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Business Plan for Landscaping Business
Dave Charron • April 27, 2020
How to put together a Landscaping Business Plan
Business Plan for Landscapers
A landscaping business plan can literally cover a lot of territory. That also goes if you are looking to build a lawn care business plan. Not only do most landscaping companies travel a fair amount of distance each day taking care of clients, but they also have to deal with a seasonal business. Seasonal businesses are dependent upon a few things, not the least of which is Mother Nature and in landscaping, Mother Nature sets the pace the business must keep up with. A business plan may seem like a bit of a stretch for a bunch of lawn mowing garden weeders, but the truth is growing a landscaping business is a lot like growing grass or garden flowers - it takes time, nurturing, and the right amount of fertilizer at the right times.
Start with the Basics
Writing a business plan is different today than it was twenty or ten years ago. Gone are the 70-page dissertations with market analysis and spreadsheets up the wazoo. In the 21st Century, it's important to convey the right information the right way to get the right result. Let's face it; most landscapers aren't exactly accounting-minded or even accounting-capable. That's okay because the best way to build a business plan is to go to the end of the book to see how everything turns out. That's right; don't start with the beginning, start with the ending and work your way forward. For example, every business has two calculations that are inescapable, income and expenses. Income can be the total amount of revenue the company wants to receive over the course of a year's activity. Expenses are then a percentage of the income because at the end of the year, the company has to produce a profit or it will cease to function.
Business Plan Table of Contents
All business plans should contain sufficient information to answer questions and provide independent verification of the information contained in the plan. In other words, the business plan should cover the main areas of the business' function with commonly used talking points and simple language. The business plan table of contents should include the following topics:
Business Overview -
This would be a couple of paragraphs describing the business, its focus, and the way it will accomplish its goals.
Management - Even though it starts small with only one person, it's important to provide information about the background and skills of the owner.
Services Offered -
A brief description of what the company will offer clients in the way of services that generate the company's revenues.
Market Analysis - Understanding the market for the services is essential to future success and awareness of where the company stands compared to its competition is important for determining future growth plans. This is where the prices to be charged for services will be decided upon based upon what competitors are charging.
Sales and Marketing Plans -
Sales and marketing are two different activities that are related to each other. Sales is the process of starting and closing a deal. Marketing is the process of getting everything in place for sales to be successful. Marketing resources must be managed closely to determine the success or lack thereof for any advertising campaigns. Costs for an internet presence, advertising pieces, and other considerations must be balanced against the revenues or else too much money can be spent in ratio to the income it is generating.
Milestone Chart -
Knowing if the company is on track or not is important and a Milestone Chart can help set the course for the company. Milestones include considerations like the number of customers, average revenue per customer, and other financial findings that demonstrate that the company is on track to meet goals. Milestones are like destinations on a trip and reaching milestones is an important indication of the company owner's skills and abilities to manage the enterprise.
Financial Projections -
Each business follows its own path toward success and that success is determined by where the owner wishes to be at the end of the year. Projecting the financial operations of the company means understanding the who, what, where, when, and how of getting paid by customers. Issues like accounts receivable, cash flow, and credit management are part and parcel of the financial projections for a company's operations. Setting up a simple spreadsheet divided into weeks with income and expense expectations is a great way to start producing financial projections.
Operating Budget -
This is the one financial area most businesses dread and avoid investigating. It shouldn't be that way because a budget is just a good guess made by a company owner. Few things ever work according to the plan and a budget is no different. That's why a budget should be considered a living, breathing component of the business plan. Situations change, conditions are altered, things happen, and a budget needs to reflect those changes and considerations as time passes. Remember, the company should know where it stands concerning the budget, for both income and expenses, if it is to know how to adjust and compensate for changes in conditions. In other words, smart landscaping business owners check to see where the company stands during the month to make adjustments and keep things on track. Waiting until a month has ended before determining what happened during the month makes it too late to implement adjustments and improve conditions.
Investments and Loans -
All businesses require capital and a landscaping business is no different. Where that capital comes from is an important part of the business plan information. If the owner is the source of all operating funds or if the money will be borrowed and repaid is critical to know. More importantly, managing capital and repaying debts is vital to keeping the company in business and functioning properly.
Profit is Always the Goal
Every business enterprise must focus on generating a profit. There are a lot of reasons for that but for this discussion, suffice it to say that the best measure of a company is its profit. Expenses must be kept under control and less money has to be spent on expenses than is earned in income. If a company isn't producing a profit, it's more of a hobby with the owner supporting the hobby with their own money and not their customer's money. Landscaping businesses, on average nationally, produce about 20% profit after expenses. For landscaping companies that are starting small, with one person doing the work, the profit margin should be a little higher if the company is going to grow. The company owner must decide how much income they want to receive and then calculate backward for how much work will have to be done to meet the goal. That's the starting point of every business plan.
Be Realistic and Don't Be Afraid to Push
Starting small is okay and most companies start exactly that way. The smart owners have an idea of where they want the business to go and what they need to do to get it there. The problem is it is awfully easy to get lost in the forest of everyday activities and a business plan will help keep the company on the right path headed for the ultimate goal. That doesn't mean an owner has to be timid in their projected income, but they should understand some limits should be respected before launching into a multi-million dollar success story. One person can only do so much work and generate so much income. To grow the company, the business plan must have appropriate calculations and not some wild-eyed objectives. The first calculation made for total income is the primary guide that should be formulated to reflect the owner's goals. For example:
Year #1 -
One person - $100,000 Gross Revenue equals average income of $8,333 per month for 12 months. That breaks down to approximately $2,800 per week or a little less than $600 per day. How much work must be done to generate $500 per day 5 days a week? That's what the owner should be deciding and that's how to start a business plan. Start at the end and determine what it will take to achieve the end goal. It's called "budgeting" and the budget guides everything that will happen in a company. The goal for this business is a $20,000 profit at the end of the year.
Year #2 -
Three workers - $250,000 Gross Revenue increases to $20,800 per month or $5,200 per week. Costs for employees, insurance coverage, and other expenses increase and profit margins can be tougher to achieve if budgeted costs aren't monitored closely. The profit goal would be approximately $50,000 with a 20% profit margin being maintained.
