Doesn’t life just move too fast at times?

Maybe it’s the anticipation of the Fall (my favorite season), but each time September rolls around I begin to feel all warm, fuzzy and cozy inside. And that tends to make me overly giving and sentimental.

I have a special gift to share with you below.

But first, the sentimental part :)

Here are 3 things I remind myself to do every September

-Enjoy every moment (or enjoy the journey)

Whether you are keeping busy and gaining tons of new clients OR you are struggling to decide what to do next, appreciate the good and the bad.

Life is short. There are ups and downs every step of the way.

One thing my father told me at an early age when things weren’t going my way was simply: This too shall pass.

It helps put things in perspective. Do your best to enjoy – and appreciate – life at every turn.

-Love the ones around you

It’s a rare day that goes by that I don’t need to count on the help, assistance and love of others.

Take a moment to express the gratitude to the people who mean the most in your life.

Whether it’s an email, a hand-written note or a face-to-face dialogue, say Thank You often.

Remember, we are all in the same boat. All just trying to do our best with the hand we were dealt.

Respect, admire and appreciate others.

-Be kind to yourself

This is perhaps one of the most recent concepts I was able to grasp. Maybe it’s from maturing a bit, finding the perfect woman to marry, or something entirely different.

Regardless, being fair, honest and true to yourself first allows you to be open and available to others.

Try not to beat yourself up. Do your best, learn from your mistakes and treat yourself well.

Now for the special gift part

As you know, my number one goal with PetSittingOlogy is to help pet sitters succeed.

I will give 3 pet sitters a complimentary 30-minute coaching session by phone.

Simply leave a comment below with what you would like to focus on during our call, and I’ll choose 3 pet sitters from the list.

No related posts.

Why is that?  Simply because choosing the best keywords and implementing them on your site is just ONE part of a full SEO strategy.

Unfortunately, just focusing on keywords alone is like just getting partially dressed to start your day.

Sure, you might be decent enough to answer the door, but you’re a ways off if, let’s say, you have a meeting to attend.

In that case, you’ll have to finish getting dressed, put on your shoes and socks, brush your teeth, do your hair, put on some makeup, gather your belongings and get on your way.

Optimizing your pet sitting website for the search engines is an equally as involved process.

And as you’ll see in my video, it’s not that difficult or mysterious.

Watch This Video Now All The Way Through To Understand The Process

How To Fully and Completely SEO your Pet Sitting Website

I could write a book on each of the steps but I hope they put things in perspective for you and help the process along.

If you have additional questions after watching the video, please leave me a comment below and I’ll try my best to answer it for you.

Step 1 – Show up in the search engines for your chosen keywords.

Yes, sometimes easier than done.  BUT, it all starts with finding the right (best, most appropriate) keywords to begin with.

Don’t pick these keywords out of thin air, either.  Use the Google Keyword Tool to get started.  Listen to this interview if you haven’t done so yet.

Finally, install Google Analytics to see how your site is performing.  Don’t know how to install or what to make of the results? That’s what I’m here for!  Just ask.

Step 2 – Entice the user to visit your site by clicking on your search result.

If a user doesn’t click on your search result, it won’t matter whether you land in the results to begin with, right?

The two most important elements to achieve this step are your through your title tag and your meta description (along with your on-page content).

Make your title tag and description unique to each page and make them enticing.

Step 3 – Give the user exactly what she is looking for.

This is a tricky step because many people don’t realize how this ties into SEO.  And it ties in on a huge scale.

You have about 5-7 seconds to capture your visitor’s interest before they click the back button and look elsewhere.

And get this: Google KNOWS if someone clicks through to your site and comes right back to their search page.

Make your site appealing, make it easy to navigate, and make it user-friendly.

Step 4 – Make it simple for your user to take action and get in touch.

Ask yourself this question: “What do I want each visitor to do before leaving my site?”

It may be to call you, fill out your contact form, or to set up an appointment.

Whatever it is, make certain your website is designed to achieve that goal.

Stay Tuned For More On SEO…

I hope you see how keyword research is only one part of a bigger SEO strategy.

If you really want your website to succeed and smash the competition in the search engines, you need to begin to implement some of the steps above.

