Personally, I have not considered that absurd thought, but one article I recently came across revealed this intriguing fact:

“Over 86,000 people per year have to go to the emergency room because of falls involving their dogs and cats, and these fractures can be devastating for the elderly,” said Judy Stevens, an epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

I was going to present that as the topic for this blog post, but it got me thinking about something else you will appreciate much more.

Instead of debating the merits of that statistic in this article, I would rather offer you a solid actionable service that you can add to your website today and offer your potential clients to help grow your business.

(Something to help you grow your business is much better than trying to debate the value of pets, right?!)

Steal My Idea, Please!

While I was reading that wacky article above about how pets may be hazardous to the elderly, I thought about an idea pet sitters could use – specifically offering a service geared towards the elderly, retired, or senior community could do wonders.

First of all, what are services, in general? Nothing more than a solution to someone’s problem, yes?

So, what problem might the elderly have when it comes to their pets?

Perhaps they don’t have the strength or energy to walk the dog as often or as long as needed. Perhaps their dog doesn’t get to go running in the park anymore. Perhaps their dog doesn’t get to socialize as often as before.

See where we’re going with this?

Consider adding a page to your site highlighting this brand new service and addressing these issues directly.

It could read something like this:

And consider this: You can expect non-elderly pet owners to read about your new service and get excited on behalf of their friends, neighbors, loved ones, relatives, etc. (IE. “Oh, this would be PERFECT for my mother. I didn’t even think of it!”)

You can choose to end your service description with this:

“Make someone’s day! Do you know someone near and dear who can use a helping hand with our professional service? Click Here to share this page with them – or Click Here to print this page for them!”

Simply put, you are addressing the solution to someone’s problem.

Steal This Idea, Too! Offer Last Minute Service.

While this may not be appropriate for every pet sitter, on a similar path, plant the seed for pet owners who otherwise would not have a need for a pet sitter, to establish a relationship with you now for any last-minute, or unexpected emergencies in the future.

If a pet owner has a last-minute or unexpected emergency pop up, chances are she will not have the time to establish a relationship with a new pet sitter OR the pet sitter might not be able to accommodate the pet owner on such short notice.

So, what you do now as the pet sitter is offer the opportunity to get set up in your system – with no obligation – to get the ball rolling, to meet, to get forms filled out, so if/when the day arrives she desperately needs you, all it will take is a phone call.

It’s sort of like a built in backup plan, or insurance policy that you can promote this way:

Get the idea? You might even choose to charge a premium for this “When Life Happens” service.

In my own pet sitting business, we provide a similar “On Call” service and are able to charge a small monthly fee just for the opportunity to be able to call and have us arrive at a moment’s notice. (Look at the way we market our offer on that page.)

Again, if you can find ways to offer solutions to people’s problems, you will continually find yourself serving clients.

Find ways like the suggestions above to be there for your community and get your foot in the door. When someone takes action with you (IE. getting in touch, setting up the meet-n-greet, filling out a service agreement) even if they are not hiring you for a specific service right now, they are more likely to follow through and remain/become a client.

Take these ideas and run with it.

I hope these ideas get you thinking a bit. They are ideas for you to use and make your own. The bottom line is that the more solutions that you provide your potential clients, the more likely they will be to count on you as their lifelong pet sitter.

Are your wheels turning? What do you think? Share with me in the comments below.

Related posts:

1. Are You Treating Your Pet Sitting Clients As Wonderfully As Their Pets?
2. Here’s Why This Pet Sitting Website Gets Lots of Clients
3. 10 Elements On Your Pet Sitting Website That Will Bring In More Clients

We are very aware of the difference, right?

When somebody only tells you something in words without ever showing it through action or effort, you naturally begin to feel a bit short changed.

The words alone have less and less meaning.

Well, this may come as a surprise but…

Your website visitors are no different, and if you want to have a powerful effect on each visitor (you know, on the pet owners who can become your potential clients) begin to utilize the grammar school assignment of Show & Tell.

Who Didn’t Love Show & Tell Day?

