Google trumps all search engines, it crawls the web to determine which sites offer the greatest value to searchers, based upon specific keywords. We utilize Google daily, and we rely on the results they deliver to help us find items we purchase, to find businesses, and other relevant content online. Since there’s so much power in the search, as a Plumbing + HVAC business, you want your Plumbing + HVAC site to rank on the first page of Google, if you want to ensure searchers will reach it.
Why Being at the Top Matters
Local results, panels, answer boxes, and so many other tools are available through Google today, that it’s one of the most robust tools a searcher has to utilize today. You have many ways you can stand out as a Plumbing + HVAC business on the platform, so you obviously want to rank at the top. See our article about getting to first of Google.
The Higher the Rank, the Higher the Clickthrough Rate
A majority of the traffic to websites comes from Google; and, it’s a well-known fact that searchers are usually going to click on the top results (usually the first page results) on Google. A study conducted by SmartInsights highlights this point with the following findings
– There’s a 36.4% clickthrough rate for the first result
– 12.5% for the second result
– 9.5% for the third result
This trend continues to decline, and the tenth result on the first page only has a 2.2% clickthrough rate. Understanding why it’s so important to rank at the top of Google, for the specific keywords you’re targeting as a Plumbing + HVAC business? With local results, ad boxes, and other results at the top of the page, there are even fewer than ten slots that are going to gain a majority of the traffic on Google today.
Plumbing + HVAC Companies that aren’t at the top of that list, are missing out on numerous clicks. And, this means you’re missing out on potential new Plumbing + HVAC clients as a result. Obviously, this isn’t what you want to happen when you’re building your website and hoping to grow your Plumbing + HVAC business.
Top Position Traffic Share
Chitika conducted another study on Google search results; in this study, they found that Google captures 33% of all search traffic. This means one-third of people who are searching for a product, service, or business, are reaching that page from Google. They aren’t typing in the website directly into their browser.
Therefore, the higher up you rank on Google, the easier it is going to be for you to receive those clicks, and up to 33% of your traffic, from Google. The higher your search presence, the greater your brand authority is going to be seen by searchers.
How do you Rank? There are Numerous Options You Can Utilize to Increase Google Ranking
Most Plumbing + HVAC business owners make it a primary goal to reach the top ranking spots on Google. And, the good thing is that it is a feasible goal, as long as the Plumbing + HVAC business owner is taking the right approach in order to get there of course.
Google doesn’t focus on the quantity it prefers quality content in determining position rank for a website through search engine results. That’s why having a larger budget or the biggest marketing department, doesn’t necessarily mean a Plumbing + HVAC company is going to be the featured search result on Google. Google utilizes a number of factors to determine where a site ranks in its algorithm. And, this algorithm is constantly changing, so businesses have to keep up with the latest trends in SEO to ensure they’re keeping up with Google’s metrics.
To obtain the first-page status, businesses can utilize various tools in their arsenal which include
Organic ranking, which can be achieved through blog posts, guest blogging, and website traffic
The Google My Business Page, which lists the company address and contact information
Paid-for ads, which include landing pages and PPC (pay per click) ads on Google
Snippets of the website, which show up in the Google “answer box” for questions people are asking about the industry/business.
The more tools you utilize as a Plumbing + HVAC business, the higher your rank will crawl on Google. So, don’t simply rely on posting blogs or adding new products. Utilize paid ads, organic results, and make sure your site is as useful to your Plumbing + HVAC visitor as possible, to start seeing it climb the ranks in Google search results.
For any business owner, everyone knows that reviews come with the territory. Any business will receive negative reviews at some point in their career or another and hopefully, your business has positive reviews too. Reading the positive reviews can leave you encouraged and help your business, but negative ones can often be hard to read, hard to take, and can sometimes even hurt your business sales drastically.
How you and your company respond to positive and negative reviews will determine how well your business does and how it’s perceived to your customers. How they see you is one of the most important parts of running your business. But with all these different reviews, how can you make sure you’re responding in a way that’s going to enhance your business and not hurt it? Well, this article is going to break down exactly how you can respond to both positive and negative reviews in a way that will help your business flourish.
Firstly, you need to make sure that all of your responses are formal and polite. It doesn’t matter if you’re commenting on positive or negative reviews, but how your customers see and read your responses will determine how they perceive you and their perception of you will determine if they’re going to continue to be your customers or not. You have to protect you and your company’s reputation, so when you respond to any reviews, you need to carefully think through it, especially when you deal with negative reviews. The last thing you want to do is take a negative review, which reflects badly on your company and makes it worse by responding in the wrong way.
To handle positive reviews, you need to make sure you do three major things:
1) Track reviews. If you’re getting reviews, especially positive ones, you want to make sure you know who is giving out those positive reviews for your business. There are a lot of sites that can help you keep track, such as Yelp, Product Review, Trip Advisor, and more. Each time your business is reviewed, they will let you know.
2) Decide who handles the reviews your business receives. You need to have someone assigned who will read and respond to the reviews you get. This person is one you want to make sure knows how to respond politely and someone who has experience in the area – an inexperienced person who handles this could hurt your company, so you want to make sure you get the right person for the job.
3) Claim or create your business page. Sites like Yelp (mentioned above), Zomato, and Google Places use data gathered from online to create a page for your business. Some do this automatically, which is great for you, but others will only do it after you’re reviewed.
Some of the things you want to keep in mind when handling any type of reviews for your business is:
1) Always respond to positive reviews. Most people’s automatic responses are to respond to negative reviews but when you read a positive one, you want to thank that person and show that you really care. If you don’t respond to your customers, people who went out of their way to review your brand or business, it tells others that you don’t care about them and that could cause you to lose customers, which is the last thing that you want.
