Web-SEO Content & Consulting For Pet Industry Marketers
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Wildly Profitable Marketing for the Pet Industry
Finally — a how-to Marketing Success Guide for all pet and veterinary businesses. Co-written by PetCopywriter.com's Pam Foster.
PetCopywriter.com owner
Pam Foster is a SuccessWorks
Certified SEO Copywriter
3 Big Gaps in Local Pet Business and Veterinary Marketing
May 10, 2012
Every month or so, I’m invited to present a webinar about what works online… particularly regarding content that works to attract more customers to the websites of pet businesses and veterinary practices.
I’ve been honored and thrilled to present webinars to veterinarians via LifeLearn; pet sitters and walkers via the Association of Pet Sitting Excellence; and other prestigious groups and organizations.
Each time I present a webinar, my mission is to teach through example, not just rattle off a list of must-dos. So I prepare a slide show that features pet-business sites and veterinary-practice sites following the best practices. A picture can be worth a thousand words… even when talking about content!
The problem is, when I’m preparing a presentation about LOCAL business websites… great examples of local websites are very hard to find, both in the pet business world and with veterinary practices.
This is true for core website content (Home, About, Services, etc.) and blog posts. Many, many local pet-industry websites are not using the 3 critical elements for local marketing success.
Today, I’m happy to tell you what these 3 elements are so you can fix them right away. :-) (more…)
Pet Marketing Success Begins and Ends Above the Fold
April 25, 2012
Quick — what’s the first thing your website visitors see when they arrive at your site? This is a very important question; more important than you’d ever imagine.
That’s because your pet website’s first impression is EVERYTHING.
If people don’t like what they see on that very first screen of your site, they probably won’t stick around and buy from you.
Consider the following two findings from Website Usability guru Jakob Nielsen*:
- “Web users spend 80% of their time looking at information above the page fold.”
This means if people don’t understand the benefits of your products or services when they land on your site — they’ll move on without scrolling down to see more information.
- “The first 10 seconds of the page visit are critical for users’ decision to stay or leave.”
If your content isn’t immediately helpful to visitors, giving them a reason to do business with you… it’s very likely that you’ll lose them.
Here’s one more new finding that may shock you. We found this in a recent issue of Website Magazine:
“When viewing a website, it takes users less than 2/10ths of a second to form their first impression,” according to research at the Missouri University of Science and Technology.
Wow. So, what do you think? Does your website’s Above-the-Fold impression instantly help visitors understand the following need-to-know information about what you offer?
- What company is this?
- What do they offer me?
- How does this website solve my needs?
- How do I see how the product or service works… get more details… or contact them?
- Would I feel comfortable doing business with them?
That’s a lot of information to project in just seconds at the top of your website. But it doesn’t have to be hard. When you focus on the questions listed above, you can clear out all the rest and keep it nice and simple. I recently redesigned PetCopywriter.com to enhance my first impression for visitors, focusing on those questions listed above.
This pet website's first impression is very clear, helpful and easy to understand.
Here’s an excellent example of a pet website that provides clear, “what’s in it for me” messages and a great user experience above the fold.
There’s no question about what this website offers, how to get more information about its services, and how to get started with them immediately.
In addition, it uses SEO keywords in a smart and smooth way.
If you’re not sure about your first impression, perhaps it’s time for a professional, objective assessment that reveals your gaps and opportunities to improve (and boost sales!).
Questions? Comments? Please share.
Here’s to a prosperous pet website!
Cheers,
Pam Foster
PetCopywriter.com
*Jakob Nielsen findings can be found at AlertBox.com.
The Ear Hug Approach to Pet Website Content
March 14, 2012
OK, there’s really no such thing as an ear hug. Or is there…?
This photo provides clear evidence that ear hugs exist.
Isn’t it sweet? To me, it’s the ultimate image of a warm and loving bond between two best buds.
Imagine your pet website visitors feeling this welcome when they read your content. Thanks to Jon Payne for the lovely photo of his pups.
So why should you care about ear hugs?
