The heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) market in Arizona is highly competitive. In fact, according to IBISworld.com, there are nearly 124,000 HVAC firms across the nation representing a $123 billion market. Due to its hot and arid weather, little to no rainfall and huge population growth, the Southwest — including our fine state — is top in the nation for HVAC businesses, especially the AC part.
Two years ago, the 30-year-old, family-operated company Temperature Control enlisted the help of digital marketing leader MTA360 to apply its online marketing know-how to expand its business.
Scottsdale-based MTA360 designed a comprehensive digital campaign rooted in search engine optimization because people looking for HVAC services take to Google. They grab their smartphones, jump online and search for “best air conditioning installer near me,” and similar phrases.
SEO was crucial to getting Temperature Control to the next level. The MTA360 team built an SEO-ready website, set an always-on SEO strategy that includes strategic backlinks and proprietary software technology with an AI Chatbot function at the new website and Google Reviews software. The new website was also promoted by online advertising.
Here’s generally how such a program works. Google ranks a site for its popularity (website traffic), relevancy and authority (trustworthiness). Google Reviews and strategic backlinks drive Temperature Control’s website authority. As people Google “HVAC” or “air conditioning services,” the search engine serves up Temperature Control’s website in the results, while paid media delivers ads. The prospective customer clicks on Temperature Control’s site and the AI Chatbot engages with them and turns those visitors into real business.
The AI Chat feature drove an average conversion rate of 60%, the percentage of website visitors who scheduled a face-to-face appointment with a Temperature Control representative. Those appointments turned into business. The cost per lead was less than $25, where the industry average is about $300 in the HVAC industry.
The success has been stunning, with the firm doubling its revenue across the past two years to beyond $10 million.
“Our digital marketing investment truly paid off,” says Temperature Control owner Tony Bohard. “For a hands-on businesses like HVAC or others in home improvement, it can be challenging to understand the digital world. But for our type of business, it’s truly where our prospective customers get their information. It’s a win for our business and the people looking for our high-quality services.”
Aaron Ayotte is business development coach at MTA360.
