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Why go online in the first place?

Let’s keep it simple. Being online makes it easier to:

• Buy from you (products, bundles, CSA, seasonal sales)
• Hire you (seasonal help, equipment operators, farmhands)
• Trust you (people want proof you’re legit)
• Find you (hours, location, service area, contact)

It’s a bigger pond to fish in — and you don’t need to be famous. You just need to be easy to find and easy to choose.

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What farmers actually sell (besides “the crop”)

A lot of farms have a “side lane” that’s serious revenue, but it’s invisible to anyone outside the immediate circle.

Here are common goods and services that crush online when presented clearly:

• Hay / feed / seed sales
• Butchery / freezer beef bundles
• Orchard / pumpkin patch / seasonal sales
• Spraying & side services
• Welding / fabrication
• Dirt work / earthmoving / landscaping
• Equipment sales
• Specialty livestock / specialty animals (yes, even puppies)

Quick example: my mom started raising Miniature Schnauzer puppies when I was finishing high school — and that turned into one of my first real web + SEO projects. If people want it, they’ll search for it. Your job is to show up when they do.

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Online isn’t just for sales — it’s leverage

Even if you’re not trying to sell online, a clean online presence gives you:

• Hiring power (people check you out before applying)
• Credibility with partners and vendors
• A place to send folks so you’re not explaining everything 20 times

When someone asks, “What do you do?” you don’t want to send a 9-text paragraph. You want to send a link.

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The MVP: what you actually need to get online

(Minimum Viable Product — the foundation)

If you do nothing else, do these five things in order:

1. Domain (your web address)
2. Google Business Profile (your Maps listing)
3. Website (your home base)
4. Branded email (hello@yourfarm.com)
5. Social links (optional, but helpful)

Everything else is just upgrades.

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Step 1: Get your domain (your “digital land address”)

Your domain is like your farm sign on the highway. Keep it simple:

• YourNameFarm.com (or .farm)
• Short and easy to say out loud
• Avoid hyphens and weird spellings

Yes, GoDaddy is a common place to buy domains.

One more truth: most people won’t type your domain directly anyway — they’ll Google your name and click what shows up. That’s why brand search and SEO matter. But you still need the land address locked down.

How to pick the right URL (fast rules)

• Best: FarmName.com
• Next best: FarmName + location
• If you do services: Service + location
  Example: SmithHayIowa.com / JonesDirtWork.com

Goal = memorability + search intent.

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Step 2: Set up your Google Business Profile (the cheat code)

If you only do one thing this month, do this.

Google Business Profile (formerly “Google My Business”) is what helps you show up on Maps and local search. It:

• Tells Google you’re a real business
• Shows your hours, phone, location, service area
• Displays photos + reviews
• Often gets you calls before anyone ever visits your website

Google wants to be the referrer of business… and they want to be right. They’re trying to send people to the best option. Your job is to make it easy for them to trust you.

Do these basics:

• Make sure name/address/phone are accurate
• Add real photos (not just one logo)
• Keep hours updated (especially seasonal)
• Ask for reviews and respond to them

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Step 3: Choose the right website tool for the job

I had a neighbor who always said, “You can build anything if you’ve got the right tools.”

Same goes here.

You’ve got a few options:

• DIY builders (Squarespace/Wix style)
• AI builders (fast, but still needs strategy)
• WordPress (flexible, more maintenance)
• Custom build (best for serious growth)

No shame in DIY. The best platform is the one you’ll actually maintain.

Step 3A: Decide what type of website you’re building

Start with the goal — otherwise you build a “pretty nothing.”

Most farm sites fall into one of these:

• Brochure / informational: who you are + what you do
• Lead-gen / transactional: calls, quote requests, bookings
• Ecommerce: CSA signup, preorders, gift cards, online store

Pick your primary action first, then build around that.

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Step 4: Don’t do the “Field of Dreams” thing

One of the biggest mistakes people make is putting up a website and then sitting back waiting on:

• the phone to ring
• the inbox to ding

Online isn’t “if you build it they will come.”
You have to help people find you.

