Frequently asked questions
Marketing, advertising and online sales for anyone working with dogs and cats: brands, shops, groomers, facilities and services. Concrete answers, from our direct field experience.
The figures given on this page are average estimates drawn from our direct experience with campaigns and projects in the pet sector. They are not guarantees of results: they vary based on product, margin, seasonality, competition and content quality.
Selling dog and cat products online
How do I launch a new dog or cat product in Italy?
A launch works when you start from demand, not from the product. The right order is: competitor and market price analysis, defining your positioning (what you solve that others don’t), producing 15-20 pieces of content before opening sales, a ready website with complete product pages, and only at the end advertising. Anyone who turns on campaigns without content and an optimized website burns through their budget in the first two weeks. As a rough order of magnitude, expect 60-90 days from preparation to the first month of stable sales.
Which platform is best for opening an online pet product store?
For direct-to-consumer sales, Shopify is the most efficient choice in most cases: it handles subscriptions, shipping, tracking and the catalog without custom development, and connects natively to Meta, TikTok and Google Shopping. WooCommerce makes sense if you already have a WordPress site with established organic traffic and someone maintaining it. Prestashop and Magento are oversized for someone just starting out. The real cost is not the platform: it is the catalog structure and the quality of the product pages.
How much does it cost to open an online dog and cat product store?
As an estimate, a structured launch in Italy requires roughly €8,000-15,000 over the first six months, split approximately like this: 30% content production, 50% advertising, 20% website and setup. Below €1,000 per month in ad spend, Meta’s algorithm collects too little data to optimize and results become random. With a smaller budget it is better to narrow the field: a single product, a single channel, a single audience, until you find an offer that truly converts.
How do I find the first 100 customers for my pet product?
The first 100 customers rarely come from cold advertising. They come from three sources: organic content on Instagram and TikTok showing the product in real use with the animal, micro-collaborations with profiles of 5,000-50,000 followers (they cost little and convert well), and a physical presence at events, groomers and shops in your area. Advertising comes later, to scale something that has already proven to work. With Animal Instinct this was exactly the sequence before surpassing 17,000 customers.
Is it better to sell on Amazon or on your own website?
Amazon brings volume but does not let you build a brand: you don’t own the customer, you don’t have their data, you compete mainly on price and you pay commissions that generally sit between 15% and 20%. Your own website has higher acquisition costs at the start, but it keeps you the data, the email list, the subscription and the margin. The most solid strategy is to keep both: Amazon to intercept existing demand, your own site to build value over time.
How do you structure a product page that converts?
The top of the page must have five elements: a clear product name with size or format, price, the main benefit in one line, reviews, and a buy button. Below: real photos of the product and of the animal using it, an ingredient or materials table, dosage or size guide, shipping and returns, and frequently asked questions. The buyer is choosing for another living being: every unanswered doubt on the page becomes an abandoned cart.
How do I increase the average order value in my online store?
The four most effective levers are: a free-shipping threshold set roughly 20-25% above your current average order value, combined packs by size or the animal’s need (kibble plus treats), large formats with a quantity discount, and an in-cart add-on suggestion on consumable products. Since this is a repeat-purchase sector, raising the average order value by €8-10 is usually worth more than almost any campaign optimization, because it immediately improves the sustainable cost of acquisition.
Is it worth setting up a subscription for kibble or pet food?
Yes, and it is probably the most underrated lever in the sector. Dog and cat food is a recurring and predictable consumption: a subscription with a 10-15% discount increases the customer’s value over time, stabilizes revenue and makes higher acquisition costs sustainable. For it to work, three conditions are needed: a cadence the customer can modify, easy cancellation, and a reminder before each renewal. A subscription that is hard to cancel generates disputes and negative reviews that cost more than it earns.
Advertising, campaigns and numbers
How much does it cost to advertise on Facebook and Instagram for pet products?
As an estimate, in Italy the cost to acquire a customer in this sector moves on average between €12 and €35, depending on the product price and the time of year. The minimum useful budget for sales campaigns is roughly €30-50 per day: below this threshold the data collected is too scarce to optimize. To this you have to add the cost of content: creatives burn out quickly and you need on average 4-6 new videos per month to keep the cost of acquisition from rising.
