In an industry that can be fiercely competitive, sometimes it can be tough to differentiate your services from your competitors. How do you stand out from above the rest so that potential customers choose you over the competition? Today we’re going to discuss a few different ways you can stay ahead of the competition and set your business apart.
1. Update Your Website
More and more potential clients are researching companies online before even contacting you via a phone call or web form. Your website is the first impression that your company makes. It should be updated regularly to have relevant information and promotions, good pictures of recent jobs and a clean look that customers can easily see the information they’re looking for. Updating your website is one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways you can stand out from the crowd.
2. Stay Connected
Social media has changed the way we interact with our friends and acquaintances in our personal lives, but the same should be true for your professional life as well. If social media can help you stay connected with old friends, it can sure be used the same way to stay connected with past clients and leads! Utilize social media channels to stay connected, send out the occasional mass email newsletter or blog post to stay on people’s mind so the next time they think about landscaping, your company comes to mind.
3. Utilize Technology
New technology is constantly emerging so it’s important to stay up to date on trends. Your customers could be exposed to these new technologies and ask you about it so it’s important to stay informed and even look for potential opportunities on implementing this in your current business practices. Trends like automated robotic lawn cutting sound innovative and cool to customers, but they might not be aware of the setup costs involved or how it can benefit them versus a traditional service.
Trends aren’t the only way that technology can set you apart from your competition. Technology can help with most of the other points in this article in fact. Technology can be used to help streamline your business and run as efficiently as possible. The benefit of this is you can lower your overhead costs and offer your customers a more competitive price while increasing your profits at the same time.
Software such as LMN can help you estimate faster, produce invoices on time, schedule your jobs and keep in contact with customers and leads. All which will help you keep that edge over your competition that doesn’t use any type of software to help their business.
4. Look the Part
Crews in a uniform with company vehicles are going to look more professional in the eyes of your customers and potential customers. Enforcing or implementing a uniform policy will set you apart from competition that don’t look as professional.
5. Customer Service
One of the best things you can do to set yourself from the competition is to go above and beyond on the customer service aspect of your business! People love good service, and good customer service is usually what gets people talking about your business. It can be as simple as just answering phone calls and emails or responding to calls and emails promptly. It’s amazing how often this small thing can get overlooked, especially in the busy season.
Using a CRM or Customer Relationship Management tool can help you keep track of all the calls and ties in with utilizing technology as well.
6. Do Good Work
The last and most important point is to perform quality work, consistently and on time. If your customers are happy with the work you perform and you leave their property looking in pristine condition, your work speaks for itself. To really set yourself apart though past doing good work, showing up at agreed upon times and sending out invoices on time can really seal the deal.
