You’ve heard the saying, “If you build it, they will come.” But rather than knocking it out of the park, you’re stuck warming the bench. You know you should market your landscape business—the right strategy could attract a steady stream of clients to your door. But you’re not sure where to begin.
To achieve the best outcomes with lawn care advertising, it is crucial to focus on timing. It is recommended to start planning your strategy well in advance of the spring season. However, if you adhere to these marketing tips, you can still achieve great results by initiating your advertising campaigns during a busy season.
Claim your Google Business profile
When potential customers are searching for your services, having a Google Business profile (formerly known as Google My Business listing) is a highly effective means to appear on local maps and search results.
By encouraging potential clients to click on your profile, you increase the chances of them learning more about the services you offer and getting in touch with you to schedule your services.
The listing for your Google Business will consist of:
- Lawn care business name and logo
- Contact information
- Client reviews
- Service area
- Lawn care services
Setting up a Google Business profile is a straightforward process. All you need to do is input your business name, contact information, and operating hours. Additionally, including your logo and photos, along with any notable descriptors (such as stating your business has been operating for over 10 years), will complete the setup.
Invest in digital ads
To expand your reach, you can consider allocating funds towards digital advertisements that help promote your lawn care business through visibility on search engines and social media platforms.
Search engine advertising comprises of displaying your advertisements in the search results of Google or Bing. These advertisements can either be text-based search ads or specially designed Google Local Services ads.
The form of social media marketing can be in the form of Facebook or Instagram ads, which are displayed in the feeds of potential clients along with the pages and individuals they follow.
Both Google and Facebook ads provide the ability to establish an advertising budget and accurately monitor the performance of your ad.
By monitoring activities such as website visits or phone calls, you can acquire a more precise understanding of which advertisements are generating the most prospective customers for your company.
Once you have determined the most effective type of advertising for your business that generates the highest revenue, increase your budget and concentrate on the platform that yields the greatest success.
Manage your online reviews
Online reviews are trusted by 84% of consumers at the same level as recommendations from friends and family, making them a highly effective method to promote a lawn care business.
In order to obtain additional reviews for lawn care, one should consider the following steps:
- Identify your happiest clients. Go through your lawn care CRM and find the customers who ask for services most often or give you the best feedback ratings. Many of them may be willing to leave you a good review online.
- Ask for reviews. When you send service follow-up emails, include a link to your Google Business profile where satisfied customers can leave a review. Encourage them to use lots of detail, too. 5-star reviews are great, but 5-star reviews with a description of your great services are even better.
- Say thank-you for positive reviews. When a client takes the time to leave a kind review, respond with a quick thank-you note. It only takes a second, and it makes your client feel even better about your business.
- Respond to negative reviews. Not every review will be a good one. Always respond to negative reviews quickly and try to make things right. If you can fix the problem, you’ll win over unhappy clients by showing you actually care about them.
When you first start asking for and responding to reviews, it may feel uncomfortable. However, this is completely normal, and with practice, it will become more natural.
Connect with local customers
No matter if you reside in a metropolitan area or rural countryside, it is likely that you have a considerable number of potential customers in close proximity. These potential customers can include individuals as well as businesses, and it is crucial to use distinct approaches to attract their attention.
To ensure that your landscaping business is the first choice for residential clients when they think about hiring for lawn maintenance, it is important to consider two peak times: spring and fall, during which they usually contemplate cleaning up their lawns.
Companies usually focus on next year’s budget during late fall and early winter, which makes it the ideal time for commercial accounts to reach out to local businesses.
Whether you need to connect with residential or commercial accounts, employing a handful of marketing tips can assist you in achieving great success.
- Network in your local market through your local Chamber of Commerce and local and county business associations.
- Hang lawn care flyers on community boards at your local shopping mart and library.
- Put decals, magnets, or vinyl wraps on your vehicles.
- Consider a direct mail campaign that targets homeowners and businesses in and around your service area.
- Use door hangers for advertising landscaping services. Since they’re delivered directly to the customer’s door, they’re less likely to be lumped in with the junk mail in the mailbox.
- Get active on social media—Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are ideal platforms to spread awareness of your business.
- Make sure your lawn care company appears in all the major web listings—Google My Business, Yelp, Angie’s List, and the Better Business Bureau.
There are cost-effective methods to expand your client base, with some of them being free as well. Whether you are beginning a landscaping venture or have been in the industry for a long time, it is crucial to comprehend where your customers search for your services and ensuring that your business is present in those locations.
Create a referral program
Word of mouth is effective, as you may have guessed. But were you aware of its true power? Nielsen states that 84% of consumers trust recommendations from friends and family that are word-of-mouth.
When it comes to expanding your lawn care or landscaping business, word-of-mouth customer referrals are highly beneficial as they not only create awareness among clients but also enhance your competitive edge while addressing any objections they might have.
To create an effective referral program, start by determining the reward you will provide. Next, promote your referral program. Below are several suggestions for referral rewards that are guaranteed to be well-received.
- $50 credit on their account if their referral becomes a new client
- Discounts on services if neighbors sign up for lawn care or landscaping services
- $50 check or VISA gift card along with a handwritten thank-you note if their referral becomes an active customer
- $25 credit to their account and a $25 coupon to the new customer they refer
- $50 donation to their favorite charity as a thank you for the referral
Start by focusing on your top clients as they are more likely to provide valuable referrals. These clients are the ones who highly appreciate your work, consistently pay on time, and seldom express dissatisfaction.
Build a lawn care website
When individuals search for services online, your lawn care website assists them in locating your business. Create a website that effectively engages your target audience and provides them with the information they desire.
To start building a website, you need to determine the approach you will take. One option is to use a platform such as WordPress or Squarespace to build it yourself, while another option is to engage a freelancer or web agency to handle the creation process on your behalf.
Your website design for lawn care should incorporate the following:
- Business name and logo
- Service area
- Contact details
- Lawn care services list
- Lawn care pricing
- Customer reviews and testimonials
- Online booking form
- Before-and-after photos of your work
- Information about your lawn care company and team
- Links to your social media pages
To track how people find your website, what they do upon arrival, and how your site aids in acquiring new clients, ensure that you establish Google Analytics and Google Search Console for your website.
Make sure to include regular updates on your website, such as adding new images, writing monthly blog posts, and ensuring that your services and pricing are kept up to date.
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