As you and your crew travel between job sites, you certainly notice others who are in the landscape business. You probably even know quite a few of your competitors. So, you understand that you need to stand out from the crowd.
Five tips for promoting your own lawn care business are: You need to – develop an online presence, maximize the internet, focus on customers, advertise at job sites, and showcase specialty services.
Just as you need to tune up and maintain your equipment, you need to do the same to develop and promote your business. Continue reading for ideas and suggestions on how to let more people know about you and your business.
Develop an Online Presence
Online is such an encompassing term. There are several different aspects for you to consider utilizing for your lawn care business. You need to be on the internet with a website. A component of your website, or you can email newsletters, should be a blog. Lastly, social media can be a great tool for small businesses.
Website
If you do not have a website, that should be your first step to seek to tout your business. If you have a website, this is a good time to make sure it is up-to-date and meets your needs. Depending upon whether you are tech-savvy or have the time, you can hire someone to create this for you. Several small businesses can assist you. Make sure your website is easy to use on Smartphones.
At the minimum, your website needs –
- Company name and logo
- A listing of your services
- Areas serviced
- Before and after pictures of completed jobs
- Reviews from current customers
- Experience of the crew
- Contact information
- Blog Posts or Newsletter
A great feature to add to your website is a blog, or you can use an email blast and send newsletters. Either is a great way to provide information to your customers. However, remember newsletters will only reach those on your email list. Blogs are available to everyone who views your webpage. You can combine the two and send an email blast when you have posted a new blog.
Writing blogs with information about which bushes provide the most privacy, or natural fertilizers that you use in your business will let you display your knowledge. Generating blogs will also direct traffic to your website. Therefore, you can increase your customer base with blogs. Informative posts are also an effective means to let current customers know of other services you offer.
Social Media
Using social media to reach current and potential customers is another great way to develop your online presence. Consider having an account that focuses on residential customers, and another that concentrates on commercial accounts. Use these to demonstrate your lawn care business’s expertise. Pictures with captions are a terrific way to quickly establish yourself.
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Maximize the Internet
The internet is a fabulous tool, but letting your information stagnate on the internet will not assist you in promoting your business. There are two areas to begin exploring to maximize the internet. One is timeliness; the other is all the tools available online. These tools continually evolve, so staying current is important.
Timeliness
Your social media posts, website, and blogs need to be current. Set a schedule for when you will update each. Maintaining this schedule is as important as arriving to your customers as promised. You do not need to post daily.
Your postings should reflect seasonal changes that your business is planning to address. If winter is coming in the next month, your posts should reflect what your business can do to assist your customers.
Tools
Search engines provide several free tools; others have fees associated with them. Utilizing these resources will assist you in steering new and increased traffic to your website. Names of these assets vary by search engine and are often updated/changed by the search engines.
- Business Profile or Places for Business– links your business to search engines and maps
- SEO Tools – search engine optimization or effective use of keywords
- Keyword Planner – assistance on words and phrases that will result in better placement on search results
- Diagnostic Tools or Search Analytics – tracks traffic to your website, length of time on site, and if a contact request was made
- Search Engine Advertising or SEA – paid ads that will appear on search results pages
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Focus on Customers
Without your customers, you do not have a business. Customers are more apt to tell others about your business when they feel your business consistently performs well. Including your customers in your business will help you retain current customers and attract new ones.
Appreciation
All customers want to know that you value their business. It does not need to be costly. Now and then show your customers how much you appreciate them. It can range from thank you notes to planting a free flower for customers to adding a sapling to their yard.
Communications
There are a few ways in which you can effectively communicate with your customers. Judicially sending email blasts can be very meaningful. In the email, you can mention the blog posts on your website, and note lawn care needs for all – i.e., a drought or heavy rains, any upcoming promotions, etc.
Customer Reviews
On your website and social media, including customer reviews is a great way to promote your business. You can encourage customers to post reviews for you. Some of the tools to maximize your website will include ways for customers to easily rate your service.
If for some reason a customer leaves a negative review, it is important to respond to their concerns. Address the issues they raise and develop a means to remediate their problems.
Referral Programs
Create a client referral program to add new customers to your business. You can encourage current customers by offering a discount on a new service, adding a plant to their yard, or making a donation to a local charity in their name.
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Advertise at Job Sites
Coming and going to jobs and while on location, take those opportunities to advertise your business. Your vehicles should have truck wraps or other signs on them. Your logo should be prominent on these, so your business name and type of business are memorable.
All of your vehicles should be stocked with flyers. When your employees are working, the flyers can be left accessible on the truck. You can also distribute the flyers to other homes or businesses in the area, especially if this is a newer location that you are working in.
All your employees should have business cards. The logo, business name, and information should be consistent on all means of advertisement.
Showcase Specialty Services
As you know, lawn care can be a competitive business. For you to promote yourself as different from the competitors, you need to showcase your specialties. You must have an in-depth knowledge of your area’s soil, grasses, water conditions, natural plantings, invasive species that should be eliminated, and other aspects that make your location unique.
Consider exploring other avenues to add to your business or subcontract –
- Install walkways, patios, and other hardscapes
- Maintaining or adding waterscapes
- Winter cleanup or snow removal
- Services of a horticulturist and/or arborist
- Removal of invasive plants
- Plantings to add shade
- Assist home and business owners with plantings that reduce energy consumption
- Adding wind barriers with trees and bushes
- Installation of turf, playscapes, or basketball/hockey areas
- Irrigation systems and ways to reduce water consumption
- Vehicle maintenance – so your equipment is always dependable
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Frequently Asked Questions
What if B2B?
B2B means business to business. This category of commerce includes sales, services, and other transactions from one business to another. It can be between a wholesaler and a retailer. B2B differs from B2C, which is a type of sales or commerce between a business and a consumer.
What is WOM?
In advertising, WOM is an acronym for word of mouth. This is one of the most effective methods of advertising for businesses. When one person tells another of a great job their lawn maintenance service completed, it provides very reputable feedback to potentially another customer, and it is free!
What is a brochure website?
A brochure website is designed to provide information. It is similar to a physical brochure since it contains key information about your business. Typically, brochure websites will include services that you offer, a way to contact your company, visuals of the work you have completed, and customer feedback.
What is a lead generation website?
A lead generation website is created to create new customer prospects for your business. With a lead generation website, you are seeking to provide more than information to a customer. Your goal is for the customer to act and initiate contact with you to become one of your clients.
To learn more on how you can start your own landscaping business, check out my startup documents here.
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Meet Shawn Chun: Entrepreneur and Landscape Business Fan.
I’m a happy individual who happens to be an entrepreneur. I have owned several types of businesses in my life from a coffee shop to an import and export business to an online review business plus a few more and now I create online resources for those interested in starting new ventures. It’s demanding work but I love it. I do it for those passionate about their business and their goals. That’s why when I meet a landscape business owner at a job site, driving down the road or anywhere else I see myself. I know how hard the struggle is to retain clients, find good employees and keep the business growing all while trying to stay competitive.
That’s why I created Landscaping Business Boss: I want to help landscape business owners like you build a thriving business that brings you endless joy and supports your ideal lifestyle.