Most likely, you became a dog trainer to help dogs. However, it is difficult to help dogs if your phone isn’t ringing and you’re not getting new clients month to month. In this introduction to marketing for dog trainers, I’m going to discuss 5 strategies you can implement this week to get more clients in the coming months.
Marketing for Dog Trainers
When most people think of advertising, marketing, or sales, they usually get a knot in their stomach. They have become “dirty” words that identify slimy sales people who only care about getting your money. Fortunately, times are changing and I couldn’t be more excited about it!
Advertising is mostly about interrupting someone’s online experience with undesired ads, pop ups, or auto-play videos. And I’m willing to bet that this kind of advertising doesn’t bug anyone more than me! Fortunately, modern marketing is starting to take a different path.
The approach behind marketing these days is to meet people where they want to be reached. Go where they are looking for help and provide something that they find valuable. For example, if a potential client is searching “how to train my dog” on Google, a modern dog trainer would have an article that shows up on the first page of the search results with tips on “how to train your dog.” This approach offers something of value to a potential customer and will build trust, start a relationship, and drive a desire for more from that resource. Hmm… sounds a little familiar to modern dog training? Essentially, you’re starting to build a positive association for yourself in the eyes of potential customers.
“The Google”
Where do you go to learn more about a certain subject? For most people, that’s a search on Google. Google has positioned itself as THE search engine people use to learn about a problem they’re experiencing. With dog training, problems could include chewing, barking, pulling, digging, etc. Understanding how Google works is important, if not the MOST important, marketing strategy a dog trainer could use. I have personal experience with this.
Late last year my husband and I decided to move from Texas to New York for a variety of reasons. Scary! I knew I had to master Google so that my business would show up in my new service area. Five months before the move I implemented several tactics to demonstrate to the search engine that my business was moving. The techniques I put into place meant I had clients calling me from my new service area within my first month of living there. In fact, I had a client booked before I even had time to file for my new LLC!
The benefits of mastering search engine optimization (SEO) are undeniable. SEO can help every dog training company stay ahead of their competition – new or old. Most of your future clients will find you through Google search results or paid Google Adwords campaigns.
Social Media
Social media can monopolize your time if you’re not careful. Most potential clients will look you up on social media before they give you a ring so you can’t ignore it. A strategic approach is key to not wasting time on social media. Tools like Buffer or Hootsuite can help you mass-schedule posts on multiple platforms at once – time and life saver!
Social media is also picking up speed when it comes to searches. There are millions of searches performed on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and more every single day. Sites like Facebook will recommend friends of friends to like pages. Social media plays a crucial role in building trust in potential customers and most potential customers check out you social media to make sure your company is still active. Take some time every week to set up a schedule of posts to share on you social media accounts.
Blogging (and Vlogging)
Blogging has evolved into something more than an online diary of one’s personal stories. Blogging is now used by some of the most well-known brands like Evernote, SalesForce, and Etsy. A company blog helps you build rapport with current and future customers. A blog page is one of the most visited pages on a website as people research their potential purchase. This is one of the best places to share your company’s story, share success stories, and make announcements. Like social media, an inactive blog can signal to potential customers that you’re not available so come up with a strategy to maintain your blog if you start one.
Getting New Leads
PPC advertising or “Pay Per Click” advertising is intimidating. Many inexperienced small business owners over spend very quickly which leads to a traumatic one-event learning experience. It can be hard to come back from (I should know, it’s happened to me), but PPC advertising with Google Adwords can be one of the fastest ways to get new leads. At first glance, Google Adwords can seem easy, but there are many detailed options you should know about to control your spending. Mastering Google Adwords can easily be the quickest way to grow your business so it is worth a second look.
Digital Marketing for Dog Trainers
Digital marketing is something that modern dog trainers need to learn about right now. Times are changing and business that don’t change won’t make it. Fewer people are relying on word of mouth and are turning toward Google and social media to find the help they need. Make sure you’re there when they’re looking for you!
I’m working on a new book on digital marketing for dog trainers. If you’re interested in growing your dog training business to the next level, going from part-time to full-time, or simply want to start getting more consistent client flow each month,you’re going to want to read this book. Sign up below to receive a notification when it is released and an exclusive discount for subscribers only.
“Digital Marketing for Dog Trainers” will teach you how to:
Show up on the first page of Google to get more clients
Get leads immediately with Google Adwords campaigns
Get more people to call once they land on your website
Create a blog that makes you unique & valuable to clients (and isn’t a waste of time)
Manage and automate your social media like a pro
Start an email subscription list customers will love
Track and measure your efforts to stop wasting time
And more because I keep adding to the list every day!
