How One Bold Pivot Turned a Struggling Landscape Business Into a High-Value Project Magnet

Certified landscape Designers & architects serving Denver, Arapahoe, Jefferson, and more of Colorado

The Background

Jonathan and Flavia Colton, the creative minds behind Land Designs by Colton, knew they had the skills to create stunning landscapes.

But even with all their talent, something wasn’t clicking. The jobs they wanted – the ones that would let them use their full range of creativity and bring in serious money – just weren’t coming in.

They weren’t short on ambition or hard work, but the business was stuck. Competitors in the Denver area were outshining them online, grabbing the big-ticket jobs that should have been theirs.

The Coltons were left picking up smaller, less lucrative projects, watching their crew sit idle for long stretches during the year. It was frustrating, to say the least.

It wasn’t just about filling up their calendar. Jonathan and Flavia had bigger dreams for their family: a new home, financial security for their kids, and a lifestyle they could enjoy after years of building their business. They wanted the kind of work that paid for the $80,000 kitchen they’d always dreamed of, projects that didn’t make them worry about the next paycheck.

But the truth was, their business wasn’t getting noticed. Their website wasn’t bringing in new leads, and while their competitors were filling up their schedules, Jonathan and Flavia were scratching their heads, wondering why they were being left out of the conversation.

When they came to us, it was clear: they had all the talent and drive in the world, but without more leads and better visibility, they’d stay stuck. The solution wasn’t complicated. It was about making sure the right people saw them at the right time, and it started with getting their name out there in front of homeowners looking for top-tier landscaping services.

They didn’t need a flashy marketing campaign with buzzwords. They needed a plan that worked. And we were ready to give it to them.

The Challenges

Jonathan and Flavia knew that if they wanted to take Land Designs by Colton to the next level, they had to leave behind the way they had always done things.

It wasn’t easy to change, but they knew that sticking to the same methods would keep them stuck in the same cycle. When they partnered with us, they made the decision to step into a new way of doing business.

Website Not Bringing In Leads

For years, their website had been little more than a placeholder. It didn’t attract new customers, and homeowners looking for landscaping services couldn’t even find them. Every day it stayed the same, they lost opportunities to competitors whose websites were pulling in job after job.

Jonathan and Flavia had to leave behind the idea that having a website was enough. They needed one that worked, one that brought in leads, showcased their work, and connected them with homeowners ready to hire.

When partnering with us, they finally made the decision to stop waiting for their website to work on its own and embraced a strategy that would get them in front of the right people.

Lack of Brand Awareness

The Coltons were good at what they did, but few people knew who they were. Their brand wasn’t standing out in a crowded Denver market, and their competitors had built strong names for themselves. Land Designs by Colton was just another name in the sea of options.

They realized they couldn’t grow their business without becoming known for what they do best. They had to leave behind the mindset that skill alone would be enough to get noticed.

We worked with them to build a brand that homeowners would recognize and trust. It was time to step out of the shadows and become one of the top names in landscaping.

Not Having Enough Jobs

Despite their talent and experience, Jonathan and Flavia constantly worried about how they would keep their crew busy. Slow seasons were hard, and they never knew when the next big job would come in. Every empty slot in the schedule meant more stress and missed opportunities.

Leaving behind this uncertainty wasn’t easy, but they knew they couldn’t keep operating this way. They needed a steady flow of leads, not just to survive but to grow. When they approached us, they made the choice to let go of the uncertainty and embrace a system that promised a full pipeline of high-value projects.

The Strategy

From the moment they started working with us, Jonathan and Flavia realized they had more than just a marketing company. They had a partner.

We didn’t just throw out a bunch of quick fixes. Instead, we took the time to understand their business, their market, and what kind of clients they really wanted.

This was a strategy-first approach built on data, not guesswork. Together, we crafted a plan designed specifically to bring in the kind of high-value jobs they’d been missing out on.

Turning The Website Into a Lead Generation Tool

One of the biggest challenges was their website. It wasn’t just outdated—it wasn’t doing anything to bring in leads. Fixing that was the first step.

We overhauled their website, making sure it was easy to navigate, visually appealing, and built to convert visitors into paying clients. But this wasn’t just about making it look better. It was about making sure the website worked hard for them, day and night, bringing in the right people who were ready to invest in premium landscaping.

Jonathan and Flavia saw the difference almost immediately. Homeowners weren’t just browsing their site anymore—they were reaching out and booking consultations.

Getting Them Seen by the Right People

Once the website was in shape, it was time to get them noticed. This is where SEO (search engine optimization) came in—making sure that when people in Denver searched for landscaping services, Land Designs by Colton was at the top of the list.

SEO wasn’t an instant solution. It took time and consistent effort to see the results. But Jonathan and Flavia trusted the process, knowing that long-term success would come from building a strong foundation.

As we optimized their site and built their online presence, they started climbing the search rankings. Soon enough, homeowners were finding them, and their inbox was filling up with leads.

Turning 2023 Into a Breakout Year

By 2023, everything started to come together. Jonathan and Flavia went from barely being noticed online to being one of the first names homeowners saw when searching for premium landscaping services in Denver.

The jobs started flowing in, and with their website and SEO firing on all cylinders, Land Designs by Colton was no longer the hidden gem. It was the go-to business for top-tier landscaping.

What had once been a struggle to fill their calendar became a steady stream of high-value projects. Their business was popping, and they finally had the momentum they needed to hit their biggest goals.

When a homeowner in their area searches for “landscape architect” or “landscaping near me,” the first thing they see is a map with three top businesses. These spots are prime real estate because they show your business name, phone number, reviews, and a direct link to your website.