2) Handle negative reviews well. If you get into an argument with anyone who leaves a negative review, customers are going to see that you aren’t calm and they may even choose not to work with your business because of the bad attitude they see. You are a business and therefore, should respond politely and professionally. Always remember that, even when a negative review is left. Another thing to help with negative reviews is to take what they say into consideration. It may not be correct and it may be ridiculous, but you never know when someone’s honest feedback can help you improve your business which may end with you getting more customers if these issues are addressed at some point.
3) Whatever you do, never ever post fake reviews. Do not hire writers to leave reviews of your content, do not write them yourself. It may take a while, but let the reviews come naturally on their own. If you’re ever caught doing fake ones, your reputation will be ruined and your business will be hurt because of it.
4) Follow the rules of whatever site the reviews are left on. If you don’t, it could also end with you having a bad reputation, which again, is the last thing your business needs.
Whatever you do, here are things you don’t want to do:
1) Do not bribe your customers in exchange for reviews. This reflects poorly on you and your brand.
2) Do not send emails asking everyone in your email list for positive reviews. Begging for reviews looks just as bad as bribing does.
Here are some things you can do to make reviewing more convenient for your customers.
1) Use the logos of review sites in your store and your website.
2) In your store, give away comment cards that include the logos and website addresses of review sites.
3) Put a review us now button on your website
4) Always give your customers new and good reasons to review your business (examples of this would be new offers, products, etc).
5) Politely ask customers who have expressed to you that they’re really happy with your brand or business to leave a review.
6) Set a goal to get a few new reviews each month.
Setting up your own business can be hard and keeping it running can be even worse at times. Getting reviews can make or break your business in so many different ways. Too many negative reviews can lead customers away from you and your brand and too many positive ones can make them suspicious. Even though you have no control over what reviews are left, there are things you can do to help and hopefully, this article at least broke down the ways in which you can respond. The last thing you want to do is to respond in a way that reflects badly on your business. You and your business have enough to worry about without the added trouble of a bad response on your part. Remember to respond to all reviews, show that you care, and never ever argue with someone or respond rudely to negative ones. Be professional, especially if you want to be taken seriously as a professional.
Visibility has been the main challenge hindering the success of small businesses up to date. Having a fantastic business and eye-catching website can be of no importance if the potential customers cannot find you. That’s what necessities the need for Search Engine optimization. Search Engine Optimization is an art and science of improving your ranking on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP).
Google uses search algorithms to find websites that have quality and informative content, thereby improving its ranking on search engines. Google keeps on tweaking its search algorithms several times annually. This is a clear indication that amazing SEO is not something that is attained instantly; it is a continuous process that requires dedication and commitment.
Publishing Relevant Content
Quality content is the secret to improve your website rankings on search engines, and nothing else can substitute informative content. You can increase your website traffic by publishing relevant content for your target audience, as this will enhance your site authority as well as relevance. To realize this, you need to perfect your web writing skills.
Keywords
Every page on your website should have a unique keyword phrase. Take your time to define the phrases that the visitor can use to search for a specific page on your website.
Multiple Keyword Phrases
It’s never easy for a webpage to realize search engine ranking for several keyword phrases unless they are similar. A single page can rank multiple keyword phrases as long as they are somehow related, for example, Business jobs’ and business careers.’
If you intend to rank several keyword phrases with your website, you will be required to create separate web pages for the keyword phrases you are targeting.
Content
Besides the page URL, title, and headings, content is very crucial when it comes to search engine rankings. Your keyword phrase should appear several times on the page, not forgetting the opening and closing paragraphs.
These keyword phrases should be highlighted to make it easy for the reader to identify them. You can use the available writing styles to highlight them, such as bold, italics, and even heading tags. You should neglect good writing for SEO. What you need to understand is that pages are written specifically for the reader and not SEO.
Keeping your Content Up to date
Content is of much importance to the ranking of any plumbing & HVAC website. Keeping your content up-to-date is one of the ways that is used to determine how relevant the site is, so it is necessary to keep it fresh. You should set time to audit your content and make the required updates.
Consistency
To improve the SEO rankings on your website, you have to show consistency when it comes to publishing content on your blog. This builds trustworthiness among the visitors, and they will always visit your site because they believe that is the only place they can find answers to what they are looking for. To lure more visitors into your website, you should be consistently publishing new content, as this will create a good impression among your visitors.
You should overlook the consequences of not updating outdated or underperforming content. Visitors don’t like reading the same thing week in week out, and that’s why publishing new material is very crucial.
Readable Content
The content on your website should be easily readable. Your content should be in short and precise paragraphs, as this is what users want. Visitors are no longer interested in an endless block of content, and this may even turn them away from your website. You should strive to keep your content as short as possible while retaining the meaning.
The sentences should be short, and a paragraph should have no more than five lines. Readers find such content friendly, inviting, and easy to understand. Long paragraphs discourage the readers before they even begin to read them.
Provide Accurate Contact Information
Providing correct contact details is a trust factor search engine uses when ranking a website. You should provide your contact details so that users can reach out to you when in need. Users tend to lose trust in a business that does not have contact details as they think such businesses are no longer legit. Always include your phone number, location, and email address so that visitors can reach out to you easily.
The discussed above are some of the tricks on how to improve your website’s SEO.
We work with plumbing + HVAC business owners all over the country to uncover their problems, analyzing their competition, also developing a dominating growth strategy; we could easily charge $1,000.
We are offering this $1,000 strategy session completely Free. We will invest the time, resources, and expertise… all you have to do is invest your time.
Those who don’t take Step #1 can never take Step #2. Schedule your strategy session now.
How does your plumbing + HVAC business stand out in a very competitive market?
Plumbing + HVAC ads cannot merely depend on providing the lowest quote for a project.