Let’s see how we can grow your dog training business to the next level. Whether you’re going from part-time to full-time or simply want to get new clients more consistently each month, you can benefit from a course I’m working on.
Coming up with names for any business can be rather fun. For dog trainers, we tend to think of cute names that may draw clients into training that sounds happy and joyful. Fun aside, naming your business has important difficulties as well as benefits if you plan ahead.
The big problem with business names.
The biggest problem you’re going to have in naming your business is finding one that isn’t already taken. The second biggest problem is going to be finding a name that is available as a web address for your website as well as any social channels you want to use to market and promote your business.
Twitter sets a 15 character limit on usernames, or the @ name. If your business name is Dogs Rock Awesome Dog Training, you’re going to have some problems getting that down to a memorable 15 character name. While Facebook’s limit is 70 characters for Page names, people are using mobile apps more often, so the longer name may prevent them from searching for you.
In a perfect world your business name will be available as a web address domain, Facebook Page, and usernames on Twitter, Youtube, and Instagram at the least. Branding across platforms is important. While we can provide links from the domain to Youtube or from Youtube to Twitter, people need to find you first to click the link. You want to be findable without people having to visit one of your channels first.
Do you really need a business name?
Technically, you already have a business name. Your personal name is your business until you register a Doing Business As (DBA) with your county licensing office as a front for your personal name. Is there anything wrong with John Smith Dog Training? Absolutely not. You are the face for your brand. You’re doing the training. You might as well be transparent about it and use your name.
Pros:
The web address is probably available for either just your name or with the service: JohnSmith.com or JohnSmithDogTraining.com.
Once people meet you your name is easy to remember.
Your name travels with you, so should you move you won’t have to rebrand.
Your name can change services, so if you add boarding services later you don’t have to worry about changing the web address to reflect that.
Cons:
No one knows who you are, so marketing can be difficult.
JohnSmith.com could be any service. Without keywords in the domain name you have to really use your web content to get on the front page of Google searches.
If you grow to the point you hire employees clients may be confused when John Smith doesn’t show up at their door to train their dog.
Location as your business name.
When people go searching the internet for a dog trainer the most common search is My City Dog Training. While using your city and Dog Training sounds boring, it really will move you to the front page of Google pretty quickly. If your goal is to get up and running quickly and you don’t care about creative names, this is the fastest route.
Pros:
More likely to get on the front page of Google.
You can hire any employees without creating confusion.
Social channels will probably be available if the domain is available.
Cons:
If you live in a common city name like Springfield, your name may already be taken by a busniess in another state.
Moving becomes a problem. While you can forward MyCityDogTraining.com to MyNewCityDogTraining.com, you’re still basically starting over with a brand new business.
Creating a name.
When I was thinking of business names I spent a lot of time searching the internet for naming “rules.” One of the most helpful pieces of advice I found was to create a name that didn’t require you to spell it when said out loud. The concept is, if you’re at a networking event, noisy conference, or hanging out in a bar, you should be able to say your business name and have it understood.
The out loud rule is very difficult for dog trainers. Domain names may be available using “K9” instead of “canine,” or “dawg,” instead of “dog,” but those names will require a whole lot of explanation and spelling if you’re passing your name verbally. Is it possible to market and succeed with words shortened and misspelled? Yes, but it will probably take more time and you’d need to make sure you have business cards on you at all times.
Ebay and Google are names that had no meaning before they started. You can let your creative juices flow and just create a name. OgDay? Doggle? Making up words can be fun, just remember that marketing and focused keywords on your website are going to be very important. Also, watch out for bad words or alternative meanings in the middle of made up words. Sinep might sound snappy, but read it backwards.
Putting two or more words together to make one shorter word can help with the character limits on social media channels. An example might be taking the first few letters of Reward Based Training, and creating RewBa Train. Rewba.com and RewBaTrain.com are available, and social channels probably would be. While marketing and branding will still be important, if you do it right this kind of name can be memorable more quickly than a completely new made up word.
If you keep entering domains into a domain search and they’re taken, it may be time to get some help. There are hundreds of business name generators online that can spark ideas and will check domain availability at the same time.
NameMesh will take your keywords and make new words, find synonyms, and give you “new” domain options. New domain options have different endings to .com and are geared toward defining your business. For instance, you can now get .training or .photography. Some fun options might be dog.ninja or canine.guide. Existing domains have first option for the new domain, so if you own dogtraining.com you have the first option to buy dog.training. Competition is still high for the new domains as people buy them for investments instead of use, but using them allows you more options.
