HVAC Marketing On The Cheap | The HVAC Marketing Plan Podcast

The HVAC Marketing Plan

Almost every business begins with little to no funds for marketing. Even experienced companies can experience a dry season. Instead of batting down the hatches and doing nothing however, there are a few steps that could make all the difference in the coming years.

Today, Jason and Nolen discuss how to start up your online marketing plan even if you don’t have lots of funds. They’ll focus primarily on growing your search presence, which gradually creates a steady influx of HVAC leads for your business. If you’re operating on a tight budget, be sure to listen in!

HVAC Marketing Tips for Professionals

• Always begin by setting up your Google My Business account!
• Buy a cheap template site to start developing your online presence.
• Start asking for client reviews, and never stop!
• Register your domain as close to your name as possible. Avoid generics!

Low/No Budget Marketing

Let’s not waste time. There’s a best way to online search marketing, but sometimes a tight budget prevents people from choosing the best. That’s life. Thankfully, you don’t have to sit on your hands and hope that one day business will pick up enough to start getting online clients!

The following HVAC marketing plan focuses on free and extremely low cost solutions that will build a foundation for your brand. We need to be extremely clear: you (probably) will not notice huge results from the start. However, your business will be in a much better place six months from now if you faithfully follow this process.

Here we go!

Step #1: Get Listed in GMB

Google My Business (GMB) offers free listings to help your business get started in local search. These listings are essential if you want any sort of organic leads. According to a recent publication by Search Engine Journal and extensive research by Merkle, “Organic search produced 23% of all site visits in Q2 2019.” Without registering your company with GMB however, your company is unlikely to earn any leads from Google.

Steps for Registering Your GMB Account

1. 1. Go to google.com/business/ and get started.
2. 2. Submit your company name, location, and industry information.
3. 3. Set your service radius from your business address (or home).
4. 4. Submit your contact information.
5. 5. Choose a method to confirm your listing with Google, then confirm.

They May Not Optimize Well, But Cheap Templates are Better Than Nothing! Image From ThemeForest

Step #2: Build a Cheap Website

When it comes to website design, there’s a couple sweet spots for getting the biggest bang for your marketing budget (or lack thereof). On the low end of the spectrum, we’ve found that it’s usually better for startups to begin with a free template design, or something dirt cheap. There’s no illusion of fanciness or complicated optimization.

Many HVAC companies start experiencing problems when they move beyond the $100 threshold. You’d expect somewhat higher results and capabilities from a $300 website, but most companies who offer those design packages simply use a cheap template anyway. You might as well save the money and invest it in another part of your business.

Step #3: Register Your Domain

Your domain name (the address or URL) is one of the most important branding assets your company will ever claim. It must be protected at all costs, but most businesses don’t even know how to pick an effective name. There are a few basic rules to follow when it comes to picking and claiming your domain.

Aim for a very memorable and non-generic domain name!

Generic names are harder to rank for in search. Business listings with ultra-generic names (dallasheatingandcooling.com, for instance) may not even show up in search. It’s better for people to remember your name and laugh, than for them not to remember your name at all!

On an equally important note, make certain that the domain name is owned by your business, not a hosting company. You don’t want any complications with your host trying to sell the domain to another business. Believe us, it’s happened too many times!

Reviews Can Make or Break Your Reputation. Always Ask Happy Customers for Feedback!

Step #4: Ask for Reviews

Reviews could be considered the richest form of online currency, but they’re so much more. Client feedback is a testament to your team’s capabilities and your customer service. Unfortunately, most people forget to provide reviews, unless they’ve had a particularly bad experience.

That’s why you and your team must consistently ask your clients for reviews. Don’t wait either! Ask immediately after service has concluded. At the very latest, you might wish to wait a couple of days (say after an installation) to follow up and ask for reviews. This creates goodwill with the existing client, and trust with prospective consumers.

Google prefers for reviews to come from a variety of resources, so try to spread out the feedback between Google, Facebook, and other citations. By routinely asking happy clients for reviews, you’ll easily drown out any other sort of negative complaints from that odd customer.

Step #5: Review Your Progress

Once you gained some ground in local search, leads should start to come in at a much faster rate. That steady stream of business to your website means you’ll have better funds for future marketing ideas! You can even take some time to upgrade your website and strengthen your brand.

When that day comes, we hope you’ll partner with the HVAC Webmasters! Call us anytime at [phone] to learn more about our services and organic SEO.

Other Resources From HVAC Webmasters

Blogs and Podcasts
– 25 HVAC Marketing Strategies, Tips & Ideas for 2019 (Article)
– Should You Halt SEO During Slow Seasons? (Podcast)
– How to Be a Better Copycat in Website SEO (Article)

HVAC Marketing Services
– Online Citation Sources for HVAC Companies
– HVAC Website Design
– HVAC Local Search Marketing