The first step in creating a Dog Walking Website on WordPress - WordPress Membership plugin Member Sites

Jul 6, 2023

Starting a Dog Walking Website on WordPress

how to start a dog walking business website

If the idea of your ideal day involves spending time in the great outdoors with your 4-legged friends, you probably aren't so keen on the idea of working for hours to set up a dog walking website.

A well-structured website is vital if you want to be able to manage a successful independent dog-walking business.

Well, do we have some positive news for those of you who are looking for some good news!
         
          The world's most popular software for managing content, WordPress, when paired with a cost-effective and user-friendly tool such as Member, can assist you in achieving your dog-walking business dreams.

In this blog, we'll guide you on transforming a basic WordPress website into a full equipped, professional site to run a dog-walking business.

Also, tie your shoelaces and let get ready to take off to this thrilling adventure!

What Do You Need

If you're a novice at building websites, then you're likely to get tangled up in research about what's the best way to go about the process.

Well, we've got all the details on the requirements to create a professional website where your clients are able to manage the bookings as well as payments.

All you require is four tools to get started:

WordPress

This powerful and easy-to-use platform will form the backbone of your website's presence.

Member

 Member Homepage

The user-friendly and comprehensive plugin integrates seamlessly with WordPress. It offers all of the essential options to build a member-only area on your site as well as manage membership levels and subscriptions effectively.

Zapier

Zapier homepage

In terms of automating processes and streamlining workflows, Zapier is a game-changer.

This powerful and intelligent software connects to a variety of programs, which allows for seamless and effective processes.

If you're trying to sync information between various platforms or automate repetitive tasks, Zapier is the ideal solution.

Later, we'll show you how to utilize Zapier to connect your dog-walking business with.

Calendly

Calendly is a great companion for your business of dog walking scheduling appointments with accuracy and ease.

The tool is easy to use and flexible. It removes the burden of the scheduling process, and lets you focus more on your furry customers.

By tracking availability in real time, it ensures you never duplicate-book an appointment or leave it unnoticed.

Its automatic reminders keep you and your human customers at the same level, and its effortless rescheduling feature handles any unexpected changes with ease.

provides a simple scheduler experience for your customers and sets the tone for their satisfaction and the growth of your business.

In the next blog post, we'll guide you through how to configure each of them.

Start your Dog Walking Website With WordPress

Dog walking business

Then, let's look into the steps to begin your pet-walking business with WordPress using just four steps.

Step 1: Install WordPress

WordPress is a powerful content control system (CMS) which powers more than 40% of websites around the globe.

A CMS is simply a means where you create and manage content such as writers, users or images as well as any other content that you have on your site.

With the help of a CMS you can create and control your website without needing to learn any code. That's right zero coding skills necessary!

The reason WordPress is the go-to CMS for those who want to become dog walkers looking to begin an online business:

Ease of use: If you're more familiar with dogs than digital technology it's acceptable. WordPress makes it easier to create websites through the process, making it easy for newbies to design a site using a visual editor.

Professionally designed templates: With an already-designed theme, you'll be able to create a professional-looking website in minutes. The majority of these templates are free, too.

Cost-effectiveness: Creating an enterprise is often working within a tight budget. WordPress is free!

Purchase a Domain Name & Hosting Service

Set up your with a web host (a web host connects your website to the web).

A lot of hosting companies offer package deals, providing an address for your domain and managing the installation procedure for you. If you're looking for a reliable and inexpensive host that's user-friendly, we recommend DreamHost. We recommend DreamHost.

DreamHost, highly recommended by the WordPress team has been dependable and provides plans that start as low at $2.95 monthly.

This comes with a free domain in the initial year. additional security options like an Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate. They can even install WordPress on your behalf.

Choosing a Theme:

If you're not very tech-savvy We suggest you choose a WordPress theme. You'll be surprised at the number of specific industry themes available.

A good example is the free WordPress theme Pet Business by Theme Palace .

