better SEO rankings will help bring more traffic to your website, but it’s up to you to turn those visitors into leads and customers. Make it easy for potential customers to contact your business. That means using strong calls to action, displaying your phone number prominently and using a form fill on every landing page – one in the header and one in the footer.
6. Invest in PPC Advertising
These days, ranking high organically is just one piece of the digital marketing puzzle. If you want your company to appear above the fold, you need to invest in pay-per-click advertising. The best place to start is with Google AdWords. This is Google’s advertising platform. It allows users to create ads and bid on keywords.
The process of setting up an account, creating ads and bidding on keywords is pretty straightforward. However, professional copywriting, optimized landing pages and knowledge of AdWords advanced functionality will result in a far better ROI. That’s why so many HVAC contractors hire a marketing firm to set up and manage their PPC efforts.
Conclusion
It’s important to remember that good digital marketing is an ongoing effort. While this article highlights a few of the basic building blocks, implementing the changes will take some technical proficiency. If you do not have an in-house team of developers, designers, writers and SEO strategists, it might be a good idea to talk with some online marketing agencies in your area.
Find a good agency that can work with and make the most out of your budget. It’s 2017, the perfect time to start improving your online visibility.
By Guest Author Stephanie Gordon
