How to Get 100 Lawn Care Customers
Whether you’re a new lawn care business owner or you’re looking to boost your customer base and grow an existing company, you can do it with a few expert tips and suggestions. Getting 100 new lawn care customers fast is entirely possible with some insight and footwork. Whether you’re starting out with only a push mower or you have a complete setup of the latest equipment, you’ll need marketing skills and techniques to succeed.
Consider the following information that has been tried and tested by successful lawn care service owners: Discover how to get 100 lawn care customers and reap the benefits of being your own boss in an industry offering plenty of potentials.
Perfect Your Communication Skills
One of the first things you want to do is perfect your communication skills with both your employees and your lawn care customers. Make sure everyone is on the same page, and outline your expectations. It’s essential to make sure you use good communication in all parts of the business. It is a good foundation for everything else you do to grow your company and become a conscientious business owner.
For example, when you hire employees for your lawn care business, be clear about their specific duties and daily expectations. Check with them daily to ensure they are meeting expectations, and if they need improvement, let them know where they should focus their attention. When dealing with customers, make sure they are clear on the date, time, and details of the services they request.
Always give them a price, and if there are any changes, let them know right away. This also applies if you run into a problem on the job. For example, if your equipment breaks down during the service appointment, let your lawn care customers know when you can come back to complete the job and make sure they agree. When it comes to receiving payment, you must be especially clear. Let them know if you take card payments, cash, checks, etc. If they have an account, make sure it’s updated and they have all the details to avoid confusion.
Establish a Good Relationship With Customers
Your lawn care customers are far more likely to stay loyal if they feel they have an excellent professional relationship with their lawn care service provider. Encourage your employees to engage with each customer at each visit to let them know key details about their yard and what they can do to improve their outdoor space. Encourage the employees to scan the area and look for any potential issues to discuss a course of action with the customer before the job begins.
Take time to find out the customers’ pain points and help them get solutions that fit their budget. If they have a problem with their yard, talk with them to find out if they want to tackle the issues later or if there’s another strategy they want to take. Don’t forget to call or stop by as the owner to speak with customers to see if they are satisfied and let them know you value their business. This process establishes a solid customer base and helps create a successful lawn care business.
Keep in mind that when you establish a good relationship with your existing customers, they are far more likely to recommend you to their friends and family for services. The lawn care service industry runs on word-of-mouth advertising, so always prioritize your current customers.
Automation
If you haven’t gotten your lawn care business off the ground yet and want to start a new lawn or landscaping business, you’ll want to get automation before you launch your business. If you already have a lawn care service up and running, now is the time to switch to automated services. Why, you ask? Automation keeps the business organized and streamlines the entire process. It eliminates many of the common errors that plague companies in this industry. It also helps you take care of tasks on time and allows you more capabilities and flexibility to run your business smoothly.
With the right automation, you can get tons of tools and software to help you with almost every aspect of the business, so you can focus on getting the job done. When using a company that provides automation services, things to look for include the following:
- Top-notch security to protect your customer’s sensitive data
- Easy access to all information at any time
- Support teams to provide assistance at any time
- Capable technical support for any issues that arise
- Streamlined interfaces that are easy to use and understand
You can integrate customer relationship management (CRM) software to provide you and your customers with the best experience, so you can continue to retain customers and gain new ones regularly.
This software can track customer interactions, customer habits, previous account activities, inquiries, and so much more. Additionally, it can track your profit margin and process payments to your bank account. It’s a comprehensive solution for maintaining those valuable relationships and preventing issues and contact from falling through the cracks.
Marketing
So, you’ve prepared yourself and your employees to interact and communicate with the customers. Then, you’ve taken the insightful step to automate your customer interactions using CRM and other lawn care software, so what do you need to focus on after that? That’s a simple answer—marketing! You need to get the word out and make sure you catch the eye of as many people as possible to help you get a good jump start in this competitive industry and attract new clients.
There are so many ways to market a company or business today. In fact, it can be somewhat overwhelming at first, and you might not know where to start. Remember that the more channels you use effectively, the better your odds of gaining new leads and building your customer base. There are a few different areas of focus when it comes to marketing. They can include the following:
- Digital Marketing
- Social media
- Traditional media
- Email marketing
For example, it’s a good idea to keep up with your Facebook page daily in addition to your other pages so you can establish a presence for your lawn care business. You’ll also want to regularly use traditional marketing channels such as radio, television, and printed materials. These are the essential channels to focus attention on when creating an effective marketing solution for your company. Google AdWords is another great tool for creating a presence and driving traffic to your website.
Website
One of the first things you’ll need to get started is a modern website that is easy to navigate, catches the eye of the viewer, and provides valuable information. When viewers do local searches and land on your website or business page, they know within the first few seconds if they want to stay to read more or go to another site.
