Q: About web sites: I only have 250 customers and have been in the business for over 20 years in one way or another. None of my previous employers had web sites and they did fine. Is a web site necessary today?

A: No more than a computer is necessary for the day-to-day operation of your business. Of course you could get by just using a typewriter (electric or manual) and you could track your business activity in ledger and journal books. Twenty years ago, the personal computer was just coming into general acceptance. Thirty years ago and only large corporations had computers.

We live in a new age (duh!) The internet and specifically, the company web site, has become "the marketing tool" that supports all other forms of advertising. How much information can you cram onto a business card? Or into a company brochure? Think about how much information you can put into those little letters "www.yourname.com." It's mind boggling. A web site gives you the opportunity to say everything there is to say about your company and how your customers can benefit from your service.

Just because your former bosses didn't have web sites, doesn't mean that you shouldn't. Today's consumers almost demand that a company be online and with useful content. It does a consumer no good to go to a web site and see company name and address and call for more information.

Q: I already have a web site, but I'm getting no response from it whatsoever. What's wrong?

A: You can think of a web site as a very detailed brochure that is interactive between the creator and the viewer. The web site must be created to answer questions, create an interest in your services, and give the viewer the ability to contact the owner right now, not telephone as soon as possible. This is called content. Name, address and phone numbers are not content. Just listing services you provide is not content.

Next, the web site must be listed in the popular search engines. Having a web site is no guarantee you'll get listed in the search engines no matter how good your site looks. It takes a concerted effort to gain popularity in search engines like Yahoo and Google.

Yes Marketing has been creating web sites for a number of years. We know how to get lawn care web sites listed in the top ten consistently for specific geographic areas (i.e. state, city, county). Our large network of lawn care web sites helps guarantee that going in you'll have a large number of related web sites linking directly to your new site. This is a critical factor in search engine optimization.

Q: I'm new to the business and don't have the revenue for even a minor direct mail campaign. What should I do to better my company?

A: If you have enough money to invest in a truck and spreader, then you have enough money to invest in a web site. Make that your first priority. Next, create some door hangers and begin canvassing neighborhoods. This is a great way to develop concentrated service areas.

In time your customer base will grow and you'll be in a position to run leads in a timely manner from a large direct mail campaign.

Frequently Asked Questions About Lawn Marketing

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