Year #3 -
Six workers - $500,000 Gross Revenue doubles revenue over the previous year and increases the costs for labor. Sales and marketing are important components to maintain a higher level of operations for the company. Managing schedules, customer satisfaction, equipment, training, and transportation become focus points for the owner. Planning and management of resources becomes much more critical on a day-to-day basis. The result of operations with a 20% profit margin would be $100,000.
Business Plans Serve Many Purposes
While it may seem somewhat daunting to produce a business plan, it doesn't have to be. There are many resources available to assist in the process of assembling the data, documents, and calculations that can be included in the plan. A business plan is a dynamic document that changes over time as the business matures and the management of the business becomes better attuned to the conditions it operates under. Starting with a simple business plan is a good idea but more importantly, is the process of reviewing the plan to determine whether the business is following the path the owner thought it would follow or not. When business is good, following the plan and improving on it is much easier. When business is bad, a good business plan offers insights into ways to correct the problems and get back on track. In any case, a smart landscaping business knows the value of a business plan and the value of using the plan to guide the company to success.
Effective Lawn Care Advertising Strategies for 2025
The Ultimate Guide to Landscaping Marketing Strategies
"If you're like most landscaping businesses, you probably spend more time on the job site than at your computer. This means that marketing activities can be difficult to get to and often neglected. But there are ways for landscape contractors to get more calls without spending too much time or money." This blog post goes over some of the easiest ways for landscapers to generate more leads by using social media, search engine optimization (SEO), video marketing, blogging and email marketing. Check out these easy-to-implement strategies when you have a few minutes between jobs today! 1- SEO (Search Engine Optimization) SEO is how search engine users find your business on the Internet. These are potential landscaping clients looking for a company like yours to help them turn their dream garden into reality! SEO can be done at any time but does require some technical knowledge, so if you have the extra time to learn it you could save yourself the cost of paying someone ! If you would rather avoid the technical stuff, Landscape Marketing Boss can handle that for you! 2- Video Marketing (youtube or facebook) A short how-to video about how to do a project in your landscaping company is an easy and quick way to create interest and show how you can help people. For example if you're a lawn service business, how to videos on mowing the perfect lawn would be a great option! These types of videos give homeowners valuable knowledge and also make you look like the expert in your area! 3- Blogging on your website A free blog on your website can be a fantastic way to add value for potential customers. Not only will it make people more likely to call you, but it also helps search engines with how they rank websites in the future. This is an excellent way of reaching out to new clients as well! If you're blogs contain informative information that is relative to your customer base then google will show it to them. 4- Write articles for Facebook or Linkedin Posts If you have a facebook or LinkedIn page, writing articles for it can be an excellent way of getting noticed by new people. People who follow these pages do so because they're interested in the topic written about and as such are more likely to call your landscaping business if what you write is relevant! 5- Email Marketing to Your Existing Customers If you already have a customer base, an effective way of encouraging them to call is by sending out personalized emails. These should be informative and concise and can either be sent as part of your regular newsletter or monthly email campaign. They don't need to contain any hard selling, just information that will interest your clientele! This is also a great way to announce other services that you offer that your customers may not be aware of. If you institute any of these methods listed above you are sure to increase call volume to your business, or if you would like help give us a call at Landscape Marketing Boss!
Digital Marketing For Landscapers is the #1 way to reach your potential customers in your area. No other advertising method comes close to the results you can obtain from having a properly optimized website that ranks at the top of page one for your chosen keywords. When you are budgeting advertising dollars for your landscaping business, digital marketing should be your first and largest number on the list. Im not saying you should not diversify and spend any money in other places such as print or home shows, but dollar for dollar, you will get your best return on investment with the money you invest in your digital marketing presence. Landscapers are hard-working people and they know that their job is very important. When they do a job, they not only use their talents and their knowledge to design a space in a yard but they also use their experience to make sure that it is done correctly. Most landscapers use the latest equipment and they should also use the latest technology especially one that will help them to market and advertise what they do for a living so that other people know what they can do. Digital Marketing For Landscapers There are many reasons why landscapers will want to use digital marketing for landscapers vs. other means in order to get the word out about what they can do. Here are some reasons that they should think about when they are pondering whether or not to use digital marketing for landscapers: 1. Convenient Digital marketing is extremely convenient. The yellow pages are dead. Most young business owners dont realize that businesses in the past invested thousands of dollars per month to have full page ads in the yellow pages. The NEW YELLOW PAGES is online digital marketing. This type of marketing will operate all the time for you and put your information online so that other people will know just what your company can do. Your customers will be able to easily find you when they are looking for your services. 2. Great Graphics and Pictures of your work You will have the opportunity to put great graphics and pictures of your completed jobs online so that people can actually see all that you can do and the quality of your work. 3. Easy Updates When you use this type of marketing, you will be able to update your online information whenever you want to. New job pics or Seasonal services can be updated at any time. Since this will be necessary if you have a promotion or sale, you can change this any time you want to. 4. Great Copy Putting in the great content for your customers to read is also possible. If you need help with this, you can hire someone that knows more about writing good copy. Good content on your website will attract people searching for the services you offer and allow them to find you online. 5. Automatic Emails To Customers You can set up a newsletter that can be emailed to customers regularly that will showcase new or seasonal services you offer. Send them pictures of current jobs you have completed that they may also desire. This is a definite plus for landscapers who want to keep their customers in the know. 6. List Promotions And Sales They will also be able to tell people when they are having sales and promotions. This will make them even more likely to take advantage of the service that is being offered by the landscaper. If they sell products, this will also help them to sell more at all times. It's definitely something that will really benefit them. Digital marketing for landscapers is an excellent tool that can help them to increase their customer bases and produce more profits. They should set their goals each day so that they can reach them and with this type of marketing it will be possible. When they are thinking about going digital, they will see that the points above are proof that it will work to help them in many ways.