Show & Tell, as you remember, was where you got to pick something that you loved from home to bring in to show the class and tell them all about it. If it was just called Tell it would not have the same effect.

Sadly, many pet sitters are only telling their website visitors what they offer with nothing to show for it.

Here is a quick story about comedian Dana Carvey and how you can apply the Show & Tell technique to your own pet sitting business.

Comedy Is Funny.

I was watching an episode of Conan recently and Dana Carvey was the guest.

I grew up watching Dana on Saturday Night Live and in his movies, and he was equally as brilliant in the Conan interview as he was twenty years ago.

He, in the span of 9 minutes, must have went through a dozen or so impressions from people like Presidents Obama and Bush, to Arnold Schwarzenegger and Pierce Morgan.

All flawless.

I was inspired to jump online and post something on Facebook about how hysterical he was.

I got to thinking…

I could post a simple status update, as in:

“Just watched Dana Carvey on Conan – as brilliant as ever!”

and leave it at that. OR…

I could post the same status update and attach a short Youtube clip demonstrating the brilliance.

Which would have a more direct impact and emotional response from you?

So, what’s the difference between the two, and what does this have to do with your pet sitting business?

In the example above, by just posting the status update alone, you are doing nothing more than telling your audience.

By including a video clip along with the update, you are now showing your audience. You are giving them proof. You are giving the status update some context. You are actively engaging the person.

Without the video clip to show, it would be as if you are standing in front of the class just telling them about this neat thing called a Cabbage Patch Doll you have at home.

Revisit Your Pet Sitting Website Content

Go back to your pet sitting website and read through your own content.

Are you doing nothing more than simply telling your audience how you good you might be, and how excited the pets will be, and what the benefits of hiring a pet sitter are?

By the way, while displaying logos of your accomplishments are advisable, they are not enough to stand on their own.

Go one step further and find ways to SHOW your audience, too.

Take photos of you playing with every pet you care for.

Allow your website visitors to see just how much you enjoy your job. And how much the pets enjoy you.

Video the pets.

All you need is a about 30 seconds of you interacting and bonding with the pet. Your smart phone can handle this with ease.

Get reviews and testimonials.

You may have tried to get some testimonials in the past and it didn’t turn our so well. If that’s the case, you may need to be a bit persistent with asking for a testimonial. Don’t be afraid to call the potential client and ask directly for a testimonial. Don’t be afraid to leave a paper form for them to fill out and leave for you the next time you visit. Keep at it.

Since not everyone will provide a written testimonial, you have to ask plenty of clients to get a decent return.

Want the ultimate way to show your website visitors why they should hire you?

Ask a client for a video review. Have them fire up their smart phone (or you fire up yours with them) and ask them to speak for 30 seconds on what they love most about you and your service.

This will put you well ahead of your competition (who else is doing this right now?).

Don’t think your clients would shoot a video testimonial for you? Ask and you may be surprised.

The bottom line is that people LOVE (really love) giving feedback on a service they enjoy.

Continue to find ways to show your potential clients what you do, how you do it and why you do it and more clients will naturally gravitate to you over your competition.

Doing the same as everyone else does nobody any good.

Find ways to stand out and differentiate yourself from your competition and you will have more potential clients begging for your business.

Tell us one thing below

I want to know… Right now, what is one way you could SHOW your website visitors that you are the pet sitter they need to hire?

(Feel proud of the professional service you provide!)

Related posts:

1. How Is Your Pet Sitting Business Like Baking A Chocolate Cake?

You’ll be happy to know that this article is not about that specific debate, but rather will offer a solid middle ground that should make both sides happy.

Whether we are talking about “ICs vs. Employees” or “does advertising your pet sitting business on your car compromise the pet owner’s security,” nothing is more highly contested than the ‘prices on your website’ debate.

There Are More Than Two Options.

At first glance, it may appear that the only two options you have is to decide to list prices on your pet sitting website, or to not list prices on your pet sitting website.

Allow me to introduce a third option, and it’s the very option I choose for my own pet sitting website.

