What to put on a landscaping website

1. Split design, installation and maintenance

These are three different customers. One wants a new backyard drawn up. One has a plan and needs it built. One wants the lawn mowed and the beds kept tidy every week. If your home page mixes them together, each visitor has to dig for their part. Give each its own page and a clear button on the home page. If you only do one or two of the three, say so plainly.

2. Say what size of job fits you

A crew that builds full backyards may not want a single-tree planting, and a maintenance company may not build retaining walls. A sentence like "we take on full yard projects and ongoing maintenance, not one-time mowing" saves time on both sides. It isn't rude. It's helpful.

3. Services by season

Landscaping changes through the year, and it's easy for a visitor to miss what you offer outside of summer. A simple list by season works well:

• Spring: cleanups, aeration, sprinkler start-up, planting
• Summer: installs, mowing, irrigation repairs
• Fall: leaf cleanup, sprinkler blowout, planting trees and shrubs
• Winter: snow removal, design work for spring

List only what you actually do. Add a note on how far out you're booking in the busy months, and update it when it changes.

4. Maintenance plans explained

If you sell maintenance plans, spell out what's included: how often you visit, what gets done on each visit, and what costs extra. You don't have to post prices, but do say how pricing is worked out, such as by lot size after a quick visit. A separate request form for maintenance, asking for address and lot size, keeps those requests apart from design inquiries.

5. Water-wise and xeriscape work

In dry areas, many homeowners think about replacing grass with plants that need less water. If you do this work, give it its own page: what the yard can look like, what plants you tend to use, and how watering changes afterward. Watering rules and rebate programs vary by city and water provider and change over time, so point people to their own utility instead of quoting rules on your site.

6. Photos of finished projects

Show your own work, sorted by type: patios and walls, planting, lawns, xeriscape. Landscapes change as they grow in, so a photo taken a year later can show more than one from install day. Before-and-after pairs work well here; see before-and-after galleries. Get the owner's OK before showing a yard.

7. A consultation request form

For design and install work, ask for name, phone, address, rough yard size, what they want changed, and when they'd like it done. A place to attach a photo of the yard helps you come prepared. Some landscapers also ask for a rough budget range. That's a judgment call, and if you ask, make it optional. If you're in yards all day and can't pick up, say when you return calls, or look at ways to cover the phone.

Quick checklist

• Design, installation and maintenance on separate pages
• A plain note on which jobs fit you
• Services listed by season
• Maintenance plan details
• Xeriscape page if you offer it
• Your own project photos
• Separate forms for consultations and maintenance