Well, as the owner of a pet or veterinary business website — your mission is to make visitors feel special and welcome so they’ll stick around and do business with you, yes?
What kind of web content helps you do that?
Here are 3 examples of “ear hug” content you can use on your pet or veterinary website: (more…)
3 Blog Topic Ideas for Marketing Your Pet Business
March 5, 2012
By now you may know that a pet business blog can be a very powerful way to add fresh content to your website and bring more customers to you via the search engines.
But “Blogger’s Block” (What do I write about this week?) is very common. Therefore I’m happy to provide you with some blog topic ideas to use for marketing your pet business or veterinary practice.
As you consider using these topics, have fun working them into a relevant angle for the pet services or products you provide. I have a few suggestions to help you tie these ideas to your unique offering. (more…)
Simple Blog Guidelines for Pet Business or Veterinary Practice Marketing
February 20, 2012
If you’re using a blog to market your pet business or veterinary practice, you’ll be happy to know there’s an easy formula for great results, which means better search engine rankings, more traffic and more sales.
Using the following formula last fall, I started blogging tips for a pet-business services company, and just after 6 blog posts — voila! The blog appeared on page one, second spot in Google results. Not bad for only 6 posts.
Would you like to generate results like this for your pet business or veterinary practice marketing?
Try these “best practices” guidelines and see what happens. (more…)
Must Love Blogs for marketing your pet business
February 4, 2012
If you’re frustrated with your pet business website and you’re thinking, “What can I do to bring in more traffic and sales?” — consider the blog.
In spite of the explosive social networking platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and others, blogs are still extremely helpful for attracting customers via the search engines.
Here’s proof. A client I now work with was unhappy with his search engine rankings for certain important phrases related to his services for pet professionals. Simply put, he was upset that, “My ideal prospects aren’t finding my website.”
So we started blogging tips about his pet-business services, and just after 6 blog posts — voila! The blog appeared on page one, second spot in Google results. Not bad for just 6 posts.
Is this a fluke? No way! I’m getting the same results for THIS blog, and many of the blog experts I follow are enjoying similar results or better.
Consider these 3 reasons why blogging is a fantastic strategy, whether you’re marketing to pet owners or other pet businesses: (more…)
Brandi is helping me introduce 12 blog topics for marketing your pet business in 2012
December 21, 2011
Greetings and Happy Holidays!
Happy Holidays! This photo of Brandi, in her lovely holiday sweater, is from my friend and fellow copywriting colleague Sean McCool. (Thanks for the photo, Sean!)
This is my last blog post for 2011 because I’ll be traveling cross-country with my faithful companion Louie (the Westie pup) the week between Christmas and New Year’s. We’re spending the winter in the warm and sunny southeast.
I hope you’re doing something fun this winter, too, such as growing your business by leaps and bounds!
I’d like to wrap up the year with 12 ideas to get you blogging in early 2012. Perhaps these ideas will spark a series of blog posts that captivate your audience and even motivate them to share your blog with their friends and colleagues.
Ready? Here are 12 blog topics and categories to help with marketing your pet business in 2012:
1. Provide How-To Tips
People are always searching the Web for tips on pet care. Offer a whole series of how-to- tips related to the solutions you offer, whether you’re marketing pet products or services. For example, if you sell reflective dog collars and leashes (one of my favorite examples), you could offer how-to tips on dog-walking safety at night.
Original content ideas for marketing to pet owners
October 20, 2011
Today I was on a conference call with Heather Lloyd Martin, SEO Copywriting pioneer, mentor and friend of mine. She was talking about some of the things that are critical to web success today and I immediately thought of how these tips can be applied to your pet marketing strategies or pet SEO success (of course!). So I’ll address each one in my upcoming blog posts, starting with this one:
First of all, original web content is an absolute MUST these days for marketing to pet owners –whether you’re marketing pet products, pet services or both.
Here are a couple of examples of what I mean.
