Any seasoned landscaper knows that leads are the key ingredient to success. Without a steady stream of landscaping leads, it’s impossible to sustain your business—no matter how long you’ve been serving your community.
Of course, finding the best lead generation techniques for lawn care businesses is much easier said than done. And if you’ve been relying on gut-instinct decisions to fill your marketing funnel with qualified leads, you’re probably no stranger to wasted money, lost time, and missed opportunities.
You’ve already poured blood, sweat, and tears into growing your landscaping business. The last thing you want to do is rub salt in the wound with ineffective ad campaigns and money-sucking marketing tactics. You need lead generation strategies that work for you, not against you.
Ready to ignite your landscaping business with data-driven lead gen tactics? Here’s everything you need to know to score more landscaping customers.
Think of your website as the foundation of your digital marketing efforts. It’s the tool you need to attract prospective clients, convert those website visitors into qualified leads, and get paid. If you don’t have a professional website, you’re doing yourself (and your business) a major disservice.
Upgrading your landscaping website isn’t that different from creating a beautiful outdoor space. Think about it: You’ll need to find the most effective way to use your website real estate. Then, you’ll need to infuse your website with your creative style to stand out from the crowd.
That said, expertise in landscape design won’t always translate to web design. You’ll need to dedicate time and energy to designing your website, mastering search engine optimization, and crafting compelling copy. And if you make bad website decisions, you’ll pay the price—a website that’s too confusing, unprofessional, or outdated can (and will) turn off prospective clients.
Need some inspiration to get the creative juices flowing? Here are a few tips to help you prime your website for lead generation.
What’s the best way to win leads? It’s simple: You need to meet homeowners where they already are. For years, mobile users have accounted for the majority of web traffic, and fewer people are using their laptops to browse the internet. But what does that mean for your landscaping business?
Take a step back and think about your current lead generation strategy. If you’re like most landscapers, you’re redirecting prospective clients to a landing page where they have to fill out forms to submit their contact information. If you’re not optimizing your form fields (or worse, directing potential leads to slow-loading pages), you’ll pay the price with a high bounce rate.
That’s where Google Ads lead form extensions can save the day. When you add lead form extensions to your Google Ads, you’ll create powerful lead gen ads that can capture leads directly from the mobile search results page. Sounds simple enough, right?
Google lead generation forms can help you win new leads with a simple CTA and a responsive form, all neatly tucked under your ad. After a local homeowner clicks on your ad, they’ll see a Google-hosted form. The best part? The form automatically pre-populates with their Google account data, so they can submit their information with a single tap.
Of course, Google Ads come with a catch: Without the right PPC strategy, Google Ads can quickly drain your marketing budget. This strategy works best for services with a short sales cycle, high sense of urgency, and low price tag (think: spring cleaning services, mulch installation, etc.). When you’re ready to kickstart your PPC campaign, check out our guide to paid search for contractors.
Let’s face it: Acquiring new leads through word-of-mouth referrals is the oldest trick in the book. If you’re not asking previous customers for referrals, you could be losing out on mountains of missed opportunities.
Why do customer referrals hold so much power? Nothing beats social proof—and the numbers back this up. According to a Nielsen survey, consumers are four times more likely to buy from a specific business when they’re referred by a friend. This is especially true for significant purchases, like fireplace or turf installation. Most homeowners would rather ask friends, family, and coworkers for trustworthy landscaper recommendations than hire an unknown business.
If past customers are satisfied with your work, why not ask for a referral? It’s easier than you might think, and you don’t have to be intrusive or annoying to build a strong customer referral program. Here’s how to get started.
If you want landscaping leads, you need to spread the word about your business. Our clients tell us that social media is an effective tool for lead generation, especially during peak season.
Before you start running ads on every platform, think about your audience. Remember: The best platform for lead gen is the one your customers use. Start by researching the demographics of different platforms to find the best fit for your target market.
Once you’ve found the right platforms for your lead gen strategy, it’s time to start running ads. Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest ads can help you take a different approach from the competition, but you’ll need a powerful strategy to boost your business. Here’s how to build a viable social media strategy to score more landscaping leads.
A word of caution: Social media advertising comes with unrivaled targeting options, but our clients typically spend more on social media ads than Google Ads campaigns. If you’re working with a limited budget, always track your results to maximize your return on ad spend (ROAS).
Just posting on Facebook, Instagram, and other social media platforms can help you build brand awareness, but organic social media marketing isn’t always the best way to generate leads for your lawn care business (especially if you’re a social media newbie). If you need leads now, impactful social media ads can have an immediate impact on your business.
Leads are the lifeblood of your business, but lead generation is easier said than done. After all, you’re busy running your business, getting your hands dirty, and meeting with customers. You’re already working overtime—and you don’t have hours to dedicate to social media advertising or web development.
We get it. We’ve spent years mastering the art of contractor marketing, and we’re here to take the marketing tasks off your plate so you can focus on your business. When you’re ready to take the next step, reach out to our team to grow your landscaping business with data-driven lead generation strategies.
