For pet business owners, a website is more than just an information hub where current and potential clients can get their questions answered and connect with you; a website can (and should) be considered just as essential to your operations as one of your very own employees!
In fact, your website can function almost like your virtual assistant. Think of the point of having an assistant: having someone to take on the administrative tasks that keep you from successfully running your business. Your website can do that, too! It can free up a lot of time that you can use to grow and make sure your business is thriving.
Pet Marketing Unleashed is here to help you unlock the hidden potential of your business’s website, seamlessly onboard dream clients, and get your website working for you without adding on to your busy schedule.
Here are some of the many roles your website can take on, on your behalf:
Your Website as Your Salesperson and Customer Service Representative
There’s a good reason why we like to tell our clients to think of their website as a separate entity from yourself: because in most cases, it is! Your website shouldn’t necessarily reflect your own personality. Your brand (and therefore your website) should have a strategic personality, one that attracts the right clientele.
The job of the salesperson/customer service representative is to build trust with potential clients. As such, your website should focus more on the client and less on who you are. You can write something like, “I’ve been a dog walker for X years,” to prove you have experience, but to be honest, most people who are at your website already know you’re qualified to care for pets.
Almost anyone in the pet space has experience! Much like a salesperson, your website should speak directly to the audience consistently, clearly, and simply so they feel heard and understood by you. Make sure your website is appealing to the potential customer by telling them how your business is going to solve their internal and external problems.
You’ll also want to keep your website active. Doesn’t everyone hate to call a business and deal with a robot or automated voice on the other end? One of the biggest mistakes you can make as a pet business owner is to throw up a website and leave it alone. Keeping your website active by consistently updating your informational pages and, more importantly, updating your blog, will ensure that your website stays active on Google search results, too.
It will tell the audience: this business is not just running idle, but it is staying on top of their stuff and feels trustworthy and engaging! People want to be engaged with… so engage with them!
Your Website as Your Data Tracker, Analyzer, and Marketer
Believe it or not, your website has a lot more to tell you, the business owner, than you might think. Even something as simple as your website’s contact form can help you better understand what’s working with your marketing and what’s not by asking your potential client where they found your business. You’ll be able to look back on that information and see the trends for yourself so that you can better direct your attention to marketing that actually works for you (rather than spending time and resources on an avenue that doesn’t attract much attention).
And of course, there’s Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Chances are, you’re already familiar with SEO, but if not, here’s a quick rundown: SEO is the process of optimizing your website to improve its visibility within search engine results. There are several different ways to do this, but one very simple example is by using keywords to bump your website up the chain of results and regularly blogging. This is how your website serves as your business’s marketing manager who gets more eyes on your business!
From there, you can have your website analyze the data it gathers by connecting it to Google Analytics. Find out who is viewing your site, where they’re coming from, which pages are the most and least popular, and much, much more.
Your Website as an Onboarding Specialist (& Business Cheerleader!)
Your website is, quite literally, the face and voice of your company. It’s an outward-facing role, so it’s important to understand what it looks like on the client end. Always keep in mind that people are trying to save their own time and their own resources. If it’s taking them too long to find out what it is you do and how you can help them in particular, then they are likely to click off your page and head to the next site. A real-life, human onboarding specialist will simply (and efficiently) tell people what the onboarding process is, so consider having your website do just that.
You’ll also save a lot of time by letting your website and other automated processes do the work of onboarding for you—make sure your website has a scheduler, for instance, and if you don’t already have booking software implemented, you’re missing out on major opportunities to spend your time and attention elsewhere… like getting your dream clients and serving them well.
Speaking of clients, let’s talk about the ones you have. Or rather, let’s see what they’re talking about when it comes to your business. Yes, you absolutely should have and display testimonials on your website! However, a common misconception is that your website should have a separate and dedicated page for testimonials. The truth is, not many people are going to see that page. They already know it’ll be full of positive reviews. Still, you want your website to be your biggest cheerleader. Testimonials that are organically placed throughout your website pages will build trust, make potential clients see their pets in successful client stories, and establish authority in the community, so learn how to use them wisely and how to strategically place them on your website. (More tips on testimonials here.)
Your website can truly become your biggest advocate and time-saver. You can learn how to let your website save you time and stop you from overworking yourself on manual tasks. And, it’s easier than you might think. You don’t have to be super tech-savvy or a pro at sales calls. It’s simply a matter of switching up your methods to allow you to save time and finally enjoy the business you built for yourself (I’m talking… vacays, self-care, and time with your loved ones!)
To get your hands on the website templates that will include ALL the step-by-steps on how to get this set up (I’m talkin'… onboarding strategy, copywriting, SEO, website strategy, etc.), head on over to The Pet Marketing Unleashed Shop. Here, you can customize your own strategically designed Wix website template for pet sitters and dog walkers, dog trainers, and pet photographers. It also includes the Seamless Onboarding System so your website can work for you to onboard those dreamy clients WITHOUT adding to your schedule! Learn more here.
