Being dependent on the unpredictable weather has always been part of the job as a landscape management professional. Nevertheless, the current drought in California brings new challenges to the landscaping industry. Clients’ concerns about environmental issues have been increasing and, as a landscaping company, addressing those concerns and offering appropriate solutions is crucial.
While the drought is seen as a disaster for many businesses, seize this as an opportunity to position your company as sustainable and water-wise for the time of the drought and longer.
See the drought as a chance to stand out from your competitors and feature your team as experts in water-smart, eco-friendly solutions. Creating a space for your employees such as a blog or Facebook page where they can share their passion and knowledge and interact with your customers will be valued by both sides. Customers will particularly appreciate being listened to and will enjoy having a behind-the-scenes kind of look at the company they are going to do business with.
To engage in a dialogue with your customers, have an up-to-date blog and be active on social media. It gives a more personal tone to your company’s voice and helps you sound more likeable to your clients. Especially in the landscaping industry, people count on other customers’ advice and word-of-mouth recommendations. Being active on social media will give you the opportunity to give tips and appropriate solutions regarding the drought and it will help you to get closer to your target market.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) should definitely pique your interest. Having a good SEO strategy will help your website rank higher on Google and other search engines. In a highly competitive market such as the landscaping industry, SEO is essential to avoid being buried under hundreds of competitors. An effective SEO strategy is a great way to make sure new clients find your company quickly and easily. SEO includes selecting the right keywords and writing appropriate content. When choosing those keywords, you need to be aware of industry trends and understand your target market to know what kind of information they are looking for. One pertinent topic within the landscape industry currently is resource management; adding a water-wise component to your website will be helpful. Incorporating sufficient internal and external links in your website is also recommended; those are highly appreciated by hidden Googlebot!
Show potential clients you are an expert and help them realize how much they need you by providing worthy commentary and creating a strategy to share your expertise.
