Marketing Your Web Site

Once you've taken your company online, make every effort to promote the new Web address and bring customers to your site.

Not only have many landscapers jumped on the Web site bandwagon, but many are taking the time to market their Web sites in a variety of ways.

After you build your Web site, you need to advertise, promote and tell the world about it. Make sure that every piece of your company literature and advertising has your Web site address on it. If you’re not willing to advertise your Web site, just as you would your phone or fax number, why go through the trouble of creating one?

And don’t forget about your employees. Make sure everyone in you company knows about your Web site, so they can refer customers and prospects to it. Remember – the more people that know about your Web site, the better. The following are some other helpful hints to get the word out about your Web site:

  • Add your Web site address to your truck or fleet of trucks. If your phone number is on your truck, your Web site should be too.
  • Add your Web address to any of your T-shirts or jerseys along with your logo.
  • Hang a banner in your shop or office with the Web site address on it. Better yet, hang a banner on the outside for everyone driving down the road to see and remember the address.
  • Have your Web site address printed on your landscaping receipts and invoices.
  • Send out a press release announcing your new Web site and its unique offerings. In addition, send out a direct mail piece to customers and prospects to promote awareness of your Web site.
  • Begin permission-based e-marketing. Start capturing e-mail addresses via your Web site, then periodically send out e-mail messages with seasonal promotions and reminders.
  • Put the Web site address on your “on hold” and voicemail phone system recordings.
  • After you build your Web site, discard your box of business cards and get new ones printed – this time with your Web site and e-mail address on it.
  • Register your Web site with the major search engines and your local Web site directories.
  • Remember that Web sites are about giving the Web site visitor the content and information they want and need. Creating a Web site is about exploiting the Web medium, providing content and information in a way that other communications media cannot. So think about what you can “build” on your Web site, and be sure to update it regularly.

    Source: PROscape