So, you’ve got a lawn mowing business but you want more customers, right? In the past, businesses would have to rely on mailers, bulletin boards, in-person connections, newspaper ads and so on. While these methods still work, the internet can help you reach more potential customers and keep existing ones. You will also want to network with other professionals and research your competitors to gain an advantage when seeking new business.
Let’s take a look at some inexpensive ways to get more customers for your lawn care business fast.
Make a Website
Perhaps the first thing you should do is build a website for your lawn mowing business. Most people wouldn’t expect a lawn care business to have an extravagant or over-the-top website, but it should clearly list out all of your available services and exactly what each one entails. Many lawn care businesses are hesitant to list out their prices, but if you have prices for your services clearly listed, most customers will really appreciate this. People get frustrated and annoyed when they have to struggle just to find out how much something will cost. You can always list your prices as “starting at” or “prices may vary depending on yard conditions” or something similar. And if you can offer a fast, custom quote potential customers will really appreciate this too. (Deep Lawn provides a great way to do this.)
Ultimately, customers are more drawn to transparent websites that provide sufficient information to let them know what they’re getting.
One of the most important components of your website will be the Contact Us page. Your contact information should be on every page if possible, and this should at least include a phone number and an email address. This is because many customers – especially the younger generations – prefer to email or text instead of call.
Set Up Your Google Business Profile
Many people start their search for any service provider with a Google search. Setting up your Google business profile will increase the likelihood that your business will be shown for certain keyword searches. It also makes your business more likely to appear on maps showing lawn care businesses in your area. This allows people to see your business’s contact information as well as reviews whenever someone Googles your business’s name. You’ll also need to setup your profile in order for customers to leave Google reviews. Reviews, of course, are exceptionally important, as they can make or break someone’s decision to utilize your business. Encourage your existing satisfied customers to leave a review for potential customers to see.
Create Social Media Accounts
Social media has also been a great outlet for businesses to advertise themselves, and it comes at no cost. Setting up a page on Facebook may be a great idea to show off your work and gain followers and reviews, and other platforms like Instagram and Twitter are also great for posting photos and information about your services for free. Ask your friends, family, and satisfied customers to share your business on their pages, too, so you can get more followers. You’ll want to make sure you don’t post the same photos or information over and over, as people may get bored with this and could unfollow you.
You can also post testimonials from happy customers on all of these platforms to draw more customers in.
| Sidebar: Don’t be Typical Lawn care companies don’t have the best of reputations out there. Most customers expect the same old lawn company. They are known to: Hire illegal immigrants Break things Leave everything messy Ignore calls Be poor when it comes to communication Make chaotic invoices Miss spots Be late or miss appointments Leave gates open If you simply not do these things, you’ll look like a superhero to your customer. They won’t even think of looking for a new lawn care company. |
Join Nextdoor
The Nextdoor site is organized into local neighborhoods. Join this site and let people in your immediate area know that you are available to mow. Make it personal, not salesy.
Post Craigslist Ad
A few years ago Craigslist was a major way to advertise almost anything. Most people have moved on to other sources, but craigslist ads still work, just not as much as they used to. It’s definitely worth placing an ad there, especially if you’re just starting out.
Join Homeadvisor
Yes this referral service costs money but it definitely works. If you need customers fast, join Homeadvisor today and they will start making your phone ring tomorrow with leads. There’s no long term commitment so can do it for a few months to get started and then turn it back off.
Post Flyers
While the ways to grow your business online are amazing, don’t rule out “old” methods of advertising. Churches, schools, community centers, convenience stores, laundromats, shopping centers, and other related places have bulletin boards that you can advertise your lawn mowing business on – normally for free. We’ve all seen the ads that have removable tabs at the bottoms of the pages for potential customers to tear off and take home, and you might be surprised how much business you can gain this way.
Distribute Mailers
While we don’t get nearly as many advertisements in the mail as we used to, this is still a great way to advertise your business. It can be more expensive than other methods, but if you target the proper neighborhoods, you may gain a lot of customers this way. This especially may work in newly developed neighborhoods, as other lawn care businesses may have not scoped out the area and new residents may not have someone to do their lawn mowing yet. Most lawn mowing businesses don’t think about this, so you may hit the jackpot with new neighborhoods. Get 50 mailers at Vistaprint for about $75. Just getting one or two customers will pay for this expense. Just print them and hand deliver to mailboxes, no need to actually mail them.
P.S. While you’re at Vistaprint, get some nice looking flyers, business cards, and maybe a decal for your truck printed.
| Sidebar: Branding If you’re a new lawn care business or existing one, it’s worth spending a bit of time on creating a company brand. 1. Come up with a creative company name 2. Make a logo (you can make one yourself here) Use your logo on your website, online social media accounts and ads, flyers, etc |
Join the Chamber of Commerce
Business networking is still a very critical process for any small business. And one of the best ways to meet other business owners is by joining the chamber of commerce for your area. It usually costs a couple of hundred dollars per year, but this expense can be well worth it if you got new commercial mowing accounts. Dress professionally, speak clearly, be personable, and bring plenty of business cards to hand out. If you do this it’s just a matter of time before you get a call to come give a quote.
Getting More Lawn Care Customers Requires Patience
None of the ways to get more mowing customers listed here is rocket science. They each just require a small amount of work. Then you need to be patient. They all work, but they all require time. So the sooner you get started the sooner you’ll be on the way to a larger customer base.