Most people consider their pets part of the family, which is why when you start a pet business, it's got to be one that people can depend on. These days, there’s no better way to establish yourself than by making a website for your pet business—giving you the tools to serve “mans best friend” and connect their owners with your services.
A pet business website can be suitable for services like dog walking, pet sitting, grooming and training. It can also be a great thing to do for a pet business selling new toys or nutritious pet food. In a booming industry like pet care, your website includes all of the elements to set yourself apart from the competition and upgrade your customer’s experience.
No fluff: it’s time to showcase your pet care services with the world. Continue reading to learn how to build a website from scratch that will improve operations and serve pet owners. With the right website builder, you’ll have all the tools you need to help your pet business succeed online.
Building a website for your business, passion project or side hustle should be easy and exciting. With Wix, you can customize and launch a professional website in minutes, no coding needed. We’re all about simplifying the process so you can focus on what matters most–bringing your ideas to life. So why wait? Let’s get started on creating the website you’ve always wanted.
How to make a website a website for your pet business
01. Choose a website builder with reliable hosting
Whether your pet business is new or established, you may not have the budget to hire a professional designer or web developer. But these days, the right website builder can be the only tool and resource you need for making a pet business website on your own. Website building platforms like Wix, also known as content management systems (CMS), provide user-friendly platforms which allow you to design, customize and publish a website without coding knowledge.
Choose a website builder that allows you to make fast pivots with your business needs. If one day to the next, you need to add events or an online store, make sure your website builder makes that possible for you.
Esin D. Habif, Product Marketing Lead Outbound at Wix.com
Utilizing a website builder offers a cost-effective and streamlined, all-in-one solution for building an online presence. It’s also an important tool for pet business owners to gain greater control over online management and content updates, which is crucial for long-term business success. Various website builders are available today, so be sure to choose one that is within budget, give you design freedom and save time when it comes to how long it takes to build a website.
Be sure to choose a platform with the following qualities and features:
Solid website infrastructure: Opt for a website builder with a robust website infrastructure that prioritizes performance, uptime, and scalability, such as adequate web servers, hosting, content delivery and website development tools.
Intuitive interface: Consider a website builder with a user-friendly interface, like a drag-and-drop builder such as Wix. This allows for real-time edits, enabling you to design effortlessly without compromising quality, even without coding knowledge.
Cost efficient: How much a website costs depends on a variety of factors, including which builder you use and how much it costs to purchase a domain or host your website. When using a website builder like Wix, free and paid packages will already include hosting, domain names, a CMS and more, saving you many additional expenses.
Business tools: Make sure your pet website builder offers a suite of business solutions, marketing tools and performance tracking tools. This is important for managing service transactions, measuring success and promoting your pet website effectively.
Learn more about some of the best AI website builders.
Make sure to consider reliable hosting
Website hosting the technology that keeps your website up and running. Hosting services store your site’s web content and deliver it to visitors, acting as the cornerstone of website performance.
There are different kinds of hosting to consider:
Shared hosting: Your website will share a physical service with multiple other websites.
VPS hosting: You get a designated portion of a physical server.
Dedicated hosting: Your site is hosted on its own dedicated server. This is often the preferred choice for large websites that have thousands of users per day.
Cloud hosting: Your site is hosted on a network of virtual servers (“the cloud”) rather than one single physical server.
Having reliable hosting is a vital part of making a website, since it’s what will ensure your website is always accessible online. To optimize performance for users, look for a provider with a strong track record of uptime (for instance, Wix boasts a 99.99% uptime), globally distributed servers and content delivery networks (CDNs) to optimize website performance for users worldwide.
Read also: Web hosting costs.
One of the benefits of using a website builder like Wix is that it provides secure, reliable and scalable free hosting, ensuring a stable and professional online presence.
02. Pick a domain name
A domain name is the web address that visitors will use to arrive at your website. Before you start building your site, you’ll want to register the best possible domain name for your business—this means something professional, memorable and on-brand.
Even though a domain name can run up to 63 characters, the best domains are short and easy to remember. A great idea is to include your service business name, or keywords related to your pet business (e.g. “grooming” or “pet sitting” to help build recognition between your site’s URL and business, while boosting performance on search engine results, too.
