Category Archives: Internet Marketing

If you’re looking for HVAC promotional ideas, this post is for you.

It can be hard to get the consumers’ attention, primarily if you operate in a crowded regional market. Nevertheless, you should consider these HVAC online promotions whether or not you have exhausted other lead generation avenues.

Promoting your business is a great way to increase brand awareness and generate leads. The best promotional tactics are subtle and prevent consumers from feeling sales pressure. The goal is to make it seem like you’re not advertising since most modern consumers don’t trust ads.

Below, HVAC Webmasters outlines five ideas to promote your AC company.

1) Reach Out to Local Radio Stations

Did you know that 92% of American adults still listen to the radio? While the medium seems antiquated with the emergence of podcasts and digital streaming, your audience regularly tunes into their local radio stations.

One great promotional idea is to contact your local radio station and team up with them for a giveaway. Then, of course, you would sponsor the prize, which can range from a free AC or discounts on certain HVAC services. One of the giveaways we heard about was the radio station weather report. 

A sweepstakes entrant would be drawn to receive the prize if the weatherman was off on the daily high temperature by more than 3 degrees. Of course, the prize will depend on what you can reasonably put up without hurting your bottom line. Still, this is a great way to promote brand awareness and get sweepstake entrants to opt-in to email lists. 

2) Facebook Giveaways

Every heating and cooling company should have a Facebook Business Page to promote their company. As the top social media platform, Facebook provides many opportunities for HVAC promotions in 2023.

The time is now to utilize that community and grow it with a promotional giveaway for established pages. Start by creating an announcement post to the effect that you will be giving away a free service (the actual service is up to your discretion) for people who sign up with their email, phone number, or who follow your page.

Only one person can win the giveaway, so when all is said and done, you will likely have a slew of leads interested enough in one of your services to enter their information in a giveaway for it. Another great thing about this idea is that it is relatively easy to set up independently without needing a 3rd party to get involved. 

3) Guest Blogging

If you have colleagues in the business, ask if you can contribute a guest post to their website. You can drive referral traffic from their website to yours if you provide valuable content. 

Guest posts also help with link building, as your website’s inbound links count as an endorsement. But, of course, it depends on the website’s authority to which you contribute. Remember that nefarious guest posting (doing it only for the link) violates Google guidelines.

A white-hat guest post involves a genuine relationship where one contributor provides valuable and topical content on another’s site. For example, you can contribute a worthwhile post if you know HVAC suppliers, other contractors, or even people in similar industries.

4) Photo Contests

Photo contests help promote HVAC services and are compatible with various media platforms. One excellent photo contest example was the Ugly Furnace Contest. Entrants sent in a picture of their old, ugly furnace (including contact information) for a chance to win a new furnace. 

You can partner with local print media outlets like local newsletters, newspapers, and even advertisers in your area. You can also launch the promotion on your own online. 

You can promote the contest on your homepage if you have consistent monthly web traffic. You can also promote your competition on your social media outlets like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. 

Contests are a fun way to get people involved in your brand, and of course, they will identify a slew of new leads primed for furnace replacement or maintenance. 

Of course, you can change the details. If AC service is more lucrative in your area, by all means, turn it into an Ugly AC Contest.

5) Facebook Quizzes

Everyone loves a good quiz now and then, especially when a prize is on the line. So once again, we are turning to Facebook because it is straightforward to set up and run a quiz on the platform and tap into your existing community. 

There are even apps you can use to create Facebook quizzes ridiculously easily. Of course, you will put up a prize in this scenario, but the ROI will likely be significant.

A quiz won’t cost you anything and won’t take more than a few minutes. Plus, you have the opportunity to drive engagement and grow your social media community which is always good for business. 

Bonus Idea: Promote Your HVAC Company on Google

The most efficient form of HVAC promotion is search engine optimization. Ranking your website and Google Business Profile on organic search results creates a sustainable stream of high-quality leads. In addition, unlike other time-sensitive promos, an organic search presence is everpresent.

The best way to increase rankings is to invest in Local SEO for HVAC Contractors. Many consumers click on the Google Map 3-Pack when searching for a local AC company. Various factors like proximity, prominence, and relevance come into the algorithm’s consideration.

HVAC Webmasters offers a tool called DataPins to help you rank locally and convert more traffic. DataPins allow HVAC companies to drop the location of their jobs and then inject the geo-coordinates with schema markup, serving as a digital hand-raise to Google Maps.

We hope you enjoyed the list. Keep in mind that there are never enough HVAC promotional ideas

What is a Call to Action for HVAC?

For HVAC companies, a CTA is an online device that prompts or encourages users to take action. The most common HVAC calls to action are phone number links or push-to-call buttons. A website visitor who clicks a phone number link converts from traffic to lead instantaneously.

HVAC CTA Tips for 2023

Strong CTAs are clear and concise. Users respond to urgent calls and don’t have time to read through a bunch of filler. Getting right to the point encourages user action while discouraging overthinking. Remember, in 2023; consumers won’t tolerate BS. The goal is to direct them to buy your HVAC services on the spot. 

