The grass is always greener when somebody else cuts it. And Royal Blue Property Maintenance is here to trim your lawn, build your patio, and keep the snowbanks under control. To build and grow their brand image, the Durham-area company relies on Linkeo’s website creation and SEO services.
THE CLIENT
Stephen Pifher was studying biotechnology when he discovered landscaping at a summer job. After he graduated, he decided to start a year-round property maintenance business with his friend Derek Burke. Eight years later, they have a team of 15 people, along with hundreds of customers between Pickering and Oshawa.
“Anything to do with your lawn and outdoor spaces, we do it. Interlocking stonework, weed control, sod, garden cleanup—whatever you need,” says Steve.
Though Steve loves to get behind the lawn mower when he can, for the most part, Derek trains and supervises the crew while Steve takes care of the admin side of things.
“My business is my hobby. I love the freedom it gives me. I’m always trying to make it better. Landscaping’s competitive— anyone with a truck who gets laid off will try and start a maintenance company at some point. But I’m competitive too, and so I like it.”
THE CHALLENGE
Before Linkeo, Steve had a DIY site. He invested a couple hundred dollars in an upgrade, but it wasn’t what he was looking for.
“For me, image matters. If you show up in a junky old truck, people will make assumptions about you. And that might not be right but that’s how it works. Appearance matters. When they see a solid, professional website, people will think you will treat their property professionally.”
His Linkeo sales rep, Danny, showed up at just the right time.
“I come from a sales background and I’ve always thought branding was important. And brand awareness takes time… It’s one of those things that if you need to have brand awareness next year, if you didn’t start three years ago, you’re out of luck. I see it as an investment in the future. Every minute I waste is a minute I’m behind.”
THE SOLUTION
To help him get ahead, Linkeo set him up with a brand-new website and pointed Google Ads campaigns to promote his services during key times throughout the year.
“I wanted a one-and-done service. I’m not a web specialist. I’m a landscaper. And that became apparent when I was doing my website myself. DIY is okay if you’re just running a side gig in the basement. But if this is your main job, if you’re hiring people, then you need to go big. I outsource getting my trucks fixed. I outsource getting my books done, so why would I do this myself? If you’re not good at something, find someone who is.”
With natural SEO and paid SEO, Linkeo is building up his website’s visibility on search engines.
“Every time someone finds me and clicks on the website, it becomes that much more likely that I’ll appear higher in Google search results the next time. The Internet isn’t going anywhere. It can take a while to make your footprint. So, it makes sense to invest in online advertising as soon as you can.”
Royal Blue Property Maintenance, Homepage by Linkeo
THE RESULTS
With his dynamic, professional website, Steve believes he has a competitive edge over other maintenance companies in the area.
“Even if I had tried to put in the time, I never could have made it look as good as it does. I love that I don’t have to worry about it. I’m a landscaper—I don’t write code. We have a great website, and the best part is, I don’t have to do anything to maintain it.”
On average, the site draws in over 1100 visitors per month, with a solid conversion rate of 4.6%. Royal Blue Property Maintenance is busy year-round, especially through the Ontario winters when the snow keeps coming.
“We’re a radically different business from when we started. I’m confident in my brand image now. Our online presence gives us an advantage in our sector and that’s the way I like it.”
![linkeo-logo-blue-rgb-1-q8oycu5zg2kzhlse8rrcxytak6yppd1yg55o397hdq[1]](https://www.surfing-the-digital-wave.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/linkeo-logo-blue-rgb-1-q8oycu5zg2kzhlse8rrcxytak6yppd1yg55o397hdq1.png "linkeo-logo-blue-rgb-1-q8oycu5zg2kzhlse8rrcxytak6yppd1yg55o397hdq[1]"){kind=logo}