The Association Blog

Data trackers at Adoptapet.com have analyzed stats from millions of users looking for their next pet. Here’s what they found out about creating the perfect online pet profile

With millions of annual visitors to their site, the folks at Adoptapet have quite a bit of data to dig into—and they’re happy to share their insights with animal welfare professionals, shelters and rescues, in the hope these insights will help you drive more interest to your animals available for adoption.

At The Annual Conference this past November, Adoptapet’s April Hunstman offered the following tips for maximizing an online pet profile’s potential:

• First and foremost, you need to have a photo—and you really should have FOUR photos. “We just conducted our analysis of what happens when you go from one photo to four photos,” shares Hunstman. “You’re going to drive applications up 200 percent.”
• Personality? Check. Health? Check. Data shows that including three personality traits in your profile will also drive applications up by 200 percent. Adds Hunstman, “People are also very, very interested in health considerations. We’re not talking about, say, spay/neuter vaccines, but people want to know if there are health issues that are going to require ongoing veterinary care. So share that information if you have it, especially if you’re going to offer any coverage for any necessary care post-adoption.”
• Think short and sweet. Less is more when it comes to the written content in the profile. “Go for mostly high-level bullet points,” advises Huntsman. “And it turns out we’re all obsessed with emojis. So add emojis to your stories. Those score very, very well, and people feel they are highly engaging.”
• State the adoption fee. People are willing to pay quite a bit for adoption fees (around $300, reports Huntsman), especially if you indicate the value of the services and goods that come with the fee—i.e. vaccinations, follow-up check-ups, food, treats and toys, etc.

What else would you add to this list?

P.S. This doesn’t mean you have to abandon storytelling and longer descriptions altogether. There’s always a place for creativity and innovation, and this field is full of gifted marketers who have done brilliant work by, well, breaking all the rules. Anyone remember Prancer, the Chihuahua who went viral after being profiled as a “haunted Victorian child,” or Perdita, described by shelter officials as “just a jerk” who enjoys “lurking in dark corners” and “staring into your soul until you feel as if you may never feel cheerful again?” It’s not easy to pull those off—but when they work, they really work, serving to bring more eyeballs to your content, which can be leveraged to bring attention to all the animals at your org.