In the coming weeks, I’ll be putting out more goodies dedicated exclusively to SEO.

You have been amazing at telling me exactly what you want and I’m not about to stop now. If you want more on SEO, all you gotta do is ask.

Leave me a comment below so I can keep you among the first notified.

Related posts:

1. The Secret To Choosing The Right Keywords For Your Pet Sitting Business Website
2. Video: How Do I Get My Pet Sitting Website In The Search Engines?
3. Is Your Pet Sitting Website A Magnet For New Visitors?

One of the ways was to expand your service area.

I then received a wonderful question from a visitor who asked:

If you want to expand your service area and you don’t currently have clients in that area how do you hire someone to start working. Most people are looking for immediate work and pay. How would I entice someone to start from scratch working to build a client base?

This is a great question, and one I deal with all the time. Watch my video response below and please continue to submit your questions and leave comments.

Here are some of the highlights from the video:

The pet sitting industry is not the only industry to operate this way (hiring first before active business).

Think of a restaurant being built. The company will build the restaurant and hire staff, servers, chefs, etc. before they have any customers.

They are hiring on the promise of work to come.

During your conversation with a potential IC, you need to make it clear that this should not be their main source of income.

You also want to listen for clues that they are not overly concerned or aggressive about the topic of pay (more on this in the video).

Towards the end of any conversation I’m having, I say “Do you have any other Qs for me?” (Remember, money has not yet been raised).

The potential candidate will either say “No” or ask about money at this point (which is OK). If they say, “No” I bring up the topic of pay.

Once you get a commitment from someone, it is imperative that you stay in touch with them on a regular basis so they don’t lose interest.

And the most important element to this entire process: you need to have confidence.

If have confidence is your business and what you are doing, the potential IC will hear that and go along with you on this journey.

Final thought: In the question above, it says, “Most people are looking for immediate work and pay.”

This is red flag for me. Watch the video to see why this is the worst quality ever.

See all the tools, resources and forms I use inside my Pet Sitter IC Tool box!

Related posts:

1. 10 Qualities of the Perfect Pet Sitter Independent Contractor [Video]
2. Pet Sitter Independent Contractor Tool Box – See Full Video Here!
3. Fully SEO Your Pet Sitting Website – Look Beyond Keywords [Video]

I just got off the phone with Amy — a potential independent contractor (IC) candidate, and she sounds perfect!

You see, there are at least 10 qualities you need to look for before inviting any pet sitter to join your team, and Amy nailed all of them in our first 20-minute phone call. (I list all 10 under the video.)

Who wants to hear the actual phone call I had today?

By the way, at Alitia’s Animals, we started recording all our phone calls (with permission, of course) and at the end of this video, you’ll learn how you can listen to the complete perfect phone call I had with Amy.

Here are the 10 qualities you need to look for in the ideal pet sitter candidate

Quick Side Note: I was so excited that, as you’ll see, I began to lose track of what number I was up to :) I then also completely missed point #6… I hope you can forgive my numbered mishap!

In the video above, I expand on exactly how Amy displayed each quality.

#1: Pass the initial online application

#2: Be honest

#3: Be intelligent

#4: Be easy to talk to

#5: Be motivated and driven

#6: Open and flexible schedule

#7: Be a natural care taker

#8: Be comfortable around all animals

#9: Be professional

#10: Be genuinely excited by the position and opportunity

Here are the other links referenced in the video

ONE: We ask each pet sitter to first submit an online questionnaire to help us weed out the candidates that may not be the best fit for us.

On this blog, I posted the 12 questions we ask every potential pet sitter along with our ‘best of the best’ answers.

TWO: Want to hear the full recording I had with Amy in its entirety? It’s now part of my Pet Sitter IC Tool box.

The tool box contains close to a dozen tools including forms, documents, contracts, checklists and a manual to help you find, interview and hire your first IC.

These are the exact same tools I use in my pet sitting business and have worked like a charm.

Watch the video as I take you behind the scenes and into the members area now.

Oh, and please leave your questions below so I can answer them for you!

