Website for a landscaper: show what a garden could become

Your visitor doesn't know yet what's possible

People usually start thinking about their garden in spring. They see a bare patch, a sunken patio or a lawn that's more moss than grass. They know it could look better, but not how. And they have no idea what something like that costs.

So your visitor is exploring. They're looking for ideas and a landscaper they trust. Above all, your site should help them imagine what their garden could become.

What holds them back

Two things hold your customer back. The first is money: they don't know whether a new garden costs a few thousand euros or much more. The second is maintenance: they want a beautiful garden, but not one that needs work every weekend.

What they want is a garden they can see before it exists. A picture, a price, an idea of the upkeep. The more of that you show, the smaller the step to a conversation.

How to structure your homepage

1. The first screen. The kinds of gardens you build, your region and one button.
2. Trust bar. VHG membership, Groenkeur and your reviews.
3. Portfolio by type of garden. City garden, family garden, low-maintenance garden. Before your services, because the visitor first needs to see what's possible.
4. Services. Design, construction, maintenance.
5. How you work. From first conversation to finished garden.
6. Prices. Before the team, because money is the biggest worry.
7. Team. Who designs, and who builds?
8. An honest schedule. When can you start?
9. Frequently asked questions and a closing button.

The portfolio sells

Group your projects by type of garden, so the visitor recognises their own situation. A family with two children is looking for something different from someone with a small city garden. For each project, give the town, the size and what you did.

Even stronger: show the same garden in different seasons. That answers a question customers rarely ask but do have: what does it look like in November? Also say how much maintenance the garden needs. That takes away the second fear straight away.

Trust

• VHG: you're a member of the Dutch trade association for landscapers and garden contractors.
• Groenkeur: a Dutch quality mark for the green sector. Explain in one sentence what it means for your customer.
• Reviews: with score, count and platform. Only show an average from five reviews.
• Projects nearby: a garden two streets away convinces more than a stunning garden on the other side of the country.

Link every trust mark to the place where the customer can check it. And only show what you really hold.

The button: a garden conversation

The natural first step is a conversation. Use "Book a garden consultation". That feels lighter than "request a quote": the customer often doesn't know exactly what they want yet. Under the button, say what the consultation costs and whether they're committing to anything.

In the form, ask about the garden first: the size, the postcode and what they want. A photo of the current garden helps you a lot. Name and contact details come at the end.

Prices: three kinds

A landscaper really has three kinds of prices. Show all three:

• Design: say what a design costs. A design fee that only turns up later feels like a trap.
• Construction: give ranges, for example per type of garden, and say what determines the price. Think of groundwork, paving and planting.
• Maintenance: a price per visit.

Prices for private customers include VAT. That's what the ACM, the Dutch consumer authority, requires, as well as a from-price that includes all mandatory costs.

Honest about the schedule

Garden work is seasonal. In spring everyone wants it at the same time. That's why an honest line about your schedule matters: when can you start new projects? That's not fake urgency, just ordinary information. A line like "We're now scheduling construction for after the summer" helps the customer and prevents disappointment. As long as it's true, and you keep it up to date.

Images: your gardens, every season

Use photos of your own gardens, preferably in several seasons. Visitors look at photos that show something and skip decorative images. Everyone recognises a stock garden with perfect hydrangeas. A real garden in a Dutch neighbourhood, with the neighbours' fence in shot, is far more credible.

Write about it in a warm, vivid tone. A landscaper can describe how it smells after a rain shower. But keep prices and scheduling businesslike and precise.

Better left out

• Stock gardens. They don't show what you can do.
• A hidden design fee. Name it up front.
• No schedule. A customer who calls in March and only hears in July that you're fully booked doesn't feel taken seriously.
• Only services, no examples. "Garden design" says little. A designed garden says everything.

Checklist

• Are the kinds of gardens and your region on the first screen?
• Is your portfolio grouped by type of garden?
• Do you show gardens in more than one season?
• Do you name the price of a design?
• Do you give ranges for construction and a price per maintenance visit?
• Is there an honest, current line about when you can start?
• Are your VHG and Groenkeur logos linked to a verification page?

You sell a garden with a picture. Give your customer that picture, an honest price and a date, and the first conversation follows naturally.