Without a fast-loading, mobile-first (aka responsive) website, you’re missing out on an opportunity to rank higher on Google and you could be losing customers due to a negative user experience.

If a potential customer is Googling “air conditioner repair near me” from their phone, they want a site they can easily browse and call directly with the tap of a button. Build your site so it works well on mobile devices and loads quickly. If a customer visits your website and it takes a while for it to display, they may very well click back to the search results and choose another HVAC company — your competitor.

Build trust with your visitors

You provide a service where customers will be letting a stranger into their home. Establishing trust with your customers is mandatory. Third-party reviews from websites such as Google, Facebook, and the Better Business Bureau will allow customers to learn more about what to expect when choosing to do business with you. Be sure to monitor your review presence across all major review sites. Respond to every review, whether it’s positive or negative, and always try to resolve issues. On your website, show photos and videos of your staff, as well as video testimonials from previous customers. Stay away from stock images (purchased images of people) if you can. Reiterate that all of your employees undergo background checks, drug screening, and continual training to ensure the highest quality of service.

Pro tip: Encourage your employees to maintain a well-groomed and presentable appearance. They are a direct reflection of your company. They should not appear as if they rolled out of bed after attending a frat party the night before.

Explain all of the services and products you offer

Although I might sound like “captain obvious” here, your HVAC website should clearly explain all of the heating and air conditioning services you offer. We recommend separate pages for heating, cooling, repair, installation, and maintenance.

Clearly explaining each service will help customers know what to expect, and it will also benefit your SEO efforts, as you can create multiple subpages around each of the services/products with a keyword strategy for each. Be sure to create pages for any type of accessories you offer, such as smart thermostats, air duct cleaning, UV purification lights, and other add-on services to educate your customers and build awareness. This can also lead to additional sales.

Make your offers strong and clear

Let’s face it: No one has ever said, “Gee, I hope I have to call an HVAC contractor today.” That being said, your offers and call to action need to stand out from the 25 other HVAC companies in your area. Depending on the different HVAC services you offer, some strong call to actions may include:

• Schedule today & save [insert dollar amount here] on your service call!
• Schedule your FREE in-home estimate on a new air conditioner by [insert date here] and receive up to [insert dollar amount here] off!
• Schedule your furnace installation by [insert date here] and receive a FREE [insert accessory here]
• Save [insert dollar amount here] when you schedule your annual maintenance by [insert fate here] and get a free filter!

Notice a pattern? Savings, urgency with an expiration date for each offer, and a clear call to action.

Be sure to include at least three coupon offers. Although it may sound old school, visitors love clipping and redeeming coupons.

Pro tip: Conduct a monthly review of what other contractors in your service area are offering so you can stay competitive with your promotions.

Tell your story

Your website is a great place to tell potential customers who you are and how you got started. You might be thinking, “I’m an HVAC contractor. I’m about heating and cooling.” So are your competitors.

Building an “About” section with information about your business, your history, and your mission statement, is a great way to build trust and can also help you stand out from the competition. Are you involved in the community? Do you support local charities? Talk about it! If someone is trying to decide between your locally owned business with 50 years of experience or a competitor without a good story, they’re probably going to choose you. People relate to people, not faceless corporations.

Show real photos of your employees, owners, and management team — and make sure you have a presence on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Post to these channels on a regular basis, and be sure to include employee videos and customer testimonial videos.

Make it easy for visitors to get in touch you

Obvious, but often overlooked: Make it as easy as possible for your visitors to contact you. Provide the path of least resistance through multiple communication platforms; otherwise, they’ll get frustrated and go somewhere else. We highly recommend providing multiple forms of contact on your website, including:

• A highly visible click-to-call phone number at the top of your site
• Website contact forms that are sent to your team upon submission
• Live chat monitored and operated by an on-site employee
• Text to chat monitored and operated by an on-site employee
• Skype or video conferencing, if applicable

If you provide 24/7 service, make it jump (think Air Jordan) throughout the site.

By providing these different types of contact options, you’re making it convenient for the user to choose their path of least resistance. For example, say a customer is at work and they need to schedule an appointment, but can’t call at the moment. Live chat or online form to the rescue!

Pro tip: Millennials, who are quickly becoming homeowners, grew up on texting. Make it easy for them.

Provide tips and useful information via a blog

Your HVAC website should also act as an informational resource for your visitors. This will help you establish yourself as an authority and expert when it comes to the services you provide.

Create a blog where you can post articles such as tips to save money on heating and cooling, as well as answers to common questions surrounding the products and services you provide. Post frequent news updates, community involvement, photo galleries of your work, and more.

Including a blog will help with your SEO efforts, as you have control over the content and what you write about. Do some keyword research ahead of time and create a list of commonly searched for heating and air conditioning questions, then draft your blog posts in response to these. Not only will this give your site a boost with SEO, but it also shows good will on your part by providing useful informational without a “hard-sell” tone to it. Google gives precedence to websites that are updated frequently and provide useful info.

Pro tip: Provide a method for collecting visitors’ email addresses, which can be later used for marketing. For example: “Join our mailing list and we’ll send you an extra $10 voucher which can be used towards any service!”

In closing, your website is a conversion tool for all of your marketing efforts. You can spend as much as you want driving traffic to it but at the end of the day, if visitors are not converting into paying customers, you’re missing the mark. By implementing the suggestions and tips listed above, you can use your website to drive new leads and revenue for your business.