How Much Should My Landscaping Business Spend on Marketing? The decision about spending money on marketing is not an easy one. As an item in the budget, marketing is as important as any other budget item because it brings money in the door. Successful marketing campaigns can grow landscaping companies in ra emarkably short time when conducted properly. Poorly coordinated marketing plans can cost a lot of money and produce very little results. The real question is how much to spend and how best to spend it. Marketing Budget Keys to Success If your company just happens to be the top dog in the local marketplace then your marketing has worked exactly as planned. If your company isn't even in the pack leading the market, you've got a chance to run with the big dogs. It will be how and where you market that will make the difference. Landscaping companies flush with cash can't afford to waste a penny on bad marketing because bad marketing can cut into cash flow in a hurry. Where your landscaping business stands in the hierarchy of competitors, where you want it to stand, and how you want it to get there will depend entirely on the marketing campaign you choose. Typical Advertising Budgets The deal is to figure out how much to spend versus how much income comes back in. In other words, every dollar spent on marketing should have a corresponding return of income in ratio. For example, many landscapers commit 5% of their operating budget to market the business. In real dollars that means for every dollar spent on marketing, the company expects $20 in income from sales. Some landscaping companies in more competitive markets will spend as much as 10% of their revenues on marketing efforts. How much to spend is a decision based on several factors, such as: Timing - In landscaping, the seasons dictate the services in most cases. In summer, it's yard care and in winter it's snow removal. Some landscapers don't experience as much of a seasonal change but the time of year always determines the marketing effort. All marketing must take place before the commencement of a particular season, so money must be allocated in advance of the expected revenue. Planning should be done at least six months in advance of a season to allow sufficient time to purchase advertising space or coordinate advertising materials production. Amount - The budget will tell the tale in this category. New start-ups are going to devote more money to marketing and advertising than an established company in many cases. However, an established company still should conduct "maintenance" marketing to keep ahold of the customers they've already got. Don't forget, existing competitors and new players are always on the lookout for new customers and more revenue. Placement - Where you conduct your marketing effort is as important as what your marketing is all about. Putting flyers on windshields can be just as productive as signing up for a billboard if it is done properly. Ads placed in newspapers, sent in the mail, or hung on doorknobs can help target potential customers more effectively than radio or television ads in many cases. And then there is the internet. A website and GoogleTM webpage listing with a phone number or email contact is practically a requirement nowadays. Who - Unfortunately, most landscaping companies aren't run by marketing specialists with years of training across a broad range of channels. Most landscapers have training and experience in an entirely different arena. That means finding marketing help. While there are always folks who are happy to give their two-cents worth about the best way to accomplish the task, it's probably a good idea to avoid relatives, friends, or neighbors and go with someone who has some time in service. It may cost a little more but the results will most likely make the cost pretty minimal. Message - Deciding what to say is as important as who to say it to. Does your company highlight its high-tech equipment and the great job it does or does it focus marketing content on its people and the great job they do? Do you promote low prices or high quality? These and many other questions should be answered before engaging in a marketing campaign. Unclear marketing information and mixed messages can confuse potential customers and result in the opposite effect than what is desired. Working with a marketing expert will help with sending out the right message to potential customers. Best Market - Commercial customers and residential customers are two different animals to a landscaping business. Deciding how much of which market your company should attract will determine many factors dealing with the basic direction of a marketing effort. It may be a combination of the two markets or it may one marketplace exclusively. A marketing expert will help answer this important question. No Autopilot in Marketing One thing is for sure about marketing and that is that it is not a stagnant, static environment that hardly ever changes. Marketing is dynamic and is a reflection of current trends, activities, and attitudes. Markets change and so must marketing if it's going to remain effective and produce tangible results. Campaigns are constantly evolving and by paying attention to the results, landscaping companies can tweak the message or the method of delivery to achieve the best return on their investment. It takes a keen eye and a constant finger on the pulse to properly manage an effective and successful marketing campaign. What are your landscaping competitors doing Because marketing can appear more complex and complicated than it really is, many landscapers think it is beyond their reach. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to conduct a successful marketing campaign. Take a look at what your competitors are doing for marketing. A landscaper can quickly determine which landscaping business is growing and vibrant and which company isn't flourishing. By emulating the successful company's marketing methods, it is possible to achieve similar results. Just remember, you're going head-to-head with competitors so you better be ready for the consequences. Launch For Success Scary or not, a landscaping company that wants to stay in business has to evaluate their market and engage in some kind of marketing and advertising effort if they're going to remain competitive. Successful marketing can be the beginning of a beautiful thing that brings opportunity and advantages in the market. Like a multi-stage rocket headed into outer space, a multi-stage marketing campaign can keep a landscaping business moving forward to bigger and better things. It takes more than one effort to keep a marketing campaign producing results and landscapers should understand how important it is to keep their company in front of customers via marketing.