Panabee is another name generator that merges words and concepts pretty effectively. Enter a few words and you’ll get quite a few options. Panabee doesn’t include the new domain endings, so use this if you want to stick with a .com, .net, and .org.
If your all time perfect domain name is taken, visit the site and see what’s there. If you see a splash page from a host like GoDaddy, at the top you will see, “Welcome to: (domain name,) This Web page is parked for FREE, courtesy of GoDaddy.com. This usually means someone is sitting on the domain as an investment. Domain name buying for resale to someone who really wants it isn’t as popular as it once was, but it’s still done. If you really, really want it, go to the webhost (GoDaddy in the example above,) and put in the domain name in the domain search. You will get a result page that says the domain is taken, but in tiny text next to that is, “ Still want it? Here’s what to do.” Follow the link and you’ll get a page offering to contact the owner for you to see if they’ll sell. Expect to pay big. Premium domains run between $500 and $2500 on average.
Due diligence.
While it may not be that big of a deal for your business name to be close to another business in another state, you want to be sure you’re not stepping on any toes in your home market. Search for your city and “dog training,” for your area and see what businesses are on the first three pages of Google. It’s also a good time to see who your main competition is and how they’re using they’re keywords and name and branding. If your main competition uses K9, you might want to stay away from any name using that shortcut.
Just because a domain is available does not mean it’s not trademarked. You can do a quick trademark search at the U.S. Patent Office’s Trademark Electronic Search System. The last thing you want is to spend money and time on building brand name recognition only to receive a cease and desist letter.
Did we miss an idea? How did you come up with your business name? Leave us a comment!
As we hit the beginning of November it’s time to start planning for the usual annual holiday downtime. Other than much needed days off, how should we prioritize annual administration tasks? What gets us the most bang for the time spent?
Get holiday/thank you cards and gifts ordered
Even if you’re not comfortable sending out cards wishing clients a happy holiday, you can still send out thank you cards. “Thank you for making this year so special.” Why send out cards? Those clients you worked with back in March may be having new problems or may have neighbors who are getting a new puppy. Getting your name in front of them again encourages referrals. Watch for deals on printing websites such as VistaPrint and FedEx/Kinkos.
Send thank you gifts to clients and veterinarians with the largest referrals. A gift basket with healthy snacks that can be shared by the veterinarian team or family can be cheap and easy to make. Delivering gifts in person allows you to see if referrers need more cards, brochures, or are planning any events that you might be able to participate in.
Review accounting software and systems to prepare for tax time
Tax time is typically a busy time for dog trainers since it follows on the heels of holiday puppy season. Taking the time to review your system, whether it’s working, and whether there is a better alternative can save you hours in the next year. How are you tracking your income each day? How are you tracking income and expenses? How are you tracking client packages, discounts, and referral bonuses? If you have a sliding scale of rates, which one did you charge most this year? Are you decreasing your income more than you think? Are items you supply such as treats really eating into your bottom line?
The best accounting system to use is the one you’ll actually use. If you find yourself trying to recreate income and enter receipts weeks after you’ve earned or spent the money, your system isn’t working. If your system requires hours of work each week, it may be time to spend some money on an automated or semi-automated system such as Wave, Xero, QuickBooks or Godaddy Bookkeeping.
Are you saving for retirement or emergencies? This is an area most dog trainers neglect. Just do it. Even $10 a month in a savings account is better than nothing.
Review time-tracking, scheduling, and client management systems.
Are you spending hours each week sending reminders or calling clients to remind them of appointments? Are you entering appointments in multiple places? Have you missed multiple appointments this year? How do you track client applications and waivers?
There are as many systems as there are dog trainers. The one to use is the one that saves you the most time and gets you where you’re supposed to be at the right time. Online forms built into your website can save you some typing, and most forms can forward to a newsletter email list through Zapier.
There are numerous CRM’s (Customer Relationship Management systems) out there. Some are as simple as a spreadsheet, and some have the ability to send reminders, schedule appointments, and store homework. Popular paid solutions include Evernote, Nimble, DogBizPro, SuperSaas, Google for Work, Highrise, and PocketSuite.
How much time are you spending doing individual homework instructions for each client? Should you spend some time building your own library so you can just copy/paste/individualize for new clients?
Review website design, keywords, and search engine optimization.
If you haven’t done it already, first on your list is to set up a Google Search Consoleaccount. Formerly known as Webmaster Tools, this service will tell you how Google sees your website, from the density of important keywords like, “dog training,” to which page people leave your website from. The last page they see is important. For example, if visitors are getting to your Contact page and then bailing, your form may be too long.