In addition, you should choose a top level domain (TLD) that suits your pet business. This is the last part of your domain name, for example, the .com in Wix.com. A standard TLD is easy for customers to recognize, these include .com or .org, or .net. However, a relevant, newer domain TLD such as .biz, .pet, .service, .info or .pro can emphasize your business websites branding
Before you register a domain name for your business, be sure to check its availability. You can use tools such as a domain name generator to build ideas and inspiration for a new domain name. If you’re using a website builder like Wix, registering a domain name with hosting is included in paid packages.
03. Choose a website template
One of the best routes for making a website is starting with a professionally designed website template. Streamlining the website creation process, pet website templates will give your site its aesthetic and functional foundation to serve as an effective starting point for your design. Many website builders like Wix offer a suite of templates that are fully customizable and include built-in professional tools.
Choosing the right website template can significantly impact your website's aesthetics, functionality, and usability. Find a template to start that resonates with your brand and includes some of the content your business will need online, for example: booking and scheduling software, media galleries or an online store. Once you choose a template, you can update its colors, fonts, and add text and media to get it ready for your customers to use.
04. Design your pet business website
Now that you've chosen a template you like, click "View" to preview a template or click "Edit" to start customizing it. This is the web design stage, when you’ll arrange the aesthetic and functional elements of your site, adding pages and filling them with engaging content.
Below, we’ll take you through the stages of customizing your pet business website. As you go, it’s important to think about your pet business’s branding, and how you want your website to look and feel.
By the end of this process, you should have a fully functioning site that’s suitable for both desktop and mobile devices.
Read also: How to make a veterinary website.
Step one: Customize your website template
A website template sets the foundation for your pet website, giving you the basic tools you need to reach your business goals. But it’s customizable for a reason. Your website design should be specifically catered to reflect your brand’s personality and mission to foster engagement between customers and your business.
Arrange user-friendly layouts
When organizing a website, the layout plays a crucial role in setting the foundation for its design. Before adding content to each page, it's essential to ensure the presence of key elements such as text boxes, headings, and space for imagery. Consider the website's hierarchy, prioritizing the most significant information for easy accessibility and visibility within the overall design.
Choose a color and font theme
When customizing your website’s theme, it is essential to select a color scheme and typography that aligns with your business's identity and attracts and engages visitors.
If you haven’t already established colors for your pet business, choose a color scheme that suits your industry and reflects your brand’s personality. A general rule of thumb is to choose one primary color, with one or two secondary colors. However, a minimalistic black and white or monochrome design may also be appealing.
Looking for more inspiration? Check out Roni Sagi, runner up from America's Got Talent with her dog dancing business.
When choosing fonts, readability and consistency should be the top priorities. While decorative fonts can be visually engaging for larger titles and headers, a positive user experience relies on easily readable text.
Add your pet business logo
Despite its small size, having your own pet business logo will contribute to your website’s branding and add a touch of professionalism to its design. Your logo should be prominently placed on your website.
For maximum exposure, it's a good idea to include it in the website header so it's one of the first things visitors see. Additionally, incorporating your logo into the website's favicon will make it easily distinguishable from other websites in the browsing window, particularly when accessed from a desktop.
Pro tip: Don’t have a logo yet? Use a logo maker to get your own animal friendly design.
Add images and video
In just a few seconds your website imagery can make a powerful impact on visitors by reinforcing your message and reflecting your services. Whether informative or decorative, images and video are also an effective way to create a visually appealing experience.
Whether you use stock photos or upload your own, images featuring your pet clients or staff provide a vivid representation of your business. Video has also become a powerful tool for storytelling, and is one of the most popular forms of media used on websites today. While transparent videos are great for decorative purposes, you can also leverage video to introduce yourself and your staff, share testimonials from satisfied clients, or create engaging marketing videos.
How to design for accessibility
For better web accessibility, we recommend using high contrasting colors on your site and choosing fonts that are easy to read. Be sure to add alt texts to all of your images, and when relevant, provide captions for your videos.
Add your pages and content
At this stage, you’ll start adding pages and content to your pet business website. Each webpage will include the following:
A title that will be displayed on the browser’s title bar and search engines.
A headline, which appears at the top of the webpages, and generally includes the name of the medical practice along with branded messaging.
The body which refers to the main content of the page.
Images, video or other media to add dimension and complement the page’s main content.
Links to other areas of your site, so users can navigate between web pages.
For a successful pet business website, we recommend including the following pages:
Homepage
Your homepage is a gateway to your website and should invite visitors to explore further to gain information or book your services. Clients should easily understand who you are and what you do, so be sure to include our business name, logo, informative text.