Do Contractors Get a Discount at Home Depot and Lowes? Making a profit as a building contractor has plenty of challenges, not the least of which is making a profit. Profit is the result of having lower costs than income and that means wherever a contractor can save money on supplies, it's going to help with the bottom line. Vendors that offer discounts on building materials and supplies can save a lot of money. The larger the job, the greater the potential savings from discounts. That's why two of the biggest names in building materials and supplies in North America offer contractors savings programs to help them stay profitable. Both Lowe'sTM and Home DepotTM offer contractor discounts in different ways and for differing products and services. Contractors Desk Discounts Each of the discounting opportunities at Lowe's and Home Depot is a conglomeration of different ways to get discounts on purchases. Lowe's offers a contractor card and Home Depot does not. There are other ways to get good deals on building supplies and each retailer has its own way of providing lower prices. One thing each vendor has in common is a Contractor's Desk for professional builders. Homeowners and DIY folks can also receive some of the discounts if they follow the procedures, but most homeowners want to pick up their materials a get back to the job. For contractors to receive the best discounts on products, they have to submit a shopping list to the Contractor's Desk at each retailer. Combining the discounts received from orders submitted through the Contractor's Desk with other offerings can end up saving a lot of money on a project. Home Depot Discounts The folks at Home Depot have a different approach to offering discounts to contractors. While they do not have a discount card specifically for contractors, they do have some different ways for large-quantity buyers to save money on building materials and equipment. Let's take a look at how to get the best deals: Bulk Prices - Like many other retailers, Home Depot discounts products for large orders. There are minimum quantities for each item offered through the bulk pricing program but the discounts are pretty substantial. There are discounts of up to 25% on many products, materials, and equipment contractors use to do all kinds of work. Home Depot even has a notification app that sends out text messages and emails announcing special pricing discounts on selected items. When a contractor has a big job ahead of them, this can amount to a lot of savings. Contractor Quote Desk - Each Home Depot has a Contractor Desk to help professionals find what they need as well as to submit large orders for quotes from Home Depot's commercial quote desk. By submitting the shopping list ahead of time, contractors can get the best prices for each item based on the quantities required. Once again, it doesn't hurt to have a competitive quote (or two) to get that last little bit of discount and save even more. Equipment Rental Discounts - One of the great things about Home Depot is their tool and equipment rental department. Contractors don't need to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars buying equipment they only use occasionally. Renting tools saves time and money with even greater savings when contractors rent tools regularly. The more rentals, the greater the discounts. It's like a double-savings whammy!! Free Shipping Program - This is a nice addition to the other ways Home Depot can save contractors money. When an order is over $45, it qualifies for free shipping to the job site. Time, money, labor, and frustration are all saved making this an excellent way to keep the profit margin alive. Home Depot will load, deliver, and unload the order at the location specified which means contractors can focus on more important items on their to-do lists. For contractors ordering household appliances, Home Depot provides Free Shipping on equipment over $396 which can save a lot of costs when items have to come from far away. Discount Gift Cards - Don't forget, those online gift card websites offer Home Depot gift cards with some pretty good discounts from time to time. It's worth looking over a few websites to see if you can get a little more bang for your bucks. Lowe's Discounts There are a few different ways to take advantage of discounts offered by Lowe's for contractors. For the best pricing and discounts, it is possible to use one or all of the different discounting programs, depending upon what is being purchased and in what quantity. Lowe's offers a few different savings programs and discounts that contractors can take advantage of every day. The following programs are some of the ways contractors can save when shopping for building materials or supplies at Lowe's: Contractor's Discount Card - One thing Lowe's offers and Home Depot doesn't is a Contractor's Discount Card . Lowe's special Lowe's for Pros program provides a 5% discount for cardholders, but there's a hitch. You've got to qualify for the card like it is a regular credit card. The good news is once a contractor is qualified and receives the discount card, they are also provided with discounts on shipping as well as other special discounting programs not available to regular, retail customers. The 5% discount is available on every purchase when the card is used. Contractor Packs - Every contractor uses lots of nails, screws, caulk, and hundreds of other items. Purchasing these items in large quantities can save a lot of money, especially when some of the items on the shopping list have been highlighted by Lowe's for additional discounts for a quick sale. Smart contractors know replenishing the stocks and stores of regularly-used equipment and materials saves time as well as money. Less time spent traveling to the supply store and the opportunity to save additional cost make ordering products through the Contractor Pack program a good move. Volume Discount Pricing - For contractors spending $1,500 or more on products or materials for a project, Lowe's offers their Volume Discount Program. This program helps contractors by reducing prices for items purchased in large quantities on bigger jobs or projects. Contractors can combine orders from various projects or from other contractors to receive the discount. By submitting the materials list to the ProServices desk at the Lowe's warehouse in advance, a contractor can get each item quoted with discounts for the quantities indicated. Free Shipping Program - In addition to the above discounting offers, Lowe's also has a Free Shipping program for all orders over $45. Think about how much time, money and frustration is saved by having the folks at Lowe's drop off the order rather than having to send someone (or two) to go pick it up and bring it all back to the job site. More than just the cost savings is the convenience and peace of mind letting Lowe's take charge of getting what you need where you need it. Other Savings Programs - Creative contractors know that they can find discounts to reduce their costs even further if they don't mind negotiating. Many times, the discounts offered by the Lowe's discount programs can be increased by just asking for additional savings. While many contractors understand the larger the order is, the greater the opportunity for discounts can be, few contractors realize that the larger orders can be discounted even further simply by asking for more discounts. Each Contractor's Desk at Lowe's has the authority to further reduce prices if they think they may not get the order and lose the business. Don't be afraid to ask for more. What does it hurt to ask? Discount Gift Cards - Don't forget that many online gift card sellers offer Lowe's pre-paid gift cards at discounts. Sometimes, those discounts can go as high as 10% or more. And don't worry if you have a Home Depot gift card but you want to go to Lowe's. Lowe's will accept the Home Depot card just like it was their own card, no questions asked. Get Creative and Save! Today's smart contractor knows there's more than one way to skin a cat. Getting discounts for purchases isn't new, but it does require a little more creativity than it used to. Combining special offers, quote discounts, discounted gift cards, and other bulk buying tricks, a good contractor can save a lot of time and money obtaining what's needed to get a job finished. Both Lowe's and Home Depot offer notifications for savings on pre-selected items a contractor is looking for providing another way to get the most competitive prices on needed products and equipment. One thing is for sure and that is prices aren't going down any time soon. You can get discounts on all types of products and services like window replacement , bathroom remodeling and door installation. With the building boom that has been happening all over America, there are going to be plenty of opportunities to do construction contracting in the future. The question is - are you saving as much as possible when buying from Lowe's or Home Depot?
