Your HVAC business is doing ok, but you have some slack time, and you're wondering the best way to get HVAC leads to fill the gap. You need to generate more business to fill those empty slots in your schedule. Maybe you have expanded enough to need to hire another technician, but you are just a bit shy of the number of jobs to make it financially possible. What you need are more leads.
Lead Generation in any business, not just the commercial HVAC or residential HVAC business, is crucial to keeping the job schedule full. The problem is finding well-qualified leads. Bad leads are not a plus. They can be a hit on your bottom line if you are chasing leads that don’t produce jobs. The goal is to generate qualified leads whether you are doing commercial HVAC or residential HVAC.
The truth is, generating qualified HVAC leads can be accomplished in several ways. Some involve a financial commitment, while others return free HVAC leads if you don’t count a little time and effort.
Years ago, when any business wanted new leads, there were some standard practices. Anyone in business that didn’t have a yellow page ad in the phone book was missing a big opportunity. Advertising in the local newspaper was a sure way to generate new leads. Direct mail campaigns were an option. Things have changed radically, and these old standby means of generating qualified leads are fading away.
Lead generation in the 21st century is a new ballgame, and it requires an understanding of where people go to find the services they need or want. Very few people even read a print newspaper anymore. Thumbing through the phone book and picking an HVAC company based on the ad is a dead issue. Even television and radio advertising is less effective these days.
By and large, when people need someone to service their HVAC system, whether it be commercial or residential, they turn to their smartphone or laptop computer to give them the answer. Learning and understanding how to use the internet to your advantage as a source of HVAC leads is the number one way to generate qualified commercial HVAC leads, and residential HVAC leads without investing thousands of dollars in advertising.
Let’s face it. Your goal is to make more money. The way to make more money is to do more jobs. Doing more jobs means generating more qualified commercial and residential HVAC leads. In this new age of digital connectivity, you need to leverage the internet to your advantage. Focusing on a few critical concepts can put qualified HVAC leads on your list quickly and economically. The key is how to generate more HVAC leads.
A well-designed and SEO-optimized website is the first place to start. People go to the internet, not just to look for an HVAC contractor when they have a problem. They also are looking for answers and information. Your website should:
There are resources everywhere that will redesign or create a website for your business that is optimized to generate the most leads and keep your business at the top of the search engines list. These design services aren’t expensive. The small amount you put into a well-crafted website will soon pay for itself in qualified commercial and residential HVAC leads for your business.
More and more people are getting their news and their information from social media websites. The paradigm shift from traditional sources of information to the medium of social media has made a massive impact on how people stay abreast of the latest news and how they find the services and products they want.
The list of social media sites is unbelievably long. You don’t need to try to cover all of them. Concentrate on the top four or five. The most popular social media sites in the US are:
If you aren’t actively using social media to promote your business, you are missing one of the fastest-growing opportunities in online marketing. Many industry experts agree that social media generates more sales leads than any other source.
If you don’t have time to post to social media sites regularly, some companies will manage your business's social media content and activity. These services are not expensive, and they understand the ins and outs of getting the most from your social media presence.
Another option for the best way to get HVAC leads and to increase the leads you have coming into your HVAC business is to utilize pay-per-clock services. Many search engine sites and social media sites have services that will allow you to advertise in a prominent place on their website. Many will allow you to target who sees your ad by region or other ways that utilize the sophisticated data-gathering facilities these sites have developed.
The beauty of the pay-per-click model is the fee system. Charges only happen when someone clicks on your ad to get more information, visit your website, or contact you directly. You are, in effect, only paying for the leads, not the advertising space or time.
The most effective pay-per-click sites for most small business owners are
Navigating the world of pay-per-click advertising can be daunting. Each platform has its own rules and methods. Contractors who specialize in managing pay-per-click advertising are easy to find, and their services can be invaluable in turning online pay-per-click ads into qualified leads.
Everyone in your community has HVAC needs. Businesses need your HVAC commercial services, and homeowners need your residential HVAC expertise. One of the best ways to generate leads is to be in your community. Putting your name out into your community gets you on a first-name basis with the very people who are looking for HVAC service, and they are all among the potential best way to get HVAC leads.
Being active in your community means being seen and recognized. Some easy ways to accomplish this are:
What is the first impression that your potential HVAC leads see as your drive around your community, going from job to job? Take a moment and stop to think about the impact you are leaving on the best way to get HVAC leads. Ask yourself some questions.
A search on the internet for how to generate HVAC leads will yield hundreds of links to companies that offer the best way to get HVAC leads marketing for your business. Some are legitimate businesses that can do what they advertise. Take great care before signing any contract or agreement for HVAC lead generation.
There are advantages and disadvantages to employing a lead generation service. Some benefits are:
There are some downsides to contracting with an agency for managing your online lead generation.
The bottom line of hiring a lead generation service for your HVAC business is the return you get for your dollar spent. The range of the expenses for lead generation service is wide. The trick is to get the most bang for your buck. There are some things to consider before you engage in the services of a lead generation company.
Leads come in three varieties
Typically, reputable lead generation companies price in two ways
Buying HVAC leads is a way to jump-start your sales for your commercial or residential HVAC company. If you are willing to pay the price, you can get well-qualified leads who are looking to purchase your services and quickly become paying jobs. You must be careful that the price you pay for these leads is adequately offset by the profit they generate.
In our opinion, the best way to get HVAC leads is to take the long-range approach and build your lead generation system. The tools and resources are available on the internet and in your community. Such a system can become a lead-generating machine that, once established and fine-tuned, works for you in the background all the time generating commercial and residential contractor leads like a machine.