Related posts:

1. Pet Sitter Independent Contractor Tool Box – See Full Video Here!
2. Is That Pet Sitter You’re Hiring An Independent Contractor or Employee? Find Out Here.
3. How to hire a pet sitter in an area where you don’t yet have clients [Video]

For Alitia’s Animals, we aim to take note of what’s working and what’s not at least once a year.  And it’s that time of year for us.

I started gathering the resources we use on a daily basis that all fit together to effectively run, manage and grow our pet sitting business.

These are everything from the intake form we use while taking that first new client phone call to the welcome home email we send to complete the job.

Do you have all your ducks in a row?

You need to consistently evaluate the tools you use day in and day out in your business to not only determine if they’re working, but to determine if they’re working the best that they can be.

All said and done, I gathered 8 pet sitting business tools we use to successfully perform each pet sitting job.  This list isn’t exhaustive but it is the bulk of it.

In the spirit of this blog, I want to continue helping as many pet sitters succeed as possible.  I will give away absolutely free the most requested resource on this page.

Read through each tool and cast your vote below.  The tool with the most votes becomes available for the taking.

Vote Here, Read Descriptions Below

Pet Sitting Service Agreement

This is our 5 page interactive document that we have all new clients fill out before service begins.  It is interactive, which simply means that we email it to the client, she fills it out on her computer using Microsoft Word, saves a copy on her computer and emails it back to us.

There is no printing, no pen, and no paper.  Instructions are also included at the end of the agreement that walk the client through exactly how to fill it out, save a copy and return it to us.

Client Intake Form

Whether it’s me, Kristina, Lisa or Alitia answering the phones, we needed a complete, and systematic form that allows us to get every piece of information we need from a potential new client.

Our one-page pet sitting client intake form works like a charm.  We have printed copies of this page nearby at all times and during the conversation, we make sure to cover each area.

Pet Sitter Phone Script

My amazing wife Alitia perfected her phone pitch seemingly out of thin air.  I’m pretty sure she created it on the go.  After hundreds of incoming phone calls, it was finally time to train others to give Alitia a much needed break!

Our phone script is word-for-word the complete dialogue we use for all new incoming calls (outside of any small talk, of course).

Each section is labeled so you can follow along with no problems.

Gift Certificate Template

Truth be told, I had no idea whether or not offering gift certificates on our website would even work.  I was thrilled to be wrong.

Our gift certificate template is a professionally designed graphic available in PDF format.  All you need to do is open up the file and enter the client’s information directly ON TO the image and send it off via email.

(Quick tip: Sell a gift certificate and you’re receiving money up front way before it’s usually redeemed.)

Recorded Incoming Client Phone Call

If you’ve ever been curious what other pet sitter client phone calls sound like, wonder no more.

We have some of Alitia’s best phone calls recorded ready to hand over.  Compare scripts, tone, persona, objections and more.

Pet Sitter Report Card

Ever hear the phrase “under promise and over deliver?”  Well, this is just one way to make that happen.

Your clients want to know at all times that their precious loved ones are doing OK.  Our pet sitter report card is left behind each visit so the client can rest easy reading the details of the entire visit.

Time of visit, eating habit and physical activity is all noted.

Follow Up Survey

If you don’t ask your clients how you’re doing, you’ll truly never really know.  It’s smart to check in every once in a while and ask for some feedback.

Our clients are most often more than happy to let us know the good and the not so good.  Getting honest feedback is one of the best ways you can grow your pet sitting business..

Welcome Home Email Template

For those clients who need to travel, the welcome home email accomplishes a few things.

First, it thanks the client for using our service and for trusting us with the care of the pet and property.

Next, it verifies that the client has returned home to find everything in satisfactory order (they will take this opportunity to communicate any issues, problems or concerns).

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, we directly ask for an online review at Google Maps and Yelp.  It’s so extremely important to not only ask for feedback and testimonials, but to ask specifically for online reviews at some of your more popular listings.

This email template is in plain text and HTML format and has worked like a charm for us.

Jump to the Voting Booth at the top of the page.

Share and Share Alike

After voting, please take a moment to let other pet sitters about this give-away. (Thanks!)

Related posts:

1. The Official Pet Sitter’s Guide To Making Google Happy [Free Download]
2. The Secret to a Successful Pet Sitting Business Revealed – The M Word
3. Your Pet Sitting Phone Pitch is Killing Your Business

No matter who you are, or what line of work you are in, most everyone suggests Facebook is the way to go.