For the record, I am of the school to not list specific prices on your website (but remember, that’s not what this article is about).

While we chose to not list specific prices, this does not mean that we avoid it at all costs.

In fact, we have a menu item on the site named ‘Pricing’ that directly addresses the topic head on.

Since, like many other pet sitters, we offer a very customizable service and actual price depends on a variety of factors, I’ve had a hard time justifying an exact price for each service.

Some custom factors include:

• Discounts for length of stay
• Discounts for number of pets (our dog boarding service discounts the second dog)
• Discounts for the elderly (pet or owner)
• Discounts for newly rescued or adopted pets
• Additional charge for number of pets (our cat sitting service has additional fees for more pets)
• Additional charge for injections
• Additional charge for last-minute bookings
• Etc.

Plus, consider this:

Your Potential Client May Not Know What The Best Option Really Is

We’ve learned early on that when pet owners call, they don’t necessarily know what the best service for their pet is. For example, we offer in-the-sitter’s-home dog boarding and we also offer overnights where the sitter sleeps in the client’s home.

As a professional service, we like to get all the facts about the pet and the owner’s situation first and then together make an informed decision on what the best possible service for their specific situation is.

Perhaps they’ll want two overnights in their home followed by two days of walking the dog 3 times per day. (It has happened, and is an option the pet owner didn’t realize was possible)

Or perhaps they think their newly adopted puppy will be just fine left alone for several hours without accidents or chewing up the furniture. (A little education goes a long way in this line of work!)

The way we approach our service is not by presenting a set of options like a Chinese takeout menu (choose your service from Column A and your add-on service from Column B) but rather like how a professional dentist might approach it.

You present the facts about your situation to the dentist (through dialogue and by sitting back and opening your mouth), and she will assess the situation and make her best professional recommendation. From there, the two of you will discuss all possible options.

You are different than the ‘kid next door,’ right?

If we as an industry are to position ourselves as professionals, and as the educated service provider, and as completely separate from the ‘kid next door,’ why leave it in the hands of the pet owner themselves to decide what is best for their pet and unique situation?

Shouldn’t we want them to turn to us as the professional, and as an adviser, and as the trained pet sitter that we are, to best determine together what care is in the pet’s best interest?

The more often you can position yourself as the knowledgeable, educated and go-to pet sitter for the clients in your area, the more often you will win out over the kid next door. You will less often find yourself wondering how to compete on price, and gain a ton of confidence in the price point you have set for your service.

Inspiration From An Example Selling Pools

One of my favorite blogs is The Sales Lion by Marcus Sheridan.

Marcus recently touched upon this exact concept of making sure to (at least) address price, instead of avoiding the topic all together (in a guest article on Social Media Examiner).

The entire point of his article (from a pet sitter’s point of view) is not to go and put exact or specific prices on our site but to address it.

The author of the post has a link to a web page of his pool site that addresses price in a big way but does not list specifics. You’ll see he talks extensively about price ranges and this has landed him very high in Google for people searching for the cost of fiber glass pools.

Finally, you’ll see in this short 2-minute Youtube clip that he confronts one of the people in his seminar – a software developer – about why he won’t list prices.

The software developer responds with things like, “Because it varies greatly… it depends on the client’s specific needs… they may want some add-on options… we may be able to discount…” (Sound familiar?)

And the author’s direct reply to him is, “Perfect. So why not put that on your website?”

That is addressing price in a big way.

In the words of the post’s author, Marcus Sheridan, “There is a big difference between answering questions and addressing questions. What does Google want you to do? They want you to address things.”

How To Phrase It on Your Website

While I do not list specific prices, I do *address* price. And that is important.

Since every single visitor to your site naturally has the question of price in mind, you do want to at least address it for them.

Instead of listing something specific like “$17 for a 30-minute visit”, it’s OK to say something like:

“Our service varies from pet owner to pet owner. Each pet has different needs and requirements and therefore our service is never one size fits all. We take great pride in the personal service and attention we provide each pet (and their owner) and are certain you will love what we do and how we do it. Please take a moment to give us a call so together we may discuss and put together the perfect solution for you and your furry friend.”