Tip #1: Invoke Enthusiasm

Some words inspire users to take action, while others bore them into inaction. Understanding language is key to crafting the perfect CTA for your heating and cooling website or advertisement. For example, “save 60% on your first service” inspires consumers immediately. Conversely, “get in touch with our sales rep” only leaves them wanting more.

Tip #2: Create Urgency

Prospects often will wait to make a final decision so that they can compare your prices to competitors and seek out 3rd party opinions. Of course, creating an excellent online reputation can make those actions lead right back to your website. But creating urgency with your CTA ensures they’ll never leave in the first place. For example, putting a time limit on your special offer encourages them to take immediate action.

Tip #3: Make CTAs Responsive

Some users may access your HVAC website through their smartphones or tablets. And some still will use their desktop computer or laptop. A compelling CTA must appear ideally on each device type, and responsive design makes it happen. Losing even one of those devices can reduce your conversions enough to blow your revenue significantly.

Tip #4: Enhance CTAs with Social Proof

Most users won’t click on a CTA without some social proof. It helps to use statistics or numbers to prove your company’s worth. For example, showing that 99% of clients become repeat customers fosters credibility. You can also use pricing comparisons showing that your services save customers an average of 35 dollars per job.

Tip #5: Click to Call Functionality

Smartphones represent the top device for potential clients. Creating a linked CTA that connects the user to your phone line is one way to streamline the sales process. For example, a giant button in your website’s header, reading: Call Now, can connect from their phone to your phone in just seconds. Yes, technology can do some pretty amazing things.

Call To Action Examples

HVAC companies can publish a wide range of CTA types. For example, you might prefer that customers email you or submit a contact form. Other contractors may want direct phone calls to their office line. Either way, you can craft your call to action to fit your company’s needs and preferences. Let’s look at some HVAC call-to-action examples to create inspiration for your next venture.

Phone Number Link

The phone number link is straight to the point. Typically a phone link gets accompanied by a line of text, which creates either trust or urgency. The linked number is self-explanatory for users and frequently leads to increased call volume for local HVACR companies.

Request a Quote

Requesting a quote is an ideal CTA for contractors who prefer the form submission. You can get some basic information about your prospect before speaking with them over the phone. This way, you have more knowledge and can provide them with a personalized sales pitch, almost certainly to convert them.

Request a Call

Like the request for a quote, requesting a call allows users to leave their phone number for a later callback. Some heating and cooling companies prefer to schedule the best call times instead of taking calls 24/7. Depending on staff size, the request for a call CTA could be highly beneficial and increase company efficiency.

Contact Us

The Contact Us form is the most traditional call to action. Of course, its effectiveness often predicates on the rest of your website. Is your homepage telling a story? Does it encourage trust and authority for future clients? If both of those things ring true, then the contact us form works wonders. However, keep in mind that the contact us form becomes relatively useless without a strong homepage. 

Review Us

Not all calls to action must encourage direct contact. Sometimes you need CTAs for existing clients to perform other actions. An excellent example of this is the Review Us call to action. Generating Google reviews is vital to your reputation and can help increase conversion rates across the web. Placing a review CTA on your website’s homepage encourages good things for your authority.

Savings / Discounts

Consumers often associate action with money. If they can save money, they are more willing to take action. Savings or discount-style CTAs are effective in encouraging swift action from future clients. You can design a variety of savings CTAs as long as each of them shows customers how they’ll save money by using your service.

Working With HVAC Webmasters 

Installing CTAs on your website requires web design experience and other technical skills. HVAC Webmasters can help your company project the best version of itself to future clients. We’ve worked with hundreds of HVAC contractors in assisting them in generating high-quality HVAC leads over the past decade. Some of our services include:

DataPins: We include a reputation management tool that enhances social proof for stronger CTAs.

Responsive Design: We ensure your CTAs show up effectively across all devices.

Website Redesign: We take existing websites and improve user experience and visual appeal

Click-To-Call: We implement click-to-call functionality for phone number links

HVAC companies can’t do everything on their own. Partnering with an industry-specific marketing agency like HVAC Webmasters can empower you to focus on performing the best services. We help you get more customers through your website, organic search, and reputation management. We even help you automate the local SEO process through Jobsite check-ins and user-generated content for your specific web pages. 

Do you have access to a modern smartphone or camera? Are you managing your website on your own, or is it the job of your marketing company? Answering these questions will inform you how on how to get free photos. For now, check out these tips for generating free HVAC images for your company website:

Take Photos With a Smartphone or Camera

Websites with original content offer more value to the reader and are looked upon with higher regard by search engines. Many contractors mistakenly believe that content is text only when it expands to images, videos, and other forms of visual media. In any case, taking original photos creates original content, which is the best option for contractors. Take photos of the following:

• Company Vehicle: Capture your company truck, perhaps with a wrap, via a smartphone camera
• Employees: Have a staff of 2 or more? Take individual photos of them, as well as group pictures.
• Heating or Cooling Repairs: Have someone snap photos of you on the job
• Satisfied Customers: Ask a happy customer if they’ll pose for a picture with you

Generate Original Images Using AI

The AI revolution has sparked new ways to create free HVAC images in 2023. Tools like Midjourney and Stabble Diffusion present options for generating unique images related to the HVAC industry. However, you should be aware that the legality of AI-generated images remains relatively murky until we learn more.

