HVAC Business Solutions

Did you sell 51 tune ups this morning?

2011-11-18T09:49:00.000-08:00

Did you sell 51 tune ups this morning?
I thought this was a great example of an air conditioning company taking advantage of social networks.
They ran a special on Living Social this morning and so far they have already sold 51 tune ups. See the screen shot below.

Click Here for Bigger Picture

How Does This Work?
There are several networks similar to Living Social - Groupon, Urban Dealight, Dealfind, etc. These networks want
to provide deals to their customers. So you typically have to give a discount of 50% or more to even be considered for their program.

However, there is one twist. As the vendor you get to set a sales goal that must be reached otherwise the deal does not go through.

For example, using the Living Social deal from above, the air conditioning company might have set a sales target of 100. Now, if Living Social cannot sell 100 tune ups at the discounted rate, then the air conditioning company is off the hook.

This gives you, as an advertiser, control and guaranteed results.

Now the network is not a non-profit, so they will be taking half of the sale. In fact, the customers
purchase the deal/coupon/offer directly from the network and then the network
pays you after they have taken their share. Again, using the example above, the air conditioning company
is really only getting roughly $23 for each tune up.

So, all things considered, if your phone is not ringing, you need work for your guys and you are willing to
give a significant deal for your service, then this is one method to pick up customers in large chunks.

Home owners buying this type of deal either have bigger issues with their systems than just wanting a tune up or
see the value in preventative maintenance - either way that sounds like the customer you want to have.

Sincerely,
Brian Starzec
HVAC Business Solutions

Why your Website is Not #1

2011-08-20T11:49:00.000-07:00

Why your Website is Not #1

"If you ain't first, you're last."
- Ricky Bobby, Talladega Nights

Why Being #1 is Important
Before we jump into the reasons your website is not ranked number one, let's remind ourselves why it is important in the first place. If there are 100 searches made by homeowners needing heating or air conditioning repair service, 60 of them will click the first website in the organic section.

It is that simple - the highest, organic ranked websites get the traffic.

How SEO (Search Engine Optimization) Works
Let's simplify the search engine mystery. Search engines try to find websites that are most relevant to the words being searched by a person. Search engines scan your website and remember the words that are on each page. If the words on your website match the words being searched, then you have a good chance of your website being on the search results list (this is called on-page optimization). Equally important, if other websites link to your website, while mentioning those same words, then you will rank even higher (this is called off-page optimization).

Focus on the Popular Words
The first step is to determine what words people are actually using to find your service. I will help you - "ac repair" - is one very popular search term for HVAC contractors. Therefore, if the company optimizing your website has not focused on the words "ac repair" then your website is missing the boat. This is the problem with not working with a company that is industry specific.

Not Enough Keywords
The real challenge is it is impossible to pick one word or phrase that covers everything a HVAC contractor does.
People use many different search terms, e.g. "AC Repair Houston", "Air Conditioning Contractor", etc. An optimal SEO strategy would ensure that your website is optimized for between five and ten key phrases (long tail keywords).

Not Just Your Company Name
I have had several HVAC contractors tell me that their website is optimized because when you searched on their name they came up first. Well, I would hope so. This is the first litmus test - if your website is not #1 for your company name, your website was not designed correctly. However, that aside, how do new customers, people that don't know your name, find you? Your website has to be optimized for the services and products they want.

Confusing SEM with SEO
SEM means Search Engine Marketing and SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. Only 35% of potential clients will click on the Google Ads - SEM. The rest will click on the Organic search - SEO. With SEM, once you stop paying for advertising your website will no longer appear. Too many HVAC contractors mistake SEM for SEO and then wonder why their website is not found when the advertising campaign ends.

What the Heck is Off-Page Optimization?
Most HVAC contractors neglect the importance of links from other websites especially when the link to their website references the keyword being searched. In fact, on some search engines, this is even more important than if the website is optimized for the words being searched! There are good ways to build these links (White Hat) and bad ways (Black Hat). Seek out companies that only use White Hat techniques because websites using Black Hat techniques actually get penalized and deliberately assigned poor rankings by the search engines when discovered.

Stay the Course!
It takes anywhere from four to six months to see the fruits of your SEO labor and obtain a first page ranking. Using the right software to monitor progress is important so you don't lose your mind. Search engines have to evaluate millions upon millions of websites and they are always adjusting the method to their madness, so be patient. SEO is a long term strategy with a long-term and long lasting payoff when you are successful.