Competition based on price is a battle that no plumbing + HVAC company wins.
With so many options available, clients are more concerned about the value offered by these plumbing + HVAC contractors. Effective marketing for plumbing + HVAC is all about designing a compelling offer and presenting it to your prospects in the right way. In fact, a persuasive plumbing + HVAC ad is what will make clients/prospects to call you for services. This post will explore five kinds of plumbing + HVAC ads designed to offer more value and help your plumbing + HVAC business to stand out in the crowded market.
1. Weather Specific Plumbing + HVAC Ads
Is your plumbing + HVAC business situated in an area that is affected by harsh weather? Hurricanes, tornadoes, and hails can damage the plumbing + HVAC, and as a consequence, offer job opportunities for plumbing + HVAC companies. Your business should take advantage of the harsh weather by providing repair work promotions during hail or hurricane tragedies. Alternatively, your business could offer free plumbing + HVAC inspections to determine the viability of a company or homeowner’s plumbing + HVAC system even before the harsh weather season starts.
2. Seasonal Plumbing + HVAC Ads
More like the weather-specific ads, these plumbing + HVAC ads depend on changing climatic conditions, such as spring to winter and summer to fall.
Increased rain/snow and changing temperatures can cause problems like leaks- issues that could have been solved by plumbing + HVAC company hired at the right time. These plumbing + HVAC ads should be appropriately timed to coincide with the right season.
3. Energy-Efficient Plumbing + HVAC Ads
If your plumbing + HVAC business use energy-efficient or green materials, this can be a great selling proposition for your plumbing + HVAC ads. By concentrating on dollars that property owners could save by using your services, you offer the value that reduces the cost of replacing their plumbing + HVAC system. Green plumbing + HVAC techniques are very famous nowadays, and that popularity can help to generate more leads for your business.
4. Portfolios
While plumbing + HVAC ads cannot display the whole portfolio of your past projects, you can use them to showcase high-profile plumbing + HVAC projects through close-up images. These images will give your clients an idea of what they should expect when they hire you for services.
5. Lead Magnets
This kind of plumbing + HVAC ad technique has been around for some time now. The concept behind it is to provide valuable information, like a checklist for making sure that your plumbing + HVAC system is safe during winter, tips on how to deal with minor plumbing + HVAC leaks, or a guide to selecting professional plumbing + HVAC contractor.
This piece of crucial information is known as lead magnets and helps your business to build trust and credibility with your potential clients while allowing you to nurture leads who eventually convert to become customers.
This post has just highlighted some of the plumbing + HVAC ads that you can use to generate leads for your business. If your business is not using plumbing + HVAC PPC ads, then you are on the verge of losing leads and clients. Please know that plumbing + HVAC PPC ads cannot replace your overall marketing or SEO. However, it is a great tool that can improve lead flow and help to promote your plumbing + HVAC services within your jurisdiction.
Start Your Plumbing + HVAC PPC Ads Now
We have received numerous complaints from Plumbing + HVAC companies who tried to do plumbing + HVAC ads on their own and ultimately believed that those ads were not worth their money and time.
That’s why at Blackstorm Plumbing + HVAC Marketing, we have hired a group of Google Certified Professionals who can help your business run successful plumbing + HVAC campaign. If you need help to implement profitable plumbing + HVAC PPC advertising campaign, please feel free to schedule a free PPC strategy session with our team today.
Stand Out From Other Plumbers & HVAC Online With Plumbing + HVAC SEO
Is your plumbing + HVAC business struggling to earn first-page search engine rankings?
If so, this post will discuss various plumbing + HVAC SEO aspects that will put your business miles ahead of your competition without breaking your bank account.
When a typical property owner requires plumbing + HVAC services, they use their smartphones or laptops to perform an online search.
Suddenly they find dozens of various options; the property owner will most likely select plumbing + HVAC contractors who appear on the first page of Google.
As a plumbing + HVAC contractor, you need to stand out from the rest and show that you are the best alternative for the property owner.
That said, it can be an overwhelming task to compete with other plumbing + HVAC contractors who offer competitive pricing and have been in the industry for long.
Without further ado, let us dive into SEO basics for plumbing + HVAC contractors.
What is Plumbing + HVAC SEO?
Plumbing + HVAC SEO refers to the process of optimizing your plumbing + HVAC web content and other factors so that you rank high in search engine results pages for essential queries.
Why Does Your Business Need Plumbing + HVAC SEO Services?
If you want to take your plumbing + HVAC brand to the next level online, then you must invest aggressively in plumbing + HVAC SEO to achieve great results.
Here are crucial reasons why your business needs to invest in plumbing + HVAC SEO services:
Plumbing + HVAC SEO Boosts Your Website Traffic
Organic search is the primary source of your overall website traffic, as well as an essential component of your buyer funnel and usually gets users to convert or engage. If your plumbing + HVAC business ranks highly in Google and other search engines, more and more prospects are going to visit your site, thus leading to increased sales. Quality plumbing & HVAC SEO and high-quality plumbing + HVAC website will take your business there.
Plumbing + HVAC SEO Increases Rankings & Visibility
One of the most crucial functions of SEO for plumbing + HVAC is improving visibility, which makes it easier for prospects to find your business online when they require plumbing + HVAC services that you provide. High visibility directly affects your rankings.
The higher you rank in Google, the more prospects/clients will find your services online and click through to your plumbing + HVAC website.
Plumbing + HVAC SEO will bring in High-quality Leads
A good hot lead is someone who knows they have a problem and they are actively searching for solutions to that problem. Based on your keyword selection choices, plumbing + HVAC SEO can produce itchy buyers who are ready to spend money on your plumbing + HVAC products or services. Plumbing + HVAC SEO will help your business to rank on the first page of Google, which means more prospects will land on your website, implying more leads and thus increased plumbing + HVAC sales.
