Everywhere you look these days, AI is causing ripples in the technology world and beyond. When it comes to operating your business, you may think only designers use AI for landscaping, but the truth is, simple technology hacks and AI will help you do more with less for your business. You don’t need to be a tech whiz or have the resources of a large company to reap the benefits of using AI and technology to up–level your business.
Marketing Technology Hacks and AI for Landscaping
The purpose of marketing is to get people interested in your landscaping business. There are a lot of different channels to get your message out and technology has been developed to streamline each channel to make it easier for you. Here are some tools for you to boost your marketing efforts.
Google Reviews
Google is still the top search engine where people go to find or validate the business they choose to use for lawncare, landscaping projects, or anything really. Did you know that 87% of shoppers check Google for reviews on local businesses before choosing one to go with? It is even more important for local businesses to have a Google Business Profile and to keep your profile fresh and increase awareness of your landscaping business. You should also be sure to ask your current happy customers to leave a Google Review of your business. There are a few ways you could ask for a review:
- Verbally – when talking with your customer, mention that you have a Google Business Profile and if they really liked your services, could they please leave you a review. It can really help a small local business out!
- Provide the Link – Project 2 Payment provides contractors with the ability to request online reviews on every receipt they send to customers. Just add a link to Google reviews, Facebook reviews, or a contractor listing site and watch the 5-star reviews start rolling in.
ChatGPT
Nearly everyone has heard of ChatGPT. It’s a free AI platform where you can create an account (for free) and start asking ChatGPT for help with content-generation tasks. What exactly could ChatGPT help you with?
- Writing social media posts.
- Finding the top search engine terms to incorporate into your website.
- Draft entire pages of website copy.
- Create blog article drafts around certain subjects.
Keep in mind that ChatGPT works by scouring the internet and pulling together the most common information on the topic you request. If you are looking for something that is truly original and stands out, make sure to do a lot of editing to the information provided to you by ChatGPT and use it only as a starting point.
QR Codes
QR Codes (quick-response codes) are, in essence, bar codes that people can scan with their phones to visit a website, document, or image. QR codes make it so easy for people to share information quickly, and there are plenty of free QR code websites out there to help you accomplish your goals. Here are some ideas of where you could use QR codes to build your landscaping business:
- Add QR codes to print ads or yard signs so people passing by can quickly scan and see your business website & portfolio of work. “Love our work? Scan to see more!”
- Add QR codes to printed business cards so prospects can scan to instantly save your contact info to their phone.
- QR codes not only make it easier for prospects to find you, they can also help you track the performance of printed materials.
- Add QR codes to the bottom of printed invoices with Project 2 Payment – help customers pay with ease by using a QR code to direct them to your branded payment page. Or, have your customers scan the QR code from your phone to pay you in person before you’ve even left the job site. The faster your customers pay, the better your cash flow.
Technology for Landscaping Businesses to Streamline Customer Information
One of the biggest buzz words or terms in the business world is customer journey. The customer journey is the steps a person takes to find, decide, use, and pay for a product or service. A great customer journey leads to referrals and repeat business. By streamlining customer information using technology, the customer journey becomes a bit smoother. Here are some ways technology for landscapers can help.
Project Request Form on Your Website
Win more business by generating leads on your website through a project request form. With Project 2 Payment, our team can help incorporate the project request form on your site so that when prospective customers visit, they can fill in their contact details and what type of services they are looking for. This information is then sent and stored in Project 2 Payment so you can easily create an estimate or invoice for the services requested and have the contact details to follow up with the prospective customer immediately.
Branded Payment Pages for Your Website
When you invoice for completed work using Project 2 Payment, you can provide a link to your branded payment page. You can also add your payment page to your website so customers can easily find your payment terminal on their own. By doing this, there is no question who your customer is paying when they see the page and they can conveniently and quickly pay you. You can also schedule invoice payment reminders, just in case your customers are a little slow to pay. When you make digital payments possible for your customer, you actually make it easier for them to work with you. According to recent research, 89 percent of Americans are now using some form of digital payments.
If your customers make up the 11 percent that aren’t using digital payments, make sure you find a tool like Project 2 Payment that can track credit card payments, eChecks, cash, and paper check transactions to make business reporting a breeze!
The point of technology and AI for landscaping businesses is to make your life easier. When technology seems to be in a whirlwind of change, it can be confusing and daunting to try something new. But keep in mind, if it’s not easy, it’s not great technology. If you can’t easily see the estimates, invoices, and payments associated with a customer in your current software, it’s not easy enough and there’s better technology out there. If your brand isn’t associated with every step of your customer journey through your current software, then it’s not easy enough and it’s not great software. Give Project 2 Payment a try and find out what easy, great technology is like!
