>> This is a sidebar article to the article, “Tips for Avoiding Online & Phone-Order Scams.” ONLINE: 1. The billing address is different from the shipping address. Most fraudulent orders request a different shipping address, so this type of order deserves a little closer look. 2. The phone number is invalid or does not match […]
Bogus Orders: Top Ten Flags Read More »
As a veteran of creating successful, award-winning displays for more than 20 years, I get asked a lot of questions. How do we come up with our inspirational scenes? Where do our crazy ideas come from? What is the real value of home shows in the water garden industry? There certainly isn’t an exact science
Home Shows in 2019: Do They Add Value? Read More »
When YouTube sensation Logan Paul mentioned in one of his video blogs, or vlogs, that he wanted a koi pond, my smartphone instantly blew up! I knew a little about who Logan Paul was. What I didn’t know was how many of my friends followed him! Within 48 hours of his vlog hitting YouTube, I
Vlogging as a Water Feature Marketing Tool Read More »
Over the past 20 years, a lot has changed in our pond-building business. Some of those changes have made a fairly large impact on our business. One of these is how consumers pay for their pond installations. When we started our pond business in the mid ‘90s, I would meet a water feature customer at their site, design the
Offering Financing to Pond and Water Feature Customers Read More »
Many of us who own a regular (or pond) business have dreamed of selling it one day and living the dream of retirement. Most of us have very little idea how to make this dream come true. Usually this only happens with a well thought-out plan. Yes, you need a real plan that will work
Building an Exit Strategy for Selling Your Pond Business Read More »
As the co-owner of a busy water features company, I know how hard it is to keep track of potential work while keeping in touch with current customers. As recently as last winter, my husband would come home from working in the field and ask me who had called that day, and I would have
Perks of Customer Relationship Management Software Read More »
POND Trade was invited to the Mountain Top Marketing Mastermind seminar, and I took them up on it. After all, a trip to Colorado in April? Sure, I can do that. The seminar was run by the nice folks at the Contractor’s Sales Academy (CSA). The day was loaded with useful information about how to
Marketing and Business Converge at the Contractor’s Sales Academy Read More »
Being in the business of installing ponds, we’ve done all types, shapes and sizes over the years. It has been a thriving part of the business for us for a long time. But with more and more landscape contractors installing “ponds,” we’ve got to continue to set ourselves apart from the rest. Thinking outside the
Pond Showcase Model Connects with Customers Read More »
[box]Above is the most recent episode of the Pond Hunter Podcast.[/box] The pond and water garden industry’s constant push to stay relevant in the age of information can be traced back a couple of centuries —all the way back to the physical publishing of articles and books. Pond enthusiasts in the 21st century still love
Pond Hunter Podcast Connects with Enthusiasts Read More »
Recently, a colleague in my online group, Barry Hilton of Aquaman Inc., asked a particular question on Facebook that plagues us all: “I’m sick of blowing money on advertising and getting nothing in return. What are the top three forms that have worked for you?” Without hesitation, Heath Webb of Art of the Yard and
Get to Know SEO, Embrace Integrated Marketing and Start Generating Content Read More »