Plumbing + HVAC SEO Helps Your Business to Remain Competitive in the Market
By incorporating essential keywords throughout your web page, you will be creating a theme that will help your plumbing + HVAC business rank organically in the search engine results for relevant queries like “plumbing + HVAC contractor in my area” or “plumbing + HVAC company near me” keywords.
How Long Does Plumbing + HVAC SEO take to Produce Desired Results?
One of the most common questions we get from plumbing + HVAC contractor is, “Will your plumbing + HVAC SEO services get my business on top of search results within a few weeks?”
Here are a few plumbing + HVAC SEO facts that you need to know:
Results Take Time– Plumbing + HVAC SEO can take up to several months before you see any noticeable results in your rankings. That is because search engines require time to crawl the content in your pages, analyze user interaction and behavior in your plumbing + HVAC website.
Lengthy plumbing + HVAC SEO campaigns translate to better results– An effective plumbing + HVAC SEO campaign means putting hundreds of hours each week for several months before you can attain notable results.
Two factors determine plumbing + HVAC SEO results– A good plumbing + HVAC SEO campaign leads to high search engine rankings but, more importantly, a steady inflow of new leads/ clients.
How Do You Find the Right Plumbing + HVAC SEO Agency?
The plumbing + HVAC SEO industry is always dynamic, and you need to stay abreast of the latest trends to maintain your higher rankings online
You require a reputable plumbing + HVAC SEO agency that understands your industry fully and are ready to develop a unique SEO strategy to help you reach more prospects and increase your revenue online.
When choosing a plumbing + HVAC SEO agency to work on your business, you need to consider the factors mentioned below:
Proven Track Record
Reputable plumbing + HVAC SEO agencies will always publish client testimonials and portfolios online to showcase their past projects to their potential clients. You need to select an agency that can deliver expected results hassle-free.
Area of Specialization
You also need to check whether the agency specializes in plumbing + HVAC marketing to help you get desired results. Also, examine whether they have achieved outstanding results with their plumbing + HVAC SEO services.
Pricing
When choosing plumbing + HVAC SEO company, pricing should not be the only factor. Also, you need to know that in plumbing + HVAC SEO, the quality of services will be determined by your budget. But it would help if you settled for a firm that offers fair prices compared to the competition.
Choose Blackstorm Plumbing + HVAC Marketing as Your Trusted Plumbing + HVAC SEO Agency
If you are searching for a reputable SEO agency to rank your business on top of search engines, why can’t you give Blackstorm Plumbing + HVAC Marketing team a call? Our Plumbing + HVAC SEO services take an organic but straightforward approach. We analyze your current rankings and investigate what your competitors are doing to outrank you online. We use the information obtained to develop a unique SEO strategy based on your rival’s weakness and your business strengths.
We understand that the market for plumbing + HVAC services/products is highly competitive. Your plumbing + HVAC business needs to stand out from the rest through a series of well-crafted online marketing strategies. Our team develops and implements the best plumbing + HVAC SEO strategies that will help you stay ahead of the curve. Your plumbing + HVAC company deserves a cut-throat marketing advantage, and a plumbing + HVAC SEO team will team that skyrocket your business growth.
Once you have achieved the first-page search engine rankings, it then requires be defending and maintaining against hungry rivals who want to scoop your leads. You scooped the first page Google position from another plumbing + HVAC contractor, and that plumbing + HVAC contractor will not sit idly as they watch you snatching their leads. Plumbing + HVAC SEO is a constant battle of who will oust another in search result rankings.
Have you ever partnered with Other Plumbing + HVAC Marketing Agencies Only to Get Poor Results?
At Blackstorm Plumbing + HVAC Marketing, we pick up where other SEO firms have failed because our approach is not based on mere guesswork but rather a methodical and precise procedure that has put countless plumbing + HVAC contactors on top of search engine results. When you partner with us, you can expect to improve your plumbing + HVAC leads and traffic every year. Our team knows how to boost organic rankings and get qualified plumbing + HVAC leads online. If you ready to take your plumbing + HVAC to the next level online, then contact us for a free SEO strategy session today.
Generate More Leads, Obtain Countless 5-Star Reviews, And Drive Traffic To Your Plumbing + HVAC Website With Google My Business Profile For FREE
As a plumbing + HVAC contractor, you need to market your business for it to grow and expand. However, marketing your plumbing + HVAC business can be an uphill task because of the massive budget and time constraints involved in the process. Since plumbing + HVAC is an on-demand industry where return clients are not common, you need to make sure that your business is listed with Google My Business so that prospects can find your business through search results online. This post will show you how Google My Business can help generate plumbing + HVAC leads, drive traffic, and increase sales for your plumbing + HVAC business. And the best part…….GMB listing is FREE!
Want to Make More Money as a Plumbing + HVAC Contractor? List Your plumbing + HVAC Contracting Business with Google My Business and Book More Jobs Today!
According to Google:
“Google My Business is a free and easy-to-use tool for businesses and organizations to manage their online presence across Google, including Search and Maps. By verifying and editing your business information, you can both help customers to find you and tell them the story of your business”- Google
As a plumbing + HVAC contractor, setting up your Google My Business account will assist you in managing how your business information appears on Google maps and Google search. It creates an easy way for prospects to find you online because it provides crucial information like your business location, name, opening and closing hours, plus phone numbers.
Here are a few advantages that plumbing + HVAC contractor can enjoy by listing their business with Google My Business:
Manage your Information
When business or homeowners require your services- particularly when facing a crisis- they will first do a Google search and contact the first plumbing + HVAC contractor they find on the page. As such, they are likely to reach your business if you have high local search listings. Listing your plumbing + HVAC business with Google My Business will make it easier for prospects to find your street address, website, location, and operating hours.
