8 Quick Wins to Refresh Your Pet Business Website for 2026

These quick website refresh tips for pet businesses will help you attract more clients, build trust, and make your online presence work harder for you this year.

A new year is the perfect time to give your pet business website a little TLC, and not just for the sake of a fresh look. Your website is often the first impression pet parents have of your business, and small updates can make a big difference in how trustworthy, polished, and professional your brand feels.

I’m Mikaela, founder of Pet Marketing Unleashed, where our team helps pet sitters, dog walkers, trainers, and other pet professionals create brands and websites that actually work, not just look pretty. Each year, I like to do a quick website check-in to make sure everything is running smoothly and helping your business attract and convert more of those dreamy clients.

Last year’s version of this post was one of our most popular, and for good reason. It is packed with simple, high-impact updates that take minutes but can lead to serious results. This year, we’re bringing it back with all the same trusted tips plus one brand-new 2026 bonus tip that focuses on accessibility and mobile friendliness (because most pet parents are booking straight from their phones these days).

Subscribe & download the episode to your device:  Apple Podcasts  |  Spotify  |  YouTube

1. Update Your Copyright Year to Show You’re in Business

One of the simplest yet most impactful website refreshes is updating your copyright year to 2026. A current year signals to visitors that your site is actively maintained, which enhances credibility. Imagine landing on a pet business website with an outdated year—it immediately casts doubt. Update all relevant dates, from blog post timestamps to years listed in “about” sections, to boost your SEO and show visitors that you’re ready to serve them in 2026.

And, if you don’t have a copyright on your website, it’s time to add one! Scroll down to our footer below to see an example of what this looks like!  Change it to include a range of how long your website has been around, so if 2017 was the year you started your business, you want it to say 2017-2026. 😉

Another option is to include both the year you started your business or website and then a dash and then put the current year so you can see the entirety of the website’s existence!

Pro Tip: If you’re using one of our Pet Marketing Unleashed website templates or you’re a 1:1 website design client, the copyright symbol is already in place—just update the year(s)!

2. Conduct a Mini Website Audit for Broken Links and Outdated Content

A website audit might sound complex, but a quick review of broken links, outdated content, and expired offers can make a huge difference. Use free tools like BrokenLinkCheck to catch broken links. All you have to do is enter your URL and it will tell you which pages have a broken link so you can fix them! Outdated or broken links can deter potential clients and impact your site’s SEO negatively.

So, comb through each page of your website and make sure the information is correct and all links are working properly. Ensure that any recent pricing changes, brand photos, and current service offerings are up to date as well. 

3. Refresh Your Call-to-Action (CTA) Buttons to Inspire Action

Strong call-to-action (CTA) buttons guide website visitors toward making a booking or learning more about your services. 

A great CTA button will:

• Tell your website visitor what to do next

• Increase your bookings/sales/conversions

• Make your website clear

• Inspire action
  

You should have a clear CTA button on most, if not all of your website pages leading people to the next step of your process where it makes sense. This helps with user-friendliness, flow, conversions - you name it! And as for what text to put in your CTA buttons, keep it simple (2-3 words) and use verbs so they know exactly what action will occur when they click the button.

Avoid generic phrases like “Click Here” and use action-driven language that fits your pet business. Try phrases like “Book My Walk” or “Walk My Dog” or “Join the Pack.” Not only will this inspire visitors to take action, but it also enhances user experience and conversion rates, which can positively affect SEO (i.e. increase future website traffic).

4. Update Your ‘About Me’ Photo to Build Trust and Connection

Us designers and marketers don’t just say “include your face” for no reason! There’s science behind this suggestion and it boils down to trust and personability. People don’t just buy from a company. They buy from people. And, that means they need to trust you before they buy from you.

By having a picture on your website that shows your face LOOKING into their eyes and smiling, you’ll be able to increase trust with your website visitors. So… no sunglasses, no dark hats, no photos from sooo far away they wouldn’t be able to recognize you.

If you have a team, consider adding team photos as well—this reassures clients that they’re in good hands with everyone in your business, not just you.

