Rants and Raves About Landscape Designer’s Websites

June 23rd, 2011 • No Comments

You may be the world’s best landscape designer, but if your website presents your work poorly, you won’t attract the right client. Here are ten ways to improve your website and limit calls from unqualified clients:

Clients want to know ‘why you.’ Describe your signature style and what makes you different from other designers. Describe the services you provide, typical project costs, and whether you are willing to travel for a project.
Determine the qualities of your ideal client and ideal project and include this language in the test. Use terms such as ‘sustainable, modern style, edible, (or whatever is your ‘thing’)….offering softscape, hardscape and implementation services.’ But don’t stop there. Make sure they know about your award-winning work, testimonials from other satisfied clients, and published gardens.
Hire a professional writer. A good writer takes your ideas and presents them in a way that represents you well and speaks to your clients.
Remove ‘before’ photos. Everyone knows the landscape was terrible before you did your magic. No need to waste your time, or the prospective clients’ time, with these images.
State your fees up front. This idea always gets a fair amount of resistance from designers, but it is a sure way to minimize calls from inquiries who don’t have an appropriate budget.
If your website is more than three years old, it is time for an update. There are many inexpensive website templates available at sites such as www.themeforest.com.
Learn to edit your website so you don’t need to hire a pro every time you need a small change or update. Check out easy-edit www.WordPress.com sites.
Update your website often so existing clients have reason to return.
Hire a professional photographer to shoot your gardens. Let them select shots for you to choose from. Make sure image files are sized to load quickly so you don’t frustrate potential clients.
Spread your brand and increase traffic to your website by posting your web link on your social networking sites (Facebook, Linked In, Twitter) and at the bottom of your email signature.
Invite website visitors to contact you to discuss their project. Make sure your contact information is easily found within 5 seconds of opening your site. List this information on your home page and on a additional Contact page.
And finally, proof for typos!