Collect Reviews
As with any other contracting business, plumbing + HVAC reviews help to generate more leads and increase your plumbing + HVAC sales. Google My Profile provides an excellent platform for plumbing + HVAC contractor to collect happy thoughts from previous clients.
Interact With Clients
Google My Business profile allows plumbing + HVAC contractors to read and reply to comments/reviews left by clients and uploading photos of their most recent work. As your clients leave their feedback, you must respond to them regardless of whether they are negative or positive.
Get Insights
Your Google My Business plumbing + HVAC profile will help you to know how people search for your services and regions they are coming from.
Boost Credibility
Your Prospects or customers have various options at their disposal when searching for a reputable plumbing + HVAC contractor in their neighborhood. Thus, you need to ensure that your business appears as a verified plumbing + HVAC business in Google search results.
Drive More Traffic By Creating Your FREE Google My Business plumbing + HVAC Profile Now! IT’S EASY!
Even if you have a limited marketing budget, your plumbing + HVAC business can get ahead of over 40% of your peers who have not claimed their GMB listing. Here a few steps to follow when listing your plumbing + HVAC business with Google My Business:
Sign in to the Google Account associated with your plumbing + HVAC business
Head over to google.com/business and click the “manage now” button in the right-hand side
Enter the name of your business
Enter your business address
Indicate the category of your business
Add your business website and contact details
Select a verification method
Optimize Your GMB Plumbing + HVAC Profile
Your plumbing + HVAC business needs to optimize its GMB listings to make sure that all the information remains up to date and current. Here a few things that you can do to optimize your GMB profile:
Post-high-value content regularly
Business information needs to be accurate and updated
Reviews- where you answer all reviews that your clients have left either positive or negative
Messaging- make sure that this feature is switched on so that you can know when a prospect wanted to reach out to you via text.
Photos- Here add as many real photos as possible to showcase your past projects to future clients
Are You Ready to Scale Your Plumbing + HVAC Business?
Are you ready to match out and outshine other plumbing + HVAC contractor in your vicinity?
Are you tired of depending on shared leads while you can generate yours for free?
Look no further.
If you need help to optimize your plumbing + HVAC GMB profile, this a job we have done over the years and have helped thousands of plumbing + HVAC contractor realize their marketing potential.
At Blackstorm Plumbing + HVAC Marketing, our team is dedicated to ensuring that your business gets found online through search results. If you are a plumbing + HVAC contractor who is serious about expanding his business, give us a call to schedule a free strategy session today!
Do you know that more than 50,000 websites get hacked every day?
As a plumbing + HVAC contractor, you must stay vigilant and prevent the bad guys (hackers) from compromising the integrity of your plumbing + HVAC website.
Website security can be a confusing topic for many plumbing + HVAC contractors because they have a lot of things to handle each day to keep their business running.
This post is meant to provide a clear framework for plumbing + HVAC contractors who want to apply simple security principles and mitigate the risk to their plumbing + HVAC web properties.
Without further ado, let’s dive into the website security for plumbing + HVAC contractors basics!
What is Plumbing + HVAC Website Security?
Simply put, plumbing + HVAC website security refers to actions taken to protect your website from cyber-attacks (the bad guys we mentioned earlier on). That said, website security is an integral part of managing your plumbing + HVAC website.
Common Plumbing + HVAC Website Threats and How to Fix Them
For most plumbing + HVAC contractors, website security practices become a priority only after a data breach has occurred. Others wrongly think that all they need is a good antivirus and a spam filter program to keep the hackers away.
That said, no plumbing + HVAC contractor is safe until he understands the potential security threats that can mess his plumbing + HVAC website. Here are the seven most common plumbing + HVAC website vulnerabilities that every plumbing + HVAC contractor must safeguard against.
SQL Code Injections
Sometimes, hackers can inject a malicious code to corrupt or access your plumbing + HVAC website database content. If successful, the hacker can read, delete, update, steal, or alter information stored in your database. SQL code injection is the most prevalent kind of web security vulnerabilities that any plumbing + HVAC contractor can dread.
SQL code injection can lead to destroyed data, compromised credentials, or make you lose control of your server.
Data Breach
Every plumbing + HVAC contractor knows that a data breach can cause irreversible damage to your plumbing + HVAC website. The most common causes of a data breach include malware, lost hardware, or software misconfiguration. As a plumbing + HVAC contractor, you need to train your employees on how to avoid phishing attacks and practice good password hygiene.
In case, you note that your plumbing + HVAC website data has been compromised, your business may face compliance or legal requirements for alerting regulatory authorities or clients.
Spam
Usually, plumbing + HVAC contractors perceive it as something annoying. But we all receive spam emails delivered to our inbox or see regular spam popup every time we are browsing something online.
However, sometimes spam is more disastrous. Spam in the form of comments is prevalent in most plumbing + HVAC websites. Bots can try to create backlinks with links from another site using the comments section of your plumbing + HVAC website.
While those kinds of comments are annoying and don’t look good on your website, they are not that harmful to your site. However, some of these links contain malware, which can adversely affect your plumbing + HVAC prospects if they accidentally click on them.
Furthermore, Google crawlers can quickly identify malicious links and penalize your plumbing + HVAC website for encouraging spamming. This will negatively affect your SEO rankings.
Viruses & Malware
Malware refers to malicious software. Thus, malware and viruses are synonymous. They are, no doubt, the biggest threat to your plumbing + HVAC website.
With malware, both the plumbing + HVAC website owner and visitors are at risk. Some prospects visiting your plumbing + HVAC website might accidentally download a malicious file that could adversely affect their computer performance. Every plumbing + HVAC contractor must strive to keep their site secure and stop that from happening.
