Acquiring leads as an HVAC business owner is essentially playing the word-of-mouth game. Once you get a new HVAC lead that becomes a customer, you improve your chances of booking more work. With word-of-mouth trickling down with the right lead generation strategies, there’s opportunity to turn hundreds of strangers into potential customers. So, what are the best ways to get leads as an HVAC business owner? A combination of digital marketing, traditional advertising, and good old word-of-mouth.
Make Online Booking Easy
It’s key to begin by adding an online work request form to your HVAC website — this allows casual visitors to stick around and turn into leads. Customers should be able to request or inquire about new work on their own time through the website, without having to call or email. Added bonus: The information they submit makes it easy to create an estimate before even connecting with the customer.
Here's what will make an online request form most successful:
- Make your unique selling point clear on the homepage. That can include competitive pricing, lightning-fast emergency services, or showcasing years of experience.
- Add a booking button with an eye-catching color to the very top of your homepage (and on every page) with action-oriented messaging like “Book Now” or “Get a Free Estimate.”
- Keep the form short and succinct by only asking the need-to-know questions.
Enhance Online Listings
The math is simple: The more places your business is listed online, the more leads you’ll get. Creating online listings for HVAC companies is crucial and can be done through many different sites. Utilize Google Business, Bing Places, and Yelp for Business to build business profiles and collect reviews from customers, make it easy to contact, and even run targeted ads.
Pro tip: Use WhiteSpark or BrightLocal to find more online directories where you can list your HVAC company.
Good customer feedback through these sites will have a worthwhile impact on garnering leads and building trust with potential returning customers. Always check in with customers after the job is done and share with them a Google, Bing, or Yelp link that lets them leave a review.
Invest in SEO
Optimize your website, business listings, and social media profiles by using search engine optimization (SEO) tactics for business owners. Good SEO will allow you to appear higher in searches when customers look for HVAC providers in their service area. Start by identifying which search terms or keywords people search to find you, and use region-specific keywords. Always include those key words in page titles, meta descriptions, etc. (but don’t overuse them). Write some HVAC blogs and utilize the content on your website by creating helpful content that customers will find value in.
Additionally, don’t forget to add contact information on every website page — and keep design simple and easy. Don’t forget to ask reputable, high-quality websites (like local chamber of commerce or trades association) to list your site on theirs. Successful SEO is a nicely wrapped package of all of the above. It requires a lot of work.
SHH! You Can Buy HVAC Leads
Thumbtack, Angi, and HomeAdvisor are all lead generation websites that can easily help connect you with people already looking for HVAC services. These services get you leads that need an HVAC contractor immediately and are ready to book work. Many HVAC contractors start with Angi or HomeAdvisor, two popular lead generation sites that match you with residential and commercial HVAC leads in your area for a small fee per lead.
You can also run Google Local Service Ads that include contact info, operating hours, customer rating, etc. These ads appear in Google Searches above organic results and look like regular Google Ads, but it’s only for folks in your service area.
QR Codes are the Future
This step is easy and so worthwhile in creating new HVAC leads. All you have to do is use a QR code generator to create a scannable code that takes leads directly to your company’s work request form or contact page form on your website. This QR code should be everywhere: business cards, email signature, flyers, door hangers, brochures, vehicle wraps/decals. The more eyes on that QR code, the more eyes on your website.
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Feedback
The best spokespeople for a business are the happy customers already using your services. Consider creating a simple customer referral program that rewards customers for helping spread the word about your business.
Start by creating a standard follow-up email for customers asking if they are happy with the work. At the end of the email, offer your customer a reward for referring your services. This can be a discount, gift card, donating to their favorite charity, etc. You can also build referral into the invoicing process. When you send an invoice with Jobber, your customer will see a button they can click to refer a friend. Jobber automatically prompts your clients to share a booking link with their friends and family, so you never miss an opportunity to get great leads.
Building a loyal customer base as an HVAC business leader is a tough process, but there are so many different ways to get your name out there, it’s important to knowing how to best play the word-of-mouth game. By combining digital advertising, word-of-mouth, and traditional advertising, you’re creating the perfect storm for booming your HVAC business.