The specific way I address it on my own pet sitting website is this:

“Since fees are based on a variety of factors including length of stay, special needs of pet and service requested, please contact us today for an accurate estimate and so we may answer any additional questions you may have.”

(This is written after we reiterate on the pricing page how our service differs from all others, and after we reiterate the value they will receive from us over all other options.)

That is addressing price. And it does not give a specific price or leave the visitor a bit frustrated because there is no mention of price.

Finally, The Professional Pet Sitter Rules

The goal of what I teach is simply to position yourself as the trusted, capable, and professional choice. Only then will pet owners look to you for you, and not to the ‘kid next door’ so she can save a few dollars.

Do you think this option of addressing price could work on your website? And, do you currently feel that pet owners look to you as their trusted source?

I look forward to your thoughts and feedback below.

Related posts:

1. Hey, Pet Sitters, Your Price Is Too High!
2. The Simple Way To Stop Confusing Your Website Visitors and Start Helping Them
3. The Modern Rules of using Flyers and Door Hangers for your Pet Sitting Business [video]

Some weeks back, I made available a document (link to the file is below) that highlighted the 10 elements from my own pet sitting website that have been responsible for bringing in more leads every day.

And, as you know, converting more of your website visitors into leads is the quickest way to grow your pet sitting business.

Surprisingly, the way to accomplish that is NOT to simply get more visitors to your site (because you could have a ton of visitors with no one choosing to get in touch with you!) but rather to understand exactly what inspires, encourages and entices your users to take action.

Learning what gets more of your current visitors to make contact with you is not done by accident.

Push Play on the Video

Here is how to get your own WordPress pet sitting website here » (Link opens in new window)

Inside this 34-minute, content-packed video, you will discover each of the 10 elements responsible for my business success and detail everything from:

• What the website element is.
• Why it’s important to use.
• How it turns more of your visitors into potential clients.
• The way to implement it on your own pet sitting website.

Download the MP3 ipod-compatible audio file to take on the go » (15.8mb)

Download the “10 Elements” PDF File

Follow along with your own copy of the original document I made available to PetSittingOlogy readers. Click Here to download the PDF document.

Would You Like A Pet Sitting Website That ‘Works’?

At the end of the video, I finally announce publicly the pet sitting website project that I’ve been working on with Laura Roeder for the better part of a year.

You can read all about the WordPress pet sitting websites here » (Link opens in new window)

Simply put, you’ll see how to get your hands on your own WordPress-powered pet sitting website designed to work well in the search engines and – you guessed it – convert more of your visitors into happy clients.

Have Your Say…

Now it’s your turn. Please leave your thoughts, questions and comments in the section below. What did you enjoy, what made sense, what have you found success with?

Related posts:

1. Here’s Why This Pet Sitting Website Gets Lots of Clients
2. 6 Ways To Turn More Of Your Website Visitors Into Pet Sitting Clients
3. The Simple Way To Stop Confusing Your Website Visitors and Start Helping Them

How many times have you read online that pet owners should find a pet sitter who is certified?

Push play above to listen – Read below for transcript

Click Here to SHOW Transcript

So, where do you stand on the matter?

Let us know by answering a few simple questions.

1 – Are you pet sitter certified?

2 – If yes, what was your motivating factor for becoming certified (marketing, knowledge, or both)?

3 – If No, why have you chosen not to become pet sitter certified?

4 – Do you find that being certified has been an advantage to the success of your business?

Please feel free to share anything else on the subject you can.

Related posts:

1. Are Pet Sitting Orgs Like PSI and NAPPS Worth The Money? [poll]

One of my custom news sections has all pet sitting industry headlines and stories, and one in particular caught my attention.

It was an article from the Los Angeles Times spotlighting the new start-up, DogVacay.com.

One thing from the article in particular ruffled my feathers and prompted me to make this quick video.

Make sure to watch at minute 1:53 in the video to see exactly what got me going – and tell me if you don’t agree with my stand.