DDoS Attacks
DDoS threats attempt to block prospects from visiting your plumbing + HVAC website. Here, the bad guys (hackers) overload your plumbing + HVAC website servers with traffic. Generally, this takes your plumbing + HVAC website offline.
Simple Security Tips to Safeguard Your Plumbing + HVAC Website from Hackers
Now that you know the common threats that can compromise your plumbing + HVAC website security; its time to prevent them from happening!
You can’t just sit down and assume that your plumbing + HVAC website is secure from phishing attacks! If you have not taken proactive steps to improve your plumbing + HVAC website security, then you are vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Here are some simple steps you require to take to beef up your plumbing + HVAC website security:
Keep Your Plumbing + HVAC Software Up-to-Date
Any plumbing + HVAC software that your business is using needs to be to be updated regularly. The bad guys are aggressively targeting the gaps in your software to compromise your plumbing + HVAC website integrity. As a plumbing + HVAC contractor, you must update and maintain any plumbing + HVAC software your business is using to keep hackers at bay.
Keep Your Plumbing + HVAC Website Clutter-Free
It is said that never try to judge a book by its cover, but your plumbing + HVAC website appearance will either encourage or turn away hackers from entering your plumbing + HVAC website. You must keep your plumbing + HVAC website design organized and delete any unused files that hackers may use to access information from your plumbing + HVAC website. That’s why it is essential to hire a professional website design agency to build a clean site for your plumbing + HVAC business.
Scan Your Plumbing + HVAC Website for Vulnerabilities Regularly
It is crucial to perform security scans regularly to check for the plumbing + HVAC website and server threats. However, these scans should be done on schedule, or any time you add web components.
Plumbing + HVAC contractors can also use the various free online tools available to assess how safe their site is.
They should also hire a plumbing + HVAC SEO agency to check whether the web security vulnerabilities are affecting their SEO rankings. Hiring a professional plumbing + HVAC web security professional to assess the weaknesses in your plumbing + HVAC website would help secure your plumbing + HVAC business from cyber attacks.
Develop and Enforce a Strong Password Usage Policy
All your team members must create and use strong passwords. Hackers typically use sophisticated software to steal passwords. To avoid this disaster, make sure that your passwords contain lower case and upper case letters, special characters, and numerals. Your password should contain at least ten characters.
Use HTTPS Protocol
If your plumbing + HVAC website is not using HTTPS protocol, then your business is at risk! This protocol essentially tells your site’s visitors that they are interacting with a secure server, and nothing can intercept what they are currently viewing.
Without the HTTPS protocol, the bad guys can quickly gather personal details from your plumbing + HVAC website visitors. This protocol also will help to boost your site SEO rankings. Google is nowadays rewarding secure websites that use https protocol.
Avoid File uploads
Allowing prospects/ clients to upload their files on your plumbing + HVAC website can compromise your site’s security. The risk is that any external file uploaded on your plumbing + HVAC website may contain a script that may open up your website if executed. If you have a file upload option on your website, then you need to treat every file with much suspicion.
Need a Secure Plumbing + HVAC Website? We Can Help!
Plumbing + HVAC website security is imperative because every contractor has a legal responsibility to ensure that their client’s details are safeguarded from the bad guys (hackers). Fortunately, the Blackstorm plumbing + HVAC marketing web design team can help!
Blackstorm Plumbing + HVAC marketing specializes in designing plumbing + HVAC websites that are appealing, secure, and converts lead into long-term clients. We believe that all plumbing + HVAC websites need to be safe. Hacked client personal details and data breach has been significant points of discussion in the recent past-and your prospects know this. Search engines like Bing and Google are giving preference to secure plumbing + HVAC websites.
If you want to improve the security of your plumbing + HVAC website but don’t know where to start, then don’t hesitate to book a free plumbing + HVAC web design strategy session with us today.
Let’s think of some big-name companies. Circuit City, Sears, Blockbuster, and Polaroid, just to name a few, are companies that were huge in their day. So, what happened to them? In short, they didn’t keep up with the changes or transition to what the modern-day consumer is looking for. Even with a great product line, these major companies have gone out of business. There’s just no way to get around the fact that businesses today have to know what the modern-day consumer is looking for, and has to deliver on it in order to stay in business and thrive.
Many tech startups have come and gone. Major players have fallen out of the public’s eye. Today, with technology and everything it has to offer, Plumbing + HVAC companies have to do more to keep up. It’s imperative that companies stay ahead of the curve if they want to survive in a highly competitive, online-driven world. The companies above have one thing in common. They lived in a seller’s market and weren’t willing to change or adapt to the buyer’s market. Eventually, they went bust.
Modern-Day Technology: It’s all Connected Meaning Your Company Has to be
There’s no need to “log on” any longer. Today, with mobile devices, consumers are always connected. You name it, and we’re connected. TV, our refrigerators, smartwatches, thermostats, and so many other devices are always on. And, with the IoT (internet of things) all around us, it’s virtually impossible for companies to think they can survive if they aren’t always on as well.
Mobility Reigns Supreme in Today’s Online-Driven Buyer’s Marketplace
On average, people are connected to their smart devices for about 17 hours per week. Step back and think about this for a minute. We’re checking email, we’re on our smartphones, tablets, and virtually everything is mobile. This is what the modern-day consumer is looking for, and this is what Plumbing + HVAC companies have to deliver if they want to stay afloat. If your website isn’t mobile-ready or mobile-friendly, it’s greatly going to hinder your ability to compete.
When people are “in need” of a good or service, they have a mobile device at their fingertips. Imagine your customer can look up the best mechanic, repair shop, or virtually any Plumbing + HVAC industry/company, from anywhere. So, if your company doesn’t have a mobile site, and customers can’t find you (or easily navigate your website on a mobile device), you’re going to suffer. Your website has to be responsive. It has to navigate easily on mobile devices, load quickly, and, above all, deliver exactly what the modern-day consumer is looking for when they want it.
