By making use of best practices, the various online technology out there, as well as online service providers, haulers can improve their efficiency, cut costs and grow their business at a rate much faster than was previously possible.
By William Beresovoy
Traditionally, every waste hauler would have a map of their area and a logbook telling them when and where to pick up garbage. Someone was in charge of printing, scheduling, making sure all the addresses were correct, maintaining records of completed routes and much more. The sheer amount of paper, time and work that went into this took up a large amount of time for multiple people—the drivers, the managers and those who had to do all of the coordinating. There were also often issues involved, such as frequent errors, handwriting that could be difficult to decipher and records that weren’t always easy to find.
However, as technology has developed, the hauler industry has seen a revolution in this area. Thanks to the Internet and mobile technology, drivers, managers and administrative assistants can easily manage records, market their business and reduce costs. As with any industry, there are a number of resources drivers can call upon and service providers they can partner with to make the most out of this technology. Following industry best practices guarantees that you can use technology in the most efficient and effective ways possible.
Resources and Tools
There are a number of different resources available online that can help haulers streamline their business and reduce costs. This technology can be used in many different tasks:
- Budgeting and Finance—While many people know and use spreadsheets such as Excel, there are a number of more specialized programs out there that can assist with bookkeeping, budgeting and other financial tasks. Some are even specialized for the hauler industry.
- SEO Tools—Connecting to customers is vital, but it’s nearly impossible to do without bringing a large amount of traffic to a business’ Web site. In order to do that, businesses must understand and implement the top SEO strategies. Unfortunately, these strategies change often. That’s why many make use of online SEO tools or work with an online service provider in order to keep up with the latest in search engine algorithms and make certain that they are using only legitimate SEO strategies.
- Social Media—Today, social media such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn can no longer be considered something people do just for fun—they’re business tools in their own right. Businesses with active profiles on these different sites can connect with customers, advertise their newest products and services, and much more. Social media is replacing word of mouth and some sales processes, making it absolutely vital to any hauling business that wants to increase its customer base.
- Route Optimization—Optimizing routes are a major concern for haulers, but today, it’s much easier to do thanks to route optimization software. These programs will analyze the different addresses and routes available and plot the one that takes the least amount of time. These routes can be uploaded to drivers’ GPS systems or even their smartphones. Many of these software programs are designed to interface with traffic apps as well, so they can update a driver’s route in real-time whenever an accident, road construction or other issue is reported.
- Record Keeping—Likewise, software is available for smartphones and tablets that let drivers check off each time that they collect waste. Handwritten notes are no longer required, and there’s no worry about records being misplaced. This software, like the route optimization apps, can often be updated in real-time, so cancellations, or additions can easily be inserted into a driver’s to-do list.
Benefits from Working with an Online Service Provider
While the tools and resources above can help haulers who want to go it alone, a number of independent businesses have turned to online service providers to assist them with technology, especially with optimizing their Web sites and improving their online advertising.
Small haulers may not have the budget to hire someone to exclusively focus on their Web site, SEO work and social media, nor does the owner or other employee have time to learn everything about these topics. Online service providers have professionals on staff who have the knowledge and skill to provide SEO services, and it’s often cheaper to hire one of these providers than it is to hire a full-time employee with benefits.
Search engines like Google are constantly changing their search engine algorithms, which means that in order to keep up with the latest and most effective SEO techniques, haulers have to constantly be monitoring news sites and reading articles. That takes time—time most of them simply don’t have. Service providers do keep up with these changes, and they can quickly update their partners’ Web sites to reflect them.
Another area in which online search providers can help is in advertising. Finding the correct keywords to use in a Google AdWords campaign, for example, often makes the difference between getting results and between spending a lot of money for very little. Company managers could take the time to find these keywords themselves, but it often takes a good amount of time for those who aren’t familiar with keywords. An online service provider can do the work in a fraction of the time, and that leaves managers free to focus on running their business and the dozens of other things that they usually have on their plates.
It’s important for a business to have a good Google Quality Score. These scores are created by Google to help us determine how good each keyword is for a Web site or ad. The higher a quality score is, the more relevant Google sees Web pages or ads that relate to that keyword. This is why it’s so vital to find the best keywords; these quality scores reflect what ads are shown to users who enter certain queries, tying back into AdWords and using online advertising budgets effectively.
To illustrate this, a business with poor quality scores may find that its large advertising budget is getting very few results. By building up their scores, however, it may be possible to double the amount of traffic coming to their Web site, while at the same time dropping their advertising budget to a third of what it was.
Even for businesses that do have tech-savvy employees, the time it takes to update Web sites and maintain social media profiles can become overwhelming. A service provider can handle all of these tasks. While many assume that outsourcing their IT needs is expensive, it’s often more affordable than they think.
Best Practices
Haulers using online technology are going to want to make certain that they are using it as effectively as possible. As illustrated above, using the most effective keywords can save a large amount of money while improving traffic. This is just one of the best practices businesses will want to implement, in addition to the several others mentioned below:
- Using Route Optimization Apps—This is definitely a must. It saves time, gas and wear and tear on vehicles. In today’s world of online maps and GPS systems, there’s no reason why a hauler should ever get lost or take the longer route.
- Making use of Social Media—Nearly everyone uses some form of social media today, even if it’s just reading blogs. Implementing a marketing plan that includes social media is a necessity, but it’s even more necessary that it’s done correctly. That means social media has to be regularly updated.
- Using White Hat SEO—White hat SEO is the term used for legitimate SEO practices. Its opposite is black hat SEO, which includes things such as keyword stuffing, spamming and other techniques that are frowned upon. Black hat techniques can actually get Web sites removed from Google search results, which means they should be avoided. Note that some white hat techniques have later been reclassified as black hat or at least placed in a grey area.
- Updating Technology—Falling behind on updates can lead to security holes and other issues. Out of date software may no longer contain relevant information or may not be able to import new data. Updating software when prompted also provides access to new functions and options.
By making use of best practices, the various online tools and resources out there, as well as online service providers, haulers can improve their efficiency, cut costs and grow their business at a rate much faster than was previously possible. | WA
William Beresovoy is CEO of RentADumpster.com and has worked in the waste management business for 45 years. He can be reached at (570) 840-5527 or via e-mail at [email protected].