Is information easy to find? How far into your website does a visitor need to go to find scheduling times, group class start dates, registration, and pricing information? Is your location and phone number on every page? Does your layout and content look professional?
Google yourself. What page of Google does your business appear on? Who are your biggest competitors and how do they rank higher? Check out their keywords, descriptions that appear on the Google search results, page titles, etc. They’re doing it right. Take notes and see how to incorporate some of those ideas into your own website.
Make plans and goals for the new year.
Will you be giving yourself a raise? If so, is it in-line with your competition? Will you announce it on your website or just charge new clients the new amount and old clients the old amount? While it may seem nicer to grandfather in existing clients, the more charging tiers you have the more difficult it is to track exactly how much you’re making each week.
Are you planning a certification or organization membership or do you really want to go to a conference? Work on your budget now so you have the money to do it. Conference registration costs are about $40 a month without airfare and hotel. Can you set aside $5 per client hour for ongoing education and certification costs? How will you remember to do it and put those funds in a safe place?
Are you low on veterinarian referrals? How can you make yourself more desirable and promote yourself to that group of people? Spend some time setting up a plan and the materials you’ll need to introduce yourself.
Can you pivot by adding a new service? Could you be making some money on retail sales? If you’re always sending links to online sources for treats, harnesses, interactive toys, treat bags, etc., does it make sense to do a minimum wholesale order and charge retail prices at the client’s session? The client gets the item right away, and you get a little extra money. Warning, this will usually require a wholesaler’s license and more accounting due to taxes. It may not be worth the headache, but it’s something you should review.
Catch up on learning. Are you behind in some of the newest techniques and training protocols? You might consider signing up with Tawzer Dog DVD Rentals for a few months to catch up. You can also read some of those books you purchased through the year and incorporate them into new training plans for next year.
What items are on your “to do” list for the end of the year?
Dog Training Business Tips
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There are many professional organizations out there for dog trainers to join. How do you possibly decide which one(s) to give your money to? I recently joined the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC) as a basic supporting member, and could not be happier with my decision. Following are the top 10 reasons to consider joining the IAABC:
Free videos for CEU’s – Once you join the IAABC, even if you are joining at the basic supporting membership level, you have immediate access to free lectures and webinars. These are changed/added to on a regular basis. But not only are they free; you can actually earn CEU’s for watching them and answering a few quick questions!
Conference registration discounts – I was given the honor of attending the IAABC’s dog behavior conference in Chicago earlier this year, and I can honestly say it was one of the most educational and beneficial conferences I’ve ever attended. As a member of the IAABC, you get discounted ticket prices to their conferences. They already have their dog and cat conference scheduled for 2016, and for 2017 they are hoping to add horse and parrot conferences as well.
Member discounts – Enjoy discounts to Dogwise, Tawzer Dog, The Clicker Company, Behavior Works, E-Training for Dogs, and Dogsafe.
IAABC Animal Behavior Consulting courses – As part of their education initiative, you can take online courses that are interactive and educational. The first one they are offering is “Conducting Remote Feline Behavior Consultations.” IAABC members get a 15% discount on the course, but they also offered a code to audit it for free. They are soon going to be collaborating with the Karen Pryor Academy to offer discounts on coursework.
Discussions – The IAABC offers many different ways to converse/consult with fellow members. You can talk to people via their very active Facebook member group, LinkedIn, and Yahoo groups. There is a general members Yahoo group along with species-specific groups. As a member, you are welcome to join any/all of the species-specific groups to benefit from the shared knowledge.
Appropriate for all skill levels – There is no need for advanced degrees and decades of training experience to join the IAABC. Trainers of all skill levels will benefit from the offered courses, conferences, and discussions with other members.
Inclusive of all science-based trainers – Here at The Modern Dog Trainer, we endorse force-free training methods. The IAABC follows the LIMA principle – Least Invasive, Minimally Aversive. That means there may be some people you interact with that use training methods/tools you might not agree with. However, so much can be gained when people are able to have honest, level-headed, thoughtful discussions with those from different backgrounds/philosophies.
Multi-species – When you sign up with the IAABC, you choose a “division” – dog, cat, parrot, horse, or working animal. That being said, you are permitted to join the other divisions’ discussion lists and watch any of the videos. Even if you never plan on training anything but dogs, there is always something to be learned from watching other species get trained.
Upcoming Principles & Practice course – Launching in 2016, this will be a multi-week, multi-module, multi-speaker self-study course. This course will provide an overview of the many facets of animal behavior consulting for all species, from domestic animals to exotics, appropriate for experienced animal behavior consultants and practitioners as well as those newer to the field.
