You're drowning in leads—but most just don't convert. Sound familiar? You're not alone. Many lawn, landscape, and outdoor living businesses share the same frustration. Now that the COVID-induced boom in home renovations has cooled, quality leads have never mattered more. Let’s shift the focus from quantity to quality and watch the real results roll in.

Rolling out new tools and processes successfully requires thoughtful planning. Businesses that implement change with a clear rollout plan—complete with executive buy-in, easy-to-follow training, and ongoing coaching—tend to see stronger adoption across teams. Aligning incentives and compensation with data quality can further encourage consistent usage and accountability.

If you’ve felt that sting—of invoices stacking up while your phones stay quiet—this guide is for you. We’re not here to sell you another cookie-cutter service. Instead, think of these seven “vetting checkpoints” as guardrails: Apply them to any marketing proposal, and you’ll spot the red flags before you commit. Each checkpoint ends with a simple payoff line, so you know exactly what relief you’ll achieve.

Why Proposals, Not Just Estimates, Win Premium Work

Too often, landscape companies equate “proposal” with “estimate.” A simple spreadsheet with quantities and pricing may suffice for low-cost, commoditized work—but it falls short in today’s more sophisticated sales environment. Kyle Racki, Co-founder and CEO of Proposify, puts it succinctly: “A proposal is your chance to sell when you're not in the room.”

Especially for residential design-build projects or commercial bids with multiple stakeholders, proposals carry the burden of telling your story. They must communicate not just the scope, but the strategy, the professionalism, and the value behind your pricing.

In the competitive world of lawn, landscape, outdoor living, and commercial snow and ice management businesses, making informed marketing decisions is crucial for guiding potential customers through their journey and ensuring every marketing channel plays its role effectively. Every dollar spent should contribute to measurable growth, yet many companies struggle to determine which marketing efforts are driving conversions, nurturing leads, and supporting other key stages in the customer journey. Marketing attribution and analytics provide the key to understanding which channels contribute to conversions, how supporting channels assist in moving prospects through the funnel, and where to optimize for better results.

In the evolving world of digital marketing, the allure of fractional Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) has made its way into the landscape industry. These part-time executives promise strategic insights at a fraction of the cost of full-time hires, presenting both benefits and challenges. But does this trend truly benefit landscape businesses, or does it complicate straightforward marketing needs? In this article, we'll explore the considerations landscape business leaders should make when weighing fractional CMOs against a dedicated agency like Halstead Media, which specializes in the landscaping sector.

In today's fiercely competitive digital world, where first impressions matter more than ever, visual content has become essential for marketing your lawn, landscape, or outdoor living business. It's not just about decoration—it's a necessary tool for storytelling, showcasing your craftsmanship, and creating an emotional connection with customers. Top firms in the industry understand the importance of strong images and videos. These visual assets are crucial for highlighting the beauty and functionality of your projects, setting you apart, showcasing your impeccable craftsmanship, and helping you forge enduring customer relationships in an increasingly crowded market.

Sometimes running a business feels like a rollercoaster. Challenges can have that stomach-dropping sensation as you quickly begin your descent into the unknown. But consistent marketing efforts help create stability over time, and the challenges that once felt like gut-wrenching moments when you questioned your choice of career, and maybe even your sanity, become more like little bumps that quickly even out.

Sometimes running a business feels like a rollercoaster. Challenges can have that stomach-dropping sensation as you quickly begin your descent into the unknown. But consistent marketing efforts help create stability over time, and the challenges that once felt like gut-wrenching moments when you questioned your choice of career, and maybe even your sanity, become more like little bumps that quickly even out.

If it has been a few years since you updated your website, it’s time to take action now. Your website is at the forefront of your business, where potential clients form their first impressions. In this fiercely competitive online arena, ensuring your website not only looks great but also functions seamlessly and provides an exceptional user experience is non-negotiable. Let’s explore six common signs that your lawn, landscape, or outdoor living business website needs to be updated.

Imagine if your lawn, landscape, and outdoor living business could instantly stand out from the competition. Picture having a customer list filled with affluent homeowners who appreciate the finer things in life. Envision your projects being nothing short of breathtaking outdoor paradises that belong on the cover of a prestigious magazine. In today's digital age, where first impressions are often formed online, your brand is the key to ensuring your business thrives in the industry.

Did you know nearly 70% of consumers prefer to message a business on social media? It's their go-to way to connect with companies, and this trend is transforming social media into a vital customer service channel. In today's fast-paced digital landscape, businesses, including those in the lawn, landscape, and outdoor living industry, are constantly searching for innovative ways to meet and exceed customer expectations.

Gone are the days when the roar of gas-powered equipment was synonymous with lawn maintenance. Today, many businesses in the lawn and landscape industry are moving toward a quieter, cleaner future—and using marketing strategically to build credibility and trust with homeowners and property managers. As municipalities across the globe grapple with environmental concerns and the need for stricter regulations, industry businesses face new challenges and opportunities that even marketing plays a role in.

While the ultimate goal is for your target customer to accept your project proposal, it’s what happens between the first click and you handing them over your proposal that influences the outcome the most—even more than pricing.

Your business is likely one of many landscape industry businesses in your area, so how can you stand out from your competition? The key to outperforming your competition is appearing higher in the search results—and local SEO is the strategy to help you do it. 

Leading lawn, landscape, and outdoor living firms use case studies as a sales and marketing tool to help generate leads. Showing prospects how your services and work have helped others achieve their goals is impactful.

Recruiting is marketing, and your role as a potential employer is to market your company as a great place to work. Job postings must attract the candidate and include details your ideal candidate will find enticing. Just as you have a target customer persona in your marketing efforts, you need a target candidate persona for your recruiting efforts.

Successful outdoor living businesses that consistently land $150K+ projects don’t do so by chance. To make the efforts as worthwhile and efficient as possible, these top companies rely on effective marketing systems with laser-focused targeting.

Change isn’t always easy, but it’s a necessary part of growth. If you have business tasks and processes that are not contributing to your company's success, you may be holding on to bad habits that aren’t serving you anymore, especially regarding your team. 

In August 2022, Google rolled out the Helpful Content Update (HCU). The largest update began in December 2022 and was completed 38 days later in January 2023. There is hope for those negatively affected by this update, but only if you make immediate changes.