And, it’s not only Google’s algorithms telling you that you need a mobile-ready site. With smartphones having GPS and other tracking systems built into them, you need to focus on local, as well as mobile optimization, if you want to ensure your audience can easily find you.
The Modern Consumer: Matching Their Needs with Your Business Practices
The internet has destroyed the Yellow Pages we relied upon in the 1990s. Today, any Plumbing + HVAC business has to have a mobile-ready site, if they want to reach the modern-day consumer. Being a local, Plumbing + HVAC service industry, isn’t enough today. Although it was enough 20 years ago, there’s so much competition that companies have to step their game up to keep up with the competition.
Think of it this way. A smartphone can compare dozens of plumbers (ac repair, mechanics, etc.) side by side. If your Plumbing + HVAC company isn’t easy to find online, you’re missing out on these local searches.
Tech Advances Go Hand-in-Hand with User Advancements
Technology is essential. We use it for communications, to get from point A to point B, to find things, track goals, and improve things. We need it and use it regularly. Therefore, companies have to find ways to keep up with the ever-changing need of modern-day consumers and understand that they’re using technology regularly, in order to remain in those consumers’ minds.
A Change in Mindset and Behavior: Competing in a Buyer’s Marketplace
Today, consumers are looking for the best. They aren’t just settling on a plumber they know or have hired in the past. It’s a buyer’s market. Technology gives consumers more choices and allows them to easily find what they’re looking for. Therefore, businesses have to make transitions to keep up with the modern-day consumer and their needs.
For any Plumbing + HVAC business, you have to remember that consumers are looking for convenience. They want your business to be easy to find, and they are only going to hire you if you are the best. So, you need to transition and you need to create your business as a leader within your Plumbing + HVAC in order to be seen by the modern-day consumer.
What’s Important for Today’s Modern Day Consumer?
Consumers focus on various factors in deciding on a Plumbing + HVAC company to hire. Some of the many important factors that the modern-day consumer is looking at includes
1. Reputation/ratings – Positive reviews from previous customers do wonder for your business and its online visibility and reach.
2. Information – Your company needs to provide relevant information, location, services, and everything the modern-day consumer wants to know, in order for the consumer to select your company, in your Plumbing + HVAC, as opposed to a competitors
3. Readily Available/Accessible – The website has to be responsive. Customers have to quickly find your Plumbing + HVAC site, it has to be mobile-friendly, and it has to be navigable. Can customers schedule an appointment online? Is there an FAQ page on your site? The more information you can provide, and the more readily available it is, the more likely the modern-day consumer is going to consider your company, within your Plumbing + HVAC industry, rather than turn to a competitor.
4. Cater to their needs – You need to go above and beyond to deliver what consumers want. Especially with so much competition online, and the fact that consumers can easily find dozens of Plumbing + HVAC competitors with a quick search on their mobile device, companies have to do as much as possible, to outshine their competitors.
Since a Plumbing + HVAC competitor is just a Google search away, your company has to work harder than in the past to reach the modern-day consumer. You have to cater to their needs, provide the best service, and make things (searches and information) readily accessible. Consumers are pickier today because technological advances allow them to be. If your company isn’t willing to cater to those needs, and the Plumbing + HVAC consumer, you’ll quickly find yourself in the seller’s market (think of those major companies we highlighted above), and out of business before you’d like to be.
Want to Get Chosen? What Your Plumbing + HVAC Business has to Do
Consumers today don’t think in the same manner as consumers of the past. Today, they can shop on Amazon, and buy products for a fraction of the price than they cost at department stores. And, they can have these items delivered in as little as a few hours.
Then, there’s Netflix. We can stream an entire season of a show or a movie over a weekend. The modern-day consumer wants immediacy. Uber and Lyft have basically abolished the Taxi industry. Why? The prices are cheaper, consumers can get a ride in a matter of minutes, plus they can get a driver with the touch of a button on their smartphone.
What does all of this tell you as a business? It should tell you that the modern-day consumer is in control. They want convenience and they’re going to do everything possible in order to get it. It’s possible to shop from virtually anywhere on a smartphone or tablet. And, with lower prices than in department stores, why wouldn’t the consumer do so?
Plumbers, ac technicians, mechanics, and other companies in these Plumbing + HVAC service industries, have to focus on adapting to the “anywhere, anytime,” mentality. If not, they’re going to get outdone by competitors who are willing to transition and are willing to give their Plumbing + HVAC audience exactly what they’re looking for.
A Digital Presence Matters
Consumers can find you virtually anywhere today. Your website is just one source of information for the modern-day consumer. Then, there are social media, there are online review sites, and there are other digital mediums where they can find you. What does this mean for your Plumbing + HVAC company? Basically, it means you have to do everything possible to ensure the information that the modern-day consumer is seeing is accurate. You have to work to ensure they can easily find what they are looking for, and that they are reading positive reviews about your company.
What are some ways you can improve your digital presence? And, what are some things you’ll want to change if the information isn’t correct? For starters, you’ll want to
– Check your email, telephone number, website address, and other contact information online
– Create a professional website, which is mobile friendly and easy to navigate
– Have an excellent logo, which depicts your company’s message and brand
– Have a social presence for your Plumbing + HVAC business on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media outlets.
It’s not enough to have these accounts. Today, you have to make sure that the information the modern-day consumer is seeing, is accurate. Therefore, you’re going to want to vet these sites like a business owner, focus on correcting the information that isn’t accurate, and making it a focal point to ensure you are getting positive information (in the form of online reviews), so that your Plumbing + HVAC consumer audience is seeing you in a positive light, regardless of where they find information about your company online.
