Attracting new customers to your business is necessary for long-term success. Waiting around for them to come to you isn’t a sustainable strategy. What you need are solid landscaping leads.
Leads are potential customers that eventually convert to paying jobs. The number of leads that become customers is your conversion rate. If you want to increase your conversion rate, you need effective leads.
But how do you find more leads? Should you pay for lead generation? Or are free leads better? If your business struggles to find landscaping leads, this article will help you find successful strategies.
Learn the pros and cons of free versus paid landscaping leads. Read tips on how to generate local leads. Plus, leverage seven tips on how to make getting leads even more effective.
What Do You Need to Know About Free Landscaping Leads?
Free landscaping leads have their pros and cons. For instance, they can be harder to find and close. But here are a few other things you should know about landscaping and lawn service leads.
Some websites claim to offer free leads, but they may not be as specific as you need them to be. They may also be handed out to every business looking for the same type of leads. This means that leads are recycled and need to be qualified.
Even if you generate your own, the availability of free landscaping leads can vary significantly by location. In places where plants grow year-round, you’ll probably find more leads. The same can be said for rural areas, even in northern climates.
Your business focus also affects leads. Free lawn care leads mean nothing if you specialize in landscape design. The more you specialize, the harder it can be to find free leads.
What about your business structure? Do you run it yourself and perform all the labor? Or do you have staff to assist you with lawn care lead generation?
That can affect the time you have to chase down leads. Having an employee who handles marketing makes lead generation for landscapers much easier. On the other hand, running a one-person business means it’s all on your shoulders.
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How Much Do Paid Landscaping Leads Cost?
A quick search online shows that landscaping leads for sale can cost as little as $5 or over $100 each. Why such a big price difference?
It depends on a variety of factors, including:
- The source of the leads (quality related)
- The business model of the lead seller
- Your geographic location and lead abundance
- How many leads you’re purchasing (bulk vs. small amount)
Some sources for landscaping leads require buying a membership to a service. Others let you buy leads without a commitment. Each source is a little different.
So, let’s say you don’t want to pay for leads. Maybe you can’t find a lead generation source you like. Perhaps there aren’t any showing leads in your area.
What are the pluses and minuses of finding your own landscaping leads for free? How about paid leads?
The Pros of Free Landscaping Leads
Let’s start by examining the upside to free landscaping leads.
Little to no cost
The biggest pro is right there in the name: free. These leads cost your business little to no financial investment.
Qualified leads
There are some advantages to finding landscape leads for free. A big one is that you can vet the leads personally. This is also sometimes referred to as “lead qualification.”
When you qualify a lead, you check whether it’s worthwhile to pursue it. Ask questions like:
- How much work is the client likely to provide?
- Can the client afford my landscaping prices?
- Will this client have repeat business, or is this a one-time job?
- Do I have the staff and equipment for this client’s work?
- Does the client seem easy to work with and reliable?
Word of mouth
When you generate well-qualified landscaping leads, they tend to produce more leads. When you vet your clients, you have a better chance that they’ll refer other clients to you.
If you provide good service and the client is happy, they may give you a positive online review. Or they might send friends and family to you. When this happens, it keeps your sales funnel full of prospects. You spend less time on marketing and more on bringing in revenue.
The Cons of Free Landscaping Leads
Now that we’ve seen the some of the better aspects, let’s look closer at the downside.
More work
If you have to start from scratch, expect to do more leg work. You need to figure out who might need landscaping services and market to them.
Cold calling
Cold calling means contacting prospective customers, including people you might not know. It can be awkward and viewed as invasive if you’re unsure of their future landscaping plans.
Pitching services
You may have to convince your lead that they need your service to land the job. If they’ve used another landscaping company before, you’ll have to persuade them that you’re better than the competition. Potential customers may also put you on the spot regarding contracts and pricing.
Time spent
All of the above takes time. This is another downside to using free lawn care leads or free commercial landscaping leads to generate business.
It can take months or even years to convert a prospect into an actual client. Meanwhile, you’re not making any money off that prospect.
Therefore, you need to have prospects in your sales funnel constantly.
Now you know some of the pros and cons of free landscaping leads. But how do they compare to paid leads?
The Pros of Paid Landscaping Leads
Paid leads have certain advantages depending on your marketing needs.
Less effort
The big advantage of paid landscaping leads is you don’t have to chase them down yourself. If you’re a small business, you probably don’t have time for this.
Geared for small business
Are you a one- or two-person operation? You may not have an office. Many landscape businesses are mobile only. All the employees are busy doing landscaping work.
In that case, you don’t have the staff to find customer leads. Paying for them means you don’t have to work nights and weekends to look for new clients.
If you can find a reliable source for paid leads, you can keep your operation small. You can continue to enjoy low overhead and higher profits.
Whenever you need new leads, you consult your paid service. Your sales funnel always has clients coming in.
The Cons of Paid Landscaping Leads
To make an educated decision, you should also be aware of the disadvantages.
The cost
Obviously, paying for leads comes with a cost. You have to pay, either per lead or by membership to a service. Depending on your area and specialty, this can get expensive.
You must budget for landscaping leads if you use them to find clients. If you hit a work slump with regular clients, you might have to pay even more to keep your revenue up.
