What to Do When Business Slows Down: 5 Smart Moves for Pet Biz Owners This Summer

Let’s be real—summer as a pet business owner can feel… sucky. Not to mention, times are just a bit weird right now and there’s a lot of hesitancy in spending.

Some of you are totally slammed with vacation bookings or daily dog walks. Others? It’s crickets. You’re refreshing your inbox wondering, ‘Where did all the inquiries go?’

If you’re in that second group—or even if you’re just craving a little more consistency or freedom in your business this summer—this post is for you.

Before we dive in: Deep breath. Summer slowdowns are normal.

Instead of panic-posting on social media or scrambling to add more services to your plate, we’re going to keep things simple.

As  designers and marketers for pet businesses, we've seen firsthand how small but strategic updates to your online presence—your brand, your website, and your client experience—can make a big difference in how easily clients find and book with you.

Here are 5 smart and simple tweaks you can make this summer to attract more clients without burning out.

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1. Refresh Your Pet Business Website to Increase Conversions

Your homepage is like your storefront. If it’s not clear, compelling, or current, potential clients might bounce before they even realize how great you are.

Ask yourself:

• Is it immediately obvious who I help and how?

• Would my dream client feel seen and confident landing on this page?

• Does my site reflect where my business is now—not just where I started?
  

Look out for:

• Vague headlines like “We’re professional pet care providers” instead of something client-focused like “Reliable, Local Dog Walking in San Diego—So You Can Focus on Work Without the Guilt.”

• Outdated photos or services no longer offered.

• No clear call to action (CTA) guiding your visitors.
  

👉 Even simple changes—like updating a photo, tweaking your intro text, or showcasing current services—can build trust and improve conversions. If that feels overwhelming, we’ve got website templates and services designed to make it easy.

2. Use Social Proof Strategically on Your Pet Business Website

If you're only posting short quotes in Canva templates, you’re likely missing out on the real power of testimonials: the transformation.

Instead of:

"Highly recommend! They’re the best!"

Try this:

“Before working with Wilson Pet Care Co., our dog was anxious and reactive. After just six weeks, our walks are calm and enjoyable. It’s been life-changing.”

Transformation sells. Clients want to see the before and after, no matter your service.

Tactical tweaks:

• Move testimonials to your services pages, right next to the offerings they reference.

• Use Instagram carousel posts or Stories to highlight mini client journeys.

• Update your feedback form to ask, “What was life like before working with us? What’s different now?”
  

Social proof is most powerful when it’s specific, well-placed, and tells a story.

3. Add Strong Calls to Action on Every Page of Your Website

If someone visits your site and thinks, “Okay… but what now?”—we’ve got a problem.

Your CTAs should be:

• Clear

• Repeated on every page

• Visually distinct (buttons, bold links, etc.)
  

Some examples:

• “Book a Meet & Greet”

• “Check Availability”

• “Walk My Dog”

• “Inquire About Travel Care”
  

Make it easy for someone to say yes—without having to scroll or dig around.

4. Promote the Right Pet Services to Maximize Bookings

Want to book more clients? Don’t just promote everything. Get intentional.

Ask yourself:

• Which service brings in the most revenue?

• What do I want to do more of?

• What has open availability right now?
  

Then:

• Update your website to highlight that service.

• Add a specific CTA for it.

• Make sure it’s crystal clear who it’s for and how to book it.
  

📊 Not sure what’s driving leads? Go back and check out Episode 18 where we cover how to track your marketing.

5. Prep Your Pet Business Now for Fall and Holiday Booking Season

You know what’s not fun? Scrambling to fix your website in November when your inbox is exploding.

Use this slower season to:

• Plan your fall/holiday offers and promo calendar

• Prep content or campaigns ahead of time

• Update your inquiry form and onboarding workflow

• Refresh your services page to include availability updates or seasonal pricing

• Optimize your site for local SEO so you start ranking in time
  

SEO takes time to work, so planting those seeds now = inquiries later.

Need help with that? Our SEO Course walks you through exactly how to get your pet biz showing up in searches.

Make the Most of Your Pet Business’ Slow Season

Slower seasons don’t mean something’s wrong. They’re actually golden opportunities to zoom out, clean up, and move forward with intention.

You don’t need to hustle harder or pile on more tasks to get booked out. Sometimes, the smartest strategy is making your existing brand and website do more of the heavy lifting.

If you’re ready to take action but don’t want to do it alone—we’ve got you:

• Our Wix Website Templates are built for conversions and packed with a step-by-step course guiding you through customizing your template, implementing SEO, strategic copywriting, and onboarding strategy.

• Our SEO Course helps your local pet business climb the Google rankings.

• Our VIP Day services get your branding and/or copywriting handled for you in just one day.
  

Here’s to a summer that supports you—and sets your business up for success in the busy seasons ahead.