Plan Ahead
Since it takes four to six months to get results, it is wise to start planning for the winter. Think about the slow periods in your business and the service your customers typically request during these times - tune ups for example. Adjust the optimization strategy to reflect what your customers will need in the upcoming months and you will literally be ahead of the competition.

Money-Back Guarantee
Now for the shameless plug for my company - HVAC Business Solutions. We do everything discussed above and more. More importantly if we don't get you on the first page within 6 months, we give you every penny back. Give us a call and let us help your business grow online - 713-270-6400.

Next Issue
Our next email letter we will discuss how you can get SEO to pay for itself.

Sincerely,
Brian Starzec
HVAC Business Solutions

Where Your Website Ranks and Why it Matters

2011-08-10T20:04:00.000-07:00

Where Your Website Ranks and Why it Matters

Most people these days seldom use the yellow pages to find an AC repair contractor; instead potential customers search the web. In fact, 50% of local searches are currently performed with a mobile phone! With that in mind, many air conditioning contractors have invested in a website expecting the phone to ring. Only, the calls didn't roll in. They didn't because the website did not rank on the first page of the search engine because the company stopped promoting their website once it was built. In the Internet world, if you are not on the first page, your website will not bring you new business.

Why Your Website Rank is Important
Research has shown that sixty percent of potential customers searching for a product or service will click on the first "organic" link (see the picture below). The second link receives fifteen percent of the traffic, and the remaining eight organic links receive the balance. Something like 0.03% of surfers continue to the second page. In other words, if your website does not come up on the first page of the browser when people are searching for an air conditioning repair contractor in your area, although you might have invested in excellent website design, your website will not be seen!

Key Facts – Most Traffic is from the #1 and #2 Organic Positions

90% of searchers never go past Page 1
85% of all clicks are in the organic & local sections
60% of all clicks are on the first organic listing
15% of all clicks are on the second organic listing

The Best Way of Finding Where Your Website Ranks!
Every time you conduct a search, Google and other search engines download a cookie on to your computer. They are tracking your location and what you are searching. As a result, it's impossible to get a true reading on where your website ranks from your home or business computer.

The best way to get an accurate search engine rank is to use Internet ranking software. Using the software you only need two pieces of information to establish the exact rank for your website – your domain name and keyword. The domain name is simply the URL of your website – www.yourcompanyname.com.

The keyword is the search word or search phrase that a person would use to find your company, the service your company offers or the product your company sells. For example, an existing customer will most likely search by your company's name, but a prospective customer is most likely to search by the service they require and where they require it – "ac repair bellaire texas".

The ranking software will then tell you exactly where your site ranks. Obviously, if you are not on page one, your website isn't working for you as well as it ought to. It certainly is not increasing your business. And if it is on page one but not in the top organic position, then it may be bringing you some business, but not enough business. Incidentally, it is quite common for your website to rank differently for each set of keywords as well as rank differently on each search engine.

Free Internet Ranking Software
To save you time, here are two links to free internet ranking software where you can test your website ranking using different keywords:

http://www.seocentro.com/tools/search-engines/keyword-position.html

http://www.webtoolhub.com/tn561372-position-checker.aspx

Now That You Have the Real Ranking of Your Website…
So now that you have the real ranking of your website, you can either congratulate yourself that it's number one for all the search terms, or you make plans to get your website to the number one ranking. But before we go there, you might want to know why your previous attempts at SEO did not bring you the results you paid for.

Our next informative newsletter will offer some insights on why previous efforts at SEO did not work out quite as well as you might have wished.

Sincerely,
Tessa Schlesinger
HVAC Business Solutions

3 Reasons You MUST have a Website Designed Specifically for Mobile Devices

2011-07-14T09:34:00.000-07:00

Here are 3 facts about mobile Internet Usage that should compel you to have a website designed specifically for mobile devices:

There are currently 4 Billion Mobile Phones!

Click to Enlarge

Half of Local Searches are Performed on Mobile Devices!

Click to Enlarge

By 2014, Mobile Internet Usage Should Surpass Desktop Internet Usage

Click to Enlarge

Contact US at HVAC Business Solutions NOW for a Special Mobile Website Offer!