Best Lawn Care and Landscaping Keywords Keywords are an important part of every website and landing page on the internet and beyond. The right keywords get results by taking advantage of the search algorithms used by the major search engines like GoogleTM and BingTM . Keywords connect searchers with sellers and in the lawn care and landscaping business, internet searches bring in revenue. The challenge is to find the top lawn care and landscaping keywords. The next test is to use the keywords in such a way as to attract the most attention from the internet searches being conducted. The Search is On Commonly used words submitted by folks searching for products and services on the internet are used to guide other searches over time. The more a word is used, the more often it becomes part of the searching algorithms that decide what to display to the searcher. The goal for every internet website is to appear on the first search results page that pops up. Many surveys and market research efforts have shown that over 70% of internet searches result in click-throughs if they rank in the first 5 sites listed. Using the right keywords helps the Search Engine Optimization or SEO process bring visitors to a website. More Than Just Words The increasing sophistication of search engine algorithms combined with the amount of data produced by searches has resulted in another level of searching. That is searching by intent . The latest editions of search engine algorithms have been able to discern the differences in user searches to further refine the searching process to go beyond just the words that match in a database. The new criteria involve asking the question "why?" as much as the question "what?". Some searches are for information or data while other searches are for a specific product or service. Knowing which direction to go makes internet searches much more organic and relevant to the searcher. The ability of the search engines to comprehend the intent of a search serves to make the internet much more user-centric and valuable. Put it All Together it Spells S-U-C-C-E-S-S. Writing keywords that will attract search engines is all well and good, but there's more to it than just finding the right keywords and sticking them on a web page. The content in which the keywords appear is just as important as the words themselves. In the lawn care and landscaping business, it means you've got to do more than just stick terms like yard care or lawn mowing on the website. It may sound a little outside the box but you've got to weave a story that includes the top keywords. When the keywords, SEO content, and web page layout are properly coordinated, the search engine results begin to pile up. Sounds Good ... How Much? Here's the best part of all. Lawn care and landscaping companies can discover the top keywords by taking advantage of some free resources available online. Websites like GoogleTM Keyword Planner and UberSuggest help less-than-programmer-level internet users find which keywords are the most used on the internet. What makes these websites so valuable is they do the research and compile all the data so owners, managers, and office web gurus can compete with the big-budget operations. With a price tag of FREE! there's no reason even the smallest mom-and-pop shop can't be up to speed on the latest and greatest marketing levers. Get to the Root of Things Not many small and medium-sized lawn care and landscaping businesses have the budget to afford an in-house internet webmaster. it's a struggle to pay for other items on the list, let alone paying someone to search for something like keywords. These new internet tools make it possible to bypass the techno-geeks and get to the heart of matters for discovering what buyers are using to find sellers. With the changes in internet search algorithm technology, it only makes sense to let experts keep you up-to-date on the latest and the greatest. Anything else is a waste of time and money and who has either of those to waste? Art, Science, or What? Coming up with the best narrative with the right keywords woven in is both an art and a science. Writers don't grow on trees and most lawn care and landscaping companies don't have a resident Shakespeare on the premises every day. More importantly, writers who comprehend how to weave the story using the right keywords the right way to achieve the desired results takes even more skill. Once the top keywords are identified, it's important to have a proper wordsmith assemble the narrative. Working the sentences, photo captions, YouTubeTM video descriptions, and other dialogue into a cohesive, interesting, and compelling story takes time, research, and understanding for it all to come together successfully. Too Much and Too Little It may seem counter intuitive but using a keyword too many times on a website or in a directory listing can be just as counterproductive as not using a keyword enough. Saturating a website with the same keywords over and over again sends the search algorithms in a different direction, preventing potential customers from seeing your website or directory listing. A balance must be achieved so that readers aren't overwhelmed with the same words being overused making the content uninteresting and repetitive. Remember, getting a customer to the website is one thing, keeping them there is another. To SEO or Not to SEO? For many lawn care and landscaping businesses, the entire question of how to get the most out of the internet is difficult to answer. Time spent on the internet for marketing and advertising is only one part of a complete sales and marketing campaign. Other avenues should also be utilized to generate sales contacts, but the fact is that most consumers still go to the internet to make contact. What the Yellow Pages were to the landscaping industry in the 20th Century, the internet has become in the 21st Century. It's not a question of whether or not to be online with a website. It's more of a question of the best way to be online to get the most results. Look, Learn, and Thrive The resources available online help make the search for the top lawn care and landscaping keywords much faster, easier, and more reliable. Nobody wants to waste time using last month's keywords when the current and hottest keywords are available at your fingertips. The opportunity to take advantage of the data and information generated by search engines can propel even the smallest company in a whole new world of growth and success. When the cost is zero and the value makes the cash register say "Ka-ching! Ka-ching!", it's only right to get educated and get going. So much depends on what may seem like such a small thing, but in reality can be quite significant and world-changing. The Wind Beneath Your Wings Every successful company, no matter how large or how small, has probably had successful advertising and marketing campaigns along the way. The owner or manager or whoever gets credit for the company's success knows it would not have happened if not for effective advertising and marketing. The level of sophistication and the complexities involved in successful internet marketing and advertising have altered the landscape industry by leveling the playing field like never before. Why not let free web experts help your lawn care and landscaping company discover the top keywords to bring in the business that's waiting to walk through your door? Here are the top lawn care and landscaping keywords according to the google keyword planner- landscaping service landscaping company lawn care lawn service landscaping landscape design lawn care services lawn mowing service front yard landscaping