How HVAC Businesses Can Double Their 5-Star Reviews, Referrals and Repeat Business

HVAC services are increasing in competition every year, which means you can’t afford to fall behind when it comes to digital marketing. Because today’s consumers will pick businesses that leverage the tools and platforms they prefer, not what businesses want.

Otherwise, they’ll shrug and choose the competitor next door. That’s where proven digital marketing tools and strategies come into play. This includes focusing on the following key areas that boost your market presence, conversions and bottom line: generating 5-star reviews, increasing referrals, and boosting customer retention.

Let’s dive into how you can achieve these goals for your HVAC business without increasing your workload, headcount or driving expenses through the roof.

1. Double Your Reviews Without Extra Effort

The average prospect will check your HVAC business reviews before placing a phone call or inquiry on your website to ensure you’re legitimate. However, if you lack a substantial amount of reviews, they may get skeptical and choose someone else.

Remember: your prior customers are your best advocates, and their positive reviews are gold. But even the most satisfied customers may forget to leave a review if you don’t leverage automated digital tools that integrate with your service process.

Instead, create a system that prompts your customers to leave a review immediately after a service is completed, making the process effortless for both you and them. This method can significantly increase your review volume and quality. Businesses using automated review requests see a 35% increase in positive reviews.

Actionable Steps:

Leverage SMS Marketing. With 98% of texts being opened as opposed to 20% of emails, use SMS marketing to confirm appointments, share information and close out projects by asking for reviews.
Train Your Staff. While automation is powerful, it’s also important to add the human element. This can be as simple as having your staff ask your customer: “If I do a great job and you’re completely satisfied, would you be willing to take 30 seconds and leave a review after completion?”
Build Review Pages. Add in as much information that is relevant to your most commonly used review pages, such as Google My Business, Yelp and other major platforms. When you update your business hours, or have a promotion, include details on these pages.

2. Automatically Drive Referrals

Referrals are the lifeblood of the HVAC industry. However, relying on the hope that satisfied customers will discuss your services isn’t enough. Why? Because customers are busy and aren’t thinking about the success of your business.

That’s precisely where a structured referral program becomes a pivotal aspect of your marketing efforts. There’s no need to complicate these efforts; it can be as easy as generating discounts or special offers to prior clients to spread the word.

Today, companies using digital referral programs report an average increase of 25% in referral-generated business. Use digital marketing tools to automate these processes by sending referral requests and incentives to customers and tracking results.

Actionable Steps:

Use Email Marketing. While SMS marketing is great for some communication, Email Marketing is perfect for referral programs. You can stay top of mind with prior customers and send them timely offers to reward them for spreading the word.
Make a Great Referral Offer. Go above and beyond what your competition is doing and be willing to take a small profit hit to acquire your first referral. Why? Because a customer who refers once is likely to do it again.
Reward Top Referral Customers. Set up a quarterly contest or showcase top referrers on social media or on your newsletter. These are simple ways to encourage customers to refer more customers by celebrating their efforts.

3. Boost Retention For Increased Customer Lifetime Value

Your best customers are the ones you already have. Obvious, right? Many service-based businesses forget this fact and ignore the goldmine in front of them. Remember: these people already know, like and trust you, which is the biggest (and most expensive) hurdle to overcome.

For HVAC businesses, this means focusing on keeping your current customers engaged after the first sale using strategies like regular maintenance reminders, loyalty programs, and strategic social media.

Actionable Steps:

Loyalty Programs. Implement a digital loyalty program where customers accumulate points for each service they book, leading to rewards or discounts on future services. Promote this program through your digital channels, like social media and email.
Engaging Social Media Content. Regularly update your social media platforms with engaging content that is relevant to your customer base. This can include tips for maintaining their HVAC systems, success stories, or new service announcements.
Automate Reminders. Use automated reminders based on prior customer actions to send timely reminders about potential service offerings they may need. Make sure these are valuable, personalized and not only about more sales, but take into account their history and needs.

Staying Ahead Of Digital Marketing Trends Isn’t Optional

As the HVAC industry continues to grow, so does the competition. Which means businesses that fail to adapt to modern marketing strategies risk falling behind. Digital marketing is not just about staying relevant; it’s about staying ahead of customer trends and communicating in the format they prefer (for example, SMS.)

By implementing digital solutions for reviews, referrals, and retention, you not only streamline your processes but also create a more engaged and loyal customer base. This is where Slamdot can come in and help.

As a performance-based team of marketing experts specializing in local service businesses, we understand the unique challenges of your industry. By delegating your marketing needs to Slamdot, you gain access to expertise and tools specifically designed to enhance your digital presence, capture more reviews, generate referrals, and boost customer retention.

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