Full Transcript
[0:00]
Welcome to the eight of five web minute. And today we're talking about why relying on your grooming software's free website might be making you invisible to local customers. Yeah, this is a big one for pet businesses here in SLO County. You know, just having an Instagram page isn't enough. Right. When someone in a royal grande is looking for a dog grimmer at say seven p.m. They're on Google. And what shows up there, well, that determines who gets the call. That's a perfect way to frame it. So let's talk about these tools. We see them everywhere in Gen War day smart pet, pet links, MoGo and there, I mean, they're fantastic for the day to day. Oh, absolutely. For running the business, they're incredible. Scheduling payments. Yeah, they handle all that. But the problem comes with the free website they offer. It's less of a storefront and more of a, what would you call it? It's a transaction tool. I always say it's like a cash register. It's there to process the sale after a customer has already decided to buy from you. But it does nothing to actually bring them in the door in the first place. Exactly. It's not a storefront. It's not built for marketing or attracting new business. Okay. So let's break down the flaws. What's the first thing a potential customer notices that maybe makes them a little hesitant? It's the sameness, the complete lack of identity. These pages, they all look alike. So if I'm a groomer and pass our robless and my competitor is in San Luis Obispo and you both use the same software, your booking pages are going to look almost identical. Maybe a different logo, different colors, but the layout, the feel, it's a template. You can't tell your own story. Not at all. And that's a huge problem. But it's actually not even the biggest one. The worst flaw is invisible. It's the search invisibility. Okay. Let's get into that because this is where businesses are really losing out without even knowing it. It has to do with the web address, right? That's it. These pages don't live on your own domain like your groomer AG dot com. They live in a shared address, something like grooming dot software. dot com, your business, a subdomine. Right. And what that tells Google is that the software company is the authority, not you.
[2:03]
So you're actually spending your time helping the software company rank higher on Google. You're not building any equity in your own brand. None at all. You're basically a temporary booth inside their giant online mall instead of being your own standalone local shop. It's a huge trap. And when you're trying to be found for say dog boarding in Moro Bay, that structure just kills your chances. It really does because you're missing all those trust elements, the things that convince a skeptical customer to even pick up the phone. And these aren't just any customers. We're talking about pet parents. The source has showed the US pet industry hit almost $152 billion this year. It's huge. And these people research everything. They're not just looking for a service. They're looking for someone to trust with a member of their family, which means they are definitely looking at reviews. I think the stat was 83% of consumers use Google to find reviews of local businesses. So when they finally land on your page, there are like five critical things they absolutely must see to feel comfortable enough to book. Okay, let's walk through them. Number one has to be the visual proof, the before and after photos. Non-negotiable, especially for groomers. This is your conversion tool is not just about showing a picture of a cute fluffy dog. It's about showing your skill. Yes, you need a portfolio. You need to show you can handle different breeds, different cuts, but more than that, show the challenging cases like a really mad dog or maybe an older nervous dog. Exactly. When a pet parent sees you can handle a difficult situation, they're trust in you. Just skyrockets. They think, okay, they can handle my dog. A generic booking page can't do that. That makes so much sense. It's not just a picture. It's a resume. Okay. So after the photos, what's next? The people you have to meet the team. You're trusting a stranger with your pet. You want to see who they are and not just a stock photo of some random person smiling, real photos of your actual team, bios that talk about their experience,
[4:05]
their specializations for a vet clinic. That means certifications. Absolutely. Fear of free certification, things like that for groomer, maybe they specialize in certain breeds. And you need to add some personality to the pets of their own. It shows they care and it shows the site is current. If I see a picture of a team member who I know left two years ago, instant red flag, it destroys trust. It makes the customer wonder what else you're not paying attention to. So true. Okay. Number three, making it incredibly simple to get in touch, easy, fast contact. This is all about urgency and accessibility. Your phone number needs to be right there at the top. Clickable on a phone. Don't make people hunt for it on a separate contact as page, especially for vets. I mean, think about an after hours emergency. Oh, that's crucial. If my dog eats chocolate at 10 p.m. I am panicking. I'm going to your website first. That emergency number or referral info needs to be front and center. And the page has to load fast instantly. The data shows over half of mobile visitors will leave if a site takes more than three seconds to load in an emergency. A slow site is a useless site. Wow. Okay. So number four is about social proof reviews, front and center. Right. Pit businesses live and die by the reputation. You can't make people go searching for your five star reviews on Google or Yelp. You should bring them right onto your site. You should use a widget that shows your latest Google reviews, display testimonials with photos if you can and showcase any certifications, NAPPS, fear free, whatever you have, their badges of honor. It's proof. Don't hide the proof of your quality. If you hide it, people assume you don't have it. Okay. And the fifth and final trust signal, which is so important for us here on the central coast, local clarity. This is the foundation. It's non-negotiable. Google maps is how people find you 86% of customers use it. So your website has to be crystal clear about where you are and who you serve. Yes. Are you in Pismo Beach or are you closer to San Luis Obispo? Yes. For a mobile groomer, this is even more critical. Do go to Grover Beach, Nupomo.
[6:07]
Do you go up to Cambria? If that info isn't there, the customer just clicks away. They're gone. You just lost them. The data on this is amazing. 78% of local mobile searches lead to a purchase, usually within a day. If you don't show up for dog groomer, Paso Robles, you're just invisible to that customer. So to wrap that section up, let's list the big mistakes, the common pitfalls that business owners should avoid. Okay. Number one, definitely using stock photos. It just screams generic, use real photos of your place, your team, your clients, pets. Number two, burying your contact info. We talked about that. It has to be immediate. Yes. Number three, not being mobile family. 61% of people won't come back to a site that's clunky on their phone. It's 2024. It has to work on mobile number four. And this is a tricky one is confusing pricing. Yeah. You don't need to list every single price, but you have to give people a starting point. Bath started $40 for small dogs, something that manages expectations. And the last one, the easiest to fix is just outdated information. That kills trust faster than anything. Old hours, old services, staff who aren't there anymore. It tells a customer you don't care about the details. It all comes back to that central idea then. The booking software is for managing clients you already have. It is. But to win new ones, you need your own storefront. One that's fast, builds trust and is built to be found locally here in the 805. That's it. You need to show what you do, build that trust with photos and reviews, make contact easy. Load fast on mobile and get found on Google. That's the formula. You're building your own brand, not some software companies. That's the quick tip for today. If you want a professional website without the agency price tag or the DIY headache, here is the better way. At yougrow.pro, we build it, we manage it and we handle every update forever for just $79 a month. There is zero setup fee, no contract lock in and is strictly month to month. So there is zero risk. We're local here in AG and we can have you live in days, not months.
[8:08]
Want to see what your site could look like? Go to yougrow.pro right now and we'll design three custom mockups for your business, completely free, no strings attached. Thanks for listening and keep growing.