Pet Business WP Theme by Theme Palace

Step 2: Install the Member

Once your WordPress website and theme have been set up, it's time to add the Member feature on your dog-walking website.

Member is a WordPress plugin that allows you to create a members space on your website. Here are just some features you could offer on your website with Member:

  • Pet owners can arrange and pay for monthly or one-time dog walking
  • Create recurring billing to your clients who are regular
  • You can offer membership tiers based upon the type of services the customers want
  • Offer online classes and consults like puppy and dog training tips.
  • Provide 1:1 dog training consults
  • Offer premium content that is related to adoption or pet ownership.
  • Plus!

The Setting Up Member

This is a short video that shows you exactly how to activate and install Members on WordPress:

After that after that, you'll be required to create your membership tiers.
         
          Here's how to do that:

Schedule Walkies With Calendly & Zapier

It's happening with your dog walking website, and you've got Member up and running. That's pawsome!

Do you get tired of having to constantly switch gears trying to make appointments? You'd like you could spend less time juggling calendars and more time playing games? We've got just the treat to offer all of you!

Dog treat

Calendly allows your customers to book their dogs' next outing via your website. Customers can choose an appointment time, make payment for the service, and boom, it's walking time!

To integrate Calendly with Member You'll have to use Zapier which is a program that lets different apps communicate with each other and streamline processes between them.

Here's how it's done:

  1. Create a Zapier Account: Sign-up to Zapier. The basic plan is sufficient to get you started, however you might want to think about upgrading to a higher-end plan if you want additional features or greater use.
  2. Create a Calendly Account: If you don't have one yet Create an account on Calendly!
  3. Connection of Calendly to Zapier in Zapier: In your Zapier Account, you can click Make a Zap to begin the process of creating a new Zap. Under Choose App & Event search for then select Calendly as the trigger app.
               Pick the trigger event which might be Invitee Created or Invitee Cancelled based the requirements of your organization.
               Simply click Continue and Log into Calendly to connect your Calendly account to Zapier.
  4. Create the Calendly Trigger Following the instructions, create your Calendly trigger. For example, if you would like a brand new Member user to be created each time people book an appointment, you'd choose the Invitee Created trigger.
  5. Select Member as the Action App in the"Do this... step of making your Zap, search for and select Member as the action app. It is necessary to connect your member account to Zapier using the steps provided.
  6. Create the Member Action: Depending on your specific needs, you may want to set up a new user within Member or change an existing user. Follow the prompts to set up the procedure.
  7. Check Your Zap: Once everything is set up, it's recommended to try out your Zap to verify that it's functioning properly. Hit the Test & Continue button. If everything is working properly then you'll get the Test Successful message.
  8. Switch On Your Zap Finally, don't forget to turn on your Zap! It won't work unless it's switched on.

Step 4: Start Marketing Your New Dog Walking Website!

promote your dog walking business

Make sure to spread the word in areas where dog owners hang out. It could be leaving posters in veterinary clinics or distributing flyers to the dog parks.

Given how you run your company, it's important to focus your efforts on marketing locally. Use hashtags with your location on social media, add your business to Google Maps via Google My Business.

Conclusion

The bottom line is that if you're a pet lover and looking to begin a new career or side gig, dog walking can be an excellent way to earn money from your passion.

By utilizing WordPress as well as Member, you have the ability to display your products and services, as well as provide an effortless experience for your customers to subscribe to your services.

In summary, here are four ways to start the dog-walking site using WordPress:

  • Create WordPress.
  • Install Member and create your member site.
  • Integrate Member with Calendly through Zapier
  • Promote your brand new dog walking site.

Now you're equipped with the information necessary to start your business of dog walking up and going online.

The only thing left to do is let your love for dogs and passion for outdoor activities shine through your new website.

Be aware that one of the keys for running a profitable business is excellent customer service. Do your best to provide the highest quality service for your clients (and their pets) and you'll be well on the way to establishing a profitable dog-walking business in no time.

And what is it you're waiting on? Put on your walking shoes get some dogs together and get started on your online dog-walking website now!

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