You have decided to start your own dog training business! Now it is time to create an online presence. Once you establish an online presence for dog training, business will pick up and the flow of customers will increase.
WebFX advises that there is no greater marketing tool than the internet. According to WebFX, the number one reason an online presence is so important is because your customers are online. You need to be where your customers are!
How to Create an Online Presence For Your Dog-Training Business
Build a website. For those working with a small budget, begin by creating your own website. When you begin showing a profit, hire someone to redesign your site.
If you have cash flow, it is worth hiring a website designer to create a site for you. Hiring a web designer is costlier, but worth it. Website designers will provide a site that is professional looking, rather than a cookie cutter type site.
Getting your website online is the first step in creating an online presence for dog training. Unfortunately, the website alone is not going to get traffic for your business. You’ll need to work on rankings on search engines in order t o accomplish that goal.
Search Engine Optimization
“Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the quality and quantity of website traffic to a website or a web page from search engines.” {Source} SEO is all about getting your business to rank high up on sites like Google and Bing.
If you hire someone to handle SEO for your business, make sure they are experienced and will give you reports on a monthly basis showing your progress. We went through three companies before finding the right one. The current company watches our site and makes constant improvements to please Google. SEO will be your biggest expense in the beginning, but well worth it.
Google Reviews
The next factor in your online presence is getting Google reviews for your dog training business. Google reviews can make or break you. It’s sad that a bad review can hurt your business, but it is true. Ask your clients to write a Google review at the conclusion of their training program. Provide your clients with a document that gives exact instructions on how to give a Google review. Not everybody is into writing reviews, but if they love your service and you provide the link to write a google review for your business, there is a greater chance they will do so.
Respond to every Google review with a quick “thank you”. This is FREE marketing and by far the most effective.
We used to ask for Yelp reviews as well, but Yelp’s system will actually block reviews if they are not written by an avid Yelp user. Many of our great reviews got blocked so we stopped focusing on them. We completely focus on Google reviews.
Advertising Sites
There are also websites designed for advertising, such as Craig’s list and NextDoor. You can create an advertisement on Craig’s List for free. People often check both sites when searching for a service-based business. It will get your name out there.
There is so much to learn about marketing your business and these are just a few tips to gain an online presence for your dog training company. ISCDT is currently working on a program on “How to Start Your Own Business”. That program will provide a wealth of information to you. ISCDT’s business course is due out by the end of 2022.
In the meantime, if you have any questions or are interested in becoming a certified dog trainer, please contact us at info@iscdt.com or visit our website at www.iscdt.com.
ISCDT – Dog Trainer School
Written by Jessica Freedman