Re: Tree Care Company on-line?

At 09:29 AM 01/08/2000 -0500, Jim Smith was curious and pondered:
>
>Has anyone done a website for an arborist or tree care company? Any feedback
>about happy (or unhappy) experiences or results the client has gotten from
>going on the web?

Well, I have not had the pleasure of dong a tree service yet - however, I
/am/ a firm believer that if done correctly a Web site can be a most
excellent marketing tool for /any/ business.  Maybe some of my thoughts can
help you close the contract.  ;-)

Make sure that he realizes, as you mentioned, that to even have effective
"brochureware" he should include some "content rich" valuable information.
Don't prompt him - strongly suggest this is necessary!  What comes to mind
is FAQs on how to tell if a tree is healthy, when to cut, trim a tree?
Different types of trees and the best locations for them.  This will
solidify your client as an expert in his/her field and people will be more
likely to contact him through his site.

>I've got one tree guy interested but he was wondering if others have had any
>favorable response from their website.

The unfortunate thing, in my experience, is that when clients are looking
for some sort of  reassurance on what "others" have run into, they may not
yet be informed on the reality of what is involved with having a Web
presence - or even what that is exactly.  Explain to him that there may
have been other tree guys out there - but with crappy sites - hence they
were ineffective.  Or, there could be tree guys with great sites, but
marketing issues were not covered completely, consistently or correctly -
hence no results.  This is NOT a build it and they will come arena which
new clients may perceive.

I let potential clients know from the get-go what is required to have an
effective Web presence.  Both from the development of the site, to what
they need to do, to the ongoing support and growth indefinitely into the
future - from both of us.  Without all this information on the table from
the very beginning - before a contract is signed - your client is not aware
of all the issues they need to be to be aware of to be successful and then
room for hype, misconceptions and unrealistic expectations are still there.

I had a walk-in this week come into my office and say "Hey, purty lady,
tell me why I need to have a Web site!".  Like your client, this man was
looking for me to tell him he should get a site and why - the gentleman was
not even online yet.  When this happens, I send them to my site to get a
little "edumacation".    Once they have reviewed my site - which has no
hype and is a very hard sell about the hard work, planning and dedication
involved in being successful online, they are free to call for an appointment. 

Your clients will pick up on your confidence in these matters.  They are
also looking to you to tell them what they need to learn, do and put in
place - you are the expert.  To make this process sound fast, cheap and
easy - is doing clients (and your business) an injustice.  Because, to be
truly successful, proportionately the opposite applies.

When I meet with clients, having done this successfully for years, I can
look them in the eyes and tell them they will be successful - based on
marketing, based on their commitment, based on /realistic/ goals.  I also,
let them know - the heck with the other tree guys - I work with leaders not
followers, now let's get to work!  ;-)

HTH!
/j

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