Websites and blogs for landscaping and gardening

Further to my previous piece on Blogging for Business I have been doing some research on how landscape businesses are utilising the web.

I used the Association of Professional Landscapers as the source of my search by looking through the members directory. The very first result, which I admit I was expecting to find one of the previously described static stale sites, but I found this instead.

I was immediately inspired and my interest was kept alive enough to explore their site. The colours and design are very fresh. I would personally give Stewarts top marks.

They even go that bit further and have produced a blog (see my previous post on Blogging for Business) Well done Stewarts Landscapes.

If I was looking for a landscaping contractor then I would like to see examples of a landscaping projects from start to finish.

That is why it is important to display all of the 'before' photos. Do not limit it to one either, take 10-20 shots and keep doing this through the project so your potential client gets a feel for how you tackled all tasks. Put in notes and sub notes explaining the challenges you encountered during the project and, more importantly how you dealt with these challenges.

Inspire that client, sell yourself and express yourself. Don't hide behind the site, front the site with confidence.

A potential client would love to read your blog that shows work in progress. Let us say they are planning to have a garden built with a significant budget. Imagine if they are able to log into your blog at 7pm on August 2nd 2006 and actually see what you have done that day?

There are also video sites that allow you to upload panoramic views or even procedures into your blog.

Video egg is one just site but more are developing and the technology improving all the time.