What Homeowners Really Think Before Choosing a Water Filter

One thing I rarely see talked about, even by business owners and marketers in the water filtration industry, is how homeowners actually view filtration products. Not understanding the psychology behind how they view your products is why most online marketing campaigns fail in this space. After spending several years marketing in this industry and studying how homeowners view water filtration products, I realized something very simple but often ignored: Most homeowners believe every water filter works the same.

How Homeowners See Water Filtration Most homeowners have a general idea that their water contains contaminants and that they're behind the poor taste and smell they notice from their tap. They may not know the exact contaminants or the specific issues in their area, but they understand that something in the water is causing the problem.

Because of this, most homeowners are already using something to give themselves and their family cleaner drinking water. It might be bottled water, a filtered pitcher, a gravity-fed filter, a fridge filter, or even a basic faucet attachment.

This type of market is considered a solution-aware audience. They understand the problems in their water and they already know that filtering it or using bottled water are their best solutions

This Makes Marketing Water Filtration Systems Harder

Since homeowners believe their current solution works, they often don't see a reason to invest in a more expensive RO system or whole-home system. This can make it feel almost impossible to market your systems. At times, it seems like no one wants them.

The truth is that water filtration systems have a HUGE advantage over the cheaper solutions homeowners are already using. What many homeowners don't know is that bottled water often contains traces of microplastics, and most of the basic filters they rely on use simple carbon media that can't remove every contaminant in their tap water. Their solution might make the water taste or smell better, but it doesn't mean the water is actually contaminant-free.

So instead of trying to convince people that they need a filtration system, you need to show them why they should pick your systems over other cheaper alternatives on the market.

How To Make People Choose Your Systems Instead Of Cheap Alternatives

Getting people to choose your systems isn't as hard as it seems, but to do it properly, you need to change the way you are already marketing. Most water filtration companies today market their systems by trying to convince homeowners why they need one. This approach rarely works, as most homeowners already use some type of solution.

When someone sees an ad telling them why they need a filter or educating them about their water, they scroll. In their mind, they think, “I already know this, and I already have a filter.” This is where most campaigns fail. They speak to homeowners as if they are unaware, but most people in this market are already solution aware.

When marketing your systems, you need to give people a reason to stop using the solution they have and choose yours instead. This doesn't mean being vague and saying your system is “better.” It means being specific and showing the clear, practical differences between your product and the cheaper alternatives they use.

Highlight the issues of bottled water and cheap basic filters, then explain how your system solves the same problems without the limitations. For example, you could create a simple comparison ad between bottled water and your system. Show proof of microplastics being found in bottled water, and contrast that with the consistency, long-term value, and reliability of your filtration system. When you make these comparisons clear, homeowners finally understand why upgrading makes sense. Does this work for every marketing platform? The short answer is that it works in some cases, but not the same way. At Rift Marketing, I've have found that this approach performs incredibly well on passive platforms like Facebook. These audiences are usually made up of people who have been putting off getting a system, people who rely on filtered pitchers, or people who mainly drink bottled water. Since most of them are not fully aware of the issues with those solutions, the comparison strategy captures their attention very well.

Google is different. People searching on Google already know they want a system. They are actively researching options, comparing brands, and trying to figure out which company they can trust. Because of this higher intent, your messaging on Google needs to shift. Instead of comparing your system to bottled water or basic filters, you need to show why your company is better than others. Does this work for every market? So far, this approach has worked extremely well in multiple markets. We've seen consistent success in cities like Calgary, Alberta, Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area, Edmonton, Alberta, and Charlotte, North Carolina.

Based on the research I've done, this method should work in most cities and most water filtration markets. However, every region has its own water issues and its own homeowner mindset, so it is always important to do your research first. Understanding the local contaminants, common concerns, and how homeowners in your area typically handle their water problems will help you tailor this strategy to your local market.