Only $445 for a LIMITED TIME*

Access the largest growing Internet Usage base

Leapfrog the competition

More local business

Make it easy for mobile users to find YOU!

CONTACT US AT 713-270-6400 or info@hvacbusinesssolutions.com.

View a Sample Mobile Website

Below is a screen capture of one of our mobile website clients (www.atcac.com):

Click to Enlarge

Mobile Website Features

Our Mobile Websites are optimized for smartphone viewing and usage. With one-click phone and text capability,
it has never been easier for potential customers to reach your business. Add your logo, phone number, key selling points, current specials, testimonials and even pre-made videos.

Our Mobile Websites are ready in a week. We are the only Mobile Website and Internet Marketing company focused
exclusively on the HVAC Industry.

Our Mobile Websites save you money! Our Mobile Website are designed with browser-detection capability,
so there is no need to purchase a .mobi website extension. Users on mobile devices will be taken automatically to
the mobile website and similarly desktop/laptop users will be taken directly to the primary website.

Sincerely,
Brian Starzec
HVAC Business Solutions
713-270-6400

* This is $50 off the regular price. Offer available to the first 50 customers. Offer expires July 31st, 2011.

Simple Search Engine Ranking Improvement Tip

2011-03-24T11:15:00.000-07:00

Simple Search Engine Ranking Improvement Tip
We all know that improving search engine ranking is a difficult task. However, Google has made a subtle change in its formula that actually gives everyone an opportunity to improve their ranking with minimal effort and at no cost. The tip is to:

Update your Google Local Business Profile

Google has recently started placing a greater significance on its Google Local Business Profiles, now called Google Places. It appears that Google is starting to give a priority listing on the Google Map and organic listings to companies that have a complete business profile.

What is a Google Business Profile?

It is the information Google displays to the world about your business. If properly updated you can display:

Phone and Contact Information
Service Locations
Photos
Company Logo
Website Address (backlink from Google!)

Example Google Profile

Click to Enlarge

Why is a Google Busines Profile Important?

The more Google knows about your business, the better your company's website will rank on the search engine results.

Improved Search Engine Ranking
Get Noticed on the Google Map

Why is being on the Google Map Important?

Google displays its map of local businesses at the top of regular search results and businesses are individually displayed in the search results. These are two free methods to gain a priority listing for your business.

Map Displayed at Top of Results Page
Businesses on Map Individually Displayed on Results Page

Example Google Search Results Page

Click to Enlarge

How do I Improve my Google Map Ranking?

Google has updated their method of ranking websites to place more of an emphasis on the number of reviews a company has in their business profile - the more reviews the higher the ranking. Therefore, by establishing your Google Business Profile and growing the number of customer reviews you can increase your Google Map and Google search ranking.

Establish Google Business Profile
Get Customer Reviews

Google Map Prioritization

Click to Enlarge

How do I Establish My Google Business Profile?

You may contact Google directly and follow their instructions on establishing your business profile. Please be aware that as big of a company as they are, they have no customer support. Therefore, you will be on your own for creating your profile. However, if you have the time and patience you can establish your profile on your own without cost.

If you want the comfort of having your Google business profile established quickly for you, our trained experts are here to help. As you can imagine there are ways to complete the profile that will make your company stand out and opportunities for keyword placement. We charge a modest one-time fee to perform this service on your behalf and we make sure it is done right.

Regardless of how you do it, just make sure you do it. This is a simple way to improve your ranking and to improve your Internet exposure.

Sincerely,
Brian Starzec
HVAC Business Solutions

2010 US Ecommerce Stats - Fourth Quarter (Oct-Dec)

2011-03-14T07:50:00.000-07:00

Just in case you are still thinking that ecommerce and the Internet is a fad, here is the initial projection for US Ecommerce activity in 2010 from October through December:

2010 October through December:
44.1 BILLION!

This means,

2010 Total US Ecommerce:
$164.6 Billion!

One more eye catching stat:

2010 Cyber Monday:
$1.028 Billion!

$1.028 billion in online sales in a single day! Here is one more chart to review. Keep in mind during the time period in the chart below we were in the middle of a recession.

(click image to enlarge)

Hopefully we can all agree now that doing business online is viable and that being online is as critical as ever. Now, the key question to ask is, "How do I increase my slice of that pie for my business?"