Or at least part of the way to go.

But I’m not so sure…

Is Facebook Right for Pet Sitters?

The strangest thing happened to me on Facebook recently.

You know when you are on your profile and they “suggest” friends for you?

Well one of my suggestions the other day was my best friend David’s mother.

I know!

Facebook thought that I’d be interested in being FB friends with my friend’s mom.

Now don’t get me wrong, there’s surely nothing wrong with David’s mom, she’s a wonderful woman.

I’m just not sure if being in each others’ feeds will accomplish anything.  And we’re not even in the same part of the country.

Sure, it doesn’t cost anything to friend request people, but where does Facebook for personal life end and Facebook for business start?

I’m not sure of that line anymore.  Does it even exist?

Do You Have A Pet Sitter Account on Facebook?

So, I’m quite certain you have a Facebook personal profile, right?  But do you also have a Facebook Fan Page for your pet sitting business?

You know, that page that everyone swears will bring you heap of new clients.  Now I know there are pet sitters who swear by Facebook and have found new clients that way.

Yet the majority of pet sitters I speak to are struggling to make it work.

What’s your story?

Do you have a Facebook account for your pet sitting business?  Do you “use it?”  Is it working?  Can you share any tips or tricks to help bring in more clients?

Do you use it to keep in touch with and communicate with current pet sitting clients?  Or are you able to locate and attract new clients?

Also, feel free to list your Facebook links in the comments below.

Related posts:

1. Is Your Facebook Fan Page Hurting Your Pet Sitting Business?

Here’s a quick question for you…

How are you currently marketing your pet sitting website?

It seems like the biggest challenge on every pet sitter’s plate right now is “How in the world do I get more pet sitting clients?”

And the real question behind that is “How do I MARKET my pet sitting website,” right?

It’s tricky because there’s no one answer that will satisfy everyone.

Part of the answer depends on things like:

a) How is your website currently working for you (meaning how much traffic are you getting, what keywords are you ranking well for, how many phone call/emails do you receive each day, etc.)

b) What skills or ability do you have VS. What skills or ability are you completely in the dark with?

The answers to those questions help paint the complete picture so you know what to focus on next.

4 Steps to More Pet Sitting Clients

As you know, I’ve been building websites for many years and am a firm believer that any pet sitter can be (and SHOULD be) using their website as the majority of their marketing efforts.

However, in order to successfully gain more clients from your website is a 4-part process.

Many pet sitters falsely believe that simply showing up in the search engines is their biggest obstacle.

Unfortunately, that is only part 1 of the puzzle.

Here are the 4 steps you need to master in order to win a new client.

STEP 1: Land high in the search results when a potential client is searching for your service.

STEP 2: Make sure potential client CLICKS on your link in the search results and VISITS your site.

STEP 3: Provide potential client all the necessary info so they take ACTION and get in touch with you.

STEP 4: Be the life saver/hero on the phone and sell them on your service.

And that brings me to the main point of today’s email:

Help Me Help You!

I need to know what you know and what you don’t know.

I can sit here and rattle off a bunch of things that you can do to improve your website, but if you don’t know WHAT I’m talking about or HOW to make the adjustments, we’re both wasting our time, right?

So, help me help you.

Leave a note below and give me your biggest challenge or frustration when it comes to marketing your website.

I’ll take a bunch of the replies and answer them for you (either in a blog post, audio recording, video reply, etc).

Let me know what you need to know and I’ll make it happen.

[ad#Adsense 336x280 Bottom]

Related posts:

1. Easy Two Step Online Marketing for Pet Sitters You Can Do Today
2. Fully SEO Your Pet Sitting Website – Look Beyond Keywords [Video]

Get Better Search Engine Rankings By Tomorrow – Podcast and Workbook!

The 3 Most Important Steps to Finally Landing in Google.

YOUR WEB HOST

Think your web host doesn’t play a major part of your search engine rankings? Think again!

You’ll quickly discover:

• What makes a good web host?
• How your web host may be holding you back from better Google results
• And why is a good web host so important, anyway?

