Domain Name And Internet Articles

Web-Site Savvy For Pet-Care Business Owners

Pet-care business owners don't have an inordinate amount of time or money to dedicate to hosting, building or maintaining a website. But you should note that the internet plays a part in the daily routine of 88% of Americans, and of those, 92% indicate that it's a good place for information.

As a pet-care business owner, you know that the majority of the decision-makers regarding a pet's care are women, and a March 2004 Nielson/NetRanking & Washintonpost.com survey found that "60% of working women using the internet at work do so because they feel that there is not enough time for personal activities and issues in their lives. 63% of those women would definitely include the internet in a marketing campaign geared toward their demographic."

On-line usage is not just for city-dwellers either, 52% of the residents of rural areas are on-line too! (PewInternet, American Life Project, February 2004).

As a pet-care business owner, don't overlook the power of your web-page as a key part of your marketing plan.

You can build your web-site yourself (there are lots of 'turn-key' options available by searching the internet) or hire a professional (again, searching the web will provide thousands of options for high-quality and cost-attractive designers).

No matter what you decide to do, here are 17 rules for making sure your pet-care business web-site stands out, provides your customers what they need to know and makes it easy for them to do business with you.

1. Define and target your particular audience. Don't try to be everything to everyone. Write each page for your 'perfect reader' and don't sway from that target.

2. Forget the bells and whistles. Internet users have all kinds of browsers and many are not impressed by the fancy animations and sounds you may think are cute. Keep to the facts and pertinent information about the particular service you provide.

3. Use one page for one topic. Don't try to cram everything you know about cat-care onto the same page as your introduction, service and rates and links to other sites.

4. On the web, remember the mantra, "Less is More." Ask yourself constantly can you say what you need to with fewer words and pictures?

5. Check your spelling and grammar. If this is not your strong suit, hire someone to provide this service. If your spelling and grammar are not up-to-par, visitors to your site will either think your business is a 'fake' or they will believe that you do not pay attention to detail. Neither of these is a good thing!

6. Make sure your website is easy to read. Use headings and sub-headings. Keep your sentences short. Use bullets and lists to make important points. Set apart important text by bolding or using a different color.

7. Make it easy for your potential clients to reach you. Have a link on every page to your e-mail address and include your phone on every page.

8. Ensure that you home page makes it abundantly clear who you are and what you do. Don't make them guess.

9. Use terms like YOU and YOUR rather than terms like WE and US. Your potential clients want to know what benefits you can provide to them. Make them feel how you can solve their problem.

10. Do your potential clients know what to do next in order to schedule service with your company? Make sure each page lets them know what they should do to set-up a client interview and get started with your service.

11. Check all your links. Dead links can turn off a client fast. If you are providing links to useful information, make sure they can there! If in doubt, leave it out.

12. Choose your graphics wisely. Too many graphics distract from your message. Most clip-art graphics look tacky and take away from your business message of caring personally for client's pets. If you've seen the graphic before, they have too, likely several hundred times and they won't remember if it was your company or someone else's.

13. Write conversationally. Make sure the tone of your web-site sounds like you. This is especially important for the sole-proprietor who is selling their unique, personal care to each and every pet.

14. Choose your colors wisely. Bright vibrant colors are terrific, but use them sparingly in borders or to highlight sections. Don't use busy patterns behind your main text and don't use background colors that clash with your text color. In most instances simple black text on white background for your key pages is best.

15. Maintain consistency. Make sure your website look likes it belongs together. Have similar fonts and layouts on every page.

16. Avoid using all caps.

17. Keep it flowing. Don't just build your site and leave it. In order to keep people coming back your site must provide useful information that is not stagnant. Schedule an appointment with yourself at least once a month to update your site.

Successful pet-care business owners have identified their web-site as one of their top marketing tools. Make sure that you are getting the most out of your web-presence to ensure continued pet-care business success.

Peggie Arvidson-Dailey is the founder of Pet Care Business University and the Pet-Care Business Success System™. She is the author of the "Maintain your Love Affair with Your Pet" Series and several articles on finding and maintaining happy customers for Pet-centered businesses. As a trainer and coach she has helped people across the country create and build the pet-care business of their dreams.

Visit http://www.peggiespets.com for more information.

