Why Your Pet Boarding Business Needs an Online Presence in 2026 (And How to Build One Fast)
If your boarding business runs mostly on word of mouth and repeat customers, you might feel like you're doing fine without much of an online presence. And maybe you are. But the question worth asking is not whether you're surviving without one - it's how much business you're leaving on the table.
The way people find local services has changed fundamentally over the last few years, and pet boarding is no exception. Understanding that shift is the first step to making sure your business is in the right place when someone nearby needs exactly what you offer.
How Pet Owners Actually Find Boarding Today
Think about what someone does when they need to board their dog for the first time, or when they've moved to a new area and need a local cattery. They don't flip through a directory or ask at the vet and then sit on that recommendation. They pull out their phone and search.
Over 80% of consumers now research online before making a purchase or booking a service. For local service businesses, that number is even more pointed - research from local SEO analysts shows that 84% of UK adults search for local business information online every single week, and 76% of people who search for something "near me" make contact with a business within 24 hours.
That's an enormous amount of intent. These are not casual browsers - they're people who have a specific need right now and are actively looking for someone to fill it.
If your business doesn't appear when they search, you don't exist to them. It's that straightforward.
The Misconception That Word of Mouth Is Enough
Word of mouth is genuinely valuable, and if you've built a reputation in your local area, that's something to be proud of. But relying on it exclusively has a ceiling.
Your existing customers recommend you to people they know. That's a closed loop - you only reach people within your current network. An online presence opens the door to every pet owner within driving distance who hasn't heard of you yet but is actively looking for someone like you right now.
There's also something else worth considering. When someone receives a recommendation for your business, the first thing most of them do is look you up online. If they can't find you, or if what they find is sparse and out of date, that recommendation loses some of its weight. A strong online presence doesn't replace word of mouth - it amplifies it.
What "Online Presence" Actually Means for a Boarding Business
You don't need to be everywhere. For a small pet boarding business in the UK, a solid online presence comes down to a few key things:
A way to be found. This means appearing in search results when someone looks for boarding near them. A listing on a directory like PetPortal, a Google Business Profile, or both are the most direct routes to this. A Google Business Profile is free to set up and, once complete, puts your business on the map, literally, for local searches. Research shows only 41% of UK small businesses have a fully completed Google Business Profile, which means simply having one puts you ahead of the majority of competitors.
Enough information to build trust. When someone finds you, they need to quickly answer a few questions: what animals do you take, where are you, how do they get in touch, and do other people trust you? Photos, a clear description of your services and a handful of genuine reviews handle most of that.
A way to make contact. This sounds obvious, but it's where a lot of businesses fall down. If someone has to hunt for your phone number, or if your only option is a contact form that feels like a dead end, you lose people. A clear phone number, email or booking request button, whichever suits your workflow, should be front and centre.
Reviews. This one deserves its own mention. Reviews directly influence both where you appear in local search results and whether people click on you once they find you. A business with a 4.5 star average earns significantly more clicks than one rated 3.5 stars. More importantly, they signal to Google that your business is active and trusted, which helps you rank higher. Getting into the habit of asking happy customers to leave a review is one of the highest-return things you can do for your visibility.
The UK Pet Boarding Market Is Growing
Here's the broader context: the UK pet boarding services market was valued at over £600 million in 2024 and is projected to grow at nearly 8% per year through to 2030. Pet ownership in the UK has grown substantially over the last five years and owners are increasingly treating their animals as family members, which means they're spending more, researching more carefully and expecting more from the businesses they choose.
This is a growing market with increasing demand. Businesses that are easy to find online and present themselves professionally are the ones that will capture a disproportionate share of that growth. Businesses that are invisible online will continue to rely on whoever already knows them.
Getting Started Without Overcomplicating It
The good news is that building a meaningful online presence for a pet boarding business doesn't require a developer, a marketing agency or a significant budget. Here's a practical starting point:
List your business on PetPortal. PetPortal is a UK directory built specifically for pet boarding businesses - kennels, catteries, home boarders, small pet facilities and more. A listing puts you in front of pet owners actively searching for boarding in your area and they can send a booking request directly through your listing. Getting listed takes minutes and it's free to get you started and listed.
Set up or complete your Google Business Profile. If you haven't done this yet, go to business.google.com and claim your listing. Fill in every field, name, address, phone number, opening hours, photos, a description of your services. This is one of the most impactful free things you can do for your local visibility.
Get your first reviews. After your next few bookings, ask those customers, ideally in a quick message or at collection, if they'd be happy to leave a Google review. Don't overcomplicate it. Most people are happy to help if they've had a good experience, they just need a nudge and a link.
Add photos. A handful of good photos makes a significant difference to how your listing is perceived. You don't need professional photography a clear photo of your kennel or cattery space taken on a decent phone is plenty. Show the accommodation, the outdoor space, and ideally a happy animal or two if you have permission from their owners.
The Cost of Doing Nothing
Every month you operate without a visible online presence is a month of potential new customers finding your competitors instead. Those customers, if they have a good experience elsewhere, become someone else's regulars.. not yours.
The UK pet boarding market is growing and demand is there. The question is just whether new customers in your area can find you when they go looking.
Getting listed on PetPortal is a good first step. It's quick, it's free to start and it puts your business in front of people who are already looking for what you offer.