Committed to higher standards – The IAABC heavily promotes continued learning and has an extensive Code of Ethics that members must follow. The IAABC is constantly evolving and adding new educational opportunities and programs for members.
Are you a member of the IAABC or other professional organization? Tell us about it!
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This article was provided by the Certification Council of Professional Dog Trainers to accompany our brand new podcast! Learn from professional dog trainers who have made the transition into full-time business owners before. We’re sharing our tips for those who are just starting out. Don’t forget to listen to the first episode of The Modern Dog Trainer Podcast!
So You Want to be a Dog Trainer?
Love for dogs? Check!
Want to make your own schedule and work autonomously? Check!
Desire to make money doing something fulfilling? Check!
Sounds like you want to be a dog trainer! The good news is that dog training can be a lucrative and fulfilling career if you can make it! The bad news is, there are some barriers to entry with choosing a career as a dog trainer.
Becoming a Full-time Dog Trainer
If you’re still reading, it sounds like you’re ready to take the plunge. And as a board member of the leading independent certifying agency for dog training professionals, I believe that you can do it. But before you begin, you should start thinking about some of the things you need to do to be successful. And while you’ve likely thought about stocking up on treats, leashes, and training collars; you have likely not thought about some of the intangibles that are worth your consideration before making the jump into full-time dog training. Things like:
Your schedule will be all over the place. As a dog trainer, you are in the service industry. People in the service industry work when their clientele do not. For a dog trainer, that means nights and weekends. Think about your current schedule, and think about how that may change when you become a dog trainer. If you have loads of commitments, hobbies, and engagements that happen during night and weekend hours; are you willing to give up that life?
A good support system. Maybe it is a spouse who is willing to support you as you leave to teach that 7:30pm class or book your Saturday full of clients. Or a healthy savings account that you can dip into in the months before you make it big time. Either way, you need something to fall back on as this can be an emotionally and financially draining profession.
Dog training is very often a second career for people. And many are disappointed to find that after 20 years of building a livable salary for themselves working at their first career, they struggle to make ends meet as a dog trainer. But think about it this way: you may have had a successful career in one field, but entering the dog training field, you are starting back at entry level. That may mean taking jobs that are not your dream job just to work with dogs. . . and doing it at an entry level salary. If you persist, it gets better. . . we promise. But you’ve got to make a name for yourself before you start making big bucks! Oh, and those big bucks we’re talking about. . . probably just a mid-range salary for someone coming out of the business world.
A love for people. Here’s a biggie. Dog trainers never get into this field thinking about how much they love working with people. They want to help dogs. But here’s the truth. . . dog’s don’t pay your salary, their owners do! So, in order to be a successful dog trainer, you have to be good with dogs and GREAT with people. And many times you may feel like you are in sales, you’re selling yourself and dog training more than you are just training a dog. So brush up on that etiquette, you’ve got people to meet!
So after all of this do you still want to be a dog trainer? Well, here’s the good news: it’s a fun job for the right individual. And very fulfilling. If becoming a dog training professional intrigues you, we encourage you to check out our website at www.ccpdt.org for more information.
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When a prospective client calls you, it is unlikely that they know exactly what to expect. Usually, all they know is that they are in over their heads and they need professional help. Here we discuss the process a successful dog training guides their client through to create a satisfying customer journey.
Acquiring a Dog Training Client
Clients usually get your contact information through four main sources.
Search Google for local dog trainers
Their vet refers them to you after you’ve created a strong relationship with the vet.
Advertising you have paid for in local news sources.
Another trainer refers them to you if they are unqualified or don’t have time.
Initial Dog Training Consult
The client then goes through an initial consultation either on the phone or in person. This is where you gather as much information about their case as you can. During this consultation, you can develop a training plan that will suite the needs of the dog as well as the family’s situation. This takes a deep understanding of animal behavior training and setting realistic goals for this particular dog and family. Each family will require different environmental setups and each dog will learn in their own way. The more families you work with, the more you will expand your tools in your toolbox.
Several Lessons to Follow-Up
Several lessons are usually needed to make progress in any case. Rarely will one lesson solve an issue. Several lessons allow you to address other issues that may pop up and will allow you to make sure clients are implementing training techniques correctly. Client’s quality of life should improve quickly and they should start to see the “light at the end of the tunnel.”
Follow-Up After Dog Training Lessons
Most new trainers fail when it comes to this part of the client’s journey. (It is something I have done in the past due to lack of experience and understanding.) It is easy to complete lessons and then never initiate conversations with the client again once their problems are “fixed.” However, this is a huge missed opportunity! Maintaining a relationship with the client means you can offer them more services (and continue your income). They will maintain their dog’s training better in the long run. And, ultimately, you’ll stay fresh in their mind so when their friends complain about their dog’s behavior, they can quickly recommend you!