To encourage action, include strong CTAs such as "book now" or "get in touch." Contact information is another vital element for your homepage. Display it in the footer, including at least a phone number or business email address, along with your location details.
Last but not least, a homepage should include your website menu, giving visitors access to other pages of your site.
About Us page
Every pet business has a story. Curious visitors who want to learn more about your business will often look for an About page. This page serves as an opportunity to showcase the business's identity, values, and mission.
Typically, an About page features professional headshots, a detailed bio, and a compelling narrative about the owner's background and motivations for starting the business. Additionally, it is a strategic location to display relevant certifications, such as pet first aid, which can instill trust and credibility among potential customers.
Service pages
Whether it’s pet sitting, animal grooming or dog food delivery—if your pet business is service oriented, you should include a service page that showcases the details of your offer. Use descriptive language that makes it easy for visitors to understand what you offer and why they should choose your services.
Here, you’ll also want to provide information on how new customers can book and pay for your services. You can include a booking tool directly on the service page or provide a link to a separate booking page with a prominent call to action (CTA) to encourage visitors to take the next step.
Bookings page
Add a booking and scheduling software to your site to drive more revenue and satisfy your customers. You can place this anywhere on your site, but a separate bookings page gives you the chance to outline the details, such as prices and a schedule of availability. This will let clients schedule your services in minutes, and allows you to manage your bookings, payments, staff, clients and reminders all in one place.
Contact page
To establish effective communication with visitors, consider dedicating a page on your website specifically for contact information. This page should include various ways for visitors to reach you, such as contact numbers, email addresses and social media links.
For even more convenience, you can use an online form builder to create a contact form that allows visitors to send their inquiries directly from your website. Additionally, ensure that your location is clearly displayed on the page, and consider integrating Google Maps to provide visitors with easy navigation assistance without the need for external searches.
A petcare blog (optional)
Starting a blog is a great way to engage readers, showcase your expertise and build a following. Topics might include: Grooming tips, advice on pet health issues, diet and exercise ideas, and more. Using the right tools and strategies you can optimize your blog to build SEO, too.
Testimonials
Studies show that 77% of satisfied customers will recommend your pet services to a friend after having a positive experience. If one of your goals is to bring in new customers, a testimonials section can help leverage the power of word-of-mouth and let satisfied customers do the marketing for you.
Don’t forget SEO
For Search Engine Optimization (SEO), it’s important to organize your content with headers that signal to Google what your content includes and how it is arranged. As you go, you should also be sure to fill out on-page SEO details such as meta descriptions and titles on your pages. All of these elements will help Google recognize your website and will inform what should be displayed on results pages.
Set up your site’s menu and navigation
For an ideal website navigation experience, your pages need to be properly connected to one another. Make sure visitors can effortlessly find the pages they need by following the “two-click rule:” they shouldn’t have to click more than once to access any page of your site, wherever they are.
Website navigation is made up of your site’s website menu, pages and internal links. For a seamless user journey, it’s essential to consider website hierarchy and establish a consistent navigation structure so visitors find what they need intuitively.
How to make a website menu
“Keep in mind that the menu is the map of your website. By adding the right pages to your menu, in the right order, it can be the heart of your website’s success.
Adi Huri, Creative Director at WOW, Wix.com
Whether using a traditional menu laid out horizontally across the top of your site or a collapsed hamburger menu for saving space, your website menu is at the heart of your site’s navigation. It should have no more than seven categories, this way visitors can find what they need faster.
When writing out the descriptions, it’s important to keep your words direct and concise to directly communicate with visitors. Two other website navigation tips we recommend arelinking your business logo to the homepage and making the menu icon sticky. These practices enable visitors to easily navigate back to the starting point of their user journey at any time.
Check for mobile friendliness
To engage with pet owners who often use their mobile devices to research and book pet services, having a mobile version of your pet website is crucial. Once your website design is set, you can optimize it for mobile by adjusting your site’s website spacing, content sizes and other elements to ensure it’s visually appealing and accessible on small screens.
For easy mobile navigation, consider implementing a thumbprint-sized hamburger icon that minimizes and maximizes your menu. This space-saving feature is widely recognized by most visitors, enhancing user experience and mobile accessibility.your content looks good on smaller screens.
