A strong web presence is essential for any local service-based business. 97% of consumers go online to find and research local businesses. A landscaping website should be as visually pleasing as the work done by the business itself in order to be an effective marketing tool for the brand. Tasked with garnering the attention of new clients and building strong relationships with existing clients, your landscaping website can be your most powerful, 24/7 employee on staff. Whether you are celebrating your grand opening or have served the community for years, we have some tips that will help you take your web presence to the next level.
Web Design
Your website should help you establish and build your brand. A visually appealing website design can help convey the exact ambiance and feel of your landscaping services. Since new clients haven’t necessarily seen your work, it’s important for your website to convince them to contract your services.
Visually appealing colors will catch the viewers’ eye and communicate with potential customers at a subconscious level. People tend to determine subconsciously whether or not something is interesting and colors speak the language of the subconscious.
Simpler layouts best present information in a user-friendly way. Establishing a visual hierarchy will help existing and potential clients make sense of the information available on your website. Intuitive navigation also positively impacts the user experience level of your site. Your landscaping website layout is not the time to get unique when it comes to navigation options. A site that meets viewers expectations is a safer route to take. Finally, a hard to miss and easy to use call to action can help increase conversion rates.
Device Responsive and Mobile Friendly
Best practice in today’s technology-saturated world is to offer a website that is device responsive and mobile-friendly. 57% of Internet users say they won’t recommend a business with a website that is poorly designed for mobile use. Visitors will appreciate a consistent experience in regards to viewing and navigating around your website, regardless of the type of device they are using. Visitors will be quick to leave your site if it doesn’t meet their performance expectations.
For a quick review:
A responsive website responds to the specific mobile operating systems of the device being used. The navigation is often condensed, unnecessary images are hidden while other images are optimized for that specific device.
A mobile-friendly website displays a website in exactly the same way on all devices because it doesn’t rely on mobile operating systems. No images are hidden and, instead, are scaled based on the size of the device being used.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search Engine Optimization of your website is important in regards to helping people find your business when they do a general search of your industry or services. Search engines rank and display websites according to an always evolving algorithm. While the search engines don’t share all of the specifics of their algorithms, we’ve learned many vital aspects over the years as search engines like Bing and Google do publish some details after each major update.
Each time a new iteration comes out, your website may need some tweaks to make sure you are giving yourself the best opportunity to rank well in the search results. Whether you are unfamiliar with SEO best practices or need a refresher, we’d recommend the following:
The amount of time it takes to load your web pages is part of the criteria search engines use to rank websites. Sites that load quickly will rank higher in the search results than those with slower loading times. Not to mention, consumers are becoming more and more impatient in regards to the time it takes to begin interacting with a website. If they can’t engage with your content in a matter of seconds, they will move on to a website that is better optimized for speed.
Include a Service Menu
By offering an online service menu, you will help convince site visitors to contact you for the purpose of booking your landscaping business for their home or office building. It is best to avoid using a PDF file because many people use their mobile devices to access the Internet. PDF files not only require the additional step of downloading, but they are also difficult to view on a mobile device.
Be sure to include all the services that you offer. Consumers also appreciate knowing the prices charged for each separate service or for a package of services. Include customer reviews of your services as well as products and packages of services that offer the best value to your customers.
Include Customer Reviews
Positive reviews from existing customers are an excellent marketing tool to help generate new business. Satisfied customers are the best promoters of any business. Offering social proof is an excellent way to build consumer trust and convince site visitors to complete a purchase. Customer reviews provide reassurance to potential customers and should be prominently featured on all of your web pages. BrightLocal found that 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.
General reviews and ratings found online are major factors that influence consumers and shape the way they interact with businesses. Reviews posted on sites like Google and Yelp allow customers to compare products and services based on other people’s experiences. The content in your online reviews can be the difference between the success and failure of a small business. 62.7% of consumers believe online reviews are important or very important when choosing a local business.
While online reviews are a powerful tool for sharing information, they do tend to over-represent extreme views. It is important to remember that frustration leads to negative reviews. Your best bet is to be proactive in how you deliver your products and services and to respond to any negative reviews head-on in a rationale, professional manner.
Highlight Special Promotions
Whether you are featuring calendar-related specials or “evergreen” specials (year-round), know that consumers like to believe they are getting a deal. Include dedicated banners or pages to visually communicate the offers. Do pay attention to what you have posted so things are kept current and you aren’t advertising a Mother’s Day Special in August. Be sure to educate your staff on all available offers so there is no confusion or frustration for your customers.
Provide Contact Information
60% of consumers prefer to contact a local business over the phone. Visitors to your website should be able to easily and quickly find contact information including a physical address, any necessary parking information, a Google Maps link, a phone number, e-mail address, and other types of contact details available. We recommend including contact details in the header or footer of your website so it is available regardless of which page a visitor is viewing.
Include Relevant Photos of Your Business
Brands need to communicate information quickly and in an engaging manner before consumers move on to another website. High-quality images communicate an investment on your company’s part to a particular business standard. Pictures can help potential customers envision themselves using your services.
Photos of your company vehicles will help boost consumer confidence in your level of professionalism and assure them that they will be able to identify your employees upon arrival at their home or business. Images of completed landscaping projects will help potential customers envision how you can transform their property whether it is simply to tidy things up or is a more involved project.
Summary
The experts at Strategy Driven Marketing have extensive experience in the development and creation of engaging websites for organizations of all sizes and across a number of industries. We understand the important role a website plays for a landscaping business and would love to learn more about your business so we can help you offer an effective and engaging website that will let you maximize your revenue potential. Contact us today – let’s get started!