Key points of interest should stand out and encourage them to keep reading. Do you want to run any great specials? Make sure that is one of the first things they see when they click on your website. Put the extra effort into having a great-looking website with plenty of features and information about your company, such as the contact number.
You’ll also want to feature positive customer reviews when visitors arrive at your page. Convince some customers to leave a good review about the lawn service you’ve provided by reaching out and using your established professional relationship.
Search Engine Optimization
Search engine optimization (SEO) is another effective way to attract lawn care customers. By optimizing your website with relevant keywords and creating quality content, you can improve your search engine rankings and attract more visitors to your site. This increased visibility can lead to more inquiries and, ultimately, new customers for your lawn care business.
Paid Ads
If you’re struggling to get lawn care customers, paid ads can be a quick and effective solution. Platforms like Google Ads and Facebook Ads allow you to target people in specific geographic areas who are searching for lawn care services. You can also retarget people who have previously visited your website or interacted with your social media pages. With paid ads, you can set a budget and only pay when someone clicks on your ad. By testing and optimizing your ads, you can increase your click-through rates and conversions. Just make sure your landing page is optimized and your services are clearly defined to make the most of your ad spend.
Social Media
Harnessing the power of social media is essential for most service-related industries, including lawn care services. You need to establish a presence on each platform to help you reach more people than you can with other strategies. There are a few main social media platforms to establish a presence. They include the following:
- TikTok
The goal is to provide eye-catching, unique content and inject it with a personality to entice engagement with viewers. Knowing which social media platforms require a certain approach is also important. Some are better for video and photos, while others are better for text posts and interacting directly with the public. A common marketing strategy is to join Facebook groups around lawn care so you can connect with potential customers and build brand awareness. Additionally, you need to ensure that each platform gets interaction at regular intervals to get maximum exposure. A solid social media marketing strategy gets seriously impressive results and is worth your attention.
Traditional Marketing
Never underestimate the power of traditional marketing. Sticking to traditional channels and using proven strategies and a unique approach will get plenty of attention. Some areas of focus include advertisements in public locations. Think bus benches, door hangers, bulletin boards, street signs, and business cards. Have some professional photos on your marketing materials, and perfect a catchy slogan that makes you stand out from the crowd.
Spending the time, money, and effort on posting highly visible marketing materials will really make an impact on your reputation. The more people who see your advertisements over time, the more your name will stick with them. They are far more likely to reach out to a lawn care service if they have seen its name and advertisements over a long period of time. Another option to consider is advertising on vehicles, whether yours or others you pay for.
Direct Mail
Direct mail is an effective way to reach potential lawn care customers. By sending out flyers, postcards, or other promotional materials, lawn care businesses can directly target homeowners and businesses in their service area. Personalizing the message and offering special promotions can increase the likelihood of a response. Direct mail can be a cost-effective marketing strategy, especially when combined with other digital marketing efforts.
Email marketing campaigns are still some of the most effective available today. Having the right focus on your promotional emails and interaction emails is important because they help create a connection with your leads and current customers of your lawn care company. You need to ensure you reach out with valuable information, articles, special deals, and information about their accounts.
Regular interaction via email encourages repeat customers to find out more by clicking embedded links or reaching out directly. Gather qualified leads and reach out via email to gain more customers or help them learn more about your company and how your services can help them have a better outdoor space for their home or business.
Hit the Pavement
So, you’ve tackled some of your marketing angles, but what else can you do to get your first 100 customers for a new business or one that already exists? One of the most tried-and-true methods to gain new customers is to knock on a few doors. Have your marketing materials ready and in hand when you arrive. You’ll also want to make sure you’ve dressed appropriately when you do this type of advertising. It might seem easier to knock on doors when you’re in the neighborhood while working, but you want to reserve a certain time to speak with people without having to rush or look less than presentable.
Some materials to have on you and ready to hand out include brochures that list some of your services and any special deals you want to feature. Remember that you and your materials make a powerful first impression. If you don’t have brochures, you can at least have some professional business cards on hand. Make sure your business cards feature your name, business address, phone number, and website address. You can even include your social media information to be thorough.
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When you do this type of footwork, be sure to answer any questions potential lawn care customers may have and be prepared to take some time to look at their property. Many customers will want to discuss the job right then if they are interested. Sometimes, you can get a customer right away if you take the right approach. If you know of any people who recently moved into an area, you’ll want to visit them quickly before they find another lawn care service provider or before someone else visits them.
Summary
Owning a lawn care business requires you to take certain measures to ensure you gain new customers and keep them. Getting your first 100 customers is easy when you use lawn care software and make it a point to have positive interactions with your lawn care customers. Sign up for your free demo today to learn how to grow your business with effective solutions offered by Real Green.
