Spring has finally sprung, meaning that a special time of year has arrived—spring cleaning!
From organizing desk clutter to deleting unnecessary computer files, the spring cleaning to-do list is filling up fast. But there’s one task that should be on every business owner’s mind, yet is often neglected; that is, refreshing the company’s website.
Be productive this spring, and make it a priority to update the company’s website by concentrating on the following five areas.
In the HVAC industry, every relationship between a business and a customer begins with an opportunity to make a great first impression—and that’s often when the customer visits the business’s homepage.
An outdated and cluttered homepage implies that the company is disorganized or unprofessional, because it does not feature relevant information and cannot outline the business’s services in a concise manner. On the other hand, a lack of detail suggests that the company is missing the technological capabilities that customers are looking for. Either situation would deter a customer from navigating through the rest of the site and choosing the company’s HVAC installation, repair or maintenance services.
Some homepage cleanup tips include:
As businesses evolve and grow, visions change. That’s why it’s essential to remove irrelevant content that no longer aligns with the company’s current offerings and philosophies.
Ensure that fresh content about new services, seasonal specials and upcoming promotions is consistently evident. Frequently updating the site’s content can increase website traffic, generate customer interest and potentially “upsell” services, improve the site’s ranking among search engine results, and extend the time until a redesign is necessary—thereby saving the company money.
If a customer navigates from the homepage to interior pages, this means that he or she is most likely interested in some aspect of the company. Remain distinguished and consistent throughout these pages to keep the customer engaged.
Review all pages on the website for the following:
Customers visit HVAC servicing websites with a purpose: to find relief. Visualization has a hefty impact on helping customers envision their future cooling or heating remedy. If possible, adjust the homepage image to reflect the presence of summer by showcasing air conditioning services, rather than centering on winter and heating. Get rid of the “stay warm” images and replace them with cooler images—literally.
Customers are not stumbling onto an HVAC company’s website for no reason; they have intentions of either installing, repairing or maintaining their system to stay comfortable or improve its efficiency. Ultimately, images and visuals build a form of emotion and intrigue that content can’t convey.
Look for pictures that connect with customers’ emotions, such as a family relaxing comfortably in their air-conditioned home. Showing diversity in the photos will help more customers relate to them.
Customers are more likely to view a website’s pictures than they are to read the website’s content—so, the more satisfaction that the pictures display, the more likely that the customers will believe that the company can provide the relief that they crave.
Other visual tips include:
The blog on the company website is a great tool for keeping customers informed on the ever-changing HVAC products, technologies and services. Take advantage of the blog’s potential to be a magnet for website traffic and engagement.
To ensure that the blog is as effective as possible, consider the following:
A well-organized website that is easy to navigate greases the wheels for a positive working relationship with a company. Conversely, a confusing or frustrating experience deters potential customers.
Think about the most frequently asked questions that people pose to company representatives, and put the answers on the website. Leads will be more comfortable doing business with a company that is forthcoming and helpful. If visiting an HVAC website just prompts more questions, it raises a red flag for a wary consumer.
Ensure that the information on the website is well organized and easy to digest. Are there pages that list myriad services, but offer no details? Or, are there pages with information overload? If so, reorganize and sort through the content to consolidate, eliminate or divide it into multiple pages for easier site navigation. For example, the services landing page can link to separate pages about heating, cooling and indoor air quality, rather than combining them into one. To break it down even further, provide separate pages about air conditioner installation and air conditioner maintenance plans, for example.
The spring website cleanup list has been created—now, it’s time to execute. That being said, avoid feeling overwhelmed by the full to-do list; break the list down into small tasks, and then aim to accomplish one task at a time.
Remember, maintaining a strong company website is a process, not a one-time project. Therefore, it will need continual updating to remain productive and relevant. That’s why it is crucial to schedule a website maintenance plan once the cleanup has been completed.
So, keep the website current, update it regularly and routinely evaluate the site to ensure that it builds—and maintains—customer loyalty.