Now It’s Your Turn…

Also, discussing the site Dog Vacay in general, I’d like your thoughts on this:

1) Do you think sites like this are your new big competition?

2) Do you now have to start differentiating yourself from these sites, just like we work hard to separate ourselves from the kennel service or ‘kid next door’?

3) Do you currently offer in-home boarding?

4) If not, will you consider adding it?

What do you make of all this?

(Here is a link to the original Los Angeles Times article.)

Leave your comments below, and as always, thanks for being part of our community.

Related posts:

1. Fully SEO Your Pet Sitting Website – Look Beyond Keywords [Video]
2. Yahoo Tells Search Users to Stay Away from Pet Sitter’s Website [video]!
3. The Top 3 Methods to Paying Your Pet Sitters [Video]

She was referring to stealing acting technique, and was by no means promoting blatant theft or copy, but rather making the point that if you are going to learn from others, you should learn from those doing it right.

The same can be said for most anything in life, including perfecting your pet sitting website.

We learn the most by observing, analyzing or understanding what others are currently doing that works.

Last year, I wrote an article called “7 Examples of Pet Sitter Websites That Perfectly Connect With Visitors” and the response was extremely positive.

So I decided another showcase was in order.

I now offer you the brand new book “8 Pet Sitting Websites That Connect With Visitors.”

Simply put, I scoured through many pet sitter websites to find the ones that have at least one specific element in place that is effective.

What Do I Mean By ‘Effective?’

It’s important to remember that your website has specific goals. Most likely, your goal is to have as many visitors make contact with you so you can turn them into lifelong, happy clients.

If a visitor views your site and does not follow up and get in touch, your website is not as effective as it could be.

Certain specific elements need to be in place in order to motivate and inspire the pet owner to take action.

This does not happen by accident.

I spend most of my waking hours training pet sitters how to improve, perfect or enhance their pet sitting websites.

Download the Book Here.

The ’8 Pet Sitting Websites…’ PDF can be downloaded directly from my PetSittingOlogy Facebook Page.

You will learn about the 8 different websites and the one thing each achieves perfectly. I also include a takeaway for each so you know exactly how you can utilize the same concept on your own website.

Remember, the idea is not to blatantly steal or copy someone elses work, but rather to learn from their success and discover how you can use it yourself and make it your own.

I look forward to your questions, comments and watching your website thrive.

Image Credit: marc falardeau

Related posts:

1. 7 Examples of Pet Sitter Websites That Perfectly Connect With Visitors
2. The Simple Way To Stop Confusing Your Website Visitors and Start Helping Them
3. 6 Ways To Turn More Of Your Website Visitors Into Pet Sitting Clients

Vince Lombardi is one of the (if not the) most respected and admired coaches in football.

In fact, it is the Lombardi trophy that is awarded to the winner of each Super Bowl, so the guy must have been pretty special to the game.

Lombardi is known for his motivational speeches and after reviewing some of his famous quotes, it becomes more evident how he was talking about much more than simply football.

6 Ways Winning Football Games Can Help Your Pet Sitting Business

Here are 6 qualities Lombardi felt important to the game and a quote related to each quality.

SACRIFICE

“To achieve success, whatever the job we have, we must pay a price.”

As pet sitting business owners, there is always a price to pay for success. Many sitters have left a corporate world behind that, perhaps, was providing a steady pay check.

The sacrifice in that situation was financial stability in exchange for the opportunity to live a happier life.

Being a business owner or entrepreneur is never easy. Pet sitters must also sacrifice being available on major holidays since those are often our most profitable days.

What sacrifices have you made in order to pursue your dream as a pet sitting business owner?

BELIEF

“Confidence is contagious and so is lack of confidence, and a customer will recognize both.

This is one of the best kept secrets when it comes to succeeding in business, in general.

When a potential client calls, your biggest job is to instill a ton of confidence that you are the perfect one for the job.

The fact that she initially made contact suggests that she wants to get to know you better. She wants absolutely nothing more than to have you ease all of her fears and be her saving grace.

