Grow Your

A systematic step-by-step approach to increase your ductless sales.These proven techniques will not only grow yourductless business but grow your overall HVAC business.

White PaperExecutive Summary

Ductless Business

ABOUT MICHELLE .......................................... 11

CONCLUSION ................................................. 12

CLAIM YOUR LISTING ..................................... 13

CONTACT INFORMATION ............................... 14

REFERENCES .................................................. 15

TABLE OF CONTENTSINTRODUCTION ...............................................3

CHALLENGES FOR HVAC CONTRACTORS ........4-5

STUDY 1 ...........................................................6

STUDY 2 ........................................................7-8

STUDY 3 ......................................................9-10

“I skate towhere the puck is going to be,not where ithas been.”

The growth in ductless products and sales is impressive. In fact, it’s the fastest growing sector of the HVAC industry. The ductless heat pump is gaining popularity across the entire United States.

The ductless heat pump is transforming the way people heat and cool their home. They have the highest level of satisfaction of any product in the heating and cooling industry. The ductless heat pump can also transform the lives of the HVAC contractor.

In every market and every town across America, someone will emerge as “The Ductless Guy.” Who will it be? For over 11 years a marketing company has been tracking this phenomenon and has implemented a step by step process that will help any HVAC contractor in any market grow their ductless business.

that you can use to gain more visibility, elevate your existing website and increase the likelihood of getting targeted leads from people who are searching for a ductless heat system with the intent to buy.

Today, there is a window of opportunity for every heating and cooling contractor to take advantage of this opportunity, but like every opportunity it won’t last forever. The opportunity to separate your company from the rest of the pack is now.

Top dog? Or underdog?You decide.

Read on to learn about the problems HVAC contractors face in growing their business, the incredible growth in ductless sales, and discover a resource - Wayne Gretzky

The Ductless DirectoryWhite Paper Executive Summary

Let It Go To Work For You

A window of opportunity is a period of time during which a rare and desired action can be taken.Once the window closes, the opportunity may never come again. In a competitive market with many participants

seeking to gain market share, the online landscape will become more and more competitive andharder and harder to maximize tangible results.

Your Window of Opportunity

When was the last time something exciting and innovative happened in the home heating and cooling industry? Some say never.

The ductless heat pump is transforming the way people heat and cool their homes. These customers are solving major home comfort problems. Some are experiencing savings of up to 50% on their utility bills, some are enjoying more comfort, and some say they feel healthier now that they aren’t forcing air through dirty duct work. This is indeed exciting!

These customers are the happiest customers in the industry. Their value goes well beyond selling them product today, they will endorse your business by writing positive reviews and rave about their new ductless product and the company that installed it. They become ambassadors of the ductless technology and your company. Its word of mouth marketing at its best!

It can also transform the livesof contractors.

Many HVAC contractors don’t realize how popular ductless has become. It’s outpacing the general market. General HVAC system sales are expected to grow

The Ductless Directory is a resource to be used. This product is the most exciting thing that has happened in the heating and cooling industry in a very long time.

Be there when they are searching. List in “niche” specific directoriesFind highly targeted “niche” specific directories to submit to. Submitting to directories like this is extremely valuable, because they’re HIGHLY relevant.

~ excerpt from Bring It SEO

at a rate of 5.7% CAGR. By comparison, ductless sales are growing at a rate of 8.1% CAGR. Ductless sales are growing 42% faster than the general HVAC market.

Where is the playing field? The biggest opportunity is online. Whoever dominates the search results will dominate leads in the territory. Staking your claim now is vital to your success. Seizing your spot in search results in your territory must be the number one goal.

Being successful has to do with recognizing this window of opportunity and knowing how to use your resources.

The Riches are Inthe Niches

HVAC contractors have one of the most difficult SEO (Search Engine Optimization) projects.

For any business, one of the biggest costs is that of customer acquisition. These costs are a combination of advertising and marketing efforts to get people to choose your business. With an average cost per customer between $200 to $300, it can be a challenge.