When creating a site with Wix, a mobile version of your site will automatically generate with the Mobile Editor. However, it's essential to review the design, adjust the content and arrange it to ensure a seamless browsing experience on mobile devices.
05. Review and publish your site
Your site’s almost ready to go, but before you publish it, double how it looks and functions when visitors use it. This includes reviewing your content, design and functionality. Put your site into “preview” mode, and have a run through how a visitor would experience your site on both its desktop and mobile version.
Here are some things to check off your list before you publish your site:
Send your site to trust individuals: Ask them to review each page of your site, especially looking out for grammatical errors in the written copy and glitches like broken media or links. In addition, ask them for feedback on the overall user experience.
Run a web accessibility audit: With one in four adults in the U.S. having a disability, web accessibility is not only an important website practice, it’s good for customer service, too. You can use a tool like the Accessibility Wizard to flag any issues and get tips on how to fix them.
Check your website’s speed: Nothing will irritate customers more than a slow-loading site. Page Speed Insights and tools like Wix’s Site Speed Dashboard are efficient for monitoring and optimizing your website performance on both desktop and mobile.
Once you’re confident in your pet website’s design, it’s time to press “publish” and put it to work.
06. Promote your pet business online
Promoting your website doesn’t have to cost a ton, but it should be strategic. Below we’ll outline some of the best ways to market your pet business online, including both paid and free methods that will bring more animal lovers to your site.
Remember that in order to build long term success with pet owners, a sense of community and loyalty is important—this means your marketing content should not only promote, but inspire new customers.
Build an SEO strategy
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is what runs Google’s results, making this an effective practice for bringing more traffic to your website. To increase the position of your pet website on search pages and increase visibility, you should implement foundation SEO practices, such as keyword research and on-page SEO.
Try to have a specific focus on catering your content to local searches, too. For example, incorporating general keywords like “dog grooming practices” or local keywords like “dog walker in New York City” throughout your text may boost your site’s visibility on Google. These can be used in your page titles and headings, alt texts (image descriptions) and throughout your website’s long form content.
Wix’s website infrastructure aligns with the needs of search engines, giving foundational support when it comes to SEO. This includes maintenance of an XML sitemap, keeping pages up-to-date and instantly compressing images for fast page loading.
Register your pet business in online directories
Registering with local and online directories is a great way to get exposure with local pet owners. There are many pet-specific directories that connect new customers with local pet services. Don’t forget to register your pet business for a Google My Business profile, which gives users easy access to your details like hours and location.
Engage on social media
Social media marketing is a popular promotional strategy, but it requires dedication. By posting regularly and giving your followers compelling, pet-related content, you gain their attention and direct it to your website.
Leveraging the power of tools like Instagram, YouTube and TikTok your website can reach a new and diverse audience, while also building online awareness around your brand.
Here are some social media marketing tips to start:
Be sure your content is shareable and sheds light on your love and care for animals. A great idea is to highlight the pets that are already part of your community, sharing images and profiles or fun facts about the animals and their owners.
Link your website to your social media profile page and wherever relevant, such as in your stories.
Create content that engages new followers, like online surveys about their favorite animals or responding to users’ comments and frequently asked questions.
Pay for advertising
Online paid advertising encompasses a wide range of options, from sponsored social media posts to utilizing well-established platforms like Google and Facebook advertising. By using a targeted audience and customized for each campaign, online advertising usually delivers results faster than organic methods.
Use email marketing
Consistent newsletters can increase engagement with your community and increase sales, too. Promotional emails marketing special offers and sales are a great way to encourage and remind your customers to use your pet services.
You can also build long-term, loyal customer relationships by sending weekly or monthly marketing campaigns that include free, valuable content—such as tips, blog posts or inspiring stories about the amazing pets in your network.
How to manage your pet business online
According to a global market research company, every $1 invested in a website’s user experience has the potential for a $100 return on investment. This tells us that taking the time to properly manage your website after publishing is a worthy investment, making sure it’s secure, attractive, fully functional and up-to-date whenever a new visitor or returning customer arrives.
Website management is the practice of maintaining your website after publishing, to ensure an optimal user experience at all times. Here are some of the most critical things to pay attention to if you want to effectively manage your site after publishing:
Keep your content up-to-date to reflect the most relevant details and news about your pet business. Reflect this to visitors by updating the copyright year at the bottom of your site, too.
Monitor performance by checking in on your website’s speed and using analytics tools to see website traffic.
