Differentiate Your Company with the Ductless Directory

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Transcript of Conversation

Kyle Gargaro, ACHR News

00:00:

Well, Michelle, thanks for the information. I know we’ve kind of touched on ductless directories as if everyone knew it, and I’m sure maybe a few people do. So if you want to talk a little bit about what ductless directories is all about as we wrap up here.

Michelle LaFrance, The Duchess of Ductless

00:13:

Yeah, for me, I saw the future of offsite marketing years ago, and I always knew that was the key. At the time, I was living in Portland when I came up with this idea. The ductless heat pump is transforming the way people heat and cool their homes, and it was growing like wildfire.

I started thinking about the problems many contractors face; they often get treated like commodities. Consumers and even Google do this when you conduct a product search—you could go to Home Depot or Amazon.

00:49:

So differentiation is key; it’s the name of the game. How can I help contractors stand out? It started with the directory. I reversed engineered what Google wants: to find contractors from their websites in highly relevant and authoritative places. I collaborated with web developers and said, “Let’s do it.” They understood the task: build something highly relevant with authority. That’s how we decided on the directory.

The directory is not for every contractor. I turn people down at least once a week. There are many who understand the power of a directory, but it truly aims to differentiate and support suitable contractors.

01:36:

To be included, you must be a good contractor, attached to a brand, and trained. If you meet these criteria, you’ll join the directory, and I can often get you a first-page result in just five hours. It’s incredible how powerful it is!

From there, I’ve established five pillars that support the website. My team suggested expanding to a YouTube channel, which led to a robust video marketing program. My videos often rank at the top of the search results. This is how we systematically dominate searches: for every first-page search result I achieve for a contractor, another gets pushed off the first page. Sorry, but if you’re in my race, I’m going to help you win.

02:28:

When we talk about videos, I offer different types: short-term videos on the Ductless Guy YouTube channel, high-impact videos, case study videos, and then we implement our press room strategy followed by featured articles. At the end of the day, my contractors win the race. This is a unique and powerful offsite marketing strategy that we’re proud of. Contractors appreciate the effort because differentiating has become increasingly challenging, and we help them own the search.