If you’re running a HVAC company and you want to get new clients, you should know that there are some impressive, time-honoured lead generation strategies which will make it easier for you to get new customers…and the profits that they provide!
Today, we’re going to share the most effective lead generation strategies with you. Use one, a few or all of them in order to make the most of your Web marketing.
SEO Often Works Wonders
SEO stands for search engine optimization and it’s designed to build stronger search engine rankings. If you want to rank for preferred keywords, using the smartest SEO techniques will definitely help you to get those coveted, first-page rankings. We believe in SEO because there are plenty of SEO processes that HVAC company owners can do on their own. Also, it’s possible to outsource search engine optimization if you want to! Plenty of digital agencies provide high-quality SEO services to their clients, for affordable rates.
Local search engine optimization is really important. You want leads who are right in your area and paying close attention to local SEO will help you to get them. In the old days, you could have relied on your Yellow Page ad to bring in traffic. Now, you need to adjust to the reality that most people use their computers, tablets and mobile devices in order to find local HVAC companies.
In fact, ninety-seven percent of people prefer to find local businesses via the Web. Google is number-one in terms of where they search.
So, how to optimize for Google and other popular search engines? Well, there are three areas that you will need to think about. One is your website. If you’re not currently adding Meta Tags, Image Tags and keywords to your website content, you’re missing out on a golden opportunity to rank higher in search engine results.
So, make a point of honing your WordPress SEO skills. By making just a few small changes, you should be able to enjoy stronger search engine rankings which help prospective customers to find your business online.
Also, we recommend adding internal and external links to each piece of Web content.
Another great way to optimize is via social media. You should make a point of adding relevant keywords (the kind that customers already use to find your website) to your social media posts. Cross-promote with SEO in mind by adding the right keywords to YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or whichever of these social media platforms you use in order to attract new customers (and retain the loyalty of the customers that you already have).
Also, bilding backlinks will help you to rank highly in search engine results. Backlinks are something that search engines look for in order to establish the popularity and importance of websites. It’s possible to build backlinks by leaving comments at message boards (be careful when doing this – your comments should be relevant, or you will risk being labelled as a spammer) and writing guest blog posts which include links back to your website.
To boost local SEO, you should be sure that your HVAC Company is listed via Google My Business, if it isn’t already. As well, you’ll benefit from utilizing Google posts within your account for Google My Business.
For local SEO, focus on making sure that your business listings online have accurate information, great photos and all of the right features. There are plenty of good tips out there online about how to optimize these sorts of listings. Use them all in order to drive more local business to your website.
Pay-per-click Campaigns Tend To Pay Off
Another great way to attract the attention of people who may want to purchase your HVAC services is to participate in a PPC campaign. PPC stands for pay-per-click and it’s a Web marketing strategy that positively impacts search engine rankings, as well as the bottom line of any type of company.
Google AdWords is a smart choice. When you choose Google AdWords for PPC, you’ll pay each time that someone who’s using the Google search engine sees one of your ads, but only if the person who sees the ad clicks on it! You will pay for clicks and this means that PPC campaigns are forms of paid traffic. Since most people who want to find HVAC companies use Google in order to hunt them down, Google AdWords is the most natural choice for HVAC Company PPC.
Bing is also a great choice. It’s not as competitive as Google AdWords and its cost-per-click is typically less. Bing Ads PPC runs on the same type of auction business model as Google AdWords. This means that HVAC company owners are able to access plenty of advantages due to Bing’s lower rate of competition. For example, with Bing, you may access ad positions which are better than what you’d get with AdWords, as well as saving money on the cost of clicks. Bing is growing. Choose it on its own or do PPC campaigns at Google AdWords and Bing.
We do think Google should be your first choice. Your budget and preferences should dictate whether or not it’s your only choice for PPC.
Pros and Cons of Buying Leads
A lot of HVAC companies decide to generate new business by buying leads from big platforms. The most popular platform for buying leads is Porch.com. To help you understand whether or not this lead generation strategy makes sense for your business, we’d like to discuss the pros and cons…
If you do decide to buy leads from Porch.com, you’ll be choosing the most popular source for HVAC leads on the The team at Porch.com look for consumers and pre-qualify consumers who are preparing to move, by grabbing traffic from many other sites.
Since Porch.com provides leads who are right in the HVAC niche, they do offer benefits to HVAC companies. Porch.com offers a pay-per-lead program. When you choose this platform, you’ll pay only for qualified leads from people who are interested in HVAC services.
Is there a downside to Porch.com’s lead generation program or other, similar programs? Well, there’s usually a downside to almost everything, so yes, there is…
In terms of “cons”, you may not be the only person who has the lead that you bought. This means that a range of competitors may also be trying to make contact with these leads. This may diminish your chances of turning a purchased sales lead into a paying customer. As well, you may overpay for your leads. They may not be as valuable as the value that you paid for them.
Lastly, leads may be a bit out of date. For example, you may buy a lead and discover that the lead has already chosen an HVAC provider as they needed to make a quick decision. This is why a lot of HVAC company owners prefer to generate leads organically, through their own Web marketing.
How to Generate Leads Organically
If you want to generate leads organically, without paying for traffic (or to augment paid traffic initiatives), you’ll find that using vans as billboards is a smart strategy. This type of lead generation is known as out-of-home advertising and it’s very effective. Wrap your own services vans in decals in order to turn them into moving (or parked) ads for your business. Also, make sure that your HVAC technicians have your company logo on their uniforms and/or hats. Branding is important and getting your brand name out there, on your vans and staff uniforms, will help you to generate leads in an organic way.
There are other ways to get leads locally, including participating in local charity drives or sponsoring charities.
Most of lead generation which is organic happens online. Positioning yourself as an Internet expert will be helpful. For example, consider writing articles which free HVAC advice or help them to choose the right HVAC Company. Avoid direct selling and any hard-sell. Provide helpful information and then post the articles to your blog or other online locations. Make sure that a link to your website is added at the end of the articles. This no-sell approach will show off your HVAC expertise. It will help you to build trust and rapport with people who want information about HVAC related services. It’s a great way to generate leads organically.
Try Our Lead Generation Tips Today
Now that you know more about the most effective lead generation strategies for HVAC Companies, why not test them out today? All of them are helpful and some HVAC company owners use every strategy that we’ve discussed today in order to drive new business to their companies. Other rely on just some of these marketing techniques. We’ve included strategies that cost money and strategies which require nothing more than effort. Hopefully, we’ve added lead generation tips which are perfect for your company.
About the author:
Matthew Woodley is the founder of Woodley Digital Marketing which provides bespoke digital marketing and lead generation services to clients around the world. You can follow him on Twitter.
