Disclaimer: This blog post is for pet business owners like you who want to FREE up more time in your day, all the while growing your business while away from your desk.
It’s for pet business owners tired of getting messages on Yelp or your website asking about your services and then never hearing back once you respond to them with more information.
It’s for pet business owners who want a more efficient business. One where you can be in control of your time without feeling like being away from your desk or work means you’re sacrificing more money or growth.
I digress…
As a pet industry brand, website, and marketing expert who works directly with petpreneurs, I saw firsthand pet business owners create businesses to help the pet community they loved so much, but then not get to fully enjoy it.
I didn’t want to watch pet business owners overwork themselves by not taking advantage of the power of their website and onboarding process as a way to confidently free up more time in their day. And, not because they couldn’t do it themselves, but because they hadn’t been exposed to other means of doing it. It wasn’t out there in the pet industry.
And that’s why I created the Seamless Onboarding System, or what I like to call SOS.
SOS is the solution I created to help pet business owners seamlessly onboard dream clients with their website so they can feel MORE in control of their schedule. I’m going to share more about this system with you below.
The way we’re going to break this down is by going through two mistakes I see all the time when it comes to websites and onboarding strategy, and then show how we can shift that thought process so you can see what’s possible for you.
Mistake number 1.
Waiting to respond to inquiries when you get to your desk next, or up to 24 hours later.
When you aren’t the first one to respond to an inquiry, you’re leaving your competitors to be the potential client’s saving grace while you’re away from your desk. They’ll already be onto the next business.
Let’s get into an example of what I see on most pet business websites.
Let’s say we have a dog mom who is filling out contact forms on two different websites - yours and a competitor’s website. On your website she submits the form and sees a notification pop up underneath the ‘Submit’ button that says the message was submitted and that your company will get back to her within 24 hours. Awesome.
Next, she submits the form on your competitor’s website, but instead of getting a similar success message, not only does she receive an email response immediately, but she is also redirected to another page on the website that allows her to learn more, move forward, schedule a call, and goes over what to expect next.
She then begins the next steps of the process and is well on her way to scheduling with this company.
20 hours later… 🕒
You’re finally at your computer doing some admin work and you respond to her about the next steps and ask if she’d like to set up a call, but you never hear back.
Here’s what happened → She deleted your email and has already moved forward with your competitor.
This happens ALL. THE. TIME.
You finally respond to inquiries, but then you never hear from them again. It’s crickets. It’s not because they changed their mind. It’s because they’ve already moved forward with someone who helped them faster.
So, let’s try this…
Imagine you create an automatic inquiry responder that redirects form submissions to another website page (and sends them a welcome email) that allows them to move forward, schedule a call, and goes over what to expect next. Since she’s already in the groove of wanting to book this service, she begins to work on the next steps, schedules the call, and creates an account on your booking software - she’s ready to go! And now, she’s more invested and more likely to move forward. Why?
Because of the Cialdini Commitment Concept. Essentially, once someone makes a small commitment, they’ve become more invested and will therefore be more likely to continue moving forward.
By meeting your dream client’s needs (when they want them met) and creating an up-leveled onboarding experience for them, more leads will come into your business.
Mistake number 2.
Your website isn’t working FOR you.
Your website is more than just a place for people to know that your business exists. We tend to use our website as a place to say… 'Here’s my business name! Here’s my phone number! Do what you wish with that information, and hopefully you pick me!"
But here’s what that does:
If someone goes to a website and all they see is the business name, maybe some stock photos, and a phone number... Do you think all of their questions will be answered? Do you think they’ll be sold on your company? Instead, they’re asking themselves... Could this business help ME in my particular situation? I just wanted some more information first... do I really have to call? What do they do? How can they help me? What should I do next?
Here’s the point:
The more brain calories you force your website visitors to burn in an effort to understand what you do or how to get started, the more likely they’ll leave your website pretty soon after landing on it.
One of my favorite marketing experts, Donald Miller, says in his book ‘Building a Storybrand’ that, “there’s a survival mechanism within our client’s brain that is designed to tune us out should we ever start confusing them.”
He goes into how, as humans, we’re built to follow through on things that appeal to our hierarchy of needs. So, as business owners, if we don’t easily or quickly demonstrate how we can help them survive and thrive, they'll be gone.
A clear website can act as your virtual assistant AND help onboard new dream clients.
Your website can:
Respond to new inquiries immediately
Outline your booking process
Answer important questions that potential clients always ask
Act as a salesperson through your branding and copy (i.e. the text on your website)
Let potential clients know how to get started
Get clients activated in your booking software and schedule phone calls
Create an experience that feels welcoming, safe, and helpful
Initiate all of this and more while you’re away from your desk.
When you get your website working for you, the next time you get a visitor, that person won’t have tons of questions - they’ll be able to make an informed decision and take action.
They’ll instead be thinking things like…
“I know this business can change my life.”
“I’m getting started right this second.”
“I can’t wait to work with them.”
“This company seems PERFECT.”
A website that works for you is a website that gets dream clients onboarded without adding to your busy schedule.
Let me ask you this:
Do you want to seamlessly onboard dream clients and get your website working for you without adding to your busy schedule?
Do you believe you can do this for yourself and your business?
We initially built the Seamless Onboarding System (SOS) inside the course that comes with our website templates (and, if you need a website, this is the ultimate place to get started and set up strategically and quickly!). However, we had several pet business owners who already had an awesome website and JUST wanted the tools to build an onboarding strategy for their dream clients.
We couldn’t say no! So, we officially launched The Seamless Onboarding System Course, a complete onboarding strategy guide for dog walkers, pet sitters, dog trainers, and pet photographers.
Inside the course, you’ll find new client flow charts and our brainstorming lesson, which helps you map out your new client onboarding process and filter through the things you can automate on the backend and the things you can optimize for an elevated client experience. We break down each type of pet business separately with videos, flow charts, and booking software suggestions, as every business is so different.
The goal is to help you understand what you need to create, how you need to create it, and what needs to be done to build a system that’s truly streamlined, seamless, and takes time off your current schedule.
Because strategy without process is little more than a wish list.
I like to compare mapping out a true strategy to planting a tree before it grows.
Ponder on this quote I love by Warren Buffett: “Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.”
You cannot free up time in your day by doing everything manually.
If you want to sit in the shade in the future, you have to strategize, map it out, and plant the trees.
Your website is working 24/7… The question is whether it’s working FOR you or AGAINST you.
With the proper foundation and the right building blocks, your business can grow AND save you time.
You ready? Head on over to learn more about The Seamless Onboarding System Course. Your business (and your newly found free time) will thank you!