Your website and digital presence play

A quick search of keywords shows hundreds in the ductless category alone. Potential customers are searching for top ductless terms more than 65,200 times every month! Search engines list more than 73 million websites that use these terms. Competing in this area are the online wholesalers and retailers like Home Depot.

It’s easy to get lost.

a significant role. Unless customers are already doing business with you, nearly every inquiry starts with a web search. That’s why SEO is critical to generating leads.

Unfortunately for HVAC contractors, SEO comes at a high cost. Results are inconsistent. Many contractors hire SEO companies and don’t get results or are disappointed with the results because they don’t get the leads they want.

ChallengesFacing HVAC Contractors

HVAC contractors face unique marketing challenges.There are many reasons why HVAC has a higher than average difficulty with SEO.

HIGH VOLUME OFVALUABLE SEARCH TERMS The consumer searches for your products and services in countless ways. There are well over 1,000 valuable search terms for the heating and cooling related terms. Additionally, many HVAC contractors offer water heaters, tankless water heaters, duct cleaning, duct sealing services and other products or services that dilute their overall message.

While some industries might have a basket of 10 or 20 keywords, the HVAC contractor has a basket of thousands of terms.

Many contractors want to be “The Ductless Guy” but the ductless message gets lost on their website.

PROBLEM #1 PROBLEM #2NO CLEAR MESSAGE,NO DIFFERENTIATORMany contractors lack a meaningful message or have an outdated message or mission statement that doesn’t connect with the consumer. Additionally many contractor sites are poorly organized making information hard to find.

Ductless systems are new and exciting; consumers are seeking information but hard pressed to find what they’re looking for. Consumers are often frustrated with the lack of information available to them and seek answers often from a 3rd party source.

According to a study performed by Burke, 8 out of 10 people will use a print or online directory to find companies or products they are looking for. The same study also suggested that 8 out of 10 people who use these directories to locate a business do so with the intent to purchase a product or service from them.

~ excerpt B2Bcommunity.com / business directories benefit business

Offsite SEO is Missing or Poorly DoneThe HVAC industry is highly targeted by SEO companies that are unfamiliar with the HVAC industry andun-skilled in SEO – many offer cookie cutter services that miss the mark. Almost every HVAC contractor has a story about how their marketing funds were mis-managed. Many HVAC websites miss the mark on offsite promotion. There’s a tendency for their websites to be very heavy on irrelevant content while ignoring the opportunities to be referred to by quality offsite resources.

The backbone of offsite SEO is quality links to your site. Every website needs a differentiator, something that elevates it from their competitors.

It is important to remember that Google will compare your site to your competitor’s site – one will rank higher than the other based on their algorithm. Knowing how to use resources that promote your company is an important piece of the puzzle.

There is a better way that works.The Ductless Directory is a less expensive alternative and promotes your company like never before.

The Ductless Directory is a national ad campaign created by a Marketing and SEO firm that has delivered results to HVAC contractors for over 11 years. The campaign promotes the ductless product as well as the ductless contractor. Members are promoted via a Robust Website, a Contractor Listing, Featured Product, YouTube channel, Press Room, Blog, Facebook and the State Pages – which provide regional information regarding rebates and incentives.

PROBLEM #3

“I created the Ductless Directory as a way to lift up our contractors, to provide somethingof value that was reasonable and affordable and adds value to their business.” -Michelle LaFrance, Founder

Your inbound marketing efforts need to be efficient in order to drivetraffic to your website and customers to your business.

Study 1: Looking Through the Eye’s of GoogleImagine you are a Google bot. Your job is to evaluate Ductless Contractors in your city to see who should be placed at the top of Google searches. Now in what order will you list these contractors? Who will be at the top of the map listing? Who will be at the top of the organic search and in what order will you list these contractors on your first page results?

If you step into Google’s shoes to look at your site from their point of view, you get a whole new perspective. Now you see that you are being evaluated from a completely different point of view.

What will Google Find?~ Is your website an island with no relevant links to it? ~ Did some SEO company buy a bunch of cheap, spammy and unrelated links to your site? ~ Will they find the quality referrals to your site from high quality sources?

Once you understand theimportance of a backlink, you can plan accordingly. It’s not enough for your site to say you are great, it’s about who refers to your website online. It’s a quality game, not a quantity game.