Many factors play a role in satisfying clients. Dog training is a challenging service because much of what contributes to the success of the dog’s training is out of your hands. You can make recommendations, but there is no way to quickly “fix” the dog without complete cooperation from the owner. Even then, many other factors contribute that are out of your control – genetics, history, environment, etc.
Factors that you CAN control include:
Good communication & social skills
Strong training skills/knowledge
Understanding of family dynamics
Good policies, time management, upholding your promises/appointments
Follow up with client after lessons are complete
Provide additional services for maintaining training for dog & relationship with owner
Being a successful dog trainer means being an ever-learning business owner so you can provide the ultimate experience for your customers. In the end, the most successful businesses have a lot of word of mouth referrals. What part of the dog training client’s journey do you need to improve? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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At some point in a dog trainer’s career, they are going to get approached by a rescue asking to work with them for a discount. How do you decide if this is a wise decision?
Are You Willing?
This is the often the hardest decision. Are you willing to discount your prices, possibly drastically, to assist a rescue with their fosters and adopters? This is a personal decision that nobody can make for you. Is it going to impact the time you can spend with full-cost clients? Are you going to offer to help a limited number of hours/fosters a week? Are you going to offer a discounted rate not only to current fosters that the rescue is paying for, but also adopters from that rescue?
Is It A Reputable Rescue?
There are dozens, if not hundreds, of rescues in every big city. How do you determine which ones you are willing to attach your name to? As a modern dog trainer, you are probably passionate about using only force-free methods. Does your potential rescue affiliate feel the same way, or will they be alternating between you and a more aversive trainer? That can be confusing for both the dogs and the fosters trying to work with them, so you need to decide if it’s worth laying out restrictions that dogs you work with can ONLY work with you. Or decide if you want to skip that rescue entirely if they are not willing to commit to force-free training.
Are You Confident Referring To Other Trainers?
There are a great many dogs out there with serious issues – aggression to dogs/people/small furry animals, resource guarding, separation anxiety, etc. If you do not have enough experience to safely and effectively work with these animals, are you confident in admitting that? And do you have the trainer connections to be able to refer the rescue to another trainer that can work with those issues?
Can You Handle The Emotional Baggage?
Rescues have limited resources. Because of this, they may not have the money or dedicated fosters required to work through some longer-term issues like reactivity or separation anxiety. This means the dogs may get shuffled to another rescue (and possibly a harsher trainer), or they may get euthanized. Are you going to be able to handle knowing that a dog you worked with got euthanized because you couldn’t “fix” it in the allotted time frame?
Choosing to work with a rescue is a big commitment. However, if you can find a good rescue, you may find that your clientele increases, offsetting your reduced rate, because they recommend you to their adopters. You’ll have the pleasure of watching foster homes learn how to train humanely, and see dogs with less than perfect prior lives come out of their shells or learn to stay home alone or walk nicely on leash. You’ll have great satisfaction when you see one of the dogs you worked with get into an amazing home, and you know that you helped with that. It’s not a decision to be made lightly, but it can be immensely fulfilling.
You’ve got your WordPress website set up and now you want to add some bells and whistles. Here are the 5 Must Have plugins to get you – and keep you – up and running.
Useful WordPress Plugins for Dog Trainers Websites
Security
You many not think your little local dog training website could be a victim of hacking and viruses, but think again. Hacking and viruses can take many forms and can effect your Google rankings. Google can blacklist your site for security reasons, or a virus can redirect all your links to spam topics and degrade your page rank. Yikes!
iThemes Security is a free plugin with some really nice security features that’s easy to use. Just head on over to the Dashboard and let iThemes Security guide you through all the settings. Fix High Priority settings first, then move down to Medium and Low.
There are a number of Brute Force Attack security items that are really helpful. A Brute Force Attack is a computer attempting to log into the Admin area of your website in order to take it over. First, you can set the plugin to lockout anyone after 3 login attempts. Note that if you do this you may lock yourself out, so be sure to keep your login information up to date.
You can also hide the login page (wp-login.php, wp-admin, admin, and login) altogether, making it harder to find by automated attacks and making it easier for users unfamiliar with the WordPress platform to remember. Try /abracadabra or /click-and-treat to personalize the url you go to to login.
Setting up your website correctly and using your target keywords in the content is the only way to get on the first page of Google search results. The old days of listing a ton of Metatag keywords are over. Content is king and Google is very good at determining what is useful.
