You’re a dedicated landscaper. You’ve put your blood, sweat and tears into your landscaping business – literally. You’ve sweated while mowing lawns, pricked your fingers while planting flower beds and maybe even cried a little bit after seeing all your hard work come to life. It’s rewarding, so it’s hard not to get a little emotional. We won’t judge.
Doing good work on the job will keep your current customers coming back. However, for your business to continue to bloom (see what we did there?), you have to continue building your client base. Here are a few ideas on how to get new landscape customers for your business.
Make Sure Your Customers Leave Online Reviews
You know you gave the Johnson family the front yard of their dreams, and they know it, too. It exceeded their expectations and now they’re going to be the envy of all their neighbors on the cul de sac. But, did the Johnsons take the time to go online and write a review praising your landscaping company for a job well done? Probably not. Leaving review isn’t a priority for many people, regardless of how good of a job you did.
To ensure your best customers gush about your business online, you need to be direct. Develop strategies for asking clients to review your business. You want to make the process as easy and as open as possible. Give these ideas a try.
- Email customers after completion of a job and ask them to leave a review. Include the link to where you want the review.
- Chat with customers after a job. Ask, “Are you happy with what we did?” (Of course, if they’re not, try to figure out why and if you can fix it.) When they say, “Of course we’re happy,” then explain that you’ll send an email with a link to a review site if they have a few minutes to help you out.
- Do video reviews. Many clients are happy to talk about what a great job your company did. Having their words and emotions on screen can attract more customers than text on the screen might. It also conveys authenticity.
Get More Out of Your Website
Your website is one of your company’s most powerful assets, but many landscape businesses under-utilize this resource. Not only should your site be mobile-friendly (because who doesn’t use their phone for everything?) but it should also have the following features.
- Contact forms so customers can get free quotes
- A portfolio of photos of the work you’ve done
- A detailed list of services
- Easy navigation
- Clear and useful content
- Blog posts
- Podcasts
- Tutorials
- Video
eBooks and other forms of substantive content can be especially useful whether your landscaping business does residential or commercial work. Prospective clients tend to need a little motivation to leave their contact information. If they’re getting a free ebook in exchange, it seems like a fair deal. The word “free” is always an attention-grabber.
- Cohesive branding and messaging
- Calls to action
- “Get a free quote.”
- “Get your free ebook here.”
Search engine optimization is also crucial. If your company works in New Jersey, for example, your prospective clients are in that area. As a result, you want to optimize your website for location-specific keywords that target those prospective clients nearby. You can do this by incorporating words like “NJ, “Northern New Jersey,” “New Jersey,” and any other city names you want to focus on into your website copy. This will help to drive traffic to your website and generate qualified leads.
Demonstrate Your Philanthropic Efforts
Is there a park in town that could use your magic landscaping touch? A community garden that needs a makeover? Maybe there’s even a charity that is giving so much to those less fortunate that it can’t afford to allocate the time or resources needed to spruce up its own property. Chances are, your local community has its fair share of landscaping needs. Who better to help than you? It’s a no-brainer.
By volunteering your materials, time and services to your community, this investment will spread word of mouth about your business. The more good work you do in the community, the more people will think about your company in a positive light and want to do business with you. Something as simple as volunteering your time and expertise can provide an opportunity for new business connections.
Spread the Company Name Far and Wide
Your company uses “swag” with your logo and name on it – shirts, pens, coffee mugs, etc. At relevant trade shows and in your local community, you can give that swag out to prospective clients.
If you’re not taking advantage of every chance you get to market your company, you’re missing out on crucial opportunities to get your name out there and get new landscape customers. It’s not the time to be shy; share your stuff.
Build a Customer Referral Program
Word of mouth is powerful for more than just spreading news, or gossip. Think of it this way. When you’re looking for a new doctor or even just a new book to read, isn’t your first instinct to ask someone you know? Conducting research online and reading reviews is an important part of the process, but people are inherently inclined to trust the advice and opinions of those close to them.
This is an important concept to consider because it directly applies to your landscaping business. You want your past customers to refer your company to their friends are family, who, in turn, could become your next customers. Setting up a referral program with both online and offline components will ensure that clients are talking up your business. Not only is it an effective way of gaining new customers, but it’s definitely a confidence booster, too.
So, there you have it. Five different tactics for how to get new landscape customers for your business. Are you ready to take this advice to heart and take on the challenge of growing your company?
Well, what if we were to tell you that you didn’t have to do it all alone? We get it, landscaping is your forte, not marketing. That’s where a marketing agency can come in clutch. They can help with the digital side of things, like revamping and maintaining your website and search engine optimization to get more website visitors and more qualified leads. After all, customers like the Johnson family are ultimately the biggest driver of business. Your blood, sweat and tears will pay off in the end.
