Get your calculator out. Put in your pocket protector. Where's that slide rule?
It's time to crunch the numbers, compiled from all over the Green Industry.
In this post, we’re going to spill all of Data’s secrets, and show you the juiciest stats from Green Industry publications. These could have a powerful impact on your business… sooner than you think:
What is it? In 2015, the National Association of Landscape Professional (NALP), in association with Harris Poll, conducted a study on homeowners. Specifically, they researched homeowners' preferences on the state and health of their yards.
Quick Stat: For Americans who own a yard, 90% of them think it is important to have a well-maintained lawn. 71% think it’s also important that their neighbors’ lawns are also well-maintained.
What this means for Your Business: The green industry has huge potential for growth... which is great news, especially for the owners out there wondering, "Is this business really worth it?"
But wait, there's more...
“Only 33% of these people believe they have the knowledge and skills to keep their lawn and plants healthy and good looking.”
That means almost a full two-thirds of the home-owning population wants to buy landscape and lawn care services. All you have to do is market better than your competitors (read our full Lawn and Landscape Marketing Guide here).
The amount of profit potential in this industry is massive. You will see more on how to profit from this demand further down in the article.
What is it: Lawn & Landscape found this video about how plants improve mental and physical health, especially in office settings.
Quick Stat: Productivity went up by 12%, Respiratory ailments are reduced by 20 percent and sick day absences declined by a whopping 60%.
What this means for Your Business: New plants are a quick way to beautify an area, but now you can also tell your clients how adding plants will also make them healthier.
As the article says, this applies to both indoor and outdoor plants. Share these stats with your clients in an Upsell email, and you’ll be sure to generate some extra business.
What is it? Recently, the team over at Software Advice ran an in-depth analysis of software use in the Green Industry.
They asked questions like:
Quick Stat: Over 83% of owners use software to run their business. Of those, 93% interact with the software multiple times per week.
What this could mean for your business: If you are already using lawn and landscape software like Service Autopilot, then read this article to find out what features your competitors are looking for.
The article can help you figure out where you should be stronger to beat them.
...and if you are part of the 17% still NOT using software, you are behind the curve.
Of course, we have something to help you get ahead of the curve...
What is it? Green Industry Pros dug up some recent research from The Freedonia Group. In this study, they found growing trends in the “Aging Homeowner” Demographic and some interesting data on the rise of Electric Mowers (hint - both groups are growing fast).
Quick Trend: As the elderly population in North America continues to grow, there is a larger demand for Lawn Care services, as well as power-assisted equipment. Overall, the demand for lawn maintenance services is expected to grow by 2021.
In addition, with the rise of battery technology, electric mowers, blowers, and trimmers are gaining a sizeable foothold in the market.
What this could mean for your business: If you’re a fan of “buying used,” then you’re in luck. More growth in the market means there should be more opportunities for you to pick up someone else’s “pre-loved” gear.
Because of the aging population in the U.S. and Canada, you may want to build out special packages and services for that demographic. Send out marketing that targets the elderly, with a message like:
“We’re safe, we’re reliable, and we do great work... so you don’t have to.”
What is it? From the 2017 U.S. Houzz Landscaping Trends Survey, Green Industry Pros highlighted some very interesting statistics in their latest article.
This article is definitely worth the read if you’re interested in getting a quick look at new trends about Homeowners, and their latest demands.
Quick Stats: 42% of homeowners reported their last outdoor update took place more than 10 years ago.
In addition, 33% of homeowners in 2017 said they want to personalize the look of their home. Of these homeowners, only 6% had an identical yard to the rest of their neighborhood, which dropped by more than 30% from the previous update.
What this means for Your Business: Almost half of homeowners are long overdue for a change to their property. At least a third are ready to do it THIS YEAR.
But what’s most interesting for you, landscaping entrepreneur, is that these homeowners are increasingly keen on the idea that their property must look unique.
Find a way to sell your services as unique and personalized, give your clients a look that “stands out” and you’ll have much more satisfied customers … which could get you more referrals.
What is it? This is an in-depth article from Landscape Leadership about how to assess the overall structure of your website.
As more clients head to the web to make their buying decision, the number of pages on your website becomes increasingly critical to get “just right.”
You don’t want too many, nor too few. The article covers how “deep” your website should be to generate the maximum number of landscape or lawn care leads.
Quick Stat: “Most landscaping and lawn care websites only have between 10 and 15 pages.” However, “On average, these [Sales Qualified Leads] have … viewed 29 pages.”
Essentially, most businesses don’t have nearly enough pages to properly address a new client’s questions and concerns. That means, they are far less likely to buy.
What this means for your business: It’s simple, really. Go look at your company’s website. Ask yourself a few questions, from the client’s perspective:
People prefer to get information quickly, easily, and without too much interaction. The convenience factor really pays off. If you want to beat out your competitors’ websites, you need to find out what your clients expect - and give it to them, online.
What is it? One more great article from Landscape Leadership. This one shows the importance of blogging, investing in your blog, and even how long the ideal “client attracting” blog posts should be. It's a solid example of "value first" marketing, where you invest in the lead with knowledge or gifts to progress them toward buying.
Quick Stat:77% of Hubspot’s leads come from 100 blog posts (they have thousands of blog posts). That means these rare, high-quality blog posts do most of the “sales” heavy lifting.
What this means for your business: What if you had 10 blog posts on your website that generated hundreds of local leads per month?
Can other marketing strategies can match those returns? Chris Heiler from Landscape Leadership believes that blogging is “an investment for your landscaping business.”
You might not see returns as quickly as Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM), but the returns will last much, much longer - and with great Search Engine Optimization (SEO), your blog could yield many times more clients in the long run…
Thanks for reading!
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