Yoast SEO is a hardcore helper in helping you get higher search rankings. Take the Introductory Tour after installing the plugin to get an idea of your options. You can automatically change blog titles, enter Webmaster Tools verification codes, and create XML maps to enter into Google Webmaster Tools so your website is indexed correctly.
On each page or post you can enter Focus Keywords in an analysis window and the plugin will determine your keyword density for that page. You can change page titles and enter Meta descriptions for specific SEO purposes right on each post. If you’re sharing blog posts, you can dictate how they appear on individual social media platforms by clicking on the Social tab. If you want a specific photo, description, or title to appear on Facebook posts versus Twitter posts, you can do that!
One of the problems dog trainers have with maintaining their own websites is having the time. During slow periods you can get a lot done, but it may be two or three months before you get back to it again.
When you have the time you may spend a few hours trying to tweak something specific. You’ve posted in a support forum, done a search on Google and found a bit of code. You follow the instructions and “Oh my gosh! It works! Hurray!” A few months later when you want to change something else you have no idea what you changed, where you found whatever you changed, or even how to undo it to make your new idea work. What do you do?
Keep program and change notes in the WP Admin Microblog. The Microblog is a backend blog that is hidden from visitors to your website. It works just like a mini-blog with post titles and the ability to attach media files and search previous entries. You can use it to paste little bits of code you get from support sources, then enter a description of what it does, hit “save” and you have a record in case you need to undo something later. Do you need a place to put design ideas or links to things you find on other sites that you like? Just create a blog post with the link and you can refer back to it when you get more time.
One of the biggest changes to Google search result rankings is the penalty for not having a Mobile friendly version of your website. You must have a mobile version. Period.
While some Templates are responsive, the design may not be exactly as you would like. A smaller version of your main website is groovy, but what if you could really tweak it so Mobile users can find what they need more quickly?
Enter the WPtouch Mobile Plugin. You change the title, set a Mobile specific landing page, tweak menu items, show comments in popup bubbles, and add sharing links for your pages and posts.
Allowing visitors to sign up for your newsletter with no fuss or time requirement is a great way to target new clients. Most newsletter services have plugins to help you out. Each plugin has a shortcode for putting a sign up field on a page or post, as well as a widget to go in a sidebar or on the front page.
MailChimp for WP allows you to link to a specific mailing list so you can capture visitor emails separately from your existing list. As an example, if you want to do a discount for signing up for your newsletter you’ll know who gets the discount and who doesn’t. Support is available on the official WordPress Plugin forum.
As a modern dog trainer, we are always looking for ways to expand our training and make it fun for our clients. Dogs are becoming a bigger part of our community, and we are looking for many different ways to include our furry friends in our lives. Consider teaming up with other local businesses to offer some new, fresh classes for your clients. Consider these 5 smart business partnerships.
1. Fitness Instructors
Working out can be hard for some people, however, the thought of doing it with their best four legged friend makes it a little bit easier. Consider teaming up with a fitness instructor and offering a workout class that includes their dog and some training to go along with it. Getting exercise is important for both the owner and the dog, and doing so in a safe environment is very appealing to people. Yoga, dancing, and strength training are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to including dogs in workout classes.
2. Doulas/Parenting Instructors
Consider teaming up with someone who offers support to new parents or parents-to-be. Expecting parents are often very nervous about how their house is going to change once the new baby arrives. Consider ‘Introducing Baby’ or ‘Preparing For Baby’ classes that you can run together and offer to clients. Bradley or Lamaze teachers may even be interested in bringing you in for a session during their class periods.
3. Local Pet Stores
Local pet stores are a great business partnership to make. Not only can some of them offer class space, but they can offer a great place to send clients for training supplies if you do not sell merchandise yourself. In return, the pet stores can advertise your classes or business by hanging signs, inserting handouts into bags, or including you in store functions. Consider including their store as a stop in your ‘Out and About’ classes where you work on behaviors in the real world.
4. Local Artists/Art Shops
There are many different places that could fit the bill for an art shop. Get creative and see about having classes where owners can paint with their dogs, whether it be on canvas or pottery. Work on teaching the dog how to dip their own paws in paint, or how to hold a paint brush.
5. Restaurants With Outside Patios
Usually restaurants allow dogs on their outside patios, however making a business partnership with a restaurant can lead to a ‘Dog’s Night Out’. Have a night where your students can come and bring their dogs, enjoy dinner together, and practice their manners in a public setting. This can be a refreshing evening for your students who have dogs that suffer from separation anxiety and may not be able to get out much.
