How to get this customer more business?

[Big Dave]

One for the collective:

I have a client who has a gardening and site cleaner/clearing business. Rides a motorcycle too.

http://www.gardenroute.co.nz
(The web site is to his specifications - I said 'say more' - he wants it KISS)

He's already got a few irons in the fire, but only has a 'start up' budget.

What would you do to find him some leads?

[FROSTY]

Frankly Id be doing a leaflet drop in "appropriate" letter boxes. Ie peples houses with trees needing trimming.
Incidently --tell him to call me -I have work for him -seriously

[tri boy]

Stump grinding and felling, I would market towards local body infrastructure groups.
Section clearing and maintenance towards Home Rental firms like Ray White real estate. (guaranteed contracts help pay for extra staff, while you blood them into the more challengeing work).
Contact the local Cubans for chainsaw work ala Al Pachino bathroom/Shower redecoration.:devil2:

[Subike]

Put a nice clean readable poster up discribing the services in all the local fish & chip shops that will allow you to do so.
I did this once, was swamped with work.
Peple in fish & chip shops have plenty of time to read when waiting for meals.
But make sure it is attractive clean and to the point.

[Donor]

A lovely slide show of stump grinder, hedge trimmer and weed eater, but would be good to have a couple or three pics with a 'human' element.

Otherwise, looks like some faceless outfit - people like to know there is a real human behind the website - perhaps even a small splash page about him and his qualifications?

And back to the pics he has on the site thus far, really there's nothing there that sells him as being any better at what he appears to be doing than if I were to go to Hirepool and have a crack myself.

[phill-k]

Curbside signage (real Estate type) fixed to fences / in verges outside the jobs he is undertaking giving his details but kept simple, part of this advertising is the fact that he is already working in the area

[Mom]

what he appears to be doing than if I were to go to Hirepool and have a crack myself.

:pinch: Have a go yourself? Dont be silly :bleh:

[HenryDorsetCase]

do some face to face marketing to the local landscape architects, garden designers. Go see them, impress them with professionalism, commitment, business like operation of the business (a quantity in surprisingly short supply), keen prices and great service.

the big design firms might have actual staff to do the landscaping work, but most of them are designers only, and they either subcontract the actual construction or have the client be the contractor, and just manage the job.

[HenryDorsetCase]

nobody is going to forget "Garden Root" are they? so the name is golden.

[Big Dave]

A lovely slide show of stump grinder, hedge trimmer and weed eater, but would be good to have a couple or three pics with a 'human' element.

Otherwise, looks like some faceless outfit - people like to know there is a real human behind the website - perhaps even a small splash page about him and his qualifications?

And back to the pics he has on the site thus far, really there's nothing there that sells him as being any better at what he appears to be doing than if I were to go to Hirepool and have a crack myself.

And some testimonials and endorsements from satisfied customers.

The Garden Route is significant in South Africa - HDC, and you have a one-track gutter.

Thanks all - good ideas I'm passing on.

[Marmoot]

How many people has seen the website?
Where did they all come from?
Can you identify any source where it can be increased (by percentage) that can lead to good nominal amount?
How many people from each of those sources result in contacts, indicating a good source to hammer the marketing budget (or whatever he has) into?

Google Analytics is a free products and very easy to do. It should be a crime to run a website without having some sort of measurements installed.

And when I look at "Waterblasting", all I see is "sorry we don't do roof". Well what the F* DO they do then?

The gallery pictures are great, once I get to know what they mean. Maybe someday (my gardening intelligence is not that great. But then again, if I were that good in gardening I wouldn't need these guys, would I?)

I see they use Yates. What the hell is Yates? Well, I clicked on it to find out and now I lost their website. Why can't they explain what Yates is on their own website?

Title of the page says The Garden Route. I thought it was about travelling. Son, I am disappoint.

Terms and conditions apply.........to what?

And I'm grateful for the link to Auckland City Council website. I've been trying to find that website for a long time. Not.

Let me know if I (http://www.firstrate.co.nz) can be of help.

[avgas]

What would you do to find him some leads?
Put a "tweet my site" (auto-tweet) button on his site
Likewise, "Digg" "Like on facebook".......
word of mouth and all that
there is a whole medium out there neglected.

[Big Dave]

How many people etc etc.
.

Problem is budget is all spent with what's there now.
Catch 22 with all private startups - needs a few gigs to pay for the next stage.

[Big Dave]

Put a "tweet my site" (auto-tweet) button on his site
Likewise, "Digg" "Like on facebook".......
word of mouth and all that
there is a whole medium out there neglected.

Yea - that's just a copy and paste code. Will run it past 'im.

[Marmoot]

Problem is budget is all spent with what's there now.
Catch 22 with all private startups - needs a few gigs to pay for the next stage.

The items I recommended in my previous post are free items :)

[Big Dave]

The items I recommended in my previous post are free items :)

I'll tell him you will donate the time to implement them then :-)

[Scouse]

Get him to employ neked female tree fellers

[onearmedbandit]

Approach some of the house building companies and get on side with them as a recommended gardener for their newly built homes.

[Marmoot]

I'll tell him you will donate the time to implement them then :-)

Yes. If it sincerely helps them getting out of the rut, I wouldn't mind doing small works pro bono.

[Big Dave]

Yes. If it sincerely helps them getting out of the rut, I wouldn't mind doing small works pro bono.

Cool thanks - I'll pass it on - I'm the same, already 'chucked in' several hours - mainly cause dude rides a GN250. If that's not a charitable cause I don't know what is :-)

[Donor]

Cool thanks - I'll pass it on - I'm the same, already 'chucked in' several hours - mainly cause dude rides a GN250. If that's not a charitable cause I don't know what is :-)

Well hell, there's another marketing headline:

"Handicapped Motorcyclist Starts Own Business"

The bleeding hearts will be clambering to help him out!

[Marmoot]

Cool thanks - I'll pass it on - I'm the same, already 'chucked in' several hours - mainly cause dude rides a GN250. If that's not a charitable cause I don't know what is :-)

Cool.
Tell him to contact me for the help, though. Not the company I work for.

And agree. GN250 is a charitable cause. :)

[avgas]

Yea - that's just a copy and paste code. Will run it past 'im.
Let me know when its up and I will punch it through my channel of that crap
e.g. my twitter -> linked to my blog -> linked to my fb -> linked to my linked in.......

I need to find a way to link my kb to to my twitter lol

[onearmedbandit]

Well hell, there's another marketing headline:

"Handicapped Motorcyclist Starts Own Business"

The bleeding hearts will be clambering to help him out!

Oooo, I smell an opportunity here.

[Smifffy]

Indication of rates?

With the GFC and all, I tend to work on the assumption that if I have to ask the price I can't afford it.

Even more so with the professional looking pictures, makes it look like a high end deal.

If that's the target market then cool.