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With pet ownership remaining high and pet spending on the rise, many companies outside of the pet industry are cashing in on this trend by launching pet-sitter directory websites and apps. As more tech companies. often backed by venture capitalists, enter the market, the number of online pet-sitter directories and locator sites continues to grow. Many savvy pet sitters want to learn how to use these sites or apps as resources for new clients and additional revenues. Before listing your service on any online directory or locator listing, remember that some sites are better than others, and it's important you do your homeowrk and weight the pros and cons before signing up.

(PSI also offers advice to pet owners explaining why contacting a local professional pet-sitting business is the best option.)

Pet sitters, keep these questions in mind to determine whether a site may be a good place to list your pet-sitting service:

• You’re known by the company you keep. It is important to research any site you are considering and pay special attention to the other service providers listed. Does the site have requirements for listing? Are the service providers listed professional businesses or does the site accept listings from kids, college students and other non-professional sitters? Does the site differentiate between professional and non-professional sitters—and are potential clients able to see that your business is a professional pet-sitting service? Also, be sure you know the business that is offering the listing service and get answers to these questions before listing your business on any site.
• Understand their business model and know your ROI. Many locator sites charge a fee for listing or a percentage of any assignments for clients you meet through their sites. Before signing up, make sure you understand any upfront or ongoing fees and evaluate the return you are getting on the investment. If you do sign up, be sure to keep a tally of any inquiries you get from the site and any resulting assignments to help you best evaluate your ROI from the site.
• Read the fine print. Pet-sitter directory sites have varying policies, and the sites that offer insurance coverage also have vary limits to the coverage. Make sure you read and understand the site's policies, including how clients can contact you, how complaints or claims are handled, and what actions may be considered violations of the site's rules. 

If you are a PSI member, be sure you are also taking advantage of your free listing on PSI's Official Pet Sitter Locator™, visited by thousands of pet owners each month. Remember, the Official Pet Sitter Locator maximizes your online exposure—in addition to its location at petsit.com/locate, the site has a responsive design, making it easily searchable on iPads and smartphones and the Locator profiles are indexed by Google search engines. Your Locator listing is a free benefit of membership, and PSI does not charge a fee for any new clients who find your company on the Locator.

PSI members can learn more about taking full advantage of their Locator listing in the Members Area of petsit.com.

Also, don’t forget local online directories and review sites that offer free opportunities to market your services to local pet owners. These listings allow users to search for specific types of businesses or services nearby and read reviews from local consumers, when applicable. Some location-based sites require that you include your address, so you may want to exclude certain sites if you do not have a business/office address you can list for your pet-sitting service.

Local online directories and review sites to consider are:

• Yelp
• Google My Business
• Bing Local
• Yahoo Local

Many pet sitters often promote their pet-sitting services on other free sites, such as their local Craigslist site.

Pet sitters, where are you advertising your services online? Where have you had the most success? Please comment below and let us know!