In next week's newsletter we will discuss a major change in the search engines and how you can capitalize on this one simple change to improve your website's search engine ranking.

Sincerely,
Brian Starzec
HVAC Business Solutions
Service Roundtable Member

Benchmark Conversion Rate for Replacement Sales from Service Agreements

2010-11-15T21:08:00.000-08:00

In the HVAC industry, air conditioning contractors can expect to sell one replacement air conditioner for every 10 to 11 service agreement customers. This statistic comes courtesy from Ron Smith a member of the Contracting Business Contractor Hall of Hame and author of HVAC Spells Wealth.

1 Replacement Sale for Every
10 to 11 Service Agreements

Service agreements are the true life blood of a heating and air conditioning company. With a service agreement, you establish an ongoing relationship with your customer. Without a service agreement, the moment your service truck pulls away from the customer's house, he becomes a free agent and a prospect at large.

With a service agreement customer:

Repeat business increases

Return on marketing increases

Referrals increase

Margins increase

Company value increases

Employee retention and morale increases

As you are developing your 2011 plan, set targets for your service agreements. Benchmarks should include - total number of new service agreements, percent of service agreements retained and service agreement conversion rate.

If you are struggling to develop a plan or need tools to help your technicians increase their conversion rate, please don't hesitate to contact us. We have several affordable and effective tools to increase service agreements sales.

Sincerely,

Brian Starzec

Soldering and Brazing Video Now Available!

2010-11-02T11:48:00.000-07:00

Soldering and Brazing Training Video by Carl Pollex - For Sale!

For the first time ever, HVAC Industry legend and instructor Carl Pollex has recorded his famous soldering, brazing and oxygen acetylene safety course. Carl Pollex has been teaching this class for over 30 years and now all of his valuable knowledge is available in this hour-an-a-half long video course. In this training course, Carl not only covers the fundamentals of metallurgy, but he gets hands-on and demonstrates techniques and everyday options for soldering and brazing.

Video Trailer

Click the image below to view a 2 minute overview of the Soldering and Brazing DVD.

View Website

For more information, we have created a dedicated website for this HVAC Training video - http://www.solderingbrazing.com/ or http://www.solderingbrazingtraining.com/.

Order Now

Click the image below to order the DVD for your HVAC company.

Soldering and Brazing Training Video by Carl Pollex - Help Needed

2010-09-17T13:51:00.000-07:00

Many any of you know Carl Pollex and have attended his Soldering, Brazing and Oxygen Acetylene Safety training class over the years. Here is a picture of the demo that normally got your attention:

We have worked with Carl to record his entire training class and put it on DVD. Along with his course materials we have added some special effects to make the information even that much easier to learn and remember.

Originally we recorded the class simply to capture all of the knowledge tucked away in Carl's head, but over time, our entrepreneurial spirit came through and we decided to make a professional DVD for sale:

We Need Testimonials Please!

For those of you who had the opportunity of attending the class, you know how great it truly is. It is very rare to have a class that is both entertaining as well as educational, which is why Carl is one of the best in the business.

We are looking for people to share their experience and to provide feedback on the course. Your review will be posted on the product website. In addition to your comments about the class, we will need a picture of yourself (to lend credibility to the testimonial) and your company logo.

Next to your feedback, beneath your picture and your logo, we plan to provide a free link to your website. We are all aware of the value of back-links and how they can improve your search engine ranking. This is a simple, easy and free way to gain additional exposure for your business and your website.

We plan to launch the website in October of 2010, so all testimonials, including your picture, need to be emailed to me before October 1st. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,
Brian Starzec

P.S. Here are some screen captures from the video for everybody:

Before you put a customer on hold...

2010-09-02T11:41:00.000-07:00

Before you put a customer on hold...

I found this interesting quote and I wanted to share:

"Place Customers on hold, in silence, for one minute and 52% will hang up. If music is played, only 13% will hang up. If a message is played, only 2% will hang up. When callers hang up, 34% will never call you again." - Sold on Hold ^TM

We have had a ridiculously hot summer and I'm sure on more than one occasion, as you were talking to one customer, another one called in. Ideally, you never want to place a customer on hold, but sometimes it just happens. The only question is, "What does the customer experience?"

