As an HVAC business owner, the need for a website is old news. You learned long ago that you needed to have a presence on the web to compete in today’s marketplace. With so many service providers out there fighting for attention, you’d be giving away an advantage to your competitors if you were invisible on the web.
With that said, your current website might not be leading to as many conversions as you would like. If you feel like your site is just taking up digital space and not adding dollars to your bottom line, we hope the tips below will help.
Tip #1 – Mobile-Friendly is Essential
This point is non-negotiable these days. More than half of your website traffic is likely to arrive on a mobile device, so having a website that does not cater to those visitors means that they are likely going to leave and go to your competitor’s website.
Why is it important to have a mobile-friendly site representing your business? Consider the following:
- Large images may take too long to load on a mobile device, leading visitors to quickly ‘bounce’ from your site
- A site layout that is too wide could leave out important information – like your phone number – off of the screen on a smartphone or tablet
- Your website should project a professional appearance, and that will not be the case if it doesn’t render correctly on mobile
Fortunately, creating a mobile-friendly website is relatively straightforward these days, so this is something you can execute right away. Work with your web designer or marketing company to make the necessary upgrades. Even if you make no other changes to your website or landing pages, making this adjustment alone should increase the effectiveness of your site.
Tip #2 – Words Matter
It takes a talented professional to provide customers with quality HVAC service. Not only does a technician need to be trained in the necessary skills, but he or she also needs some on-the-job experience to learn how to deal with problems and find solutions. If you own an HVAC business, you already understand the value of a competent and reliable technician.
What is just as hard is trying to relay that understanding of value to a new potential customer who is likely primarily just concerned with cost. With that in mind, think about the words that currently represent your business on your website. Were they written by an experienced professional writer, or just whoever happened to be in front of the keyboard? These words are your first impressions, so you shouldn’t take them for granted. With the right messaging, you can turn web visitors into actual leads for your business – while the wrong or vague messaging can turn those same people away.
So, do you have to hire a professional writer for the job? Not necessarily, but be sure to carefully review any content written in-house. Is the content going to clearly explain why you are the best HVAC company in the area for the job? If not, it might be better to invest in professional content from an experienced writer.
Tip #3 – Don’t Hide Your Number
What’s the best possible outcome when a potential customer lands on your website? That’s easy – they pick up the phone and give you a call. All you can ask from your website is to send you leads that you can then close by offering quality service at competitive prices. So, if you want people to call you after they find your site, make sure your phone number is impossible to miss.
There is nothing complicated about this point – put your number in a large font right at the top of the page. Visitors shouldn’t have to scroll to find your number, and they certainly shouldn’t have to look around for it. In addition to using a large font, also use a font color that will stand out against the background. This isn’t the time to be picky about your design aesthetic – just do whatever you need to do to make sure each visitor can easily locate your number.
Tip #4 – Let Customers Speak for You
Before the internet, word-of-mouth sales was the most powerful force for a business, but they had to happen organically. In other words, a previous customer needed to tell one of their friends or family members that they recommend your service. These days, you can use the words from your previous customers to encourage every single website visitor to give you a chance.
After each successfully completed project, request feedback from your customer. When you get glowing reviews, use those comments on your site to make it clear that you are able to offer an excellent service. No matter how much you talk about your qualifications, experience, etc., nothing goes quite as far toward converting a visitor to a lead like the experience of real customers.
Tip #5 – A Picture is Worth – Well, You Know
Adding images to a website is a great way to engage the visitor and grab their attention. But here’s the thing about pictures – low-quality images are going to reflect poorly on your business as a whole. If you can’t be bothered to put good pictures on your site, are you going to go the extra mile to offer an outstanding HVAC service? Every little thing counts, so take the time to source excellent images that vividly display what you can offer and the problems you can solve.
It’s important to remember that most of your website visitors don’t know you, so pictures of actual people on your staff will help bring a human element to the site. You are trying to build trust and make a connection, and that is more likely to happen when prospective customers see your technicians smiling faces featured all over the site.
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