OPE daily

I have seen and heard this question 263 times from landscapers and tree care company owners. My short answer is: not if you don’t want prospects to contact you.

What can it do? 

Your clients and prospects are internet savvy. They are also hungry for instant information. When they go online to find information (not if they go online) about tree care services in their area or lawn maintenance companies for their grandmothers you will need to be present to sell your services. While having a website doesn’t guarantee internet success, it is a cost-effective step in your marketing plan. Customers and prospects can find your site and get the information and interaction they are looking for twenty-four hours a day. It’s hard to find a sales rep. to do that for you at the price of a website.

I helped a tree care company put together a website in the summer of ‘06 and Western Washington ended up with some severe wind damage that winter. By his own estimates,

“[W]e picked up nearly $130,000 in business from our six or seven hundred dollar website just because we could be found. The storms put a lot of people in need of help quickly, and word of mouth can only move so fast. The site continues to build our brand image at a minimum cost of money and time.

Our virtual sales machine is out there working for us whenever anyone wants information about us and what we can do for them.”

This illustrates how a website not only brings in business, but also the important brand imaging that comes with interacting with customers and prospects.

What goes into a site?

There are libraries filled with books on web-design, scripting languages, internet marketing, and search engine optimization (SEO.) This article isn’t meant to take the place of all of that and certainly isn’t exhaustive in its information. That said, a website is more than a business card. While it should definitely have your contact information prominently displayed, it is a sales tool. You have a short amount of time to tell readers what your services mean to them.

Make it as easy as possible for people to contact you by phone, mail, email, and even instant chat. Interactivity is increasingly a part of Web 2.0, and landscaper’s are implementing online bids as well as electronic payment of services. I have seen LCO’s use real-time photos of current projects to show the landscape process which is above and beyond the traditional (yet still effective) before and after galleries.

Your site should contain multiple pages of relevant information that is updated regularly. You could also include coupons/specials, newsletters, and other information such as landscape tips and ideas. The more pertinent information the more value you add for your customers. SEO aside, your site is there to help prospective clients realize why they need you and the more quality pages the better.

Do you need one?

It is hard to argue with the importance and cost effectiveness of having a web presence. It is more than just being there, but if you want to be where customers can find you having a unique website can be more powerful than all of your marketing efforts combined. Without an electronic storefront, you are just giving money and opportunities to your competition.