lawn maintenance grass cutting sprinkler system repair garden landscaping hardscaping backyard landscaping aerating lawn overseeding lawn landscaping rock artificial grass installation sod installation yard maintenance artificial lawn lawn treatment organic lawn fertilizer evergreen landscaping lawn care companies grass cutting service landscape maintenance spring lawn care pool landscaping lawn repair green lawn mowing services local landscapers lawn cutting service green landscaping organic lawn care landscaping business mow lawn dethatching low maintenance landscaping fall lawn care landscape construction commercial landscaping evergreen lawn care garden landscape design land design modern landscaping landscape curbing landscaping trees landscape management yard service sod installation near me turf care hard landscaping backyard landscape design affordable lawn care lawn treatment service lawn sprinkler repair flower bed designs lawn weed control house garden design quality landscaping driveway design mow the grass mowing grass lawn care business landscaping prices local lawn care stone landscaping new lawn residential landscaping sod installation pricing lawn maintenance service garden maintenance services lawn cutting professional landscaping contractors lawn fertilizer service patio landscaping front yard designs natural lawn green lawn care
Why Is Local SEO So Important For Your Landscaping Business? Landscaping business has evolved over time. With all the competition for customers and jobs, it's no wonder advertising, marketing, and sales play a bigger and bigger role in not only finding new customers to add to the customer base but also for keeping current customers. It's all about communicating and it starts with a website. In the 21st Century, if your landscaping or lawn care business isn't online, it's not in the game. Keeping things as local as possible helps bring all the marketing, advertising, and sales efforts together for a successful first contact by a prospective customer. Understanding the fundamental components to a successful internet presence via focused Search Engine Optimization (SEO) practices will help bring new customers to your door. Growing your Landscaping Business with the Internet Once upon a time, a landscaping business or lawn care company could slip flyers under windshield wipers or put ads in the Yellow Pages and get local customers. Times have changed and customers in need of landscaping services use a new method for discovering potential vendors. They jump on their smartphone, go to GoogleTM and type in the word "landscaping". Suddenly, three nearby businesses appear, plotted onto a map with contact information directly underneath. It's called the " Local 3-Pack " and it's an important tool in landscaping advertising and lawn care marketing. According to ThinkWithGoogle.com , 50% of internet searchers visit at least one of the promoted business the same day they make an inquiry online. GoogleTM also notes that when queries are made using a smartphone or computer, 78% of the time a purchase is made offline. In a Moz.com study conducted recently, the following statistics were revealed: 44% of searchers clicked on at least one of the businesses identified in the Local 3-pack listing section. Search queries with the words "near me" included have increased 34 times since 2011. 8% of searchers chose to look at more local business listings. What is the Local 3-Pack? The Local 3-Pack, also known as the Local Pack or Pop-up 3, is an important part of landscaping and lawn care marketing. Companies with many search queries and customer reviews combined with good SEO content receive the most attention. Customer reviews are important as they are a part of the algorithm GoogleTM uses to rank and locate websites. According to research conducted by the online firm Conversion Science , search queries that result in Local 3-Pack websites produce the following statistics: Listings in the first Local 3-Pack to appear average 472% more reviews than listings that appear in the second Local 3-Pack. GoogleTM displays the listing with the most reviews 63% of the time. A listing in the GoogleTM Local 3-Pack has an average of 7.63 reviews while a listing in the second Local 3-Pack has only 1..61 reviews. SEO Services for Lawn & Landscaping Companies Unless you're in the landscaping or lawn care business, you would think the SEO terms that would apply to the business would be used by every other company. It's the "local" part of the local 3-pack that makes all the difference. Each landscaping website or lawn care website has the opportunity to separate itself from the crowd by using unique, targeted words, images, and phrases that gain greater attention by searchers. Utilizing current protocols for website optimization and the data generated from competitive as well as a company's own website, a landscaping company can know how effective their website's SEO content is and what it is doing to bring new customers through the front door. Get your website noticed One of the biggest advantages to having local SEO results so readily available to searchers is the time saved as well as the improved confidence customers have in a business. Sales are achieved with greater regularity due to consumer confidence when previous customers leave glowing reviews. Whether a company has a staff of 100 or works with a crew of 3 workers, getting customers to make contact is much more democratic and even-handed. No longer does the biggest Yellow Page ad get the most results. In today's competitive world of landscape and lawn care advertising, it's the ability of the website listing to get noticed that matters. Landscaping companies that understand the basics of online marketing and Search Engine Optimization protocols will do much better than their less-technological counterparts. DIY or Not An online website is much easier to put in place in today's world than it was even a year or two ago., Many landscaping and lawn care business owners and managers choose to go it alone and do it themselves when it comes to getting online and getting noticed on GoogleTM by searchers. Other companies use the services of an internet marketing company to accomplish the task. In either case, it's important to understand the value and consequence of not only having quality SEO content in the website but also of incorporating the right marketing and advertising methods that will list your business higher and higher in search engine results. There are many resources including books and online information that can help bring a better understanding of the significance and importance of SEO content and website layout considerations. Staying at Home Local landscaping and lawn care companies compete for the same customers spending valuable dollars in hopes of making contact with potential clients. Marketing tools like billboards, mailers, telemarketing, radio or television advertising, and a dozen other resources simply add to a company's online marketing efforts. In the end, most consumers go to the internet to identify potential vendors and suppliers. They look for 5-star customer reviews and an easy way to make contact before taking the first step. By utilizing Search Engine Optimization techniques and incorporating high-quality content and graphics on their website and local landscaping or lawn care company can stay in the game and grow. Good local listing results benefit from on-going review and adaptation to market trends and conditions. Keeping an eye on a company's online rankings as well as constant attention to customer reviews will produce a listing that gets attention and that means sales.
