Personally, my own pet sitting business relies exclusively on its website to keep the phone ringing and the food on the table!
Since 2009, I have been dispensing advice here on PetSittingOlogy primarily focusing on ways to enhance your website.
And in December 2011, I began offering pet sitters their own WordPress pet sitting website, completely designed and developed with SEO in mind.
Here is the answer to a common question I receive.
But only recently have we added one new question to our phone script.
In this audio clip below, you’ll hear Kristie ask the question, “Have you ever used a professional pet sitter before?”
We learned this technique through Bella Vasta’s Killer Phone Script Service and, as you’ll see, there is a ton that you discover from just this one question.
We were speechless with what we learned in the call below. Then we were able to lead the call in the correct direction and land the new client!
Here’s a 90-second audio clip that came in from a recent call.
Kristie is our office manager (and the one who answers the phones for other pet sitters using our Virtual Office Manager service).
I love receiving email from pet sitters.
And I received a great question recently from pet sitter Laura Milholland who is just starting up her business.
She writes: Hello, I recently purchased your “Start a petsitting business in 45 days” program. I have had a really hard time finding a domain name that ends in .com. I currently own the domain “DoggonePurrfectPets.net“. Is that going to really hurt my SEO? Should I scrap that name and try to find something else? Any advice would be very much appreciated!
Great question. And plenty of info to discuss on this topic.
So, I fired up the ol’ Web cam and gave my thoughts on the matter.
Just a couple of short months ago, friend and pet sitter colleague, Sarah Johnson (of Menly’s Pets in Michigan), started a rescue and shelter for bunny rabbits.
It’s called Beyond Easter Rabbit Rescue – and she has already successfully adopted out her first bunny; “Sherlock!”
(See the rabbits on Pet Finder.)
In the past, I have interviewed Sarah on 2 different occasions.
For one, she is not only a very successful pet sitting business owner about to reach her first six figure year, but she is the youngest professional pet sitter I know.
Currently just 21 years old, Sarah launched her pet sitting business just out of high school at 18.
Every so often, I’ll receive an email from a pet sitter who says something like the following:
“Hi Josh, I’ve made some additions to my website, and I don’t see my site coming up in the search results for my keywords. Help!”
While I’m always happy to help, and while there are plenty of directions to take in this case, I’m always interested to know HOW this person knows where their website ranks for various keywords.
Typically, you will search Google yourself for a handful of keywords that you want to rank for. You may even ask nearby friends, family or other pet sitters to help you in the hunt for your Google rankings.
Sadly, this approach for all of us is flawed.
Introducing the PetSittingOlogy Masterclass for Content and SEO with Joshua Cary and Bella Vasta.
Once you see your daily placement, you can take appropriate action based on those very results.
What is all this about?
Did you know that in October of 2012, I held the first ever PetSittingOlogy Live Event and SEO Conference in Las Vegas?
If you didn’t know, there’s a reason for that! Simply put, I was given the opportunity to create the event a mere 7 weeks prior to the start.
And I did just that! In 7 short weeks, last October, I managed to put together an event that was a personal and professional success on every level.
This time around, I invite you to register for the 2nd Annual PetSittingOlogy Live Event in Las Vegas… with a bit more lead and prep time 🙂
How many times do you hear on the phone with a potential pet sitting client “Whoa, that is too expensive?”
In this insightful video, Joshua Cary chats with Bella Vasta of Jump Consulting on exactly how she landed a new pet sitting client who initially thought, “You are too expensive!”
This objection is something we all hear (perhaps more often that we’d like) and it comes in all shapes and sizes:
Other versions of this frustration objection include:
These are all stalls. Stalls are ways that a caller will get you off the phone without making a commitment.
Objections, believe it or not, are expected, are normal and are all part of the process.
It now becomes the job of the pet sitter handling the phones to understand the true objection behind the words so you can overcome them and WIN a new client.
This video shows exactly how Bella has mastered that ability.
Some of the most popular questions I receive, as you can imagine, deal with the topic of SEO (Search Engine Optimization).
As pet sitters and website owners, it’s important to keep a steady eye on how your pet sitting website is operating in the search engines, and how visitors interact with your site once they arrive.
Google Analytics is one of the best ways to analyze how things are going for you, but there is more you can do from there.
One of my pet sitting website users sent me this email and I thought it beneficial to share with you.
It’s been a good run. At this time, we have stopped offering our virtual office service. After three years of answering calls for pet business owners, we made the decision to focus our energy and resources on the core services and goal of PetSittingOlogy.
Please continue to rely on us for your professional SEO and website needs, our upcoming PSO Membership Training, and our Annual Live Pet Care Conference!
How does the idea of having your very own virtual office manager sound?
Whether you are a sole proprietor handling every aspect of your business yourself, or you manage staff and can use an extra hand, this may be just what you need.
Picture this… Your virtual office manager will answer your phone with a friendly, professional voice – Using your script, your company tone, your pricing structure, your details.
Have your personal office manager immediately handle all your incoming phone calls and incoming email submissions, too.
And the best part is that this takes place in the NJ office where I (Josh Cary) spend my days – this is NOT an outsourced operation.