Other Article Sites

findabook.com  moneycd.info  a-mortgage.info   about-lemon-laws.info  aboutstudentloans.info
all-about-publishing.info  auctions-articles.info  bestcollege-university.com  bestispconnection.com
biblefolder.com  blogger-website.com  books-used.info  brokers-guide.info  buywindows.info  cable-dsl.info
career-miner.com  carpel-tunnel.info  cashinaflash.info  cashloanreviews.info  casinobell.com  chat-house.info
clearmycredit.info  collegeloantips.info  crones.info  depression-articles.info   dirnic.net  dishguides.info
divers-below.com  expodog.info   financewizz.com  fire-insurance.info  getgood.info  handleit.net   it-idea.info
health-supplies.info  hosting-right.com  insidealert.com  insurance-facts.info  jobs-employment.info
justgood.info  lookgold.net   lowcost-travel.info  money-source.info  myhostzone.info  numisblog.com
peoplesearchfinder.info  pr-articles.info  realeas.com   refinancing-guides.info  spyware-remove.info
telelot.info  the-law.info   toppaid.info  travel-deals.info  travelcorrect.com  wedding-guide-site.com
your-blog.info  your-credit.info

MORE ARTICLES:

Hometown Dumpster Rental Launches Internet Marketing Service
Hometown Dumpster Rental has launched an internet marketing service for locally owned dumpster rental companies. This new marketing service is designed to increase dumpster rentals from homeowners and contractors using search engines like Google to find dumpster services in their city.

Semantic Web - The Revolutionary "Insider" Web Technology
If you've been lurking around any technology forums, or you just plain live and breath the stuff, chances are you will have come across the term "Semantic Web."Maybe you've even attempted to get a handle on the whole thing, and started throwing around terms like, RDF, Core Metadata, and all sorts of artificial intelligence concepts.

Internet Friend Finding - Talk About Ironic!
Sure are a lot of people internet friend finding these days...whew!

RunningRestaurants.com Slashes Price To Make Restaurant Management, Marketing & Operations Web Site Available To All Restaurant Owners and Managers
New $14.95/month price with no start up fees or long-term commitments gives restaurant owners and restaurant professionals instant access to thousands of dollars worth of restaurant marketing and restaurant operations content.

Fluid Innovation Debuts VirtualVentures.com, Web Community Designed to Commercialize Real Technology
Fluid Innovation is launching, Virtual Ventures, the first virtual game that lets players act as venture capitalists and predict the success or failure of real technologies. Executives from Fluid Innovation will present Virtual Ventures on Tuesday, September 25 at the DEMOfall conference in San Diego.

Internet Business Marketing: What Is An Epresence And Why Do You Need One?
Internet business marketing has become an increasingly large part of most business marketing plans. But just what does it mean to have a business marketing plan? What is internet business marketing?

Does Your Web Copy Speak To The Reader Or Does It Speak About Yourself?
How to make sure that your website content is really talking to your potential customers Whenever you are setting up a new site with new information, are you appealing to the right people

Encryption: Security Tool For Internet
Web site security is a complex and perhaps even controversial subject. On one side there are individuals whom regard themselves as the freedom fighters of the technology and information era; on the other side there are those who view this as a form of modern terrorism. Whatever the case, breaking into a computer system without consent is, without question, a crime.

'Mom, I Need a Web Hosting!' -- Clickmars.com, An All-In-One Domain Name Registration and Web Hosting Provider, Announces iPod Video Giveawa
Clickmars (www.clickmars.com) announces a new sweepstakes program for the next 11 months: Clickmars Sweeps 2007. The idea is to spread out Clickmars' free e-book to around the world.

Web Audio ? How To Boost Website Performance By Adding Web Audio
It is clear that web audio and web video are taking the Internet by storm. Many webmasters are realizing that although it is very important to get more traffic to their websites that it is even more important to convert traffic into sales.

Security In Shared Web Hosting
One of the big problems that anyone has to deal with when it comes to shared web hosting is the one related to security. Security is an important concern for anything related to the Internet and most of all for the ones with a business. Viruses and hackers represent a big problem that leads to lots of systems destroyed or stolen information. This is why you should always hire a good shared web hosting service that can assure you a high level of security. It is recommended for you to do some research or ask someone who knows more about this subject before you choose a shared web hosting company in order to be sure that the security services they provide can fulfill your needs.

What Constitutes An Ideal Web Page
WEB PAGE

How Can I Use the Internet to Find Entertainment and Special Events Happening in My Area?
Spring is upon us and the weather seems to get more beautiful by the week. If you're looking for something entertaining to do, there are countless websites to let you know what's going on around your town.

Your Turn to Sound Off on the Internet Marketing World
Highly respected online business resource announces the expansion and redesign of its review-based website to include "create-your-own-review" user feedback on its expanded line of online business development products.

How To Sell Websites Fast !
This article will explain in depth the steps needed to sell your website fast in today's marketplace.Step 1 Establish a Reasonable Price for Your SiteHow Much Can I Get?Before you sell, it's a good idea to know how much the domain is worth.