That brings us to the part most folks skip…

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Getting found: tell Google who you are (and be consistent)

Think about your shop. You don’t toss nuts, bolts, fittings, and tools into one bucket and hope you can find them later. You label bins. You organize.

Google works the same way.

Here’s what matters most:

1) NAP consistency

NAP = Name, Address, Phone

Make sure your NAP is consistent everywhere:

• Google Business Profile
• website
• Facebook page
• directories (if you’re listed)

2) Maps presence

If Google can confidently place you on the map, you’re already ahead.

3) Meta basics

Page titles and descriptions should match what you do and where you do it.

4) Schema (structured data)

This is just “machine-readable” business info. You don’t need to understand it deeply — just know it helps Google trust and categorize your site.

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Local, local, local (how to expand without spamming)

Win your town first. Then the next square over.

Once you have a solid presence locally, build simple content and pages for the nearby towns you serve. That’s how you earn a “spot on the square” in surrounding areas — without gimmicks.

Example approach:

• One page per main service (hay, spraying, dirt work, freezer beef, seasonal)
• Mention service areas naturally
• Add town-specific info where it actually makes sense

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Social media: useful… but don’t build your house on rented land

Social isn’t just for selfies anymore.

Facebook groups, local community pages, and “looking for recommendations” posts are basically free marketing — and farms can do really well there.

But here’s the rule:

• Your website is your home
• Social media is your billboard

Social gets attention. The website turns attention into action.

At minimum:

• Link your socials to your site
• Link your site in your bios
• Use social for proof, updates, behind-the-scenes
• Use the website for ordering, directions, contact, hiring

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Lead intake: don’t lose the lead (Mistake #2)

Here’s another big mistake: you start getting attention… and then you don’t have a clean way to capture it.

Your site should make it dead simple to:

• call you
• submit a form
• request a quote
• book a visit
• apply for hiring

Minimum lead intake setup:

• Click-to-call phone number
• Contact form (short)
• Auto-reply confirmation (so they know it worked)
• Tracking: “where did this lead come from?”

If you’re running ads or posting regularly, you need leads in one spot. A simple CRM or lead management app can be a game changer (and yes, this is where tools like HighLevel can make sense once you’re ready).

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Lead generation: ads (only after the foundation)

Ads can work fast — but only if:

• Google profile is solid
• website is clear
• offer is obvious
• lead intake is ready

Ads are like gasoline for your marketing. If the engine’s not built, you’re just pouring gas on a mess.

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Branded email: no more @gmail.com

Who has a Gmail? Everyone. That’s fine for personal stuff.

But when you’re doing business, a Gmail address screams:
“I’m doing this out of my garage.”

A branded email like hello@yourfarm.com is:

• instant credibility
• minimal cost
• better for hiring and business inquiries

Bonus: add a clean email signature with your phone, website, and a link to leave a Google review.

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Email list: the most overlooked money-maker

This is the quiet winner.

Start with:

• friends and family
• past customers
• repeat buyers

Then send:

• weekly updates (CSA/availability)
• seasonal reminders (pumpkins, orchard, freezer beef)
• event promos
• “what’s available now” posts

Email is still one of the highest ROI channels for local businesses — because you’re talking to people who already know you.

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From Dirt to Digital: Getting Your Farm Off the Ground and Onto the Internet
Speakers: Patrick Tape Fleming, Digital Marketing Director, Farmboy Inc and Jason McArtor, Branding & Marketing Small Business Growth Consultant & Creator, Farmboy Inc

Time: 3:00pm (Roundtable/Q & A from 4:00pm- 4:45pm, if available)

Room: 313

Farmers have always been in business — the difference now is folks pull out their phone before they pull into your driveway. This session is a no-fluff, step-by-step breakdown of how to get your farm on the internet the right way: lock down a clean domain, get your Google Business Profile dialed in, and build a website that makes it obvious what you do and how to buy, book, or call. We’ll also cover the #1 mistake—posting a site and waiting. You’ll leave with a homepage worksheet and a simple action plan that actually gets results.