By Alain Parcan, Market Hardware, Inc. Get more marketing tips at Brian Kraff’s Market Hardware’s Web Marketing Virtual Conference, on Thursday, November 3, 10:30 am – 3:00 pm.
Image is everything on the Internet. And integrating a blog into your website is a great way to improve the online image of your business. In fact, most landscaping businesses with successful web marketing plans incorporate a blog into their strategy. Here are the three reasons why you should consider doing the same:
- Blogs position you as a credible industry expert
- Blogs drive traffic to your website
- Blogs help strengthen your relationships with your customers
Let’s jump in…
Since you’re reading this, I’ll assume that you are a true professional in your industry – someone that your friends and family members will often come to when they have questions about landscaping and need your advice. Which begs the question: If those people close to you consider you to be an expert in the field, why are you not showcasing that expertise to potential customers through a blog?
When a potential customer visits your Website, they’re subconsciously hoping to be convinced you’re credible enough to provide the services they are seeking out. They want an “A-ha!” moment of having found a true pro. They’ll be looking for a few things, such as photos of your work, confirmation that you provide the services they’re looking for, and of course, some sort of reassurance that calling you would not be a big mistake. One of the best ways to solve for that is by placing a blog on your Website so that potential customers know you’re an expert in your field.
When users see a blog on a Website (NALP member Mowing and More offers an excellent example), they instantly know they’ve found a credible business, capable of providing quality landscaping services and advice. This can go a long way toward making that user confident enough to call your business.
Additionally, many NALP members are confronting the challenge of market newcomers undercutting the prices of more established businesses. Oftentimes, these newcomers don’t bring the years of experience or level of expertise that more established businesses possess. A blog is an excellent way to distinguish your business from those newcomers who will often have a more basic website – of course, while on this topic, don’t forget to link out to your professional affiliations like NALP.
Can a blog really drive traffic to your Website?
It can, and it will – in more ways than one. Most landscaping companies are already utilizing an SEO strategy by now, and blogging is an excellent tool for giving your search rankings an extra boost. One of the chief ranking factors among the different search engines relates to how often the content on your website gets updated. Businesses that update their sites frequently will rank higher than businesses whose websites stay static for months at a time. Blogging is an excellent way to get new content on your site on a consistent basis. Doing so will give a boost to your search rankings across the board, and help get more traffic to your site.
Secondly, if you write a blog post that is popular enough to generate some inbound links to your website, you’ll be giving yourself an additional boost in search rankings, and you’ll also have a chance to get your blog picked up for certain searches. Consider writing a blog post about DIY landscaping tips in your local area and track whether it starts to show up in search results. If so, you’ll have a new stream of site visitors just via that one single blog.
Finally, let’s build up some relationships
This is an important AND underrated part of blogging. As a landscaping business, you’re always facing the risk of your existing customers wondering what your competitors have to offer. Even if you’re consistently delivering a high level of service, everyone is prone to wondering whether the ‘grass is greener on the other side.’ Here’s how blogging can help you lessen that risk.
An onsite blog provides an opportunity to showcase not only your expertise, but also your employees. Your customers will feel more comfortable working with you when they feel like they have a connection to you and your employees. The more you can build up that loyal business-customer relationship, the less likely your customers will be to consider working with one of your competitors. By building up your relationships with your existing customers, you can help ensure that they’ll come back to you time and time again.
And one last word on blogging: Free. Writing content that’s relevant to existing and potential customers won’t cost you a dime. All it takes is a little bit of time every month or two to write about a topic that they’ll find interesting. This article mentioned DIY landscaping tips, but a quick search online will net you dozens of ideas. Even if you only post to your blog every few months, it can go a long way, for the reasons mentioned already. Talk to your web provider about adding a blog to your website so that you can start reaping big rewards.
