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If you are serious about growing your HVAC business, here is the proven recipe that enabled one of Mitsubishi Electric’s most successful contractors to double his business twice in a period of under four years.
When we first met Mike Cappuccio, founder of Mitsubishi Elite Diamond Contractor, N.E.T.R., Inc. he was already committed to aggressive marketing of all kinds. He had been running a full page ad in the Sunday Boston Globe for years, had a 2013 vintage website, he was dropping direct mail pieces every season, was doing some paid search with Google AdWords, and was active on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
But like so many HVAC contractors, he wasn't exactly sure which parts of his marketing were working.
He knew there was another level to Internet marketing and he was looking for the right digital marketing partner to get him there.
I'll let Mike explain.
As I mentioned, NETR already had a diverse marketing spend across digital and traditional channels such as
...but he could not say which was most or least effective.
We were able to come up with systems to track how each marketing investment contributed - or did not - to the bottom line.
With the data we gathered, we were able to pinpoint the marketing efforts that were making the phone ring.
Now Mike has the flexibility to make more informed decisions about effectiveness based on measurable data.
This constant stream of actionable data allows Mike to experiment with new campaigns and know in a short period of time whether or not they are effective.
The most important thing you can do for your business today is to make sure you can measure the effectiveness of your marketing, no matter what tool you choose and no matter what your budget may be. Use tools in line with the size of your business, your budget for such things, and your growth objectives.
Once NETR started measuring everything with HubSpot and Google Analytics, it became clear that people wanted to know a handful of things before they were ready to talk or buy, and so our second core belief came right out of the data.
We already had the ductless buyer’s journey nailed down from our work with ECI Comfort, so our goal for NETR was to make their website content the very best and most relevant information about Mitsubishi Electric ductless mini-splits to Boston area homeowners of all types.
We know that elements like white space, beautiful images, video and simple calls to action buttons make it easier for people to find exactly what they are looking for in the shortest amount of clicks and time.
Multiple versions of Comfort Media Group's ductless marketing funnel customized for HVAC client websites
NETR’s website is an intuitive, guided tour of each of the bits of knowledge a ductless buyer needs to learn in order to identify ductless as a potential solution to their problem and in their price range.
But, no matter how much we educate about products and solutions and no matter what we say about ourselves, it’s what others say about us that really matters.
It’s not what we say we do, but what we actually do that matters, bringing us to our next core belief.
Click here for our best advice about your Website Content and UX .
When people are looking for a contractor, especially for a big job like HVAC, they want to know that you do good work and you are reliable.
When we met NETR, they had plenty of great online reviews, but they didn't have a way to take advantage of this positive word of mouth or manage their reviews online.
By helping NETR to consolidate their reviews and making it easier for customers to give a quick review, we helped NETR bring attention and velocity to the growth of their five star reviews.
In addition to reviews, we have found that one of the most powerful tools to drive business growth for NETR has been to tell the story of the great work they do through case studies.
When potential buyers searched for reviews about NETR, they found a lot of good ones; but between Yelp (to pay or not to pay?), Google Reviews and a proprietary review system that NETR was test driving, there was no strategy for getting the most out of these critical marketing assets.
By consolidating reviews through ReviewBuzz and connecting their usual request for a review with an automated email processes, NETR has been able to bring velocity to the growth of their five star reviews.
Reviews send buyers a message of trust and reliability that Angie’s List and the Better Business Bureau can’t match.
NETR, just like your company, does great work every day, helping customers solve problems and helping families stay comfortable.
But how do you show the value of your good work to the public?
We helped NETR showcase the great work they do every day by using case studies to demonstrate how Mitsubishi Electric mini-splits are a perfect solution for Boston-area homes plagued by no central air conditioning and increasingly hot and humid summers.
Case studies allow homeowners to see how other people, just like them, finally got the relief from the heat, or got that extra bit of heat that made their home comfortable year-round. They can see how neighbors in homes just like their own got their problem solved, and what it took to solve it.
