Sometimes running a business feels like a rollercoaster. Challenges can have that stomach-dropping sensation as you quickly begin your descent into the unknown. But consistent marketing efforts help create stability over time, and the challenges that once felt like gut-wrenching moments when you questioned your choice of career, and maybe even your sanity, become more like little bumps that quickly even out.

If it has been a few years since you updated your website, it’s time to take action now. Your website is at the forefront of your business, where potential clients form their first impressions. In this fiercely competitive online arena, ensuring your website not only looks great but also functions seamlessly and provides an exceptional user experience is non-negotiable. Let’s explore six common signs that your lawn, landscape, or outdoor living business website needs to be updated.

Imagine if your lawn, landscape, and outdoor living business could instantly stand out from the competition. Picture having a customer list filled with affluent homeowners who appreciate the finer things in life. Envision your projects being nothing short of breathtaking outdoor paradises that belong on the cover of a prestigious magazine. In today's digital age, where first impressions are often formed online, your brand is the key to ensuring your business thrives in the industry.

Did you know nearly 70% of consumers prefer to message a business on social media? It's their go-to way to connect with companies, and this trend is transforming social media into a vital customer service channel. In today's fast-paced digital landscape, businesses, including those in the lawn, landscape, and outdoor living industry, are constantly searching for innovative ways to meet and exceed customer expectations.

Gone are the days when the roar of gas-powered equipment was synonymous with lawn maintenance. Today, many businesses in the lawn and landscape industry are moving toward a quieter, cleaner future—and using marketing strategically to build credibility and trust with homeowners and property managers. As municipalities across the globe grapple with environmental concerns and the need for stricter regulations, industry businesses face new challenges and opportunities that even marketing plays a role in.

When you partner with a marketing agency, they become an extension of your existing team. The right marketing agency will make it so you can focus on what you do best. Here’s a lesson learned for when a partnership can work well—or fall apart.

Based out of Avon, CT, Starr Contracting offers high-end landscape architecture and installation services. Starr was in the market for an extremely high-end website that communicated their high-end work to homeowners looking for medium-complex projects. Starr wanted a website that was clean and simple - and stood out against competitors.

Aligned to the new FireSky logo, the website features a modern, fresh, unique - all while sophisticated design. Detailing the story, one section, and then one page a time, the website colors, fonts, layout, images, and copy all resonate with the high-end homeowner that would look to a Landscape Architect. Each page is carefully written and designed to work independently from the site (if a visitor stumbles across a page before visiting the homepage) yet complementary if a visitor is browsing multiple pages. You won’t find dead ends here. Finalizing the sales experience, users end up at a location page to contact.

Halstead Media transformed their previous website to a new, fresh, modern one that attracts to both Vermont Stone’s Vermont customers as well as the new Pittsburgh homeowners. The new website is mobile optimized, easy to navigate, and most importantly, helps homeowners clearly identify their service area.

Halstead Media completely transformed the website to a less text heavy, image forward design. A layout that appeals to all the different customer audiences that GoldLeaf wants to attract. The homepage includes a rotating banner, a review section for peace of mind, as well as call-out to a financing program. See the new website

After presenting a Unilock Authorized Contractor Seminar, we met Northern Lights Landscaping. Since then, our relationship with them has allowed us to redesign their website, increase their search rankings, and help find qualified leads with Facebook Ads.

Properly documenting hardscape projects gives hardscape design and construction companies excellent marketing materials they can use to win new contracts. However, without a full understanding of the techniques available and how to use them, the task can seem very intimidating. The reality is actually much different.

Done with poor quality leads from home and garden shows and increasingly getting more leads from word of mouth and through their old website, Hummel's Landscape in Harrisburg, PA was ready for a new, sophisticated website that reflected their extremely high-end landscape work.

In this episode 2, Anna talks about the four action items that design/build professionals need to take (online) in order to take advantage of the biggest opportunity this industry has ever had! Go!

Quality data about your customers and potential customers is key to running a successful business. In days past, collecting this sort of information was a time consuming process involving weeks of gathering data and transcribing that research into readable charts and reports. Now this sort of information is readily available: fully compiled and ready to work with, provided you know how to read and use it. Introducing Facebook Audience Insights.

No matter the size or market of your landscaping, design, or construction business, you should be updating your company blog to help with your website traffic and leads. But with numerous variables in play, it can be difficult to determine the frequency with which you should be blogging. We're here to help provide some clarity!

Above All had an existing SEO strategy that involved content marketing. They had a Facebook account, Houzz profile, good looking website, and they had new monthly content pages built on their website, some were even blog pages (and for anyone that knows us here at Halstead Media, you'll know we stand behind content as SEO). They were doing many of the essential puzzle pieces that you would expect to see in a successful landscaping company. So what exactly was wrong? 

In the past, referrals were considered the best way to get leads for a home improvement business. Whether your company relies on referrals as a primary or secondary source of leads, referrals are a critical part of maintaining a sustainable landscaping, remodeling, or general contractor business. But what happens when the referrals stop coming in? What went wrong? Are your customers unhappy? Perhaps disappointed in  the quality or service? Or maybe, just maybe, they're incredibly happy but just forgot to recommend your company to their neighbor during a conversation about a service you do.

Let's be honest. The world has changed a lot from the days when relying solely on word of mouth referrals was a safe strategy for home remodelers, landscaping companies, and other home improvement contractors. That’s not to say that referrals aren't still the most qualified leads to get. But today, when a customer gets a referral from a coworker, they don't simply pick up the phone and schedule a time for you to come out and provide an estimate. No, no. They thank Susie for the recommendation and then they go online to learn more—a lot more. 

If you're feeling the heat of new competitors (or suddenly more popular older ones), then it may be time for you to take your strategy online. Maintaining a healthy revenue today in a home improvement business often means dominating the digital world. So how exactly do you do this? Here is your five step plan to making sure you get the attention you need from the customers you want in your local area.