Silence? The Radio? Music? A brief message on the benefits of a service agreement or the current seasonal special? For most companies this is a lost opportunity in more ways than one. Not only are you are not taking advantage of this opportunity to market your company, a product or service, but you are also increasing the chances that the customer never does business with you again.

It's like being in the red zone and throwing an interception that is returned for touchdown. Not only did your team not score, but you also gave away points to your opponent. Like the research revealed, once the customer hangs up, there is a good chance they are not calling again. If they need service, that means they are calling your competition (points for your opponent).

There are 2 good reasons never to play the radio. One, you risk being sued if you don't have a proper license to rebroadcast. Two, we all know that there are several air conditioning companies that advertise on the radio. You wouldn't want your customer hearing an advertisement for your competition, right?

This month we are going to focus on the little details that often go overlooked, but can have a great impact on your business. Our goal is to work smarter, not harder. I hope this tip helped.

Have a great Labor Day weekend!

Sincerely,

Brian Starzec

Solar Powered Attic Fan

2010-08-27T12:25:00.000-07:00

We just completed the website for the Attic-Cool solar powered attic fan. A solar powered attic fan is a great way to lower your monthly electric bill. The best part is that compared to other energy saving products, the solar powered attic fan is affordable, has a quick payback and high return on investment.

The solar powered attic fan circulates the air in your attic and removes the heat that builds up. By reducing the attic temperature it reduces the cooling load on the house and as a result, air conditioning systems run less - saving you money. Since the fan is solar powered, there are no ongoing costs once the product is installed.

The Attic-Cool model has several features that make it superior to the competition and they have 3 different models. The company is always looking for more dealers and expereinced technicians.

We have been fortunate to work with Lumina Global, the manufacturers of the Attic-Cool. They are a great organization and produce a high quality product and I would definitely recommend their product whether you plan to put one on your home or whether you intend to resell to your customers.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact myself or Lumina Global.

Why Educated Homeowners Add to the Bottomline

2010-08-23T15:12:00.000-07:00

In the recent American Home Comfort Study by Decision Analysts of over 27,000 homeowners, they found that:

"It is important to note that the more informed the homeowner, the more they will spend on their new central system. Those using the Internet for example who research the most spent almost $1,000 more than those who did not."

This comprehensive research study validates what we have already known - that an educated homeowner can better understand the benefits associated with higher efficiency equipment and other high dollar add-ons for example, whole home indoor air quality systems. Therefore, one of the goals every dealer must have is to increase the knowledge level of their customers.

The statement is even more revealing as it identifies the source of these high-spending customers ? the Internet. To make your dealer website even more educational, HVAC Business Solutions is pleased to announce the introduction of a series of educational animations called the Ideal Home Comfort Showroom.

The 15 animations will help home owners

understand how air conditioning and heating systems work,

learn about products that will help protect HVAC equipment,

learn the benefits to improving indoor air quality

Not only will the animations educate your customer base, it will also increase the level of trust and credibility in your organization due to the high quality level of the animations.

The animations can be previewed at Ideal Home Comfort Showroom or by clicking one of the images below:

If you are interested in adding these animations to your website and increasing your bottomline, please give us a call at 713-270-6400.

HVAC Newsletter - Continuing Education with StateCE

2009-11-16T13:50:00.000-08:00

Continuing Education with StateCE (2:10)
HVAC Business Solutions is pleased to announce its affiliation with StateCE - a leading provider of state-approved, online, continuing education for licensed air conditioning contractors. In this video, we briefly review the organization and the benefits of their classes.

HVAC Newsletter Video - 10 Ways To Gather Emails (3:19)

2009-10-08T07:42:00.000-07:00

We discuss 10 simple ways to politely ask for your customer's and prospect's email address.

HVAC Newsletter Video - What is a Blog? Why have a blog? (1:43)

2009-08-19T12:03:00.000-07:00

A basic explanation of what blogs are and why they are useful.

HVAC Newsletter Video - Intro to Facebook

2009-08-05T21:02:00.000-07:00

A quick overview to Facebook for HVAC contractors who are not yet familiar with the social media website.

HVAC Newsletter Video - U.S. Internet and Video Stats

2009-07-30T12:08:00.000-07:00

Take a look at the latest data on how the number of active US Internet users (for May 2009) and US Internet video usage (for April 2009).