It’s the inevitable truth about our expanding global economy — an environment that greatly affects the way we all do business. Many of us may not want to believe it, but a strong understanding of the Internet is a necessity in supporting any business in today’s world. Although many in our industry are hesitant to make peace with this technological revolution, business owners should view it as an opportunity, not a hindrance. That’s why it’s so important that the savvy business owner recognize his or her company’s Web site as more than an electronic version of the sign in front of the building — it’s one of the most powerful marketing tools available.
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When it comes to structuring and creating your Web site, there are a few key items to keep in mind, as you put it all together. First, it’s important to evaluate how you’re going to strategically drive consumers to your site. One place to start is with search engine marketing (SEM). SEM involves investing your advertising dollars in ads that will appear on search engines like MSN, Yahoo! and Google.
Although this is a cost-effective alternative to such advertising as television and even direct mail, when actual impressions are evaluated, for those businesses that don’t have the bottomless budgets to invest in online advertising, search engine optimization (SEO) may be a more realistic place to start. On the very basic level, what this means is that the content on your Web site should contain certain keywords — whether on the surface or under it — that allow search engines to present your site to your consumers when they search for things like “lawn care,” “mowing” and the like. Optimizing your site for search engines is a great way to make impressions, cultivate leads and increase Web site traffic, without investing in direct-response advertising.
Your Web site should help build your credibility and provide valuable content to the consumers who visit it. Lawn Doctor provides content that’s relevant to consumers on our site, and we use that Web traffic in order to grow our business through the leads and sales our franchisees receive online. Of course, your logo and your name are integral to branding yourself on the Web, but what else will you offer to make consumers want to visit your site? Maybe lawn and garden care tips will drive traffic. Or, perhaps you’ll want to provide detailed information regarding your services.
Whatever you decide is relevant, you have to think from the consumer’s point of view. What do they need and how can you communicate with them in such a way that they’ll want to do business with you?
With consumers leading busier and busier lives, time shifting their daily personal activities to the evening hours has become commonplace for many. Think about your own daily life. You get up early and go to work for eight to 10 hours or more every day. The only time you have to think about what you need for your home is in the evening, right? Since most offices are closed in the evenings, having an easily accessible, high-quality Web site is the key to drawing that consumer in when he or she is most focused on making purchasing decisions.
An important thing to be aware of regarding the Internet is that it’s incredibly accessible and information is pervasive, to say the least. What that means for the green industry business owner is, if someone visits your Web site and contacts you as a result, it only takes a few seconds for them to surf to your competitors’ sites and do the same with them. That’s why it’s incredibly important you remain focused on the consumer throughout the entire sales process when you receive leads online. You have no choice but to be first to the door. If consumers receive incredibly quick, convenient service online, they’ll expect the same when you’re on their property.
One important component to lawndoctor.com is our dealer locator feature. Lawn Doctor has approximately 500 franchise locations nationwide, so we utilize our dealer locator to route each lawndoctor.com visitor to the appropriate franchise location, based on his or her geographic location.
Our locator is setup in such a way that the consumer can actually request a free evaluation from one of our local offices simply by completing a quick form. The local Lawn Doctor franchisee will receive an e-mail with the consumers’ pertinent information, and can go out and work the lead without having to incur any additional advertising expenses. Naturally, this doesn’t apply to all businesses, but for those with multiple locations, it may help simplify your routing and communication processes among offices.
Differentiating yourself from the competition can be a challenge. That’s why it’s so important to have an incredibly convenient, consumer-focused Web site. Content on your site should be informative, features should be easy to use and the messaging should be squarely aimed at your target audience.
Now is the time. Become a part of the Internet revolution, and utilize your Web site to its fullest potential as one of the most powerful marketing tools around.
Scott D. Frith, CFE, is the vice president of marketing and franchise development for Lawn Doctor, Inc., the world’s largest lawn care franchise. He has been involved in the green industry for over a decade and serves on the board of directors for Project EverGreen. Frith also sits on the International Franchise Association’s Marketing and Public Relations Committee.