This small action can make SUCH a big difference on your site!

5. Revisit Your Website Copy to Reflect Your Unique Brand Voice

Refreshing your website’s copy can be transformative for your business. Focus on crafting copy that resonates with your audience’s needs, highlighting how your services solve their pain points. Be mindful of personalizing copy for SEO as well—include keywords naturally, and ensure the copy aligns with your brand voice for a more impactful experience.

A great way to differentiate yourself is to talk about what you’re REALLY providing for your clients. How are you transforming or changing or making their lives easier?

If you want to expand a bit on your pet business copywriting, check out our post, Website Copywriting Secrets for Pet Business Owners. This can help you get on the right track toward making simple yet impactful improvements to your website copy.

Tip for Pet Marketing Unleashed Website Template Users: Use our copywriting module to get insights into writing compelling, client-focused copy. You can also explore our Copywriting Days for a personalized approach.

6. Consider Adding a Chat Widget for Real-Time Interaction

Chat widgets allow you to provide real-time answers to website visitors, enhancing their experience and increasing the chances they’ll book your services. Whether you use Wix Chat or another plugin, a chat widget can make your website feel more responsive and user-friendly.

And, this doesn’t mean to need to be available at all hours of the day. It still gives the impression of providing support for your potential clients (in an easier way than completing a full contact form), even if you’re unavailable to respond at that moment. They’ll be able to leave their contact information and you can respond later!

7. Update Your Testimonials to Highlight Recent Client Successes

New and updated testimonials are powerful tools to build trust and credibility with potential clients. Add recent testimonials, and consider enhancing them by including a photo of the client (and/or their pet) or placing the testimonial on relevant service pages. For example, placing dog walking testimonials specifically on a dog walking page! People will be much more likely to resonate with a testimonial if it’s for the same service they are inquiring about.

For SEO, you can also replace “they” or “she” or “he” with your business name to boost brand recognition. For more testimonial advice we have an entire blog post on how to get testimonials and how to use them that I highly recommend checking out!

8. Check Your Site for Accessibility and Mobile Friendliness (2026 Bonus Tip)

We’ve got one new bonus tip for 2026, and it’s an important one! More and more pet parents are browsing and booking from their phones, which means your website needs to be easy to read, navigate, and interact with no matter the device.

Here are a few quick things to check during your annual website refresh:

• Font size: Make sure your body text is at least 16px for readability.

• Color contrast: Ensure your text and background colors have enough contrast to be easily visible (especially outdoors or in bright light).

• Alt text: Add alt text to all images so both Google and visitors using screen readers can understand what’s being shown. (We dive into this even more inside our SEO Course for Pet Businesses.)

• Buttons: Make sure buttons are large and clear enough to tap on mobile without zooming in.

• Mobile layout: Do a full scroll on your phone. Check spacing, image sizing, and that no text gets cut off or overlaps.

These small updates don’t just make your website more inclusive but they also improve your SEO and help build trust with every potential client who visits. A site that’s easy to read and navigate sends the message that your business is professional, thoughtful, and ready to serve.

9. Add a Lead Magnet to Capture More Leads (2026 Bonus Tip)

Add a lead magnet to your website, or a freebie that potential clients can download in exchange for joining your email list.

Whether it’s a pet care guide, a special offer, or a seasonal checklist, a lead magnet allows you to stay connected with those not yet ready to book, keeping you top-of-mind as they consider your services now, and in the future.

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Even the smallest updates can have a big impact on how potential clients experience your business online. Whether you start by updating your photos, refreshing your testimonials, or adding that new accessibility check, each step helps your website feel more polished, professional, and client focused.

Set aside a little time this month to review your site and make a few of these quick changes. Your future clients (and your future self) will thank you. You’ve got this.

If you’re ready to take things a step further, explore our Website Templates to simplify your design process or book a Copywriting Day for personalized, conversion-driven copy that speaks to your ideal clients.

P.S. Our official Annual List of Pet Holidays is up and live on the blog if you’re planning your pet business content for the New Year!