Is Your Website User-Friendly?
This is quite possibly one of the most important factors to your Plumbing + HVAC consumer audience. You’ll want to have a desktop website as well as a mobile website. Remember, your audience is going to find you on their smartphone, their tablet, and other mobile devices when they’re on the go. If you’re not catering to the modern-day consumer, you’re going to miss out on reaching your Plumbing + HVAC audience, and you’re going to lose to local competitors within your industry as a business owner.
Are You Social?
The modern-day consumer is on virtually every social media app. Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook, are just a few of the many places where they can find your information. As a Plumbing + HVAC business owner, you’ll want to make sure that your audience can easily find you on these platforms. Furthermore, you’re going to want to update your social media accounts regularly, post to these accounts frequently, and engage with your audience as much as possible, in order to ensure you’re capable of keeping up with the industry demands, in today’s highly mobile consumer-driven marketplace.
Are Reviews Positive?
BBB, Yelp, Google reviews, are a few of the many places consumers are going to read about your company. So, what it says on these sites matters. In fact, it matters more than you might imagine in certain Plumbing + HVAC industries. As a business owner, you’re going to want to focus on creating a positive impact for the modern-day consumer online, so you’re going to have to make every effort possible to ensure you’re providing the best service and customer service to your current audience. Ask them to write reviews, and find out ways in which you can furnish more positive reviews, which will have a positive impact on the modern-day consumer that you’re trying to reach.
To Sum it Up…
Everything matters! You might think one negative Yelp review won’t hurt, but it does. Or, you might think that your lack of presence on Facebook isn’t important, but it is. With a buyer-driven marketplace today, and everything being readily accessible on mobile devices, it’s important to focus on being visible on mobile platforms as a business. Doing so will not only help you attract more consumers but also obtain the positive presence you’d like to have online, regardless of the Plumbing + HVAC audience you’re trying to reach as a business owner.
Create a Unique Selling Proposition to Showcase Your Plumbing + HVAC Company’s Value –
As a business owner, you’ll quickly learn that in Plumbing + HVAC industries, especially smaller ones, uniqueness is key to distinguishing yourself from the competition. Making your Plumbing + HVAC business distinguishable from others will help set you apart from the rest and help increase your customer engagement.
A Unique Selling Proposition (USP) is essential for every new startup trying to set themselves apart, and create a gap between themselves and other companies in Plumbing + HVAC. Your USP is what will set you apart from the rest, what indicates your company is superior to others, and what distinguishes the product/services you have for sale, that competitors don’t. Although marketing has changed significantly over the years, delivering a great USP is still key to distinguishing yourself as a leader in Plumbing + HVAC. And, it is something every startup has to do if they want to outshine the competition. Your USP has to be clear and must be immediately identified in every marketing campaign/material that your company sends out to your consumer audience.
A Unique Selling Proposition is going to be created based on various factors. Your company can set its USP based on
Location
Company size
Great customer service
Pricing (more affordable than competitors), and nearly any other focal point that distinguishes your business from the rest.
With these factors in mind, businesses must remember that creating a USP is more than just telling their Plumbing + HVAC clients, “we have the lowest prices.” Sure, lower prices is a great point, but what else does your company do better than the competition? You have to paint a picture for your Plumbing + HVAC audience with the USP you deliver. The more creative, and the more valuable your USP creates, the more it is going to distinguish your business from the competition in Plumbing + HVAC . Especially in a crowded marketplace, you’ll have to do as much as possible to set yourself apart from your competition. With a great USP, you’re halfway there!
What does it take for your Unique Selling Proposition to outshine the competition? First and foremost, it has to be completely unique from your Plumbing + HVAC competitors. If your USP is similar to other competitors, what value are you offering your customer? If your USP isn’t unique, customers aren’t going to look at your product and differentiate it from that of your competitor. Secondly, your USP has to be exciting. You want to deliver a USP that elicits conversation, you want it to spark interest in your Plumbing + HVAC audience. Third (and most important), your USP should be unique. If your Plumbing + HVAC competitors can easily copy it, or create something that is similar, then it is not unique. And, what value does this provide your customer?
What Does Your Business Stand for and What is it Known for? –
If you don’t understand what your business stands for and what you want it to be known for, how do you develop a creative USP? It’s impossible. Therefore, every Plumbing + HVAC business has to understand its focal point. They have to understand their values, what they want to deliver to their audience, and how they are going to sell and drive that point home to their audience.
You don’t want to be known for lots of different things. In a competitive Plumbing + HVAC niche, you want to be a specialist, and be viewed as an expert, in the product or service your company provides that competitors can’t offer. Confusing your audience is only going to push them elsewhere, and this is the last thing you want in a competitive Plumbing + HVAC niche. Understanding exactly what you want your company to be known for, will be the primary driving force behind creating your USP that you’ll deliver to your audience. When you select the good/service that you’re superior in creating, your business will become well-known for that, and you’ll be seen as an industry leader for that. This drives the creation of the exceptional USP you’re trying to put out there for your Plumbing + HVAC audience.
Need help in creating a powerful USP? Not sure where to start your campaign as a business? We can help you distinguish yourself as a leader, regardless of your location. Schedule your consultation with us today!
1. Weather Specific Plumbing + HVAC Ads
Is your plumbing + HVAC business situated in an area that is affected by harsh weather? Hurricanes, tornadoes, and hails can damage the plumbing + HVAC, and as a consequence, offer job opportunities for plumbing + HVAC companies. Your business should take advantage of the harsh weather by providing repair work promotions during hail or hurricane tragedies. Alternatively, your business could offer free plumbing + HVAC inspections to determine the viability of a company or homeowner’s plumbing + HVAC system even before the harsh weather season starts.
