This customer also told me that she was looking for a pet sitting company that had a detailed web site because in her opinion having a website gave the company more credibility and meant that the company was serious about their business. This comment illustrates the power of having a web presence for your business. To compete in this computer age having a well designed web page or site affects the perception that your customers have about your business image and professionalism.

Here are my top 5 reasons for getting your business on the web:

1) Adds credibility and trust for your customers. On a website you are able to give customers information about your personal background and experience. It lets them get to know you before you even meet. You also have the space to highlight customer testimonials which add social proof to the claims that you make about your service quality and professionalism.

2) Allows you to give customers more information about your business policies and rate structures. On a web site you can give a full explanation what they can expect from working with your service (or product).

3) Sets you apart from other businesses that are listed in the traditional or online yellow pages or other service locators. Many of the other pet businesses that you compete with for space in the phone book or online directories will not have a detailed web page. Having a site that gives them more information about you and your business makes them more comfortable working with you and gives you a competitive advantage.

4) Gives you a way to add value to your business by offering visitors to your site free information and tips or even a free report that is relevant to your service or product. On my site I offer to give clients a pre-travel checklist to ensure that they leave home prepared. I also have articles on my site that give visitors seasonal pet care tips. You could offer articles on the latest pet trends, a report on what to look for in a good groomer, or free puppy training tips.

5) Can be a low cost form of marketing as long as you choose the right website design and hosting service – or set up the site yourself (it’s not as hard as you may think!). If you set up your site to be optimized with keywords such as the city that you serve and the type of service, customers that do all their business online will be able to find you easily through search engines and online directories. You can setup and host a website for less than $5 per month. My website is one of the cheapest forms of advertising that I have used, and one of the most successful.

A great ebook that will help you get started online is How to Create a Website Non-Techie Guide. This book runs you step by step through the process of getting a domain and host to designing your site and putting it online. It has video tutorials and a good list of resources and is a steal at only $7. I wish I had this guide when I set up my first site. Also check though your business association as they are beginning to offer simple to create and low cost to host sites to their members.

Author: Danielle Chonody
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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I. Coupons

Hardly anyone can resist a deal and that’s exactly what you should bet on when using coupons. Coupons can mean more pet sitting business and higher ad conversions even if it seems like you’re losing money on the surface. To run a successful coupon campaign, consider offering between a 20-25% discount on the initial pet sitting visits that are booked by your customers. Any lower than that percentage, and responses will likely be lackluster. Any higher and potential pet sitting customers may perceive that your pet sitting service has little value or that you don’t offer a reliable quality service.

Offer coupons after the finalization of a sale or in advertisements or marketing materials. You may also get a little creative by offering them on the back of your pet sitting business card, on your website or in your customer newsletters.

II. Giveaways

A great way to increase pet sitting business is to simply give your service away for free. Although it may sound backwards, the reality is that giveaways can give your pet sitting business a lot of exposure and good publicity. You may decide to randomly offer free services to someone who you’ve identified as a fence-sitter, or someone who hasn’t yet decided whether or not they want to try your services. If your customer is satisfied, it’s likely that they’ll spread the word about your pet sitting business. At the very least, the possibility of getting more free services may increase interest in your business. Your giveaways don’t have to be full services, either. You may just offer to walk a dog or check in on an animal during an owner’s lunch break to prove that your services are valuable and worth the investment.

III. Competitions

People like competing for items that they perceive to be valuable. Starting a competition for one of your “deluxe” services or packages may generate interest in people who would otherwise not be interested in your “general” pet sitting services. Requiring entrants to provide personal information to participate in the contest can also result in invaluable target market information that can help you deliver newsletters and marketing materials to people who have already shown interest in your pet sitting business.

III. Gift certificates

Making gift certificates available on your pet sitting website is a sure way to increase your chances of winning new clients. Gift certificates allow satisfied customers to share their positive experience of the service with their friends, family or associates by purchasing a voucher that can be redeemed for the same experience. While blank gift certificates can be purchased at office supply stores, it’s best to splurge on custom gift certificates, since they reduce the risk of forgery and give potential clients the impression that your business is professional. Make sure to make gift certificates visible during the holidays when customers are already searching for gifts to purchase.

Author: Danielle Chonody
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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When I interviewed Joseph Giannini from Chicago based Urban Outsitters last week I discovered that his goal is to fulfill the full range of his customers pet care needs. In the last 4 years he has grown his business from a pet sitting and dog walking service to a business that offers grooming, boarding, and day care. At his boarding and day care locations he also has retail outlets that sell pet foods and accessories. In the next year he also plans to add veterinary services. However, in the pet industry Joseph’s business model is fairly unique. Most pet care businesses focus on providing customers one service, or at most two to three complimentary services. These businesses can give customers more value and convenience creating partnerships with other local pet care providers.

Here are a few ideas that you can use to make the most of partnering with non-competative pet businesses:

Create win-win opportunities for cross-promotion. Organize an exchange of discount coupons for each of your services that can be distributed to your existing customers as appreciation gifts. Make customers feel special by printing “Exclusive offer for clients of XYZ pet services” on the bottom of each of your coupons.

Team up to organize community events. Organizing local events is a great way to get media publicity and give back to local charities. However, they require a large amount of work to organize and run. Why not team up with other local pet business and share the work and publicity.
Co-op Advertising. Advertising in magazines and coupon direct mailings is typically expensive. If you want access to reach these markets but can’t justify the price why not split the ad size and share an ad with another local pet business. You can split the cost of the ad and both reach the market you want to target.

Offer a combined service. Your clients need to take their pets to other local businesses to ensure that their dietary, training, and maintenance needs are met. To offer them more convenience why not combine your services with the services of other businesses to create service packages. A few examples are:

Pet sitting visit with grooming service

Pet sitting visit with food and treat delivery from local dog bakery

Dog day care visit with annual vaccinations

Dog walking service with training session

Dog birthday party at doggy day care with pampering by groomer and treats from local dog bakery

You will be able to charge a premium price for this service because of the time savings you offer your clients.

Emergency Planning. Your pet business should have an action plan that you will follow if a natural or human caused disaster occurs. A pet business with a large facility such as a dog day care may offer a good central shelter to bring your clients pets if you are no longer able to care for them in their home. Work with other pet business owners to make sure that you can pool resources in an emergency to ensure the safety of the pets in your care.

Don’t be afraid to contact local pet business owners and offer to meet for lunch or organize a meeting at their location.

Many business owners shy away from networking with other businesses that provide similar services in the same geographic area. This attitude is often based on scarcity thinking. In reality if you live in a highly populated area there are plenty of pet owners to serve and the advantages of getting to know your competitors can be many.

Advantages of networking with same service businesses include:

Opportunity to share best practices and learn from the experience of others

Have a backup for emergencies and vacation periods

A new source of referrals

Knowing others gives you the confidence to recommend other businesses if you cannot accommodate customer needs

Look for a networking group in your area by contacting business associations or asking other pet business owners. If you can find an existing network why not start your own. Associations typically can offer best practices and recommendations for forming networking groups.

Author: Danielle Chonody
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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