Is it time to start advertising for your landscaping business? If you’re on this page, I would assume the answer is yes.
If you are ready to start landscaping ads, or you are still unsure about advertising your landscaping business, then keep reading.
I am going to discuss strategies, both paid and unpaid, that you can start using for your business.
Let’s get started.
Preface – Why Landscaping Ads are Important
This may seem like an obvious answer-
but getting more eyes on your business will result in more sales.
Landscaping Ads will be an effective way to reach your target market and start earning new business.
What I want to emphasize is that some forms of advertising are completely free.
Here’s an example
Find Out How We Can Help Grow Your Business
Let’s discuss your marketing needs, and we’ll help you put together a digital marketing strategy that will generate more leads and save you time.
Download the above marketing guide because-
not only is it a free resource that will help you develop a marketing strategy; It also grows your awareness of our business.
We didn’t pay to get visitors to this page and if you download the marketing guide, we didn’t pay for that either.
You can use the same strategy to bring more unpaid, also known as organic, visitors to your website.
Now that we know advertising doesn’t have to be expensive (though there is a time and place for paid ads) let’s talk more specifics.
Chapter 1: Your Website
There is a lot that goes into an effective website, but on a basic level; does your website show you are professional?
It’s no secret we live in a hyper-connected world and as a result, generally speaking, people have access to a wealth of knowledge.
What does this mean for you?
It means that potential customers are likely to do some research before making a decision.
When they do research and they land on your website, do you appear as, or more, professional than your competitors they also researched?
It’s important to answer that question to yourself honestly and, if the answer is no, to make some updates.
Chapter 2: Making the Connection
Good looks are great, but they aren’t everything.
What I mean, is that having a professional-looking website that your potential customers can trust is very important.
But having a good-looking website doesn’t matter if it does not also convert.
Whether you get 1 visitor per month or 1,000 visitors per month won’t matter if 0% of your visitors turn into leads.
A 0% conversion rate is an exaggeration of a poorly performing website, but increasing your conversion rate is important and not necessarily difficult.
What do you think is an effective way to convert website visitors to leads you can contact?
Here’s one highly effective option –
Call-to-Action!
In short, the call-to-action is an “ask” for your website visitor to perform a task before leaving a site.
There are seemingly infinite options for a call-to-action (CTA), but here are just a couple examples.
You could use “Call Now” to get customers browsing from their phones to contact you directly and make that connection.
Generally speaking, the lower the barrier to entry, or ask, that you have for your visitors, the more likely they are to complete that activity.
For example, you could use the CTA “Get A Free Estimate.” Website visitors fill out their name, email, and phone number (which you can use for remarketing later) and you follow up to get them an estimate.
What you’re doing is creating a microtransaction.
In exchange for their contact info, they receive an estimate.
Whatever option you choose, it is important that you “ask” your website visitors to complete some action prior to exiting your site so they go from a visitor to a lead.
And while we’re on the subject, here’s one more example of a CTA:
Find Out How We Can Help Grow Your Business
Let’s discuss your marketing needs, and we’ll help you put together a digital marketing strategy that will generate more leads and save you time.
Sorry. Shameless plug, I couldn’t resist.
Chapter 3: Using Directories
Have you considered how your customers have found you online? Have they come in through social media posts? Possibly word of mouth from current happy customers?
Have you tried utilizing local directories?
Local directories are a great way to not only put your name out there but also get a bump in SEO.
Below is a list of directories that can be helpful for landscaping businesses.
For more detailed information on each of these directories check out our blog 17 Best Lead Generation Companies For Contractors.
Why can directories be effective? Again, check out the blog above for more details, but here’s a simple breakdown.
I did some research for the keyword “Landscaping Columbus Ohio.”
These two searches above get typed into google about 1,400 times per month.
When I went to google and typed in “Landscaping Columbus Ohio” here’s what I found.
The #1 organic result was Angi, #4 was Houzz, and #6 was Home Advisor.
What this shows us very clearly is that when your target market is actively searching for landscaping services, the first websites they see, oftentimes are the directories.
If the directories are getting the best positions on Google, we can assume they are getting the most clicks, and if they are getting the most clicks, it may be effective to be listed on those sites.
But what if your website also landed on the first page of Google for the same search term?
What if you also appeared higher on the page than the directories?
Well, that’s where the next chapter comes into play.
Chapter 4: Paid Advertising
Okay, so we know that a professional website that generates leads is crucial to success.
We also know that directories rank high on Google when your target market is looking for landscaping services.
What can you do to get those searches to your website directly, and bypass the directories?
With a long-term content strategy you can start to drive traffic to your website organically, but what about the short term?
That’s where Pay-Per-Click advertising comes in.
Where we have seen sustainable success with our clients has been Google Adwords.
Let’s go back to the search term “Landscaping Columbus Ohio.” As I mentioned, Angie’s List was the #1 organic result, but it was not the first result at the very top of the page.
The very top result on the page was an ad.
As the name “Pay-Per-Click” implies, you don’t pay for the ad at the top of the page unless somebody clicks on it.
There is plenty of information to help you learn how to use Adwords, or you can just use Adwords Express (which is basically the beginner’s version).
There are a lot of factors that go into a campaign, like which keywords you target, keeping your average cost-per-click (CPC) low, etc.
But if you take the time to research and build an effective AdWords campaign, you should see a comfortable ROI.
Alternatively, you can work with a landscaping marketing agency that can make your landscaping ads even more profitable and you don’t have to lift a finger!
Sorry, did it again. (Last shameless plug… probably)
Chapter 5: Bonus Pay-Per-Click
In addition to running landscaping ads on Google, you can also run landscaping ads on Facebook.
I happen to believe Google Ads is FAR more effective, but Facebook does come with some major advantages.
Namely, retargeting campaigns. Without going into too much detail, re-targeting allows you to track people who have visited your website from Google Ads and – if they don’t convert – they see your display ads on their Facebook later.
Have you ever been searching for something online, and now suddenly that item is all you see while scrolling through Facebook? That’s retargeting.
Landscaping Ads Marketing – Key Takeaways
We covered a lot of information so far, but hopefully, it isn’t an overwhelming amount.
If you’re trying to get your advertising started, you don’t necessarily have to do everything.
But you do have to do something.
If you don’t have the time or knowledge right now to do everything we’ve discussed, then pick one section and start there.
Some progress is better than none.
Things to remember from the information discussed above.
Not all forms of advertising have to be paid for.
You can drive visitors to your website, FOR FREE, through tactics like effective SEO, posting on social media, word of mouth, etc.
Your website needs to look professional and trustworthy, but it is also important that it has a clear call to action to convert visitors to leads.
Find Out How We Can Help Grow Your Business
Let’s discuss your marketing needs, and we’ll help you put together a digital marketing strategy that will generate more leads and save you time.
Local directories get a lot of clicks from Google, it may be effective for your business to be present on those directories.
Effective pay-per-click advertising can help you land on page one of Google when people are searching for your services.
I hope the information above can help get you started and be a resource moving forward.
Best of luck as you are starting, or improving, your advertising efforts for landscaping!
If you have questions about landscaping ads or need additional help, please feel free to contact us!
