Canseco’s Gardening Services, a family-run local business, has helped neighbors in the Santa Barbara, CA area maintain their outdoor spaces for over 30 years. Prior to the pandemic, word-of-mouth referrals from clients helped sustain the business. But when the pandemic hit, owner Rey Canseco and his son Michael knew they had to establish a digital presence in order to grow. They created a website and turned to Nextdoor to get their business in front of the community. By customizing their free Business Page, posting informative and useful content with Business Posts, and leveraging Nextdoor Ads to offer neighbors free quotes, this father-son duo saw 40% business growth from the time they began using Nextdoor’s business tools to six months after.
A family and community affair
Rey Canseco turned his passion for being outdoors into a career in 1990 when he started Canseco’s Gardening Service. The business offers services including landscape installation, plant and tree installation, green waste removal, fence repair, and regular maintenance. Specializing in both commercial and residential landscaping, Rey brings his clients a wealth of expertise and customer service. His oldest son, Michael, has over 10 years of experience in sales and tech and helps with business operations.
For Rey and Michael, both of whom have planted roots in Santa Barbara, the community is everything. They want to do their best work for their clients and create outdoor spaces that are not only beautiful but help improve the overall feel of their neighborhood.
Building out a marketing strategy
The Canseco’s are long-time users of Nextdoor but weren’t fully aware of the impact it could have on local businesses until they began using Nextdoor’s business tools.
“Nextdoor was the first platform we used to get the word out. Michael posted from his personal account that he wanted to help me grow the business. The likes and comments that came from that first post was a turning point for our family business. From there, we created a free Business Page and started posting about our services. As we improved our operations to help us take on new clients, we tested Nextdoor Ads and saw great results and many leads from people wanting a free estimate.”
Below are three ways Canseco’s Gardening Service used Nextdoor’s business tools for growth.
Making their Business Page their own
A Nextdoor Business Page makes it easy for neighbors to find your local business online. Make sure your page has the most up-to-date information so neighbors can learn more about your business and how to reach you.
Not only did Rey and Michael update their business information, but they also customized their page with their logo, photos of themselves and their work, and their business story.
TIP: Photos are important. Business Pages with a profile photo and photos in their “photos” section are the most visited. More people visiting your page means more people seeing your posts. Get more tips for building a better Business Page here.
Share informative and useful content with Business Posts
All businesses that have a claimed and verified Business Page can share two Business Posts per month into their neighborhood newsfeed. Business Posts allow you to share information, engage with neighbors, and build relationships.
A Business Post from Canseco's Gardening Service
Rey and Michael use their posts to provide expert home and garden recommendations. This includes things homeowners should focus on to prepare for each season. This type of content works because it establishes Canseco’s Gardening Services expertise in the field and provides neighbors with tips they can use themselves to maintain their homes.
Get more messages from neighbors with Nextdoor Ads
Rey and Michael found success by customizing their ad to get more messages from new customers by promoting a free landscaping estimate. Offering a free service like an estimate is an effective way to get new customers to reach out to your business, establish a relationship, and turn them into paying clients.
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Learn more about Nextdoor Ads
Tips for other local businesses
In the spirit of helping other businesses grow, Rey and Michael shared their four tried and true tips that have made the biggest impact in gaining more referrals:
- Be helpful and friendly.
- Make sure your communication with clients is clear so there are no misunderstandings.
- Always be on time for client appointments.
- Ask for feedback. Clients want to be heard on what they like and what can be improved.
Grow your local business with Nextdoor
The pandemic has proven that small businesses like Canseco’s Gardening Services need to have a digital presence to scale and attract new clients. If you’re looking for an easy way to start, turn to Nextdoor and claim your free business page. You’ll be able to plug into your neighborhood and start reaching neighbors who are eager to support a local business like yours.