Learn how to speak confidently during the initial phone call. Learn how to lead the conversation by asking the potential client the right questions.

Learn how to be confident in your knowledge and ability so you can turn more potential clients into lifelong happy clients.

How confident are you when you speak to first time callers?

COMMITMENT

“The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.”

Choosing the path of pet sitter is never easy.

There are no tests to pass, or applications to fill out. You can simply wake up one morning and declare yourself a pet sitter.

The only difference between someone simply calling themselves a pet sitter and someone choosing to pursue life as a professional pet sitter will be their commitment to the business.

In order to succeed in business, you must constantly be learning. You must participate in your industry. You must read to understand the nature of business and the nature of a sale.

You must consisitently grow as a person.

How committed every day are you in your pet sitting business?

LEADERDSHIP

“Leaders are made, they are not born. They are made by hard effort, which is the price which all of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile.”

Whether you realize it or not, you are – and must remain – a leader.

You are the leader of your pet sitting business whether you are working solo or have a team along side.

Every pet owner looking to hire wants nothing more than for you to lead. She wants you to lead the conversation. She wants you to lead meet-n-greet.

This shows a great deal of confidence (see above) and puts the potential client at ease. The minute you allow a potential client to lead the way is the minute you lose control of your business.

Remember that you are selling yourself. You are not selling pet sitting services.

Anyone can watch a pet. But not anyone can watch a pet while recognizing emergencies, keeping the client’s valuables safe and taking appropriate action every step of the way.

Your potential client wants to trust that you are the perfect person for the job.

How comfortable are you in the leadership role?

DESIRE

“The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather in a lack of will.”

If I asked you how badly you want to succeed as a pet sitting business owner, how would you respond?

Sure, you’d say something along the lines of “I want to succeed desperately.” But have you ever asked yourself WHY you want to succeed?

Why do you get up every day and pursue the life of a pet sitter? The more clarity you can answer this question with, the more focused you will become.

Yes, you want to be successful. But there is more to success than ‘want.’ You must get up everyday and dedicate your life to growth, knowledge, learning and training.

You must follow (or create) that burning fire for success in your being.

What are you driven by each day to keep pushing ahead?

WINNING

“Some of us will do our jobs well and some will not, but we will be judged by only one thing – the result.”

The result, or ultimate pay off, of our labor of love may not come for some time. Successful businesses take a calculated plan to get that way.

Nothing happens overnight and nothing happens by accident.

Let it be known that no matter what happens in your future, you are already winning!

The fact that you have chosen to pursue a career in the pet sitting industry and have taken action is a massive win.

Your only job now is to continue on this path by having a goal in mind, putting a plan in place, and following it to completion.

Where are you right now on your pursuit to your own Lombardi Trophy?

What do you need to accomplish next to keep moving in the right direction?

Now It’s Your Turn.

The six quotes above each left you with a question to answer. Take a moment to go back and read through the Lombardi quotes.

In the comments below, leave your answer to the quote/question that hit home the most.

Image Credit: ElvertBarnes

Related posts:

1. How Is Your Pet Sitting Business Like Baking A Chocolate Cake?
2. The Simple Way To Stop Confusing Your Website Visitors and Start Helping Them
3. How To Never Lose Again To The Kid Next Door When It Comes To Price

Have you decided to gain a certain number of new clients? Or make this the year you hire pet sitters to join your team?

No matter what your focus going forward, you will always need to keep your website in tip top shape.

One of my biggest passions has always been helping pet sitters grow by improving business skills and improving your website presence.

Here are my Top 12 tips for getting your website in great shape in 2012.

1: Title Tag

This is possibly the most important element when it comes to SEO and landing in Google for your chosen search terms. Make sure each of your pages has a different title tag geared towards what you want that specific page to rank for. Place your important keywords near the beginning of your title tag, and the less important terms near the end. Use approximately 70 characters max.

Example of a good title tag:
<title>New York City Pet Sitting | Dog Boarding | Cat Sitting | Dog Walking | by Alitia's Animals </title>

2: Phone Number

Make sure your contact phone number is listed at least once on the page (twice is good, too). Once at the top, once at the bottom. Make sure it is prominent and visible.

