Creating a Pet Business Website that Grabs Attention

In my recent survey several of you expressed interest in learning more about getting a website online to market your pet business. My website has been one of my best marketing tools - I always ask new clients where they found me and most of the time I hear that they found me online.

A website gives you a great opportunity to educate prospective customers about your service and tell them why you are a good fit to care for their pets. A good website will differentiate you from your competitors and make your customers choice easy.

There are several essential pages that you need on your site to make a good case:

1) An about you page

2) A testimonial page

3) A page that explains how your service works

4) A page that explains your rates

5) A page that explains your policies

It is also a great idea to have a page where they can make a reservation online. This way you capture their information instantly and can give them a call to discuss the details.

I have two articles that I’ve written for this blog that will give you more help with your website:

5 Steps to Creating a Client Attractive Website

5 Reasons Why You Must Have a Website for Your Pet Care Business

Another resource I can offer you is a new teleclass by Karen Greenstreet called “Creating Small Business Websites That Grab Attention” that begins on July 17th. I enjoy reading her newsletter each week and she gives some good advice. Her class runs for 6 weeks covers the following topics:

What makes a good web site design that’s both appealing and usable, while accomplishing your marketing goals at the same time.

What visitors really want to find when they visit your website

How to choose effective page layouts and colors for your site.

The keys to powerful website text that sells your products and services.

How to critique websites (including your own!) in order to apply this knowledge to your own website.

How to effectively market your website to get more traffic to it.

Which website statistics are important to track for the success of your business.

What to look for in a website designer.

Karen will be recording the class so you can listen to the calls when it fits your schedule. I spent too much money hiring a designer to put together my website when I first launched my pet sitting business. I wish I had invested some of that money in a class like Karen’s!

Owning a pet business does not guarantee you success, but it is generally not difficult to set up your own pet business adn many who own pet businesses love the hard working lifestyle and the closeness to pets. You will have to compete with those who may be better trained, may have lower cost structures and those who “pretend” to have your skills and experience when they do not. (eg not all those who advertise themselves as groomers are actually Groomers).

There are also key skills that all dog industry professionals should possess. Here are some of the most critical skills and abilities for those hoping to work with dogs professionally: Basic Dog Handling and Training Skills, ability to recognize behavioral signals.

Animals can be somewhat unpredictable when they are under stress or in an unfamiliar environment, like when they visit the veterinary office or the grooming salon, so it is important to be attentive and stay aware of the animal you are handling at all times.