Theme: How does a good web host help search engine rankings?

YOUR WEBSITE BUILDER

Ever spend time around someone that just seems to suck the life right out of you and drains your energy?

Well, your website builder could be causing you the same distress and you may not even realize it. (Scary, I know.)

You’ll see first hand how your own website builder can be your biggest problem. (And I’ll introduce you to better, free alternative builders.)

In this second part, you’ll discover:

• What makes a web builder NOT search engine friendly, and what you can do about it.
• How your web builder can actually prevent you from landing in Google.
• How Google ‘sees’ your page once you hit publish.

Theme: What you don’t see WILL hurt you.

HOW TO THINK LIKE YOUR VISITOR

Let me ask you this question…

Why do you have the current pages that you do on your pet sitting website? Why did you choose to create those exact pages?

And, are those the pages your visitor cares about or wants to see? Are those pages really helping you any?

In this third part, you’ll discover:

• How to give your visitor EXACTLY what they came to your site to find in the first place. (Hint: This has nothing to do with keyword research!)
• How to make certain your visitor doesn’t “tattle tale” on you to Google.
• How to put yourself miles ahead of your competition.
• Why your current pages (the most typical ones) are almost pointless.

Theme: Are You Thinking Like Your Visitor?

Download the Complete 30-Minute PODCAST and Workbook

In this easy-to-follow 30 minute podcast, you will:

1: Put yourself miles ahead of the competition and have the search engines fall in love with you.

2: Discover the “Big Secret” to making Google happy.

3: Find the one question to ask yourself that will put you down the road to success.

4: Understand why your current pages are hurting your search engine rankings and how to change that.

I’ve made it a no-brainer to get a hold of this… I’m offering the entire 30-minute podcast with 4-page workbook to PetSittingOlogy readers for $20.

Yep, that’s it… Really, just $20. BUT…

That price goes up at the end of the month so grab your copy now!

Related posts:

1. Video: How Do I Get My Pet Sitting Website In The Search Engines?
2. Getting Listed in The Major Local Search Directories
3. Fully SEO Your Pet Sitting Website – Look Beyond Keywords [Video]

Naturally, there are plenty of listings for pet sitters trying to find their next pet sitting client.

Some listings are from established companies, while others, uh, are not.

I’d like to share with you a listing that caught my eye. Unfortunately, it was for the wrong reasons.

3 Ways to Make Your Pet Sitter Ads Better

Below is the exact ad (minus identifying pieces) followed by 3 easy, effective and free adjustments you could make that I guarantee will increase your response rate.

1: Grammar, Capitalization, Spelling

You may not think grammar, punctuation and capitalization matter, but they sure do.

There are a few misspelled words in the example post and for my money there’s no excuse for it. I personally am a terrible speller. But you know who’s a great speller? Microsoft Word!

There are so many spell checks around today that there’s no excuse for misspelled words. (I’m also not certain why the word ‘job’ in the title is plural.)

Example:

would u keep reading this post if i came right out an said hey i really need to make rent this month so please sign up as my next caoching client ASAP! No, for real, my rent is only $1200/month so i only need a few of you to sign up by next Friday at the very latest!

A Better Example:

Thanks so much for reading my blog. I hope it’s been helpful. If I can continue to help in any way, feel free to get in touch with me directly with any specific questions or issues you’re currently facing and we’ll see if we can’t work you through them together. (I know how frustrating and difficult finding new clients can sometimes be.)

Oh, and as a special thank you, I’m now offering a completely FREE 20-minute phone consultation. The first 10 pet sitters to Tweet this or Post on Facebook before next Friday are in!

Which example would you most respond to?

2: Desperation

Clients or customers do not respond to desperation. Wait… People in general rarely respond to desperation.

“Please buy from me” “I really need you to buy from me” or “I need the money quickly” will not work.

A better approach might be to toot your own horn a bit. If you have some testimonials from past happy clients, even better.

If not, start getting some. Then in the listing, come up with a few things that make you the most amazing pet sitter ever (and perfect choice).

Example:

“Does your cat seem to hide and run in the other room whenever a friend visits? Well, I don’t know what it is but cats seem to love me! Call me today and let’s set up a complimentary meet-n-greet and see for yourself why cats adore me!”