3: State your State

Do not take for granted that your visitors (or Google) know in which State you provide service. Columbus, for example, can be in Ohio, Georgia or Texas. Spell out the name of your state in at least one location on your site.

4: Use Your Business Email Address

If you are listing an email address on your website, why not list your domain name business address instead of a free one like hotmail, comcast, verizon, or even gmail? If you are using your own domain name, you are able to set up an email account that forwards to your current one (IE. info@my-pet-biz.com)

5: Show a Picture

People connect with people, not with websites. And since we are in the service industry, your visitors want to see you before they feel comfortable getting in touch. And they especially want to see you before they invite you over for the meet-n-greet. Do not hide behind your website with no picture of yourself. Help build the bond and trust during their first visit to your website by adding a nice image of you (with or without a pet).

6: Contact Form

Place a contact form in the sidebar of every page to increase the number of visitors who will get in touch with you. This makes it so easy for them to get the ball rolling. And that’s exactly what we want every single visitor to do.

7: Google Analytics

In order to know how effective your current website is, you need a way to track and view visitor activity. The free Google Analytics will give you plenty of insight to your website visitors and will paint the entire picture. You’ll see how many visits per day, how long each visitor remains on your site, what keywords they typed in to find your site, and much more.

8: Use Testimonials

Potential clients want to know that other pet owners have placed their trust in you before. Include a page of reviews and testimonials for your visitors to read.

9: Add a Call to Action

A call to action is simply an action that you instruct your visitor to take. For example, “Call us now” “Email us to get the ball rolling” and “Fill out this form to begin the quick process” are examples of good calls to action. Place one near the bottom of every page on your website so your visitors will always know what to do next.

10: Take nothing for granted

Do not assume that everything is clearly stated on your pages. Spell everything out. Remember that more often than not, your visitor is just learning about the pet sitting option for the first time. Create your content with that in mind. You and I know how it works and what the process is, but your visitors have no idea. Plus, Google will value your page more with more helpful content on it.

11: Include Affiliation Logos

Proudly displaying the fact that you are a member of a professional pet sitting association, or that you are trained in pet CPR and first aid, adds a level of trust that your visitor will be pleased to discover. Always remember to link the image to the website so your visitor can get the full picture.

12: Add Video

If you haven’t yet noticed, video is everywhere. And it is only going to become more and more popular. Jump on that band wagon now and start including video on your website. It’s easier than ever to record a short clip from your phone and upload to Youtube (then to your website). Record your entrance to your favorite client’s house to show how wonderfully excited and happy the pup is at your arrival.

Also, don’t be afraid to add funny, entertaining, and interesting animal-related videos from Youtube on your website. Your visitors will enjoy all of it.

Wrapping It Up

Improving your pet sitting business through your website is an ongoing process. It is something I have focused on from the very beginning in my own pet sitting business and is what’s responsible for turning Alitia’s Animals into a six figure company.

These 12 rules are identical to what I focus on everyday. If you follow these, you will see improvement.

Want Much of This Work Done For You?

You may already have heard that Laura Roeder and I are about to launch the perfect website for pet sitters.

In fact, what we have created is a WordPress-powered theme (template) for pet sitters to use that already has all the elements in place for you. No guessing, no difficulty, no stress.

Plus, you get to make all the edits, additions and adjustments anytime you want. (You do not have to rely on a web designer to make each little change for you.)

We give you the tools, education and ongoing training you need to master your powerful, successful pet sitting website.

And the best part? We need more pet sitters to jump in and give us feedback on what we have so far.

A small handful of pet sitters are already on board, and we are now looking for 12 more.

If you want the opportunity to help us test drive this system, please fill out this brief survey (some of you may have already filled it out).

In a few days we will hand select a dozen pet sitters to get in on this WordPress-powered setup. We think you’ll be quite excited at what we have in store for you!

Let’s work together to make 2012 the best year yet.

