For this edition of the PetSittingOlogy Digital Series, Josh Cary interviews writer and entrepreneur John…
Does Angie’s List Work for Gaining New Pet Sitting Clients?
As you have certainly seen in the recent past, many directory-style profile websites have popped up catering to our industry.
Sites such as Angie’s List, Care.com, DogVacay, Rover, and others are looking to be a viable resource to pet owners looking for reliable pet care.
I completely understand that the conversation here may be “these sites are nothing but filled with hobby sitters.”
But is that the case with Angie’s List?
And if that is the case, what does this mean for the future and direction of you and me (the professional pet sitter)?
But do these websites work?
One question you need to ask is whether or not these directory listing sites work.
And what do I mean by the word ‘work?’
Well, in order to see the full picture, you will need to know if pet owners in your specific area are using any of these profile sites to find, interview and hire a pet sitter. (Professional, or not.)
More and more, these website pet sitter listings are appearing in the search results. A quick search in Google for “pet sitter san fransisco” reveals these sites fopr pet sitter listings are showing up on page 1:
- Yelp
- Care
- Rover
- Craigslist
Click image above for larger view…
And these big companies know it!
Care recently started including the pet sitting division in their TV commercials.
As has Angie’s List.
So what do you think?
Is this a solid extension of simply educating the public on the benefits of hiring a (professional?) pet sitter? Or does this harm the industry and make your job more difficult?
Where do you see all of this going in one year from now? How about in 5 years from now?
Will there become a merge between us and them? (“us” being the pet sitters not listing themselves on these profile sites!)
Do you stand with these sites? Converse in the comments!
photo credit: Josh Russell via photopin cc
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Josh, I can’t speak to these other sources, but I’ve found Angie’s List to be very beneficial and supportive. We’ve been in business since 1989, back when Angie’s List was still just a little Indianapolis venture called Unified Neighbors. We can attribute a LOT of our growth over the years to UN and AL. There were several years where I could directly trace over 70% of our new business to Angie’s List referrals or referrals from clients who themselves had originally come through Unified Neighbors/Angie’s List. While they haven’t been exclusively focused on reaching pet owners, they have done a spot on job of educating consumers on what to look for and how to select a professional service provider. When contacted by Angie’s List members through their referral system, I was then able to take it from there and educate pet owners directly about what they should expect from a professional pet sitter at a time when professional pet sitting was almost unheard of. I have issues with some of the changes that Angie’s List has implemented over the years, but overall, I’d say they’ve been good for pet sitting by educating the public on recognizing a quality service provider, in general.
Wow, Becki, that is an excellent testament to Angie’s List. And since 1989 even before they were the List?! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this one with us.
This year I started utilizing the marketing verson on Angie’s List where I can assure I am on the first page of the search in my areas. Along with a Coupon I have gained 5 new clients since March and all have repeated (besides one) with close to $3000 thus far between March and today’s date. For the low cost I definitely get a high ROI.
Well that sure does sound like a win (with that $3k return on your investment). I imagine it only makes sense that now you’ll be investing more for an even bigger (or continued) return? Keep us posted with your progress, Michele.
Hi Evonne – By default Angie’s List is free for us business owners to post. They do have upgrade options but they are not always needed. Why have you not found Angie’s to be helpful?
Angie’s List has been great for getting new clients. In my first eligible year (2012), we won the Super Service Award and will win it again for 2013. That really kicked things into gear. Being able to have that award logo on my website has gotten me new clients that aren’t even Angie’s List members. And having that award on Angie’s List itself has bumped me up to the #1 or #2 listing right under the paid ads. Unless you are in a huge metro area with pages of pet sitters, it may not be necessary for you to advertise to get at the top of the list. Get a free password from your sales rep to see what other sitters are listed and who places ads. I found only 3 advertisers (1 being a home inspection company) and 1-1/2 pages total of sitters…with almost half of them not even covering the zip code in the search bar. Bottom line…do a fantastic job, get lots of A reviews and you will be on the first page.
Big congrats on those Wins, Karen! What did it take to win those awards? And yes, I would imagine that even non-Angie’s List members would love to know you have won the award from them! Thanks for your reply here.
A client listed my business on Angie’s List. In the 2 yrs it has been listed, I have gotten more than 30 new clients. This year I have chosen to advertise thru them. I will keep you posted if that seems to generate more! My business has also won the Super Service Award for 2014. (Top 5% in catagory, with no negative reviews, and maintaining superior service as determined by member reviews)