1. If you manage a pet ecommerce website and you’re using the manufacturer’s content for each product you carry… I’m afraid your online store’s content might be invisible to search engines. You’re missing out on oodles of traffic from potential customers.
That’s because Google’s Panda update has clamped down on “copycat” websites that have the same content as others. Their latest search algorithms are focused on finding original, fresh content for people searching online for answers… and Google rewards websites that offer something unique and highly relevant.
What you can do right now.
Find ways to offer original content on your website so you can attract more pet-friendly customers via SEO. This means revising each of the manufacturers’ product descriptions with your own spin.
For example, if your online store includes a particular line of pet products because they’re eco-friendly and they reflect your commitment to green products – say so! Tell your visitors why the products are favored by you and treasured by your customers. Make a point to add your own brand voice to the copy. No-one has the same brand voice as you, so this will help make your content unique. Customer reviews can also help, but if you’re just starting to offer those, start revising the product descriptions ASAP.
2. You need to find a way to add fresh, original and highly relevant content to your site each week.
You’ll be delighted and amazed at the search-engine traffic power of writing helpful blog posts, for example. I just started helping a client add blog posts each week, and suddenly after 6 posts or so, the client’s site is turning up on top of Google’s page one for the keywords we targeted. These blog posts are getting attention and driving site visits — all with just a few posts for starters. Great stuff, right?
What you can do right now.
Map out an Editorial Calendar for blog posts or new articles that you commit to adding at least once a week. You could start with a “how-to,” “best-of” or “seasonal tips” blog series that drives people to check out the products on your site.
This can work in the following way. Let’s say you write a blog post about Daylight Savings Time and the importance of pet safety. You could mention that the arrival of shorter days/darker commutes can spell trouble for pets being walked at dinnertime. You might list the top 5 reflective dog products that can help pet owners solve this problem… and link to the reflective leashes, collars and vests you offer in your store. See how cool that could be? And then, when someone types “reflective dog collars” in Google – voila! Your blog post could be smiling right at them on page one of Google. It’s certainly worth a shot.
If you’re marketing pet services such as dog walking, you could have the same type of blog post about Daylight Savings Time except discuss the ways you pledge to keep dogs safe during their walks. Then link to your services page where you feature your dog-walking options. Be sure to include a mention of the towns you serve so your local prospects find you.
Are you stumped about adding original content to your pet website? Or do you have a tip to share? Please let us know. I promise to respond.
Until next time,
Here’s to a profitable website!
Cheers,
Pam Foster
PetCopywriter.com
How to optimize your pet website photos for visitors and SEO
October 7, 2011
Last spring, I was driving my dog to doggie day care and came upon this hilarious scene in a neighbor’s driveway. I had to pull over and snap a quick photo from my phone.
Turkey lessons about optimizing your pet website images
Everyone I’ve shown this to gets a big kick out of it, so I thought I’d share it with you.
What do these turkeys have in common with your pet business or veterinary practice website?
And what lessons can be learned from this photo when it comes to optimizing the images on your site?
I see 2 key take-aways for you.
1. Try to use distinct images for marketing your pet products or services.
This quartet of Tom turkeys are strutting their stuff in full regalia to attract the lone female who happens to be strolling by. Sadly, it’s hard to tell them apart, except the one on the right has some torn tail issues.
So how does the female know which one is her soul mate, or if any of them belong by her side? Hmmm. I wish I knew how that works. All I know is, it leads to an important point. (more…)
How do your pet business prospects find your site?
August 3, 2011
Are people looking for your dog bowls… or do they call them dog dishes?
Are pet owners searching for a great pet throw, or do they call it a blanket or car seat cover?
And are pet parents searching for a local veterinary hospital, clinic or practice? Or perhaps it’s an animal hospital or clinic… or veterinarian hospital, clinic, etc.)
When you write your pet business web content to attract the people who seek your products or services, be sure to focus on the key phrases THEY use.
This is critical for two reasons, whether you’re marketing to pet owners, veterinarians or other pet businesses. (more…)
Posted in pet marketing by PetCopywriter