These are only a few examples of partnerships that can lead to fun, new classes. Get creative and think about who you already know. Can they help create a new class for you? What other partnerships have you considered or do you already have?
You’ve realized your website needs an upgrade and have decided to use WordPress to build it. One of the cool things about WordPress is you get to start with a template. Templates are basically a design framework that allow you to plug your own photos and text into and you end up with a snazzy site. Some templates come with plugins built in and some templates integrate with plugins better than others. Before purchasing a template, make sure it’s going to integrate with what you want to do.
We’ve put together the best options for paid and free templates. Why pay for a template? The paid options below come with technical support. If you’re new to WordPress and aren’t quite sure you can get started alone, paid options with support are a nice medium between full DIY and paying someone to build a site for you.
Organized Themes has a full range of templates available for your site. While some of them are designs for restaurants or stores with huge photos to showcase products, templates designed for non-profits are awesome, especially if you are a non-profit. Rescue organizations and humane societies can use the “Donate Now” button on the front page for fundraising efforts. If you’re not a non-profit, use the large action button for “Register today!” All Non-Profit Themes, but we specifically like the Forward theme.
Support is delivered by a growing Knowledge Base and Support Forums. All questions in the forums are answered by the developer himself. Since he doesn’t have a full support team, customer support does have specific hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 5 pm, Central Standard Time GMT -5.
Pricing for these templates are based on either a single theme or period of access to all themes. A single theme with lifetime support and no monthly fee is $59. If you want to try out a bunch of themes before you settle on one, choose the 6 month membership for $89. This gives you access to all the templates as well as support for 6 months. If you don’t need support after the 6 months is up no further payment is needed.
Elegant Themes has 87 templates, which can make decisions difficult! Since Google now drops your search placement if your website is not Mobile friendly, stick to browsing the Responsive templates. We like the clean look of the Trim template. Remember, if the template has huge photos you will need to fill those spaces with your own graphics. For many of trainers that could be a problem.
Support is delivered by Documentation, step by step guide for template installation, and Support Forums. All questions in the forums are answered by Elegant technical support.
Pricing is an annual membership fee that gives you access to all 87 templates. The best option is $69 for a year. Once you’re all set up you can cancel your subscription and keep your final website for life.
If you’re ready to go full DIY, you can download the free version of Cuztomizr, or get the Pro version, which includes access to Premium Support.
Customizr lives up to its name. It’s fully customizable with the Live Preview option, so you see your changes “live,” but unpublished. Checkboxes toggle front page items on and off, the color picker means you get to choose the exact color you want, and you get to use your own logo. This template supports most plugins and is fully responsive for mobile users.
Free Support is available through the official WordPress Customizer forum. Questions will be answered by either SuperUsers or the developer, but Super Users are more common. Start with the Documentation, some of your questions may be answered there. Paid Support is available from the developer though a Support Forum using an activation key. Questions are answered by “WordPress Experts,” which means carefully chosen Super Users and not necessarily the developer. Paid support is $44.95 per year.
i-transform is template with smaller spaces for photos, which means you don’t need to come up with huge, splashy graphics on the home page. It’s Mobile friendly and comes with a toolkit plugin for customization. While the finished theme looks awesome, this is very much a DIY project that will require you to read the documentation on the theme and the toolkit plugin that comes bundled with it to make the initial setup easier.
Free Support is available through the official WordPress i-transform forum. Questions will be answered by either SuperUsers or the developer, but Super Users are more common. Start with the i-transform Tutorial available from the developer. Some of your questions may be answered there.
Hueman is one of the more complicated templates due to the variability of sliding menus, headers and footers, and widgets. If you offer a lot of services, have multiple locations, or a lot of staff, utilize the three column front page so visitors can find what they need easily. This template is a very difficult DIY project, so you’ll need familiarity with WordPress and templates and some coding.
Free Support is available through the developer’s Documentation, and the official WordPress Hueman forum. Questions will be answered by either SuperUsers or the developer, but Super Users are more common.
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Advertising is mostly about interrupting someone’s online experience with undesired ads, pop ups, or auto-play videos. And I’m willing to bet that this kind of advertising doesn’t bug anyone more than me! Fortunately, modern marketing is starting to take a different path.
Blogging has evolved into something more than an online diary of one’s personal stories. Blogging is now used by some of the most well-known brands like Evernote, SalesForce, and Etsy. A company blog helps you build rapport with current and future customers. A blog page is one of the most visited pages on a website as people research their potential purchase. This is one of the best places to share your company’s story, share success stories, and make announcements. Like social media, an inactive blog can signal to potential customers that you’re not available so come up with a strategy to maintain your blog if you start one.