Still, if you’re looking for a convenient method to generate AI-driven images, consider using Canva’s Text to Image app. You can use this tool for free when you sign up for a free Canva account. Of course, AI tools still have limitations, so avoid generating images with people in them. Instead, focus on equipment.

Download Stock Photos From The Internet

If you don’t have access to a smartphone or camera, downloading royalty-free stock photos from the internet is the next best option. While this is far from an ideal solution, since these photos are used on multiple websites, it is better than having no visual content at all. Websites like pixabay.com offer free stock photos. Another alternative is selecting “labeled for free-use” under “Tools — Usage Rights” on Google image search, which will produce usable files. Stock photos should be:

• Appealing: Appear realistic rather than humorous or fantastical
• Diverse: A variety of files, never used more than once on your website
• Relevant: Relate to the HVAC industry and the page topic specifically
• Web-Ready: In an optimal file format

Optimize Your Photos For Web Use

Whether you take original photos or download stock images online, you’ll need to optimize them for web use. With images captured via smartphone, you can use Dropbox or email to upload the files to the internet, at which point you can access them on your computer and make the necessary changes.

Modern cameras usually come with a USB cord to upload photos onto your PC or Mac, while stock images downloaded from the internet are already on your hard drive. Once you have the files on your computer, follow these steps:

1. Step 1 – Compression: Compress images with tools like Optimizilla or JPEG Optimizer
2. Step 2 – File Name: Make a copy of your image file and rename it with lowercase letters (i.e., ac-repair-job.jpg)
3. Step 3 – File Type: Save your image as a JPEG, JPG, or PNG file
4. Step 4 – Upload: Using a content management system like WordPress, upload the photo to your library
5. Step 5 – SEO: After placing the image on your page, enter relevant ALT Text for SEO purposes

Help With HVAC Images Optimization

HVAC Webmasters can help you through the process. We offer photo optimization for HVAC companies as part of our website design services. First, we’ll fill your website with relevant images, either from your archive of original company photos or with relevant stock photos downloaded from the web. Then, we optimize each of your photographs for SEO purposes and keep your website running as fast as possible.

Competing for HVAC leads in today’s market can be overwhelming. Websites constantly try to outdo one another with the latest trends or techniques. Invest in SEO services from HVAC Webmasters for a process you can trust. In addition, we offer several month-to-month (MTM) plans, giving contractors their choice of payment options. With MTM, you pay a fixed price at the end of each month and avoid long-term contracts.

For many heating and cooling companies, the new year means launching a new website. While you can develop aspects of your website over time, one decision you will be stuck with is your HVAC domain names. You might think this decision is simple, but rushing into a domain name registration without considering all of your objectives can be a costly decision. That’s why HVAC Webmasters presents this guide to picking an HVAC domain name. 

Branding

Your domain name is a direct reflection of your company’s brand. In today’s vast digital marketing world, having a poorly branded domain name can mean the downfall of your entire business. Therefore, in choosing a branded domain name, ensure that it is:

• Concise: You want a name that users can easily pronounce and read on your business card and other marketing materials
• Memorable: You want your name to jump off the business card, website, or social profile so that people can recall it later
• Relevant: You’d like to get heating, cooling, HVAC, or a similar industry term in the name

Remember, your domain name will travel with your business everywhere it goes. You may even go as far as investing in a car wrap with your domain name printed right on your truck. It won’t make any difference if the domain fails to exhibit any of the above qualities. With that said, a well-thought-out domain name can catch the eye of prospective customers.

Source: https://instantdomainsearch.com/

Domain Suffix

A domain suffix, sometimes referred to as a top-level domain (TLD), follows your domain name after the period. In other words, the .com, .net, and .org you see on websites are domain suffixes. In almost every case, you’ll want to choose a .com suffix for the following reasons:

• Innovation: If your .com choice is already taken, choose a more creative domain name instead of changing the suffix
• Recollection: Because .com is most common, if you tell a customer that your website is .net, they might forget later on and type a .com, bringing them to a different website
• Reputation: The internet has its fair share of spammy, shady websites, and many of them don’t use a .com suffix, which can be an indicator of a risky site

You may note that particular government and non-profit institutions use .org or .edu, but these suffixes are only available with proof of validation. Domain registrars regularly release new suffix variations, such as .tv or .club, but none will provide the immediate authority ascribed to .com.

Keyword Placement

Keywords can complicate the domain registration process. Many companies mistakenly believe that using manipulative keywords as their domain name can drive tons of traffic to their site. Google warns against exact-match domain names and can penalize your site for using one. See below:

• Exact Match Domain Name: cheapHVACinTX.net
• Relevant Keyword Domain Name: SmithBrosAC.com

As you’ll see in the first example, using the word cheap can be exploitative, especially if your services are not considerably more affordable than others in the area. Furthermore, the keyword cheap and the suffix .net make your website look spammy and thus unreliable. The second example shows how using a relevant HVAC keyword combined with your brand name creates a memorable option.