In today's market, having an online presence can play a major role in the success of your business. When done right, it can help ease some of the pressure of constantly having to find leads, scale your business, and even automate many of the processes that generate busy work for lawn care professionals.

A strong digital presence can increase brand awareness (a.k.a. “free” advertising), drive traffic to your website, build brand loyalty and trust, and facilitate client communications.

Whether you're just starting your landscaping business and trying to gain traction or looking to build a more robust marketing strategy, the steps below can help.

1. Invest in a Self-Serving Website

When you're on the job, going from customer to customer on your schedule, we know updating your website is one of the last things on your mind. However, your website is your digital storefront. It can play a major role in not only bringing in new leads but securing bookings without you having to lift a finger.

To achieve this, the design of your site needs to be mobile-friendly, responsive, intuitive, and most importantly, self-serving. This means your customer should be able to find, contact, book, pay, and even review your services fully on their own.

Be sure to look for a web builder or platform that has these built-in features or a way to add them into your existing site.

2. List Your Lawn Care Business Online

Nearly half of search engine users are seeking local information. Getting listed on local, online directories is a crucial way to improve your digital presence.

To appear in local searches, start by creating a Google My Business account and verifying it. This can help your business show up in "near me" searches. Other important local directories include Yelp, Apple Maps, and even gig sites like Thumbtack, Angie's List, and Houzz.

Be sure to include updated contact information, a description of your services, photos of your business or past work, and pricing information if you wish.

Although maintaining dozens of local directories can be time consuming, they can help direct leads to your website, to give you a call, or check out your past work.

3. Amplify Customer Reviews

Improving your online presence involves more than just updating your website. Your strategy should also address how your business appears on other sites—especially in online reviews.

Today, customers trust online reviews nearly as much as word-of-mouth, making positive reviews a powerful marketing tool.

However, there are ways to amplify them and make them more visible throughout your channels. Consider integrating a feed of positive customer testimonials to your website, quoting satisfied customers in a newsletter, or sharing a photo of a finished job site along with a quote from the customer on social media.

4. Prioritize High-Performing Channels

Although social media and other platforms can do wonders for your online presence, some of these channels are only effective when used consistently. Additionally, your target audience may not be on every single platform.

Instead of leveraging every available platform and spreading yourself thin, hone in on the channels you want to focus on. For residential lawn care, we recommend prioritizing Facebook and Twitter as that's where you're most likely to find homeowners.

5. Automate Client Communications

Customers prefer businesses that respond quickly. But when you're running your business solo or have a small team, being prompt with client communications can be challenging. However, part of having a good online presence is showing clients and prospective leads that you're active on various digital channels.

You can speed up communication by automating messaging or providing certain information up front. Some examples include:

  • Offering an FAQ on your website
  • Keeping email and social media templates for common questions or situations
  • Setting clear expectations for your team and assigning certain channels
  • Hosting all incoming messages in a one central hub
  • Integrating a chatbot on your website

With these five strategies, you'll be on your way to building a recognizable lawn care brand in your area and appearing in local search engine results.