Unless your pet or veterinary business brand is a household name — such as Bissell, IAMS, Virbacx, or Wahl — your website needs to do heavy lifting to bring you more leads and sales.
Sure, you can get attention and bring in buyers via your social media posts, blog posts, ads, YouTube videos, trade show materials, and other marketing efforts.
But all roads lead to your website. It’s your brand hub, the face of your business. And it’s where your content can turn visitors into buyers… or turn them away.
If you love your website and it’s working like gangbusters for you, congratulations! That’s great.
But if you’re looking for better, bigger online results, let’s give your web content a proper grooming in two easy steps.
With a strategic content makeover, your best features and benefits will shine in a big way!
First, some inspiration through a pet adoption metaphor. I came across a press release about the annual Dirty Dogs contest presented by Wahl Animal Grooming, Greater Good Charities, and animal advocate Lee Asher.* The contest demonstrates the power that grooming can have on pet adoption, giving overlooked pets more appeal. Asher was quoted as saying:
“I’m happy to lend my voice and help shed some light on the importance of grooming when it comes to adoption. The dog’s appearance can completely transform, but more importantly, the dog feels healthier and happier, and their true personality can finally shine through. Sometimes, that’s all it takes to capture the heart of their new human.”
Now, stick with me because I promise that this metaphor works for your web content. I noticed two main elements in Asher’s quote that can help you take a fresh look at your web content: the outcome or goal, and the transformation that can happen.
STEP 1: Start with the OUTCOME or goal your visitors are trying to achieve.
For the Dirty Dogs contest, the outcome was to increase dog adoptions. The press release noted, “Since 2012, Wahl’s donation of pet grooming supplies has helped rescues and shelters nationwide transform more than 130,000 dogs and get them ready for adoption.” WOW! That’s quite an outcome!
What big outcome do you want your website visitors to see themselves enjoying when buying your products?
If you had to pick ONE MAIN outcome, what would it be?
For example, it could be that your software saves veterinary practices up to 3 hours a day processing medical records, scheduling appointments, or capturing services on your invoices.
Or your product helps pet parents finally ease their dog’s relentless itchy skin problem.
Or your innovative tub design helps dog groomers save their backs when bathing large dogs.
With your main desired outcome in mind, look at the headline on your website home page for starters. Does the message make that promise clear?
Sadly, many pet business website headlines are lame and don’t offer a picture of success for the visitor. Here’s a common example:
Welcome to [Business Name].
How does that convey the promise of a desired outcome? It simply doesn’t.
Let’s groom that ho-hum headline so your promise instantly shines:
You’ve arrived at the right place for [achieving your specific/relevant goal].
Here’s a specific groomed version:
You’ve arrived at the right place to save your back while bathing and grooming large dogs.
Better, right? Here’s another common headline type that’s all about the business, not what it does for visitors.
Our management team has over 80 years of collective experience.
How does that help the visitor achieve a goal? It’s hard to know, right?
Let’s groom that “all about us” headline so it offers an exciting promise:
[Achieve your goal] in just 6 seconds with our [product/service].
Here’s a specific groomed version:
Capture diagnostic test results into patient records in just 6 seconds with our “done in a blink” software.
See where we’re going with this? Let’s continue…
STEP 2: Tell visitors how your solutions will uniquely transform their lives.
No matter what you’re selling, you’ve got competition, right? You know what makes your products or services uniquely the best, but are you making that clear on your website? Most websites do not.
In STEP 1, you defined the main, desired outcome you can offer visitors with a clear promise headline. Now you need to groom your web content, so it stands apart from other options.
Here’s a typical example that’s not competitive:
Your veterinary equipment supplier for quality tubs, tables, and more.
It’s likely that every veterinary equipment website talks about its quality products. So what makes this one unique?
Let’s groom that headline so it helps visitors instantly think, “Wow, I need to do business with THIS company!”
Save steps — and your back — with our ergonomically designed veterinary equipment.
Better, yes?
That’s the power of grooming your web content.
BONUS STEP:
Invite your website visitors to DO something that gets them closer to the appealing outcome.
Now that you’ve offered a big, unique, and competitive promise — an outcome that visitors see themselves enjoying — invite them to do something that brings value. It could be to sign up for a free demo… download your “insider’s guide” at how it works … or make a purchase at a special price.
Never leave them wondering how to get your amazing solution!
To recap:
Offer an appealing benefit in your headlines and other content.
Make it unique and irresistible.
And then invite visitors to DO something to get closer to enjoying the outcome you’re showcasing.
Apply these content grooming steps to your website to make your solutions shine above all others and turn lookers into leads or buyers. Or hire a professional pet content writer (aka groomer) to do this for you! Either way, you’ll enjoy bigger sales results for your business.
Until next time,
Here’s to your prosperous pet business!
Pam Foster, PetCopywriter.com
*Source: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dogs-can-transform-our-lives-grooming-can-transform-their-lives-presenting-the-top-10-shelter-dog-makeovers-of-2020-301151435.html. Please note: The mention of Wahl Animal Grooming here is for illustration/metaphor purposes only. I’m not a Wahl affiliate.