Is it easy to market a HVAC?
First of all, HVAC, which stands for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, is a necessity in every home. If an HVAC system goes awry, then someone needs to come in and fix the problem. It might be with the furnace, it could be a leak in one of the air ducts, or the air conditioner might not be working right. These are issues that a regular, untrained person cannot fix. The professionals need to be called in.
People who have an issue with one of these systems tend to call either the first few companies that pop up in search engine results, go off of recommendations from family and friends, or call up a business with a memorable name or marketing plan. This is why you need to put these marketing plans into place – so that you get plenty of business.
Starting With the Basics For Marketing Your HVAC
Before you can go out and start finding clients, you need to set up some basic things, including a company name, a logo, and a slogan. All three of these reflect who your company is and what it does. (Of course, this is assuming that your business already has an office space, employees, and equipment.
If you don’t have those things, then start there instead.) Many HVAC companies just use the owner’s name and toss the words “HVAC” at the end. This is an option. Another is getting a little creative and come up with some clever word plays based on heating, cooling, and ductwork. You could also name your company after the city or neighborhood that it’s located in, or veer off in another direction and use the street name that your office is located on. The key here is that the name is memorable.
Once you have the name in place, the tradesman logo and slogan are next. These two things go hand in hand. Your air con logo defines what your company does, so consider using small representations of furnaces and air conditioners. You also can’t go wrong with basic colors, like the patriotic red, white and blue. Think serious, not overly cartoony, since you want people to take your company seriously. The slogan should also be memorable, so follow the cues set forth by the logo itself.
Online Marketing Efforts For Your HVAC
Online marketing is very important these days. Many people never reach for a phone book, but they will go to a search engine when they need to find a business to do some HVAC maintenance or repairs. You should learn to properly market your business online so that it prominently shows up in the search ads. This is done with a well-designed, informative website, as well as a blog. You can also place ads online – Facebook and Google are good places to start – but without a solid website, then your efforts will be for nothing. A good website consists of several pages that are linked together.
You need to have your business’ contact information on one of them. A “contact us” form is helpful as well. On top of this, you should have some details about exactly what is it that your company does. Yes, you repair HVAC systems, but many people don’t quite understand what that means. This is why you need to have a page or two set up to define exactly what you do.
Get your name and logo on a good website
It goes almost without saying that your logo and slogan should be prominently located on your website. A blog is another important marketing opportunity. Blog articles can improve your search engine results and will help you rise in the page results. Most people don’t scroll past the first few entries on the first page of results, which is why this is so very important.
A blog can also help you define what it is that your company does and teach people about the need for HVAC maintenance.
Offline Marketing Tips
Marketing doesn’t just take place online. There are plenty of offline options, ranging from yard signs that show the neighborhood who just worked on a house to simple fliers and business cards. All of these things should have your business logo prominently displayed on them. If the slogan will fit, then place it on there as well. However, don’t feel like you need to compress your logo just to squeeze on the slogan. The company name and phone number matter more. Your business cards should have the company address and phone number on them, and the same is true of any fliers that you’ll be handing out.
Get recommendations for your HVAC company !
You also need to focus on getting business through recommendations from existing clients. When someone’s furnace goes out, they often ask their neighbors, friends, and family for a recommendation. You should consider putting a referral program in place that awards existing clients with a discount or bonus of some kind for sending business your way.
A 10% discount on their next basic maintenance service, a gift card to a local restaurant, or even a small amount of cash – $20 or so – will go a long way towards getting your company more business. You also need to sign up for local organizations. These small business associations often will spread the word about their fellow members and you might even find some clients within the association as well. After all, many companies – and their owners – have HVAC systems!
Conclusion
However, running a successful HVAC company is about more than just marketing – it’s also about getting the job done right and standing by your work. Once you have gained customers, you need to keep them. The only way to do this is by hiring well-trained employees who are able to repair most issues – and know how to consult with someone else if they can’t. Word of mouth is still the best way to gain new clients, and people will recommend your business if the job is done right the first time and at a reasonable rate. Otherwise, all of the marketing efforts in the world won’t be able to help.