What is Your NAP and Why is It Important? We're not talking about taking a nap; we're talking about having a NAP or Name, Address, and Phone Number listed on your internet website. GoogleTM looks for this data whilst conjuring up search results for locally-listed businesses and if your name, address, and/or phone number aren't correct, are confusing, or are missing completely you're shooting yourself in the foot big time. In the landscaping industry it can be the difference between success and failure. Data 101 It may seem like a lesson taught in the Data 101 class but you'd be surprised how many websites have incorrect contact information. It's bad enough that if your company doesn't keep it's info up-to-date, GoogleTM will delist your website. Think of it as internet suicide. The whole reason for having a website is for people to contact your business. According to a Yelp.comTM blog official survey , 85% of potential customers gather info online using a computer or smartphone. That makes the internet the number one conduit for connecting with consumers. Keep it Up It's surprising how many companies fail to take a look at their own website occasionally. Even companies that have internet service providers handling the majority of activity concerning their web presence can get caught with their pants down. Remember, it's the old saying, "Garbage in, garbage out" that should be respected. With all the distractions each day presents, it's easy to be in such a hurry to make a million dollars you forget to let people know how to place an order. Landscapers and lawn care companies need their marketing dollars producing results, not firing blanks. Major and Minor Effort The funny thing about internet listings is that if they are clear and concise, you can get where you want to go with little effort and in a short amount of time. If the listing is incorrect or unclear, you could find yourself on a hunt for a wild goose you never knew existed. Wild goose chases tend to turn off potential customers and result in complaints and one-star reviews. Low ratings mean low listings or no listings. Who wants to be on page 9 of the local listings when a customer takes a look at the local 3-Pack on their phone? Nobody, that's who. Your website is failing you and oftentimes, nobody even knows it. This and That The main company name should be exact without additions or continuations. Things like using the term "LLC" or "Inc" generally muddy the water and make the search algorithms go nuts because the company's name isn't short, sweet, and to the point. When a user queries GoogleTM for your company's name, they aren't going to throw in an LLC or Inc or anything else. Why make the process less productive just to satisfy your lawyer? And be careful with the physical address listed with the website. Some companies use local mailbox services like Post Offices or UPSTM stores. They don't appreciate your potential customers tying up their parking lot or wandering inside to see if you're there. Get the Phone, Will Ya? In the old days, one way to tell if a company was successful or not was to stand in the front office and listen for the telephone ringing. Lots of telephone calls meant lots of business. Nowadays, that's not as accurate a measuring stick, but it is still an important part of any company's success. Making the phone ring is a primary objective for all websites because customers with questions still like to hear humans on the line explaining things to them. The wrong phone number not only thwarts all sales and marketing efforts, but it also demonstrates a level of competence many judge to be inadequate to gain their business. In other words, if you're dumb enough to have the wrong phone number listed on your website, what else is going to go wrong? Talk about starting off on the wrong foot! Don't Discriminate Many companies have multiple locations and, in some cases, each location can have different addresses for offices, warehouses, or deliveries. Checking on each regularly makes sense as there are multiple opportunities for things to be out of whack. Just because the address doesn't change or the phone number hasn't been updated, doesn't mean the info on the website couldn't be wrong or corrupted. Occasionally, a webmaster messes up website content while doing their work and they may not notice the error. You need to be the quality control department for the webmaster in this situation. Check all the pages to make sure they display the correct name, address, and phone number regularly and you'll sleep better at night.
Top 40 Landscaping Tools to Use Looking for a list of the top 40 landscaping tools to maintain your yard or customers yards? If you are doing landscaping work, you want to make sure you are well prepared for the job. Check out this complete list of landscaping tools- List of Landscaping Tools- Top 40: Here we are going to have a look at all those top 40 tools that can be used for landscaping. 1. Garden Forks- There are various types of garden forks in the market, and every type is used for different work. But in general, we can say that these garden forks are used for moving compost, mulch, or soil. Moreover, some people use them for cleaning their yard/garden so that their place gets rid of leaves and other such substances from your garden. 2. Yard and Garden Rakes- Have you ever faced the problem of leaver all over your yard or garden? If you said yes, then the yard and garden rakes is the landscaping tool that you need, as with the help of this tool, you would be able to pick up leaves from the garden without damaging its surface. Mostly this tool is used before planting seeds in the garden or land. 3. Handle Shovel- This is the third tool in the list of landscaping tools- top 40, and the primary purpose of this tool is to dig the soil so that you can create a hole in your lawn or yard and place seeds in the hole for plantation. The handle shovel can also be used for filling potholes efficiently, there are various kind of handle shovels in the market, but try to get a durable one also for you. 4. Planting Tools- As the name suggests, this is a group of tools that are correctly used for the planting of new seeds and plants. This group of tools contains transplanting trowels, which can be used for taking a plant from one place to another and planting it, while it can also provide hedge shear that is used for the cutting of overgrown plants. 5. Scoops and Shovels- This is one of the most used landscaping tools as with the help of scoops and shovels you would be able to pick up loose material from your yard or garden and this tools is mostly used for either transferring content from one place to another, or it can also be used to pick up the loose material to throw it out of your yard. This is a kind of durable product but never pick up any heavy material with that, as it can get broken. You can also dig in to the ground with these tools. 6. Garden Hoes- Here is the option of an ancient and versatile agricultural equipment whose main purpose of use was to shape up your yard or garden soil so that there takes place no disturbances. While it can also be used for removing weeds from your yard, along with that, you can get a clean soil with the help of a garden hoe. 7. Cultivators and Weeders- Although these products have simple usage of cultivating the plants and removing the weeds from your garden or yard. But now these tools have become highly advanced, and people are using automatically working cultivators and weeders that remove weed plants and, along with that, helps in cultivation efficiently. With these products, everything is being handled automatically. You would just have to control the handles and nothing else. 8. Push Brooms and Cleanup- In case if you are trying very hard to clean up those small areas in your yard or garden where your brooms or other such products are unable to reach, then you should get yourself a push broom and clean up with the help of which you can sweep narrow places and along with that can also collect larger particles easily. 9. Striking Tools- Here you are having a look at one of the most extensively used tools in the yard and gardening field, with the help of striking tools you would be able to drill or break various hard substances in your garden. Mostly such tools are used for breaking heavy stones and other such things so to change them in smaller sizes. 10. Pruning Knives- Are you have fruits and vegetable plants in your yard or garden? If you said yes, then what is that product which you use for breaking or cutting those fruits and vegetables from the plants? Most of the people use simple knives, but let us tell you that those simple knives are not made for such usage, and one of the most appropriate products that you can use is pruning knives, which is created especially for such usage only. 11. Grafting Knives- The next product in the list is grafting knives, which is again a different product from regular knives as the grafting knives have got one of the sharpest with the help of which you can easily cut hard woody material. Moreover, no matter how much harder the product would be, you would always be able to get take advantage of a flat cut with the help of grafting knives. 