Each case study helps every aspect of NETR's marketing, from creating 100% original, hyper-local website content that helps N.E.T.R. dominate local search, while providing relevant information for social social media and email marketing campaigns.
When someone comes to NETR's website looking for information on ductless, they find someone with a home just like theirs and homes in their neighborhood that have gotten similar comfort problems solved- complete with pictures of the install, so customers know what to expect.
These case studies benefit all aspects of NETR’s digital marketing strategy, from increased organic SEO to Social Media and email marketing. Case studies allow people to see themselves in NETR’s marketing every time they see a home comfort problem in a home like theirs.
Case studies particularly interest and attract buyers from the same neighborhoods who live in the same kinds of homes.
Think about that.
You can attract the types of jobs that fit your business best by showcasing those kinds of installations on your website in the form of case studies.
Now we had excellent website content serving all parts of the buyer’s journey, an excellent website user experience, and a wealth of social proof.
How can we most effectively use all these hard won and valuable assets to close more deals?
Click here to learn more about social proof and case studies.
You might be thinking - NETR is spending all this time educating a buyer- but how can they ensure when the homeowner is ready to buy, they don't wind up working with a competitor?
Using automated email marketing tools, we've developed a system that gives NETR an edge over the competition, by personalizing the buyer's journey and giving the customer the information they need to make an informed decision- so they feel comfortable and informed even before they meet one of NETR's comfort specialists for the first time.
Emails are sent to customers before their appointment, introducing the NETR Comfort Consultant or Service Tech, and providing education about ductless technology and options that will be reinforced at the appointment.
By providing this DIY education in advance, NETR has seen a dramatic increase in the quality of the conversation at the kitchen table, and it's resulted in more one-call-closes as a result.
He knows because we measure all of this!
NETR’s automated appointment confirmation email contains links to a professional bio of the comfort specialist who will be showing up at the prospect's door, some key product education, and other relevant information the comfort specialist will cover during the appointment.
By sending this information in advance, we accomplished a couple of objectives.
1. We create a better conversation at the kitchen table, resulting in a higher rate of positive outcomes.
2. We provide the buyer with opportunities to demonstrate their level of interest.
Or not.
NETR’s salespeople go into every appointment with a feel for how educated the customer is. Salesman Chip Moeckel once told me, “I ask them right away if they looked at the website. I always know if they did, it will be an easier sale and I’ll get my price.”
We do everything we can to make darn sure the buyer has seen the information we know they want and need to know before the comfort consultant shows up at the house.
That’s right. Because of the wealth of data we can tap into, we know what the buyer wants to know, even though they often don't know it yet.
Turning a lead into a customer, especially for a high-ticket item like a new HVAC system isn't easy, and people are understandably cautious and skeptical.
Not everyone who comes to your website or Facebook page is going to let you into their home, much less buy. And, in a world where a 60% close rate is kicking butt, that means 40% of your hard earned leads slip through your fingers every day, month, season and year.
Sometimes the solution may not be for them. Sometimes they may not be in a position to buy right now, or circumstances change.
By building a solid customer engagement and education platform, we've been able to help NETR stay in touch with those buyers who aren't quite ready to convert, and increase the number of closed deals over time.
Click here to learn more about the pre-education and "Setting the Table" process.
If a lead does not buy from you immediately, staying in touch with them through email, or Automated Lead Nurturing, is the most effective way to stay top of mind, so when they are ready to buy, you will have remained their trusted adviser since you did the estimate.
By implementing a respectful, educational email lead nurturing strategy, NETR provides their customers and prospects with an easy path to raise their hand when they are ready.
Say what you want about the Internet, the data does not lie, and the data says you can sell pretty much anything this way.
In fact, if you do not pay attention to these matters, you will eventually be lagging behind the competition in your service area. Potential customers will not find you at worst, and at best they will see your boilerplate HVAC information and click right on by you to the contractor who has all the information they need to make their purchasing decision.
You might have been able to put this off three years ago, but the time is now to take the bull by the horns and figure this into next year's budget.
We can help you get from here to there.
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Comfort Media Group is the digital marketing company for growing HVAC contractors.
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