Or

“Wish you could get Cesar Millan the Dog Whisperer to care for your pooch? Well, I’ve been told that I’m like the Dog Silent Communicator! No whispering needed. Call me now and watch the wonderful relationship unfold before your eyes.”

3: Lack of Trust or Association Established

I couldn’t be a bigger advocate for getting a pet sitting website up and running. Whether you choose to build one yourself or hire someone to help is a completely separate topic, but you must go in one of those two directions.

Even if you do not build a pet sitting website for yourself, you must build some sort of web presence where a potential client can read more about you and the service you provide.

Create a free Google Profile, Facebook Fan Page or WordPress page. Period. You have now set yourself apart from those who have not and are a step closer to building the relationship and the trust with your target market.

(PS – I do recommend a self-hosted WordPress blog on your own website (IE. examplepetbiz.com/blog) rather than the hosted version from the WordPress link above, but either approach is better than no approach.)

What Do You Make of All This?

I hope it’s been clear that my goal is not to rip apart this seemingly innocent attempt by someone to make an honest dollar, but rather to show 3 specific ways you can make a listing even better and attract the very clients you are going after.

The suggestions I’ve presented are simple to implement and cost no money.

So, what do you think about the original listing and the suggestions I’ve presented? Will they work? What other suggestions would you have here?

Related posts:

1. Why Your Pet Sitting Logo Is So Gosh Darn Important And How To Make It Stand Out

Some pet sitters are already doing it, some have WordPress up and running but have not yet started writing, and others are not quite sure how to get going.

Whether you realize it or not, blogging on a regular basis will do you so much good that it’s not even funny. Seriously.

By simply writing once a day or once a week, you will be enhancing your search engine credibility and will find new visitors to your site on a regular basis.

You will also show your potential clients that you are an expert at what you do. You are saying, “I know what I’m talking about, I am a professional, and you can trust me with your pet.”

Think you don’t have anything to write about?

Think again. Take some time out and listen to this amazing interview I held with the very person responsible for search engine optimization (SEO) of the MSN.com website. (Be careful though, it’s very inspiring stuff.)

OK, after you have WordPress up and running and you know what to write about, it’s time to consider the title of your post (easily one of the most important factors when it comes to readership and SEO, alike).

Why is the blog title so important?

For two reasons.

1: Your blog title holds plenty of weight in the eyes of Google. So get it right, and they’ll drive lots o’ traffic your way.

2: Your blog title is what appears as the big blue link in Google and it’s what the user scans to make a split second decision as to whether or not they want to click through and read more.

You want your title to be so catchy, so powerful and so enticing that the majority of users who only get a chance to read your title click through to your site.

The Top Four Places To Find Blog Title Ideas

I’m not going to reinvent the wheel. There have been plenty of articles written about blog titles that work.

Here is a sampling of the best of the best.

10 Sure Fire Headline Formulas That Work
http://www.copyblogger.com/10-sure-fire-headline-formulas-that-work/

How To Optimize Blog Post Titles
http://www.marketingpilgrim.com/2008/03/optimize-blog-post-titles.html

How to Craft Post Titles that Draw Readers Into Your Blog
http://www.problogger.net/archives/2008/08/20/how-to-craft-post-titles-that-draw-readers-into-your-blog/

10 Blog Post Title Templates
http://blogbuildingu.com/articles/10-blog-post-title-templates

How Would You Like 102 Blog Headline Templates?

Those links above should put you heading in the right direction. But to take your blog writing truly to the next level, I got my hands on a powerful report…

Authority Blogger Chris Garrett released a special report that contains 102 proven headline formulas.

As he puts it: “Take these fill-in-the blanks templates and complete them to create your own compelling, click-getting headlines.”

I admit I’ve used many of the formulas for lots of my blog posts (including for the title of this very article).

If you want me to send you over a copy of the PDF report, just leave a comment below, and I’ll make sure you get a copy.

Now get writing on your blog!

Related posts:

1. 16 Steps To A Perfect Pet Sitting Job
2. The Secret To Choosing The Right Keywords For Your Pet Sitting Business Website
3. The Secret to a Successful Pet Sitting Business Revealed – The M Word