Pet Care Services Website & Photography
Hounds About Town is a dog walking and pet care business located in Roslindale, MA. They serve Jamacia Plain, West Roxbury, Roslindale and Boston. They wanted to freshen up their web and social media presence. They have been in business and thriving since 2002.
Website
The previous website was on a free platform and out of date. The content was done "in-house" but lacked visual integrity. This is not unusual for small businesses with limited budgets for advertising. They know they need to be on the web but are more focused on the actual customer experience than visuals. This is where "good enough" is born. So, instead of rebuilding what they had, we started fresh.
They wanted something contemporary with more polished content. This was partly motivated by an increase in competition in the area but also it just made good sense to improve the online image. Also, Hounds About Town is one of the top pet care businesses in the area and the website should reflect their level professionalism.
The website had to be simple, easy to navigate and, visually rich with happy dogs and staff.
Photography
The real selling point are the dogs. Anyone can take a picture of a person and tell them to look trustworthy but dogs don't lie. So, I went on some walks near the Arboretum and made pictures of the dogs and their walkers. There is a genuine connection between the two and I was very impressed with the positive energy I felt. It isn't just a job for these people. Making authentic images of happy dogs was not a problem.
Assembling the website and making sure everything worked well took a little time. Once it was all ready to go, we launched. The client was very happy with the result and I am grateful for the chance to do it.
What I learned
One major change I've seen in my business has to do with where the job ends. It used to be I would be hired for my photography services only but, that's not the case anymore. Today, everyone claims to be a photographer using the tools and technology at their disposal. For the most part, it works just fine. Knowing what to do with the image is a whole other issue. For businesses, a professional image is worth investing in and maintaining.
My skills in editing and content management come are used more often. This project is a perfect example. I enjoy assisting in the implementation of my images. Helping businesses connect with their customer is my job and, I love my job.
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