You know as well as anyone how important your website is in the fast-paced pet industry. Maintaining a compelling and knowledgeable online presence is vital to convert both pet owners and veterinary professionals. Effective pet copywriting can make or break your website as it shapes your brand’s identity and builds relationships with your customers.
But when was the last time your website copywriting was updated? Is it looking fresh or crying out for a trip to the groomer?
In this guide, we look at why your pet website copywriting matters, signs your website is due a copy refresh, and where you should start to stay ahead in the competitive pet market.
Why Website Copywriting Matters In The Pet Industry
Pretty pictures, your brand colours and logo are all well and good to support your pet brand’s identity—but without the right words, it’s missing its heart.
Nailing your copywriting means your brand will resonate with clients, building trust and loyalty that inevitably results in sales.
Your copy communicates your brand’s values and connects with pet owners emotionally, making them more likely to choose you for their beloved pets.
Plus, effective pet copywriting keeps the Google Gods happy, enhancing your website’s search engine optimisation (SEO) and driving organic traffic to your site.
Of course, in some sectors of the pet industry, this is harder when your ideal keywords aren’t usable under industry regulations. (For more on that, see my guide to Veterinary Medicines Directorate dos and don’ts.) But despite industry regulations, effective pet website copywriting should communicate your value to potential new customers safely and effectively.
Signs Your Pet Website Copywriting Needs A Refresh
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to how often your pet website needs updating, but an annual basis is a good starting point. Keep an eye on market trends and undertake regular competitor analysis to ensure your pet copywriting isn’t missing a trick.
Check out these four signs that you need a refresh:
Outdated Information
Don’t just add new product pages – check older copywriting for date references, pricing and policy changes, as well as any current affairs-type references that are no longer relevant. Feeling stale? Give it a refresh.
It’s Not Converting
People are hitting your site, and you’re getting good organic inbound traffic…but the money isn’t rolling in, and browsers aren’t buying. Is your messaging clear, or are ambiguity and hidden-away calls to action hindering your visitors?
It's Bouncing Like Your Dog At Dinner Time
Pet parents are finding your site, but they’re not engaged enough to stay. To make them stick around, your copywriting needs to grab them in the first 10 seconds – so your value proposition needs to be super clear and concise.
Your Business Has Evolved
The essence is the same, but your pet business has changed since your last website refresh. Your copy should reflect the evolution of your brand to support your brand’s identity and vision whilst remaining consistent across pages and marketing assets.
Where Should I Start When Refreshing My Pet Brand's Website Copy?
Knowing where to start can feel incredibly daunting. Perhaps the to-do list is mahoosive, Or maybe it’s like picking at a scab only to find the more you pick, the worse it gets, and now you dont know which task to prioritise.
Check out these ideas to guide your priorities:
1. The Low-Hanging Fruit
Got a page that talks about “coming in 2019”, or your “copyright” footnotes are way out of date. Grab the low-hanging, easy fruit first to get you started. Maybe your “Team” page has all the wrong people, or your “Sponsored Riders” section is full of retired horses. Update the easy wins to get you in the groove.
2. Analytics
I know! Website analytics sounds next-level techy, but you don’t have to understand all the ins and outs to find a good starting point for your copy refresh. If you want to build organic traffic or find gaps in your copywriting, then analytics is a great source of inspiration. (Yep, inspirational scary tech!)
Most platforms such as Wix, Squarespace and Shopify give you some insights into your site - which pages are converting well, what your traffic is like, etc. But if you want to dig deeper, start with Google Analytics or try one of the big boys like Ahrefs or Semrush to help you find areas that aren’t performing and identify gaps in your keyword strategy.
3. Get Customer Feedback
Gulp! Yep, feedback direct from the horse's mouth can be scary, but these are the people interacting with your website every day.
Send surveys to loyal customers, or speak to them in person if you have a brick-and-mortar business. What do they like about the site, what are they finding hard to navigate, and are there any niggles weedling away at them every time they hit your site?
The Benefits of Hiring a Pet Industry Copywriter
If you’re struggling to get the words right, or you just don’t have time to refresh your copy, then handing it to an expert copywriter is a great plan. But enlisting a specialist pet copywriter and messaging strategist, rather than a generalist, will fire your copy to the next level!
These are just a few reasons a pet industry specialist copywriter is the way to go:
Audience Insights
A pet copywriter knows your audience like the back of their paw. They know what makes them tick, and they understand the human-pet bond to ensure your copy resonates deeply, building brand loyalty.
Industry Understanding
If your pet copywriter has been in the pet industry for a long time, they’ll understand the dynamics of your market. How do you connect with vets, pet owners, and retailers without writing everything a squillion times?! Don’t worry; your pet copywriter has got this!
Regulatory Knowledge
Did you know you can’t talk about arthritis if you’re selling joint supplements? And your feeds can’t make any medicinal claims? Do you use the words “treats”, “cures”, and “prevents” in your marketing?
Understanding the Veterinary Medicines Directorate’s regulations, as well as The Advertising Standards rules, is a minefield…and it’s overwhelming. A pet industry copywriter knows the dos and don’ts and the can’s and can’ts in your messaging to keep you out of the pet marketing dog-house.
SEO Optimisation
Because of the above limitations, you may not be able to use keywords that your audience is searching for. A pet industry copywriter and messaging strategist will help you build copy and content that drives traffic, even if you can’t use your ideal keywords.
Save Time
A specialist pet copywriter and messaging strategist knows the industry, knows your audience, and knows your terminology. You don’t have to spend time training them first or trawl copy to check they haven’t mentioned “pups” when your product is only suitable for adults, for example. Get copywriting you can rely on with a specialist pet copywriter.
In the rapidly evolving pet industry, your website is your shopfront. It's often your customer’s first impression of you, so the copywriting must be compelling, emotive and, most importantly, current.
Regularly refreshing your website content, collaborating with a skilled pet copywriter, and adapting to market trends are essential strategies to ensure your brand remains relevant and appealing to pet owners and professionals alike.
By investing in your website's copywriting, you not only enhance customer engagement but you strengthen your brand's position and authority in the competitive pet market.
Need support from a pet copywriter and messaging strategist?
I can help!
Check out these three services that will whip your website copy into shape:
Copy Health Checks - Get a detailed report on your website to ensure it’s ticking all the boxes for engagement and conversions (and keeping the Google Gods happy). Add on a regulatory audit to keep you out of the pet marketing dog house.
Write With Me - A 3-hour brainstorm together, making live edits to your current copy. You go away with tail-waggingly good copy and a plan for the rest of your marketing materials.
Website writing service - Need it off your plate? I’ll write (or rewrite) your whole website for a business-building site that turns browsers into buyers.
🐾 Send me a message below to get started. 🐾
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