12 Smart Ways to Increase Your Solar Sales
Did you know that solar energy accounts for 2.8% of total US electricity? Crazy, right? With all marketing efforts and the rise of several solar companies, we are not yet at 5%. There seems to be a lot to be done in helping the country go green and raising solar awareness. In this article, we cover 12 smart ways to help you increase your solar sales.
Understand the Local Market
A common mistake many solar companies make is jumping straight to direct mailing and promoting via their websites before understanding what customers think about solar energy. Customers in different markets have different beliefs about solar energy. To get some insights into what customers think, you can conduct focus group surveys. The survey results can vary from one market to another. In one market, customers may feel solar is expensive, while in another, it may be complex for them. With this information, you can better strategize on how to market yourself.
Set Yourself Apart
In a market so full of solar companies, it is very hard for prospective customers to identify which company suits them best. This means you need to make your brand unique and attractive to the right audience. You can start by selling a unique proposition for your solar brand, that “special” feature that provides economic value and long-term benefits to consumers. If your solar has high capacity, more output, or durability, explain to your prospects how these features will benefit them more than other brands.
Educate your customers
There is a considerable knowledge gap in the solar industry, more so among potential customers. And before customers buy a product, they like to gather as much knowledge as possible. When these customers do a web search, the first things that come up are just sales offers that don’t guide customers on how to make an informed decision. Therefore, if you develop and publish customized content, this can attract potential clients.
Do proper follow up
Never let your solar prospects cool down. Make a call within one minute when you receive prospects – this is one of the biggest drivers of lead conversion. Send your first email 20 minutes after getting the lead to appear more personal. Do a follow-up call and leave a voicemail within 30-60 minutes. Make the third call within 1-2 hours and make the fourth call within 5 days. Be persistent in your calls but do not annoy the prospect.
Use Ad extensions
To get more ad clicks if you are selling products online, use the ad extensions feature in Google AdWords and Bing to get more clicks on your ads. Ad extensions will allow you to make your ad bigger with a more “clickable” place without having to pay anything extra.
Use Customer Testimonials
Using customer testimonials is a proven technique that works in marketing, especially digital marketing. In today’s social media environment, customer feedback has become more important. Your happy customers can provide you with the social proof and trust that can help prospects turn into leads. Satisfied customers sell any advert or sales copy. Publish testimonials on your landing pages, pricing pages, or even on your homepage. This can work well if you are focusing on generating residential solar leads.
Create a Sense of Urgency
Creating a sense of urgency is an old successful marketing technique. Things like “limited time offer” and “end of discount” persuade customers to make a buying decision quickly. Many prospective customers are more likely to respond positively to time-sensitive incentive offers. For example, you can offer a discount on the solar installation cost, offer free shipping, or some other financial incentive to persuade customers to purchase solar.
Offer a Many Back Guarantee
Most of the time, customers hold back on their buying decisions to avoid the risk of financial loss. Why should these customers buy your solar system? What if the solar system does not work for them? If small purchases have the risk of “buyer’s remorse”, what about investing $ 25,000 plus in solar? Thus, to overcome this obstacle, offer a complete money-back guarantee. When the potential risk factor is removed from the prospect’s buying equation, the chances of them buying from you are higher.
Target Similar Audiences on Facebook
You can use your buyer persona information to find people who are similar to them. You can apply this tactic on Facebook to target lookalike audiences. All you need to do is to upload your buyer information to Facebook, which cross-references its own data and creates matches based on your specified criteria. This technique allows you to expand your reach with little effort on your side.
Optimize Your Landing Pages
Optimize your online ads to match your website’s landing page for call-only ads to encourage customers who actually browse the website and shop online. Running call-only campaigns on Facebook and AdWords’ is more effective than traditional landing pages. Many customers do not have the patience to spend several minutes just browsing pages on their phones, they just want to access the products that interest them.
Add an Opt-in Pop-up
Another effective way to generate solar leads is to add opt-in pop-up offers because they are not cold leads. Opt-in offers encourage people to sign up for newsletters, mailing lists, or loyalty programs. When prospects fill out a form asking for more information on solar panels and their installation, this indicates that these leads are more likely to convert.
Use Remarketing
Remarking your content to push a time-sensitive promotional offer has proven to be an effective way to increase sales online. This is because remarketing keeps the “brand recall value” in prospects’ minds. Remarketing also closely aligns with how consumers these days prefer to shop online – wherever they want to do it and whenever they choose.
Those are some of the strategies you can use to increase your solar sales. They are tried and tested and can significantly boost your solar sales. Some are specific, while others are more general in nature. However, if you are still looking to increase your sales through lead generation, we are ready to work with you here at Solar Exclusive. We offer highly-qualified commercial solar leads with high conversion rates. Join us today and set your business up for success.