Possibly unqualified
Above, you read about qualifying leads. But when you purchase lawn mowing leads, for example, you don’t always know if the leads are qualified.
They could just be lists of residents or businesses from the phone directory. You could find this information yourself rather than paying for it.
So, you have to ask if paying for landscaping leads is worth it. You have to qualify the source of the leads before you shell out money to them. This takes time and attention you may not have.
Where Do Free Leads for Lawn Care Services Come From?
Looking for lawn mowing leads? What about leads for other types of landscaping services? We’ve talked about the pros and cons of both free and paid leads. Paid leads are simple to search for. But what about free leads? Where can you find them for yourself?
You can learn more about finding inexpensive local leads in the next section. But generally speaking, these sources are suitable for free or low-cost leads.
Word-of-mouth-advertising
These are the best free leads. They come from satisfied customers and people who know you. New clients trust their friends and coworkers who recommend landscapers.
Social media
Go beyond having a static Facebook page. Be sure to post regular content and engage with followers. For a reasonable price, you can promote posts or buy ads.
Use visually oriented platforms like Instagram or Pinterest to show off your work. Before and after images are particularly engaging.
YouTube is an excellent venue for informative content. Take viewers through the stages of a job. You can also provide them with instructional videos. Offer tips for planting, landscaping maintenance, and other helpful information.
Your website
As a professional, your landscaping business should have a website. Your website must have a contact page where potential customers can reach you. It should also contain:
- A services page listing the kinds of work you offer
- An about page describing your business and your qualifications
- A testimonials page with recommendations from satisfied customers
- Your location and the geographic area you serve
Another option is a page with sample rates for different jobs. This helps customers who are just gathering information to make a future decision.
If you prefer to discuss the details of a job individually, placing a link for an email or phone consultation is a good idea.
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Cold calling
As mentioned above, cold calling is reaching out to people you don’t know to promote your business. Most people don’t like to be disturbed by phone calls. So, sending emails or leaving flyers are good alternatives. Also, you can visit businesses in person to drum up work.
What kinds of businesses typically need landscaping? Consider getting commercial lawn care leads here:
- Schools
- Places of worship
- Shopping centers
- Athletic facilities
- Golf courses
- Hotels and motels
- Restaurants
- Car dealerships
- Kennels and pet care centers
How Can You Generate Landscaping Leads in Your Local Area?
If you’re wondering how to get landscaping leads near you, check out these opportunities.
Facebook groups
Join Facebook groups for towns in your area. Most allow business promotion posts on certain days of the week. Plus, you can be a resource when someone has a question about yard care.
FROM ONE OF OUR PARTNERS: Social Media for Local Marketing: What You Need to Know
Nextdoor app
Nextdoor lets people in neighborhoods connect via a shared app. You can promote your landscaping business there. It’s a good way to get to know people and build trust. Within Nextdoor members, 70% trust recommendations from neighbors over anything else.
Craigslist
While Craigslist isn’t as popular as it used to be, some regions still rely on it. And it’s hyperlocal, so you’re getting leads for your area. Just post a “services offered” listing with your contact information.
Local media
There are always local media outlets where you can promote a landscaping business:
- Newspapers
- Magazines
- Television
- Radio
- Newsletters
If it costs too much to buy advertising, try editorial content. This is when your business is featured as part of a story. Free advertising!
Reach out to local media when you have a story worth sharing. It might be about how climate change is affecting plants or insects. How about problem animals like deer or alligators?
Membership organizations
A fantastic way to meet people is to join groups like the Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club, Lions Club, or local business networking clubs. They expect you to market your business with them. It’s not pushy to hand out business cards and talk up your work.
It’s also a good way to make in-person connections and get word-of-mouth leads.
Sponsorships
Although it costs a bit upfront, sponsoring local teams and clubs can pay off. Usually, these groups offer free advertising in return. Local folks love to reward sponsors with their business.
Free classes
Have you ever thought about giving a free class on a landscaping topic? It’s a wonderful way to introduce your business. And people who feel DIY is too much will call you when they need help.
Local government
Remember to contact your municipal government. They may have jobs working on parks and public properties. Usually, there’s a bidding process, which they can tell you about.
7 Insanely Effective Tactics to Get More Landscaping Leads
Want more tips on how to get lawn care leads and landscaping clients? Here are seven super-productive methods to try:
Become the local authority on landscaping.
Hand out your business card to all the area newspapers, radio stations, and television networks. Tell them to call you when they need an expert for a story.
Optimize your website.
Leverage the power of search engine optimization (SEO). Include keywords that customers would use when searching for landscapers. It will help your business rank higher on sites like Google.
Include a blog on your website.
Another way to boost authority is to have a blog. You can get lawn care leads free from readers who appreciate your knowledge. Plus, it gives you something to share on social media.
Partner with local businesses that typically need landscapers.
That includes property managers and construction companies. Real estate agents are always trying to boost curb appeal.
Branch out (no pun intended!) and offer more services.
What about property care when homeowners are on vacation? Adding snow removal might make sense if you’re in a northern state.
Place listings in any local directories.
As well as sites like Angi, there may be regional listings for service providers. People new in town often consult them for assistance.
Always ask happy clients for reviews and referrals.
You read about word-of-mouth advertising above. This is the best type of lead. Remember the old rule: 80% of your business comes from 20% of your clients.