Weekly Website Wednesday – Week #6

Welcome to my NetKennel Weekly Website Wednesday post — this is week #6, but it already feels like week 52!

This week, I want to talk about your dog descriptions.

I see ads all the time on Gundog Central where the person placing the ad doesn’t enter a description — absolutely nothing about the dog or puppy they’re trying to sell. My first instinct is always to delete these ads… but I never do. The buyer knows best, right? If someone wants to buy a dog based solely on a picture, I guess that’s their business.

Personally, I prefer to see a well-constructed description that shows you actually know something about your dogs. While I’m referencing Gundog Central above, because that’s where I see it most often, this applies just as much to your kennel website.

Other times, someone writes a whole book about their dog. There is such a thing as sharing too much information. If I see a daunting wall of text that looks like it’ll take 15 minutes to read... guess what? It’s probably going to be passed over. The goal of a description is to offer just enough information to spark interest and compel the viewer to contact you. This sales technique is called the Curiosity Gap or Teaser Technique, and it evolves offering just enough information to pique someone’s interest.

You’re the salesperson. Once someone reaches out, it’s up to you to close the deal. Save some details so you have something left to offer after that initial contact. Some dogs — especially highly sought-after, championship-caliber dogs — might sell themselves. But a pet, house dog, or foot-hunting dog? You’re going to need to talk about them. Describe their traits to interested parties. It’s also your job to make sure the dog is a good fit for the new family — and that often requires a conversation.

Another drawback of oversharing — especially when you have multiple dogs for sale — is that a buyer might get turned off by the description of one of your dogs and never reach out, even though you actually do have a dog that would be a perfect fit for them. If only they had contacted you, you might’ve been able to match them with the right one.

A solid, well-written description — especially for your stud dogs and brood bitches — can also help draw in search traffic. You might remember my Week #2 post about creating a strong kennel introduction. The same principles apply here: stack your descriptions with keywords like “pointers,” “hunting dogs,” “bird hunting,” “pheasant,” “duck,” and “quail.” It’ll pay off for you down the road.