21 Ways to Make Your HVAC Website Design Successful

If you own an HVAC company, a website that can easily be found online and that helps convert your visitors into leads is crucial for growing your business via the web. While you might be investing in strategies that can help you get found (SEO, PPC, etc.), chances are you haven’t done much in the way of improving your site’s visit-to-lead conversion rate (the percentage of visitors who fill out a form or pick up the phone to call you).

We’ve worked on hundreds of home service websites throughout the years, and we’re here to share with you 21 ways to make your HVAC website successful from a conversion-driven design standpoint:

21 Ways to Turn Your HVAC Website Into Your Best Marketing Asset

HVAC marketing isn’t what it used to be. Think about this:

• 60% of American customers say they’ll consider switching companies following two to three instances of poor service.
• About 50% of loyal customers have left a company for a competitor who was able to stay more relevant and better satisfy their needs
• The average web user will only wait 3 seconds for a website to load before hitting the back button
• 92% of consumers look at a company’s website when choosing an HVAC contractor
• 75% of online customers expect a response to an online inquiry or chat/message within five minutes

In order for your website to be your top marketing asset, you need to make sure it meeds each of the consumer needs above. How do you do that? By following the 21 strategies below.

1. Make it mobile-first (or at least mobile-friendly)

Mobile devices have spiked in popularity in the past couple of years—as of 2018, over 50% of searches for both commercial and residential HVAC services happened on a mobile device. That tells us we need to start thinking about how a website looks on mobile as much as or more than desktop devices. Navigation needs to be clear, the text needs to be large enough to click and read, and it needs to have a click-to-call button. Make sure your website is mobile-friendly, or you may be missing out on leads.

2. Provide valuable and informative content—and plenty of it
The best HVAC websites provide the user with all the necessary information to make the right decision regarding service. Blog posts, FAQs, and testimonials all provide the user with the information they seek to pick your company for their heating and cooling service needs. You can’t just make a couple of blog posts and call it good—you need to be continuously creating and updating content as freshness is a small ranking factor.

3. Establish a clear visual hierarchy
Visual hierarchy naturally guides the visitors’ thought patterns through to the information they need. Pair that with strategic calls-to-action or contact form, and you have a winning combination.

4. Provide prominent contact information in the header
Placing your phone number in the header helps keep it in a prominent position. This shows that your company is ready to answer any questions and schedule service over the phone. Add to this a fixed header and the phone number will never be out of the visitor’s sight.

5. Reduce form fields and enable auto-fill to shorten up the contact form
You don’t want to give visitors any reason to leave your website, so you need to make it stupid-simple to contact you. Remove unnecessary form fields and make it easy and quick for the user to fill out. Don’t overload the visitor with information requests just to make your job easier. Cut the fields down to the basics and keep them simple!

6. Build your authority with testimonials and awards
Show the visitors how well you treat your customers. Testimonials ooze authority by displaying the quality of service you provide, and 84% of consumers trust them as much as recommendations from friends. Great testimonials emphasize your offers and benefits. However, 85% of consumers don’t trust reviews more than three months old, so establish a way to continuously generate new reviews. 

As for badges, certifications, and awards—if you earned them, show them off. Certifications and awards always elevate the visitor’s perception of your company. They are a great piece to include to make your company the AUTHORITY in your area.

7. Install a chatbot

People are impatient, and more than 6 out of 10 U.S. consumers say that their go-to channel for simple inquiries is a digital self-serve tool. Chat software (like Blue Corona Chat) has a 73% customer satisfaction rate, and can save up to 30% in customer support costs

8. Add videos to add transparency to your company

Make your company transparent. Let the user see your technicians and management team. After all, these are the people that will be coming to their home for their service needs. Create explainer videos that show how your products work or your service process. Create “meet the team” videos. Create video blogs. The options are endless.

9. Use contrasting colors for your calls-to-action

Color matters; it helps draw attention to desired actions. You want to make your buttons and contact forms pop from the page and stick out to the user.

10. Make the banner area your first CTA

Once people land on your website, they will judge it in 0.5 seconds. The banner area is the first opportunity to show the customer important messaging. This messaging needs to represent what your HVAC company stands for and begin to show the visitor how important they are to you. The banner is the first large section the visitor sees so use that to your advantage.

11. Stop using cheesy photos

People can tell the difference between a stock photo and a real one, so stay away from generic stock images! Images are an important part of your site. Visitors like you and me are going to see them. If they are not unique and evoke the emotional response you seek, the perception of your company will be affected. Images are not meant to just fill a space on the page. Use images on your site to connect to the user. The images on your site should transmit the type of company you are by showcasing quality service.

12. Make it secure

About 82% of people will not browse and unsecured website, and as of 2019, 94% of Google search results are HTTPS. Give potential customers a sense of security by getting yourself an SSL certificate.

13. Use the magic word “FREE”

No, I’m not saying this because people love free stuff (although let’s be real, we all love free stuff.). Free just means no risk for the visitor. Free means no commitment in their mind, which makes it easier for them to fill out a form and click the send button.

14. Have a condensed contact form on all subpages

We already talked about condensing a contact form to the basic fields. Now, take that form and put it on all your subpages. Sometimes your subpage outranks your homepage if visitors search specific terms like “AC replacement” or “Heat Pump Installation.” To convert these visitors into leads, make it easy for them. Put that contact form next to the content they are reading instead of having them click through to another page to fill out a form.

15. Add visuals and photos to break up content heavy areas

Visual elements help break up the content on your site. Icons help visitors recognize the different elements on your sight at a glance.

16. Avoid cookie-cutter website templates

Templates don’t tell your company’s story. These designs are meant to be plug-n-play which means they are not designed with your best interest in mind: CONVERSIONS. Telling your story and converting visitors is the sole purpose of your website. Not to mention you could share the template design with many of your competitors.

18. Consider actions you wish the user to take

Provide a natural flow of information through a clear hierarchy. Give the user the information they are looking for and tie into the desired action you wish the user to complete. For example, add an enticing call-out to your phone number.

19. Provide balanced whitespace

Break the content on your page into digestible pieces of information. Providing enough room for the text to “breathe” will let the user scan the page easily for the information they seek.

20. Promote specials & offers

People love to save! Push promotions and specials to your homepage to help push users to fill out that contact form and schedule services with your company.

21. #TTTR = Test Track Tweak Repeat

At Blue Corona, we live by this saying. The only way to see what is working and what is not is by testing and tracking it all! Tracking provides valuable insights on what needs to be tweaked and improved. Repeating the process will refine your website into a lead generating machine!

Want Your HVAC Website to Shine? Here’s the Next Step…

Are you ready to improve your website’s ranking authority? If so, contact us today to learn more about our services.