It’s an accepted reality that if you want to be successful and competitive as a lawn care or landscape company, you need to spend time and money to build and maintain your Internet reach.
But does the idea of implementing such a vague term as Internet or digital marketing overwhelm you? After all, if you are the owner of a lawn care or landscape company you already have one-thousand-and-one things to do every day, right?
Yes, you can educate yourself, assuming you have some time left at the end of your busy week, time that you typically spend with your family. But, wouldn’t it be more painless and, ultimately, more sensible to seek the help of an expert who can do the job for you? After all, that’s why property owners call you. You’re the go-to person when it comes to matters relating to landscaping and lawn care.
If you keep up with Turf magazine’s informative, twice monthly e-newsletter, you might’ve read my recent interview with Steve Wolgemuth, president of YDOP, an Internet marketing agency in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Wolgemuth describes how and why lawn care and landscape companies should grow their online reach strategically rather than getting on every social media channel.
Read Internet Marketing 101: Part 1 and Internet Marketing 101: Part 2 here.
One of the main points that Wolgemuth suggests is the importance of a search result presence versus a social media presence. For instance, it’s imperative that you’re involved enough online to garner a positive search presence to keep your name coming up in Google and other search engines—search engine optimization (SEO). The more times and places your company’s name pops up in search engines, the more your prospects will start to trust you.
SEO consultants, Internet marketing companies, Web writers or bloggers, and Web design companies “live” in the social media world. They understand what works and what doesn’t work when it comes to digital visibility. They have the know-how to use SEO and localization techniques to help bring your ideal clients to you.
Here are three reasons why hiring or outsourcing your Internet marketing job will help you be successful drawing in more prospects:
1. It will save you time. Sure, you can start a Facebook page, upload a basic website and maybe even start blogging when you get those rare moments of quiet in your office or home. Yet, how is this going to help you show up in more search results? It’s like firing in the dark. If you can’t see your target, more than likely, you’re going to miss it by a long shot.
Instead, hire a professional Web designer, Internet marketing company and a blogger to help you come up in more search results. When you have a block of time available, why not call a few places and see what you come up with. Concentrate on those individuals and companies that are experienced in working with small businesses, such as lawn care and landscape companies. Each industry is unique, especially when it comes to technical data and language.
I’ve had clients report to me about content writers who don’t know a grub from a slug. And these lawn care and landscape business owners ended up rewriting their content, which is a colossal waste of time and money.
Check out websites by Internet marketing professionals, read testimonials and go on LinkedIn groups. Sure, there’s a lot of upfront work getting a team together. But you’ll be happy in the end when you’ve developed a successful digital marketing team that will get the work done for you while you’re busy building a great outdoor kitchen and entertainment center.
2. It will save you money. Again, hire smart. Just like you wouldn’t entrust an unknowledgeable or untrained employee with keeping clients’ lawns clean and green or building a retaining wall, you’re not going to hire someone who doesn’t know anything about your industry. Granted, there aren’t a lot of Internet marketers, Web designers and content copywriters who specialize in the green industry. However, I’ve seen an uptick in Internet marketing companies started by entrepreneurs who were once lawn or landscape business owners.
3. The learning curve won’t be as steep for you or the professional you hire. There is a learning curve whenever a new business relationship is started. It would be dishonest to say otherwise. But if you did your homework and hired someone who has other lawn care and landscape clients, the learning curve shouldn’t be as steep for your outsourced help or for you.
Many times, a digital marketing firm, a web designer and a Web writer will have their standard methods of getting to know you, your company and who your ideal client is. If you’re willing to spend some time, you can have a professional blog, website and Internet strategy started within a month or so.
It’s not easy to navigate the new marketing waters of the Internet. And getting a Facebook page is not all there is to it. Indeed, you’re better served by outsourcing these jobs to professionals who live and breathe Internet marketing every day.
This article is from the 2015 Green Industry Guide. Read the rest of the digital edition here. You can find products, brands, companies and dealers in the industry on the main homepage here.