Posted by Lawn Care Marketing | Posted in lawn care advertising | Posted on 23-01-2010
Lawn care customers are the life blood of your lawn and landscaping service. Without fresh customers, your growth stops. So where do most customers who are trying to find you tend to look first?
Just like you, they look on the internet. So Where are investing your lawn care advertising dollars?
In 2010, “yellow phone books” are couch levelers. Customers search with their phones online when they remember “I need to find a new dog groomer” or “Darn, I just remembered that the pool screen needs repair”. Phone books? TV antennas? Pay phones? You get the idea. Everybody is now online. Ten years ago your Grandma thought the internet was the devil. Now she buys knitting supplies online with her PayPal account. There is no going back to the ‘90s. And the competition is getting more fierce every day. Wired Magazine stated that “nine blogs are created every minute and 2.3 content updates are posted every second.” That’s just blogs, not all websites!
You know of the Nielson rating company? The famous company that also does TV surveys? They are a trustworthy source of advertising information, wouldn’t you agree? The provided graph is from their 2008 survey (2009 is not out yet.) To see the graph, click the Continue Reading button.
To recap this graph, here is where your customers are trying to find you.
- The internet
- The print yellow pages
- The internet yellow pages.
And remember, this graph is from 2008 ! I don’t know the cost of a big yellow page ad where you live, but it’s around $2500 per month where I live. And there are 2-3 books! So 5K plus per month. Ouch! And that cost to be in the second most popular consumer search source.
Are ya catchin’ my drift here?
Look, I’m not saying that the Yellow Pages are completely worthless, just not cost effective in this economic slump. And maybe saying that the “Yellow Pages” are dead is a little harsh.
Maybe in the back of the ambulance on life support would be closer to reality. Even if the Yellow Pages weren’t on their last breath, let’s look at the difference between being found online or in print.
Print is static. Words on paper, “buy this or call now.” Sure you can have a few graphics and some color, one one page (if you can afford the monthly fee for a whole page.)
Your website can (should) be a full color extravaganza with multiple pages, photos, testimonials and calls to action. You can place “before + after” videos on your site. You can link out to other resources that back up your sales pitch. It is not static. It is inter-active! It is “alive.”
So, what does it cost to have “live” lawn care advertising bringing you customers? FIND OUT HERE!