HVAC funnels have been around for decades, but only recently have they been popularized and marketed as a distinct yet untapped process to increase sales and conversions for local businesses.
Businesses have always used funnels to acquire customers. In the digital age, using SEO, PPC, AI optimization, and social media to generate and nurture leads is commonplace. Still, modern marketers promote the funneling process as a new-age tactic.
Key Takeaway
Think about funneling through the lens of your sales process. A sales funnel is one of the most critical tools for the success of your HVAC business. While you might not define your process as a sales funnel, you still utilize a sequence of events that moves your prospects from a lead to a customer.
If you haven’t considered the specifics of your HVAC funnel, it’s not too late. The following guide outlines essential tips for cultivating a sales funnel, along with best practices for HVAC companies.
Understanding HVAC Sales Funnels
A sales funnel moves leads through the process of becoming a paying customer. The journey includes:
- Brand Awareness (when the lead first becomes aware of your company or services)
- Consideration (when the lead is considering hiring you for your services)
- Conversion (when the lead becomes a paying customer)
- Post-Consumer Actions (when the customer becomes a repeat customer or refers your business to friends and family)
Specific information and marketing tactics should be utilized at each stage, which we will cover in the following section.
Funnel Stages for HVAC Companies
HVAC funnels consist of four primary stages. As leads progress through each step, they are more likely to become a quality customer.
However, how well your funnel works depends on the specific tactics you employ within each stage. Below, HVAC Webmasters outlines the keys to each phase.
Stage I: Brand Awareness
The first stage (brand awareness) is often the most challenging – especially for small businesses trying to gain a foothold in their local market.
Here is what your marketing efforts will look like in the first stage of the sales funnel:
- SEO: Implementing HVAC SEO helps your website appear in search results to people who search for services online.
- PPC Ads: PPC ads will be displayed to people who perform relevant searches or go to certain websites related to your HVAC field.
- External Links: External links are important because they will direct more people to your website, increasing brand awareness.
Phase II: Consideration Stage
Again, the top of the funnel is about making as many people as possible aware of your business or services. The next is the consideration stage, which may involve things like:
- Content Marketing: Blog posts that inform the lead on a specific issue or convince them to use a particular service.
- Social Media Posts: Once the consumer is aware of your services, it helps to engage them on social media and remind them that you are a viable option.
- White Papers: White papers are educational documents that can help a consumer considering paying for an HVAC service but may not know enough about it yet to make a sound decision.
Phase III: Conversion Stage
The consideration phase is comparable to a cell phone store. You have already entered the store, which is the top of the funnel (brand awareness).
Once you are in the store, salespeople may approach you to discuss your needs or ask if you have any questions, thereby encouraging your consideration.
Your content marketing, social media posts, and resources you offer your customers play the role of salespeople in a cell phone store, but in digital form.
Next up is conversion. The lead is already warmed up at the conversion stage, but may need one final burst of motivation to close the sale. The conversion stage of the funnel could be helped by:
- Landing Pages: Persuasive landing pages attached to PPC ads will encourage users to click through to your site and complete the sale.
- Calls to Action: A strong, written call to action will clearly inform the consumer how to proceed to the next stage and complete the sale.
- Customer Testimonials: Using positive testimonials from past customers at the conversion stage can be beneficial. These can be displayed on your site’s appointment scheduling pages or check-out pages to provide an extra push.
Phase IV: Post-Consumer Stage
Next is the post-consumer stage, where it is constructive to continue engaging customers. Tools you can use at this stage include:
- Email Marketing: Once a sale is closed, you will likely have the customers’ email contact info. Be sure to contact them about relevant promotions and deals based on their past purchasing activity with your business.
- Customer Relationship Management Software (CRM software): can make managing and nurturing relationships with existing customers much more manageable.
- Loyalty Rewards Programs: include special discounts for yourself or anyone the customer refers to in your HVAC business (and completes a sale).
Final Thoughts on HVAC Funnels
The critical question is: Are you getting the most out of your HVAC funnels or just letting them do their thing? If your answer is more akin to the latter, now is the time to act.
A cultivated sales funnel can increase your business’s growth rate. It can convert visitors who leave your site into paying customers.
It can help you turn more leads into conversions. It can optimize your HVAC marketing efforts and so much more.
From the moment the customer becomes aware of your business or service, they should be attended to in ways that increase the likelihood of them becoming a paying customer.
As they progress through the various stages, they are given more reasons to choose your services over those of a competitor.
That process does not end when they pay for your services. Instead, it continues as they refer you to their friends and family or return to you for their own HVAC needs. In each case, they have moved through your sales funnel.
