Thanks to the internet, everyone’s a critic nowadays. No, seriously. Siskel and Ebert are a thing of the past. Today, we have movie review sites, like Rotten Tomatoes, Fandango, Metacritic, etc.
I’ll admit, I’m an avid Google user. I use Google search for just about everything — when I need to figure out a song lyric; look up a movie; find local restaurants; get directions; and especially when I need a witty, wise-guy meme or GIF to respond to my boss’s email.
Numerous websites, including Yelp, Angie’s List, Google Reviews, Facebook, Houzz, etc., host consumer reviews on everything from local restaurants, recipes, dog groomers, and, yes, HVACR contractors.
I have been an active member of the Better Business Bureau (BBB) here in St. Louis for more than 30 years. Through that time, I have learned some interesting things I’d like to share, which I believe will be worthwhile to contractors.
Over time you have done a great job of keeping up with an ever-changing industry. How often have you considered advancing your business? Fortunately, there are some steps you can take today to take your HVAC business to the next level and increase your market share.
One thing I constantly see overlooked or undervalued in our industry is reputation management. Many times I see a contractor get a negative review online and it just sits there.
The connectivity of the Internet has made owning a small business easier while presenting a new and challenging set of problems. Keeping your online information up-to-date, maximizing your local search engine optimization (SEO) potential, and managing reviews are all basics of owning a business.