The value proposition of the Ductless Directory and all of its assets is that when they provide a link back to your site it adds value to you. It adds value to

is a robust website featuring the ductless product and the ductless contractor. High efficiency contractors gain a full web page, their YouTube channel provides video marketing, they have a Press Room that produces Press Releases, as well as Blog posts, and social assets. All of these have the opportunity to refer or link to your company which in turns brings you into favor with Google’s algorithm and how they rank you.

your credentials. It adds value to your SEO. It gives you another citation which helps with your map listing, your rankings…it helps with everything. And it is the highest quality referral you can get because it is not only specific to your industry, it’s specific to a product in the industry. It is highly targeted, relevant and valuable.

The Ductless Directory is more than an online directory. It

Backlinks are the backbone of your website –the stronger they are, the better the position of your website.

~ Search Engine Journal

“First and foremost we are a marketing company with superb SEO skills. I created the Ductless Directory to be a win for everyone involved. It elevates the contractor, the manufacturer and the product and of course

it’s a win for us as we are very proud of its contribution to the industry.” ~ Michelle LaFrance, Founder

The Ductless Directory adds quality and relevancy to your company.

Study 2: The Case for Directories3 critical reasons why your business must take advantage of online business directories to help you get more customers:

Maximize Exposure: Every day potential customers are searching for your products and services. More often they are finding online directories.

Social Proof: When prospects find your company in other places, like online directories, you build familiarity, credibility and trust.

Low Cost: Many directories have a low cost of entry making it one of the best marketing values your business can have. ~business2business community

Backlinks are links that travel from another website to your website.Ideally, those links come from other relevant websites

within your niche and industry.

Increase Google Map Listings.More Back Links to your website

(Links are still one of the top ranking factors for local search). The more quality links you have to your website, the higher

the GMB listing tends to rank.

~ Web 2.0 Ranker

List in “niche” specific directories.There are plenty of main stream

commercial type directories available to list in, with a little bit of searching, you can often find highly targeted “niche” specific

directories to submit to also. Submitting to directories like this is extremely valuable,

because they’re HIGHLY relevant.

~ inc.com/ John Rampton

List in directories that are a paid service. High quality sites are worth submitting to as they moderate everything that comes in. It’s also less likely that anyone building

a spammy site will spend the money to list in a directory that requires payment.

~ Search Engine Land

An intelligent directory strategy provides depth to your SEOcampaigns and offers tangible benefits including:

Quality referral traffic • Trust and Authority Signals • A more diverse link profile • And of course, the link

Seek relevancy. Ask yourself if this link has the potential to send qualified traffic to your site.Even if it’s a small amount of traffic, it’s probably worth the effort. ~SEOmoz

Why high-quality backlinks are good.High-quality backlinks are good for an

obvious reason. They are… well, they’re high-quality. That means they are

intrinsically beneficial to your company for SEO rankings.

~ NEAL Patel, online expert

According to Google, roughly four out of five consumers use search engines to

conduct local searches.Many small businesses have not claimed

a single local business listing online, a huge missed opportunity. Get your

business listed correctly and consistently on top online directories. Seek out respectable local directories. It’s

important to get your business name, address and phone number (NAP)

listed consistently on as many of these directories as possible.

~ Search Engine Land

The importance of building links toyour site cannot be understated.

Do this and you’ll be well on your way to higher search engine rankings. Look for

resources that already deliver highquality content. Look for high-quality link

opportunities to take advantage of.Good examples are related blog post and

online directories.

~ Traffic Travis

Use directories to increase quality NAP (name, address, phone) listings.Consistent NAP and business information is key. Google tends to rank Google My Business (Google Maps) listings higher where the brand has a strong, consistent and prominent online presence across the top social profiles and business directories. ~ Web 2.0 Ranker

Use local directories as they provide another quality citationwhich can help a company with their map position.Google map listings require citations. What is a citation? It is the occurrence of your name address and phone online. Getting on Google’s maps requires a shift in thinking because it has a different algorithm. Submit to online directories to get the backlink AND the citation.~ SEOMOZ, David Mihm

It’s about the citation.