12. Grafting Tool Set- This is a complete set, which consists of almost every essential cutting work-related product. Not only that, you would be able to get this product in the form of a scissor that will have several equipment for cutting down almost every kind of hard thing that can be found in your garden. So with the help of this tool, you would not have to break the bushes of trees from your garden or yard by your hands, as this tool will do all such works. 13. Turf & Sod Cutter- This is a highly efficient machine with the help of which you can easily cut down the upper layer of grass from your garden or yard. This product is mainly used whenever you want to plant more seeds in your garden or yard, and you do not have space for it due to heavy grass. So this product helps in cutting down the layer of grass, and the whole cutting process will be précised. 14. Utility Knives- Utility knives are one of the smallest but strongest product with the help of which you would be able to cut down small to large products placed in your garden efficiently. Hence, with every cut, you would be able to take advantage of the fine cutting surface. This tool generally contains a pop-up knife that you can bring out from the storage whenever you want it by directly pressing the knife button. 15. Logging Tools- This is a special kind of tool with the help of which you can easily cut large trees, and not only that, this tool can also help you in picking up the logs of trees so that you can take that from one place to another easily. This tool generally contains a sharp knife-like structure, which firstly can be used for cutting the logs, and hence right after that, you can use it for picking up from one place to another. 16. Chainsaws- These are high-quality mechanical products that consist of a motor inside them with the help of which you can cut that larger trees and wood trees in your yard or garden efficiently. Such devices come in various shapes and sizes, depending upon your usage. So whenever you are trying to buy such products, make sure you have a look at what kind of usage you want from it. 17. Trimmers- There are various kind of trimmers that you can get for taking care of your yard and garden. Moreover, they are differentiated based on their usage too. In some cases, the trimmers can be used for trimming your lawn while on the other hand some trimmers are used for the trimming of plants so that you can give them a proper shape. 18. Brush Cutters- Here is a kind of high-quality product that consists of a blade at one end while on the other hand, you would be able to get an efficient motor with the help of which the brush will start moving. This brush cutter can be used for proper cleaning of weeds, small trees, and many more such things in your garden or yard. 19. Shredder Vacs- The next landscaping tool in the list is a shredder vacs which is a vacuum kind of product with the help of which you can completely get rid of all the leaves present on your yard or garden surface. These vacuums are specially designed for the cleaning purpose of leaves and other such particles from your garden efficiently. 20. Blowers- This is a landscaping product with the help of which you would be able to blow away all kind of leftover leaves, and other such particles from your garden and plants present there. Blowers are also available in various types, and the most significant differentiation you can makeover such products is based on their power. Most people select a blower for themselves based on their power only. 21. Edgers- You must have noticed that some people have created a walking way between their gardens or yards, and at the edges of those walking ways, the grass gets accumulated. To cut down that accumulated grass, this specially designed product is used, which is known as edgers. 22. Bed Redefiner- This is a handheld tool that is used for cleaning down the edges around a yard with the help of which you can get rid of extra grass and weeds from the edges easily. Bad redefiners also come in various shapes and sizes, so whenever you are selecting one, make sure to get the most appropriate one. 23. Pressure Washers- Garden pressure washers are a bit different from other such pressure washing machines because the garden pressure washer can be used nearby plants, and it is made sure that the plants nearby do not get harm by the pressure water. Moreover, it can be used for cleaning the garden tiles and other such parts of your garden or yard. 24. Sprayers- These are simple tools that are used for spraying some medicines inside your gardens or yard. Although with a change in time, these tools have also been changed, and most of the people out there currently use automatic sprayers that use machines in them hence you would be able to use them for spraying chemicals easily. 25. Hedge Trimmers- Nowadays, people usually have a clear look at the proper cutting of their plants, and for proper cutting, one should need good quality products too. So hedge trimmer is one of them with the help of which you would be able to get a proper cutting for your plants at your yard or garden. 26. Pole Pruners- This is a multi-usage product, as you can use it for creating a hole in your yard or garden. That hole can be used for several things, such as planting a seed or filling a pole inside the hole. Mostly when this product was launched, the main motive was to make a hole for pole installation. 27. Dry Vacuums - Although the vacuum cleaners have the same kind of usage, but it was found that with the help of a dry vacuum, you would be able to get rid of dry dust and dirt particles efficiently. This can be used in your garden with the help of which you can get rid of dirt particles and hence can get a wholly cleaned garden or yard. 28. Wet Vacuums - Above, we have had a look at dry vacuums that are used for cleaning dry dirt and dust particles, but here we are going to have a look at wet vacuum, which is used for cleaning wet particles present in your garden or yard. This is a kind of waterproof vacuum cleaner, and hence you would not be able to face any water exposure related issues with it. 29. Hand tools- These are a group of tools with the help of which you would be able to take advantage of various practices such as cutting, digging, and various such processes that can be done in your garden or yard. These are some handheld tools that can be used for numerous works in your garden. 30. Lawn Movers- This is a product with the help of which you would be able to clean the extra layer of grass in your yard or garden. Lawnmowers come in various shapes and sizes, and you can select the most appropriate one for yourself by having a look at your needs. 31. Concrete cutters- There are a specific condition in which for making some more space in your yard or garden, you would have to cut down the concrete part in your garden. So during that time, these concrete cutters help a lot, as they can easily cut the concrete part efficiently without any issue in it. 32. Augers- Auger is a drilling device with the help of which you can make huge holes in your yard or garden. This product is used for huge purposes only, and if you have a small garden, then there's no use of it. 33. Hand gloves- You can keep our hands neat and clean by using hand gloves over them, these gloves are made up of high-quality rubber material and hence can protect your hands from various particles. 34. Work wear- These are high-quality and hard hats that can be used to save our heads from any material that can hit on our head. In some places, this workwear are mandatory to wear, and if you don't have one, then you would not be able to do your work. 35. Footwear- There are various hard substances in your garden or yard area, and in some cases, they can even put your feet in harm. So if you want to get rid of them, then you can use garden footwear to get rid of such situations. 36. Weed Trimmer- This is a trimming product with the help of which you can get rid of weeds from your garden or yard area. This is a product that is special designs for cutting plants only. 37. Trencher- In case if you want to lay pipes inside a land, then a trencher is used with the help of which you can lay pipes. Not only that, but this machine can also even be used if you want to lay electrical cables too. 38. Block Splitter - With the help of a block splitter, you would be able to spilt a hard block into two or more pieces for further usage. 39. Plate Compactor - With the help of this product, you would be able to compact stone for building patios or walkways. 40. Drills- These are the machines with a small auger will help of you to drill holes at various places in your garden to plant small annuals. This makes planting small flowers a breeze when you are doing a lot of them.
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