Running a pet spa means that you need to take care of a wide assortment of animals, have supplies ordered, keep your facilities clean, bill customers, and manage back-of-house tasks. All of this can be a lot to handle, especially if your pet spa is still growing. But that doesn’t mean that you can neglect important marketing tasks that bring new customers in through the door.
Maintaining a strong online presence is a great way to continually get new clients and build your reputation. You can also ensure that your pet spa is working passively even when your attention is elsewhere and not focused on marketing. But what steps do you need to take in order to be set up for success? In this ultimate online presence guide for pet spas, we’ll help you learn everything you need to know.
What is an Online Presence?
An online presence refers to the space that your business takes up online. It isn’t just about having a website or social media profiles, although that is part of it, but it also refers to the way people interact with your business online and whether or not they know about your presence at all.
All activity that takes place online can fall under the umbrella of your online presence. Your accounts, domains, interactions, assets, and any other pieces of information about your business all work together to create your online presence.
The Three Components of an Online Presence
Your online presence can generally be broken down into three different components that come together to form your online presence. Those three components are:
- You: You are a major part of your online presence with the actions you take and the content you produce and share online to be discovered by algorithms and people.
- The Internet: The tools that power the Internet also play into your online presence, so you need to know where you stand with regard to search engines and social media algorithms and whether or not they recognize your business.
- The Public: The people who use the internet and are online are the final piece of your online presence. How people perceive your business online, what they say about, and how they engage with you all contribute to the public perception of your presence online.
Benefits of an Online Presence
Having an online presence is important for a number of reasons. As a pet spa business, you need to get new business, as regular customers are a major source of revenue. Without an online presence, the odds are customers will struggle to find you. Here are a few of the major reasons that building your online presence is important.
Get Discovered More Easily
When was the last time you tried to find a new business near you and didn’t start your search online? While someone recommending a business by word of mouth might hold some weight, odds are you still went online to research it first before visiting. Almost all customers will search online for a local business or service, so you need to be there to be discovered during that search. The stronger your online presence is, the more likely new customers can find you online.
Be Seen as a Legitimate Business
If a business in your local area doesn’t have a website, any social media profiles, or a directory listing for Google, then red flags start to go up. The smaller your online presence is, the less legitimate your business will appear to potential customers. Pet spa clients want to know that they are taking their furry friends to a professional, legitimate operation that will take care of their pets.
Promote Your Business Around the Clock
Certain marketing activities only work when you are actively taking care of them. Things like social media posting or responding to reviews take up time and require your full attention. But once you’ve built up a strong online presence, the marketing starts to take care of itself. Customers can find your business online at any time of day or night, and they can find information, learn more about your services, and make a decision all on their own.
Save Money While Attracting New Customers
Another important benefit of your online presence is gathering important information about your customers and turning that into decision-making. You can use both paid and free platforms like Google, SaaS software, and Facebook to collect data on your customer and use that to power your next marketing strategy. You can also gather leads and get new visitors to your web pages with a strong online presence without paying for ads or leads.
Earn Google’s Trust
The Google algorithm is one of the most important tools that determine the success of your business online. Gaining the trust of the algorithm and becoming an authority in the eyes of Google is a great way to improve your website rankings, social media influence, and the number of new customers that come your way. By being active online and building up your online presence with consistent activity, you can gain the trust of Google.
Nurture Customer Relationships
As a pet spa operator, you know how important it is to have return business. If someone is satisfied with your services, they can become a lifelong customer. And you can regularly rely on visits every few months to boost your revenue and create stability in your business. Having an online presence helps you to improve your relationships with customers and guide them along the buyer’s journey to become a loyal customer.
How to Increase Your Pet Spa’s Online Presence
Now that you know why having an online presence for pet spas is so important, let’s take a look at a few strategies that you can put in place to grow your online presence and build your business reputation.
Pillar 1: Website
The first big part of your online presence that needs attention is your website. Your website is the funnel that most of your customers will filter through. Your website should be modern and attractive, so using a web designer rather than trying to put together one on your own is a great investment. Your website should be optimized with SEO best practices, and you should regularly update it with new blogs and photos to show Google that your business is active online.
Pillar 2: Social Media
The next part of your online presence is social media. You should have a social media profile on all platforms that your customers are active on. Being active yourself and regularly publishing content is important for maintaining consistency and improving engagement. Don’t overstretch to platforms that you can’t realistically sustain. The content you post should be geared toward your audiences. Share educational content without focusing on selling. Be authentic and make sure that you are using social media SEO best practices in all your posts.
Pillar 3: Directory Listings
When you go and Google a local business, the first thing that pops up is the Google Business Profiles that match your search. These online directory listings are another important part of your online presence. You need to claim your pet spa on the biggest and most important directory platforms like Google, Yelp, Facebook, Bing, or any other relevant platforms. Your listing should be complete with all relevant information and be consistent.
Directories are also important because of their reviews and ratings. You should proactively try and get new, positive reviews in order to negate any 1-star or negative reviews that get posted. You can also maintain and monitor your listing for new reviews, customer questions, and other interactions with your audience.
Pillar 4: Online Advertising
Advertising online is another way to grow your presence online. There are a few different types of online ads, so take time to learn about them and which is best for you. They include:
- Search ads
- Social ads
- Display ads
- Retargeting ads
Investing in online ads helps you get discovered by people who are looking for a pet spa in their area but aren’t familiar with your business. You can also target keywords that are related to pet care so that potential customers hear about your business before they need a pet spa.
Pillar 5: Email Marketing
Finally, your online presence also includes email marketing. Email marketing allows you to get found in your patients’ inbox and be top of mind when they are looking for pet spa options. Sending emails every so often helps customers remember your value while not spamming their inbox and becoming an annoyance.
Attend a Surefire Local Marketing Platform Demo
At Surefire Local, we understand how important being discovered in your local area is. This online presence guide for pet spas can be implemented with the help of the Surefire Local marketing platform. We help you manage the most important online marketing activities within one platform. To learn more about Surefire Local and how we provide all-in-one marketing software at a fraction of the cost of other solutions, get a demo today.