Study 3: A Case for the Ductless DirectoryDoes your website have roots or will it blow away with the wind?For 17 years the creator of the Ductless Directory and her company have been asked to help companies generate more leads by rising to the top of search results. In every instance the process is the same: to evaluate the competitive landscape to see who holds the top search results.

The next step is to develop a plan to bump someone off the map listing or down the search results. There is no nice way to state it… it’s the way of the internet. It’s a jungle out there! and whoever has the best strategy wins.

Knowing how to lay a solid online foundation is the heart of the Ductless Directory. It is what every ductless contractor can tap into when they become a member.

A typical directory provides a place for your NAP (Name, Address, Phone). The Ductless Directory does that and so much more.

Think of it as a national advertising campaign promoting ductless technology and the ductless contractor but at a fraction of the cost.

website. While it may have product information, it gets lost in a sea of other products. The one page on a contractor site does not compare to volumes of quality content on The Ductless Directory. In addition, that one page won’t necessarily help you rank high in search unless you’re willing to spend a small fortune to buy ad positions on every search engine. Even if it does, why not grab another spot on the first page results?

What’s different about the directory is that it’s industry specific AND its product specific. It offers the highest quality and highest relevancy link a contractor can get.

The Ductless Directory is unique in that not only does it provide a way to give your company a listing, you can also use it to get videos, press releases, blog posts, post projects and get promoted via their social channels.

Most contractors will add a page about ductless onto their

“In making any decision it’s important to ask yourself: What do I stand to gain? What do I stand to lose? With fair price points for every level of service, I’ve made sure that every contractor can

participate in this resource and gain a competitive advantage.”~ Michelle LaFrance, Founder

What You’ll Find On The Ductless Directory• Benefits Section: Here the consumer can identify the benefits of going ductless. From saving money to increasing indoor air quality. Many people find relief from allergies when they go ductless.

• Application Section: Helps the consumer self-identify themselves as a ductless customer by showing them when it is a good time to consider ductless. It could be during a remodeling project or it could be for a new home. We show them that any time is a good time to go ductless.

• Resource Section: They know how important it is for the consumer to find a quality contractor and not shop on line for this product. We educate the consumer on the importance of hiring a quality contractor.

• Blog Posts: Blog posts can be used to promote individual contractors with a unique project, to address an issue in a certain location or simply to advocate for the product.

• Press Releases: The directory has a Press Room and can provide additional visibility to its members via Press Releases at a nominal fee.

• Video Marketing: High Efficiency contractors get high quality videos which are promoted via The Directory’s YouTube channel.

• Brand Pages: The Brand pages are new and are available to manufacturers of ductless products. The Brand pages give additional exposure to the manufacturer and in turn to their contractors.

• Featured Product Pages: Every month the Directory will feature a new product. This provides a means for the manufacturer to present a product that they want to promote or bring special attention to.

• The State Pages: The State Pages were created to provide information about rebates and incentives as well as financing options available to residents of that state. They also give additional exposure to the brand as there are sponsorship opportunities available.

Every website needs something that differentiates it from their competitor’s websites.The Ductless Director is a true game changer. Plug into the power.

The Ductless Directory was created by a

marketing company and SEO firm that is constantly looking

for ways to lift up the contractor and help them

be successful. All of the leads are sent directly

to the Find A Contractor section. They don’t sell

the leads.

High efficency members (The Premium Level

Membership) may by eligible for special pricing on ongoing online press

release campaigns.

About Michelle LaFranceThe Story Behind the Ductless Directory

How did you end up in the HVAC industry? I love this question. I never set out to be the marketing advocate for ductless heat pumps, yet here I am. Everyone has a story and this is mine.

My passion for ductless started 11 years ago in 2008 – one of the worst recessions. An HVAC contractor called me up to say he was worried whether he could survive the economic downturn. He was betting that ductless heat pumps – popular all over the world but only now being introduced in the U.S. – were going to be the product of the future. He wanted to brand his business as the leader in ductless and asked if I could get him to the #1 position in search. “Yes!”I said. After a moment of silence, I asked him “What’s a ductless heat pump?”