Related posts:

1. The Simple Way To Stop Confusing Your Website Visitors and Start Helping Them
2. Here’s Why This Pet Sitting Website Gets Lots of Clients
3. 10 Elements On Your Pet Sitting Website That Will Bring In More Clients

Having spent a few years in San Antonio where it rarely falls below 60 degrees this time of year, I am now back on the East coast, able to enjoy and experience one of my favorite seasons: Autumn.

The leaves change color. Fireplace smoke is in the air. And Holiday music is upon us.

Although, oddly enough, it did reach over 60 degrees a few days this weekend here in New Jersey.

Now that Thanksgiving is behind us, it’s time to look forward and focus on the upcoming holiday.

As pet sitters (and therefor small business owners), we have the opportunity to land new clients, service current clients, and have one of our best months all year.

Want to see something I rarely show anybody?

Alitia and I, with the help, of course, from our team of pet sitters, brought in a total of $22,308.50 in pet sitting services during the very first December we were in business with Alitia’s Animals.

Granted, we worked practically 24 hours a day to keep things going, but the hard work surely paid off.

Here is a screenshot of our Dec. 2008 bank statement – Click for full size.

So, How Did We Do It?

First of all, let me just say that I understand if you are a solo pet sitter, or even have just a few pet sitters on your team, it might be difficult to reach that figure during one month.

What I am saying, however, is that no matter where you currently are in your pet sitting business, there is ALWAYS opportunity to increase your client-base and grow as big as you wish.

So, what’s the secret to growing month after month?

The bottom line is that we simply knew we had to position ourselves in the most professional way possible.

You’d be surprised how often potential clients will jump at the chance to hire you simply because you APPEAR to be the most professional, most reliable, most trustworthy, and most capable – even before they ever make contact with you.

We understood early on that our website had to be professional. Our emails and phone conversations had to be professional. Every interaction from first phone call to Welcome Home email had to be professional.

(Notice SEO – search engine optimization – or landing in the search engines was not mentioned. Too many pet sitters only focus on landing in Google and disregard the important elements once a visitor finds your site!)

Improving Your First Impression

I talk plenty about how to optimize your web pages and how best to land in Google. That’s not what this note is about.

In order to gain more clients, you must make the best impression possible once they arrive on your website.

And what’s often the first thing about your website that a visitor sees?

That’s right, your logo.

Your logo speaks loudly about who you are and what you stand for.

Is your logo making the best first impression?

First, Consider Your Own Surfing Habits

Think about how you yourself go about making a new purchase online. You might start with a general search like, “buy ipad.” Naturally, you’ll come across the big guys like Amazon, ebay and Apple.

Chances are you’ve made several purchases in the past with all these companies, but let’s say money is tight and you’re a savvy shopper and know that a better deal is out there somewhere.

You go back to your search results and come across another site. Would you buy from (trust) a website that looked like the one here?

Now, Consider Your Potential Pet Sitting Clients

When a potential client is searching around for the best pet sitter, she’ll have to consider the same sort of things you consider when making a new purchase.

Of course you are professional, responsible and trustworthy, but if a visitor can not get past her initial first impression, you’ll never get the chance to prove it.

Take a moment to view your website with fresh eyes from a new visitor’s point of view.

Here Is My Holiday Gift Offer To Help You Succeed

You know those websites you visit this time of year that have a modified version of their logo to include a holiday theme with snow and Santa?

Why do they do that? For one thing, it helps put their visitors in a buying mood. It also grabs the visitor’s attention and looks professional.

I recently started making some holiday-themed additions to a few pet sitter logos by adding a Santa hat, snow and a snowman and the response was amazing!

I decided to offer it to all pet sitters at a crazy, affordable, ‘OMG this is a no-brainer’ price.

I want you to have a successful December, and this is one way to help you out.

Check out the examples and submit your logo for me to make holiday-themed today.

(I can only do so many of these.)

Visit http://petsittingology.com/blog/holiday-logo/ right now.

And in the spirit of Thanksgiving, thank you for the opportunity to continue to serve this industry.

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