Today’s marketplace is busy and competitive, so having a great web page is critical to engage potential customers, promote and book services, set up consultations, and sell products.
So, how do we create a professional page for a business in the pet industry to let the millions of proud pet parents know we’re here, we’re pet lovers, and we’re selling the products and services they need to help them, and their precious fur baby, live their best lives?
Here are a few tips and tricks, courtesy of Barketing Solutions, to ensure your pet-friendly website attracts customers and sends the right message!
1. Start with a Pet-Focused Design
We spend loads of time perfecting the layout of our brick-and-mortar locations because we know the value of a first impression. We want our customers to step inside and understand, through thoughtful interior design, that we are warm, welcoming and we love pets!
The same applies to the websites we publish to promote our business. We want to have something sophisticated but not too buttoned-up. We want whimsical but not too pedantic.
Think paw prints, playful animations, and plenty of pet pictures, from stunning Golden Retriever puppies to picturesque Persian kitty cats.
When choosing a design for your website, it is important to keep your target audience in mind so you attract the right people.
2. Create a Blog!
As pet biz owners, we want to sell our products and services, but it’s not only to make money; it’s also to provide value to the lives of our pet parents and their precious pooches and kitty cats.
That’s why including a dedicated blog section or other information section to provide fun stories, informative pieces, FAQs, local-focused content, and other educational resources lets our customers know that we want to be there for them, even when they’re not buying.
No time to create and post content? No problem!
Many great businesses, like us here at Barketing Solutions, create pet-pertinent content that prioritizes SEO, drives web traffic to your site, and gets your name in front of potential future customers.
3. Make it Mobile-Friendly
The days of desktop-only internet access is behind us. Most folks are finding local businesses, new shops to buy their pet food and products, and other places for their pet needs from the convenience of their mobile phones.
Everyone loves to scroll from their mobile devices, so ensuring your site works on smartphones is imperative.
Imagine spending time (and money!) creating a great web page full of pet personalities while promoting your professional image, only to find it looks like a rush job once accessed on a phone.
Your site must work on desktops, laptops, tablets, smartphones, and other Internet-enabled devices. If it doesn’t, your customers might mistakenly believe you’re not the real deal, take their business elsewhere, and lose out on the value you would have provided them and their pets!
4. Showcase Customer Testimonials
Sometimes the best people to say whether your products or services are a cut above the rest are the customers themselves.
Feature customer testimonials on your homepage and sprinkled throughout your website. Include written reviews, 5-star ratings, links to 3rd party review sites and video testimonials to show your customers that you provide value and solutions to their everyday pet problems.
Potential customers clicking around might see something that really speaks to them, and they’ll be grateful to see another person with a similar (or identical) problem. And they’ll be doubly thankful that your business is what helped someone else get through it.
5. Hire a Pro!
Owner, operator, and web developer?
With all the hats most pet business owners have to wear regularly, it’s only sometimes feasible that they can devote the time and resources to figure out web development, create a stunning site, navigate the hosting stuff, and go live.
This can be especially difficult if you plan to add an eCommerce element to the site and process transactions online.
That’s why it’s worth it to hire professionals like Barketing Solutions.
Many developers are available in today’s predominantly online workplace, but we here at Barketing Solutions are pet people through and through. Our site-building process places special emphasis on pet-focused products and services, providing a final product that really stands out.
Final Thoughts
Creating a pet-friendly website can seem like an arduous feat, but with the right approach and a great team of professionals in your back pocket, you and your customers will be in for a real treat.
Barketing Solutions creates top-notch websites, including web design, hosting, search engine optimization, content packages, credit card processing, and ongoing webmaster support services, that help your pet-centric business outperform your competitors in every category.
We build full sites, top to bottom, for those in need, but we also provide templates and layouts for common services like pet grooming, dog walking, and pet sitting.
See why our services make tags wag worldwide, and contact us for a free quote today!
Erika Godwin is the President of Barketing Solutions and the Co-Founder and CMO of ProPet Software, an industry-leading kennel management software. Erika has over 8 years of experience with WordPress and graduated from Elmira College in 2009 with a BS, Business Administration- Marketing and Management. View Erika’s Full Bio.