I wondered if I could survive the downturn myself.

When I got the call from the HVAC contractor, I doubt he knew that when asking me to save his company, he in turn was helping to save mine. Throughout the West Coast, news of my client’s success grew. Other contractors contacted me and we duplicated the success over and over again. I became known as “The Ductless Marketing Gal.” The ductless heat pump not only saved my client’s company, it saved mine, too. It explains my passion for the product and the contractor.

Today, The Ductless Directory is a comprehensive resource for consumers and a business builder for contractors and manufacturers. We take our years of success and put it to work for you.

We created high-quality online marketing around his ductless business. We quickly ranked him number one in search results. He dominated the first page of results with as many as 8 listings on the first page! In the worst of the recession, I was getting thank you notes saying he was booked solid for six weeks.He had his best year ever. This is an example of the benefits of being the early adopter.

I speak about how ductless products transform the lives of the consumer and how they transform the lives of the contractor. The truth is the ductless heat pump transformed my company as well.

Going back to 2008, my company got hit hard too. I was heavily networked in the Home Builders Association of Portland, Oregon and my client base was primarily home builders and remodelers…they were dropping like flies. It felt like my entire client base disappeared overnight.

Someone is going to emerge as The Ductless Guy.It’s going to happen in every town and city across America. It’s not if. It’s when. Who will it be?

Conclusion

While everyone else is doing the same old, same old you can play a smarter game. The Ductless Directory is a smarter game. It’s a game changer.

If you want to be ‘The Ductless Guy’ you need to have a differentiator.

• Because of the volume of searches The Ductless Directory organically rises among the top results. If customers click, you want to be listed there

• It will drive inbound leads to your website and business

• It helps with your website’s SEO because of links to a credible source that search engines recognize as having High Domain Authority (DA)

• A high volume of consumer-focused information which attracts visitors and is recognized as independent and credible information

• Creates an “implied endorsement” from a credible source

Before it ever becomes a lead, they wonder about it.

The human brain researches with questions.

The Ductless Directory has the answer.

Customers Using Directories Are Now BuyersHere’s the best part about directories: 8 out of 10 people that use these directories are doing it to find a business with the intent to purchase. It is highly targeted advertising from potential customers that are ready to buy.

Claiming your listing in the Directory is the first step toward your success. It will help any contractor in any market and the cost of entry is easy.

Online directories have longevity, have high amounts of traffic, and are trusted by search engines.Since Google likes these characteristics, its first page of search results regularly contain pages from

online directories. If you get listed in an online business directory, you have a chance of benefiting fromtheir well-established SEO and showing up on the first page of Google. ~ Check Out Media.com

“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” - Wayne Gretzky

If you’re the visionary or early adopter type you know how important it is to claim your place in Google search results BEFORE the market matures. The point of entry is easy for any contractor to participate.

Signing up is easy. Choose between a Good, Better, Best or High Efficiency listing.

Claiming your listing in the Directory is thefirst step toward your success.

It will help any contractor in any market and the cost of entry is easy.

Click here to claim your listing: https://ductlessdirectory.com/create-a-listing/invitation/

Claim Your Listing

MORE INFORMATION:

“We’re a skate-to-where-the-puck-is-going-to-be company. It’s better to predict and prepare for an opportunity than

it is to chase it later.”~ Michelle LaFrance, Founder

If you’re ready for real results, we can help. We specialize in the HVAC industry with special expertise in Ductless

Marketing…we know this space very well.Your company in the Ductless Directory is your best first

step to grow your ductless business.

Take your marketing to the next level with our dedicated ductless websites, custom messaging, marketing programs that get you on Google maps, and techniques to help you

sharpen your sales skills once you get the lead.No matter where you are in your ductless journey,

we can help. Let’s talk.

Michelle LaFrance, Founder8362 Tamarack Village #119-193 • Woodbury, MN 55125

(833) 568-9474 • michelle@heysmartypants.com

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Ductless Heating & Cooling Systems Market Worth 78.62 Billion USD by 2021https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/ductless-heating-cooling-systems-market-worth-7862-billion-usd-by-2021-2016-10-26-112033130

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