In this Lawn & Landscape online exclusive, Matt and Chris Noon of Noon TurfCare share monthly online marketing tips to help lawn and landscape business run more profitably. For more information, check out the cover story featuring the company from the January 2008 issue of Lawn & Landscape.
In today’s competitive landscape market it seems that we are all working harder than ever to generate new leads and sales in the most cost effective manner possible. The days of the yellow pages and easy sales leads are over and as business owners look to survive in this economy, we need to find more effective ways to attract and maintain new business.
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Several years ago our company decided to invest heavily into internet marketing and more importantly into building a quality Web site as the conduit. A Web site is a virtual anchor for your business. In effect it is an electronic billboard that advertises and enhances your brand. It’s a 24-hour store front for shoppers to explore even when you are technically “closed” for the day. It is also very dynamic in that the content can change instantaneously as the message can be refreshed to reflect changing market conditions or the addition of new products and services. Savvy buyers today are becoming more computer literate and are more apt to be surfing the net for their purchases from the convenience of their home.
As business costs are skyrocketing as the result of inflation, building a quality Web site is a no brainer because it provides an opportunity to target your market with a reliable, low-cost and timely way for clients to shop for lawn landscape services. Using this approach to market your business will dramatically reduce marketing and advertising costs. Think about the cost you incur today for advertising in the yellow pages and newspapers or the cost of a promotional direct mail campaign.
For those that would like to pursue the development of a website, a local Web designer should be able to get you running for as little as $2,000. Once you have the web running, it can be enhanced and modified over time as needed to further articulate your message.
Having a Web site is just as important as having a clean and lettered truck or a good referral source. It demonstrates to the consumer that you are up to date and changing as new technology becomes available ultimately indicating to your client or prospect base that you are changing with the times.
For those companies and business owners that already have a website, keeping it updated and fresh is critical. Having a Web site that is old and tired is unappealing and sends the message that you are unresponsive to client needs and new product development This like going into a restaurant that hasn’t changed its menu or upgraded the facility in years. It creates a stale atmosphere.
One way of maintaining Web site freshness is to simply have a seasonal promotion on your homepage. For example, in the fall let the web visitors know that it is time to schedule a fall clean-up and to have mums planted. More importantly, offer a discount. Everyone loves a deal and customers will react quickly to them. Offer a 10-percent discount for flower plantings or fall pruning if they sign up for these services by Labor Day. Even if they do not purchase from the site you are raising customer awareness and showing them that you are current with your service offerings. If you need assistance with this process, please contact us and we can point you in the right direction.
This technology is available to all of you. Take advantage of this cost effective and state of the art tool that will pay dividends for you now and in the future. I can’t over emphasize how important and successful this implementation has gone for us. You will not regret the investment you make in the formulation of your own Web site.
Matt and Chris Noon can be reached at www.noonturfcare.com or 978/562-1707.