Homeowners are much more likely to click on one of these businesses than scroll down through the rest. It’s a powerful position to be in, and it signals to Google and your potential clients that you’re the best in the area.

This is the kind of visibility that gets you noticed AND gets you hired.

The Unexpected Roadblock

By the summer of 2023, Land Designs By Colton was riding high. The leads were flowing in, the calendar was full, and their business had finally become the powerhouse they always knew it could be. But just when everything seemed to be going perfectly, disaster struck.

Competitors had noticed their growing success and decided to take them down. With a few sneaky moves, they managed to get Land Designs by Colton’s Google Business Profile suspended.

Overnight, the leads dried up. All the hard work that had gotten their business to the top was suddenly gone. It felt like everything was falling apart.

Their rankings, which had once been strong and steady, were now a sea of red. No visibility, no new clients, nothing. Jonathan and Flavia were staring at a quiet inbox and an empty calendar, wondering how their business had been derailed so fast.

The Fight for Reinstatement

We needed a strategy to get the Coltons’ GBP reinstated – and fast. We stepped in right away, guiding them through the complicated and frustrating appeals process with Google.

The back-and-forth with Google felt like a never-ending battle, and every day the suspension dragged on, it felt like another blow to their momentum.

But they weren’t about to give up. With our support, they kept pushing through the setbacks, determined to get their business back where it belonged: in front of the homeowners looking for high-quality landscaping.

Getting Back on Top

When their GBP was finally reinstated, it felt like a weight had been lifted, but the fight wasn’t over yet. Their business had lost all the visibility it had worked so hard to build. They were no longer showing up where homeowners were searching, and the leads weren’t flowing like before.

Jonathan and Flavia could have thrown in the towel, but they didn’t. Instead, they focused on rebuilding what they had lost. We shifted gears, focusing on new strategies to keep leads coming in while working to get their online presence back where it belonged—at the top of search results.

It was a tough road, but they didn’t stop pushing. They knew that with the right partner, they could overcome anything.

The Results

When Jonathan and Flavia’s Google Business Profile was reinstated, they knew SEO wouldn’t bounce back overnight.

As their trusted partner, we knew it was time to pivot and keep their business growing. Even if it meant shifting focus and spending more on ads, we were ready to make sure the Coltons stayed visible, kept bringing in leads, and got back that lost momentum.

Pivoting The Ads Strategy

The original plan had focused on xeriscaping, but after a few months, the Coltons realized that this wasn’t attracting the type of clients they wanted. Most of the leads were looking for cheap, bare-bones work and not the premium, high-value projects that fit their skills.

So, we quickly adapted.

Xeriscaping was out. We pivoted the ads to highlight the services that bring in bigger projects: landscaping, outdoor kitchens, pergolas, gazebos, and paver patios. These were the jobs that would elevate their brand and help grow the business the way they had always imagined.

Targeting the Right Clients

We didn’t just change the services we advertised. We also refined who we targeted.

Together, with input from Jonathan and Flavia, we shifted our focus to the wealthiest 10% of homeowners in their area. These were the clients who weren’t looking for the cheapest option. They were ready to invest in luxury outdoor living spaces.

By collaborating with the Coltons, we zeroed in on specific locations based on their hands-on knowledge. They knew the neighborhoods where homeowners had the budget to invest in high-end projects, and we worked together to fine-tune the ads to target those areas.

Bringing in Big Projects

We didn’t stop at just adjusting the ad targeting. We also took their brand to the next level. It was about being the go-to name for high-end, custom outdoor projects in Denver.

And the results spoke for themselves. One of the biggest wins came when the Coltons landed a $100,000 job directly from the new ads. It was proof that our combined efforts – better targeting, stronger branding, and a focus on high-value projects – were paying off.

The Rewards

Jonathan and Flavia are no longer the business owners they were when they first partnered with us. They’ve come through the challenges, setbacks, and breakthroughs with a transformed business, and they’re now in control of a thriving operation that’s positioned for even bigger success.

Restored and Stronger Than Ever

After a rough patch with their Google Business Profile suspension, the Coltons’ rankings are finally back on track. Their business is once again showing up in local searches, and they’ve reclaimed their position as one of the top landscape designers in Denver.

But this time, it’s different: they now understand the power of SEO and visibility, and they know how critical it is to keep this momentum going.

Take a look at the image below: the green circles show where Land Designs By Colton is now appearing at the top of search results. This improvement means that more homeowners can find them across a wider area, which leads to more leads and new clients.

Bigger Ad Budgets, Bigger Returns

With their SEO restored, the Coltons now expanded their investment into ads, going all-in to target even more high-value clients.

They’re already looking ahead to 2025, where they’re set to invest $50,000 into ads, confident that their return on ad spend will double what they saw this year. We laid the groundwork and we know it’s going to pay off.

Doing What They Love

The Coltons’ brand awareness is at an all-time high. Homeowners in Denver and surrounding areas recognize Land Designs by Colton as the go-to choice for premium landscaping and outdoor living spaces.

This isn’t just about more jobs; it’s about better jobs.

Now, they’re able to focus on the kind of projects they actually enjoy: high-end landscaping, outdoor kitchens, and luxury patio builds.

They’re not wasting time with low-ballers anymore. Their business is centered around the work they love, serving the clients who value and trust their expertise.

Key Takeaways

The Coltons’ transformation is about more than just revenue. It’s about aligning their business with the life they’ve always wanted. And now, they’re positioned for even greater success in the years to come.

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