Refresh your website’s design whenever relevant, making sure you're on-par with industry needs and keeping up with the competition.
Why do I need a pet business website?
When starting a business, a website is one of the most effective assets you can have in your arsenal. In a competitive market, it’s one of the best tools for you and your customers, providing just some of the following benefits:
Building credibility: Your passion for animals should be shared with the world and a website is one of the best ways to showcase your mission and expertise. Customers often search online to find a reputable business and double check how legitimate it is. A professional website with customer reviews, testimonials and detailed information about your offerings can encourage new clients to choose your services.
Market your services: With more eyes on your brand, a website acts as a practical tool for marketing your pet services, providing detailed information, pricing and giving potential customers everything they need to know. Marketing strategies like SEO and social media marketing for your website help you attract new customers.
Increased sales: Whether its organic traffic, word-of-mouth or paid advertising, a website for your pet business will reach new eyes. Once they arrive, your content can encourage them to use your services and tools like booking and scheduling software will streamline the purchasing process.
Easier business management: Management tools like bookings and payments can save you a lot of hassle when it comes to invoicing, payment reminders and scheduling clients. They’ll also give you the chance to collect valuable data about your customers, whether its contact information or purchasing behavior.
More customer satisfaction: These days, customers love the convenience of online shopping and booking. With features like online scheduling, streamlined payment processes and built-in contact forms, you’ll elevate the overall customer experience with your clientele.
Tips for your pet business website
Include an FAQ page to address the most common queries immediately.
Use live chat to foster immediate communication between you and website visitors.
Make sure your website copy is engaging by using clear copy that resonates with visitors.
Showcase your pet clients by including content that features the pets in your community. Whether it’s dogs, cats, lizards or birds— there’s no better way to attract and build trust with pet lovers than with cute images of the animals you work with.
Make it easy for visitors to get in touch by including your contact and location details on the footer of your website, so visitors can access that information from anywhere on the site in addition to your contact page.
5 pet business website examples for inspiration
For inspiration and to generate your own website ideas, there’s no better way to learn than from examples. Check out these pet business website examples below and take note of the layouts, features and content they include:
Canine Kitchen
Canine Kitchen is a pet food business that stands out with its commitment to using organic ingredients inspired by a raw diet philosophy. Their website design has visual appeal, reflecting the brand’s identity by incorporating a logo and harmonizing it with red and green brand colors. the business’s logo and complimenting that with their green and red brand colors. By using bright red in their calls-to-action buttons, the website immediately draws attention to their online store and a convenient chat box for asking questions.
Extreme Dog Walking
If you want someone to trust you with their precious pets, you’ve got to make a friendly and approachable impression. Extreme Dog Walking makes a good first impression using colorful illustrations to imitate a walk in the park, and take visitors through their website journey. Using images of their dog walking services in action reflects the sentiment that they’re pet-friendly and trustworthy.
Doggie Do’s
Using eye-catching imagery, a bright pink color scheme and modern fonts to foster a welcoming experience—this pet grooming business website really stands out. Doggie Do’s has also nailed their website copy, crafting creative, informative and playful text that is sure to resonate and engage dog owners. Last but not least, a one-of-a-kind logo sets their business apart and helps emphasize friendly, approachable branding.
Sugarbrook Natural Pet
Specializing in a treasure trove of treats, like dog and cat biscuits, toys and accessories—Sugarbrook Natural Pet is a one-stop shop for is a one-stop shop for pet owners seeking to pamper their furry friends. To captivate visitors, the website features a strategic pop-up form that offers a 10% discount in exchange for signing up for their mailing list. Sugarbrook's testimonial section adds charm, showcasing images of happy pets and their owners' heartfelt praise for the treats.
Special Care Grooming
Special Care Grooming highlights their expertise in handling first time groomers by fostering a welcoming atmosphere that includes supportive imagery and text, on top of a gentle color scheme. Besides their outstanding website design, Special Care Grooming encourages customer loyalty with extra incentive: utilizing a membership section on their site, the pet grooming business promotes a program where customers can earn points and redeem them for bonus rewards.
Rock Dog
Rock Dog’s website is designed to entice visitors to use its grooming services from the get-go. The homepage features eye-catching and inviting photographs of dogs, creating a positive and welcoming atmosphere. The website header is optimized for user convenience, with a custom logo and prominent calls-to-action for scheduling and booking appointments, ensuring a seamless and efficient experience for visitors.