Why aren’t my campaigns bringing sales?
In most cases the problem is not the campaign, it is what comes before and after it. The most frequent causes are four: generic creatives that don’t show the product in use, an unclear offer or an off-market price, a slow or incomplete product page, and poorly configured tracking (pixel or Conversions API). Before raising the budget, look at the website’s conversion rate: if it is below 1%, the problem is the website, not the ad platform.
What is a good ROAS for an online pet product store?
It depends on margin, there is no universal number. As a rough benchmark, with a 40-50% gross margin a ROAS of 2.5-3 on acquisition campaigns is already sustainable; on accessories with a higher margin you can go down toward 2. The number that really matters is not the ROAS of a single campaign but the MER, that is total revenue divided by total ad spend, together with the customer’s value over time: repurchase is frequent here and anyone looking only at the first order underestimates the results.
Is it better to use Facebook and Instagram or Google to sell dog and cat products?
They serve two different purposes and work better together. Meta and TikTok create demand: they show a product the person was not searching for, and they are the main channel to make a new brand known. Google intercepts demand that already exists (someone searching for single-protein kibble or your brand name) and is generally the most profitable but most limited channel in volume. With a budget for only one channel and an unknown brand, start with Meta; then add Google Shopping and brand-name protection.
How many pieces of content are needed each month?
For a brand active on Instagram and TikTok, the sustainable baseline is 12-16 pieces of content per month, of which at least 8 vertical videos, plus 4-6 creatives designed specifically for advertising. It is not a matter of quantity: ad creatives run out on average in 3-4 weeks and without a steady flow the cost of acquisition rises. Better 12 good, regular pieces of content than 30 improvised in one week and then silence.
What kind of content works best for a pet product brand?
Three families work: the product in real use with the animal, which is the top performer in advertising; useful content that answers a concrete question from the owner, such as nutrition, sizes or behavior; and behind-the-scenes content showing who is behind the brand. White-background product photos used as social content almost never work. In this sector people buy trust before the product.
Do you need influencers to grow a pet product brand?
You need them, but not the ones most people imagine. Profiles with hundreds of thousands of followers cost a lot and convert little, because the audience is generic. 10-15 micro-creators with 5,000-50,000 followers and a real community perform better, paid with product plus a modest fee, whose videos can be reused as ad creatives. The real value of the collaboration is the material you get out of it, not the single post.
Which numbers should I check every week?
Seven are enough: revenue, ad spend, MER, customer acquisition cost, website conversion rate, average order value and the percentage of returning customers. Looking at them weekly rather than daily avoids impulsive decisions on statistically irrelevant data. At Bau Pet Strategy we cross-reference these numbers with the performance of individual pieces of content, to understand which creatives are actually generating revenue and not just views.
Black Friday
When should I start preparing for Black Friday?
In September, not in November. The sequence that works is this: from September, low-cost traffic campaigns and content to build audiences and an email list; in October, creatives and offers already ready and load-testing the site; in the first half of November, exclusive previews for those already subscribed; in the hot week, budget concentrated on retargeting the audiences built earlier. Anyone who turns on campaigns on the day itself pays the highest ad costs of the year to talk to a cold audience.
What discount is worth offering on Black Friday for pet products?
It is better to think in terms of structure than percentage. A flat 30-40% discount across the whole catalog is the most common choice and often the worst: it destroys margin and trains customers to wait for November. Tiered discounts tied to spend, combined packs at a special price, discounted large formats and a gift above a threshold work better. On food and consumable products, a promotion on the first month of a subscription is worth more than a one-off discount, because it brings a recurring customer.
How much ad budget is needed in Black Friday week?
As an estimate, in Black Friday week ad costs rise on average 30-60% compared with the yearly average, so to maintain the same volume you need more budget for the same results. The most efficient split is usually: about 60% on retargeting and existing customers, 40% on cold audience. It makes sense to raise spend only if you have built audiences in the previous months; without that preparatory work you are simply paying more to reach the same people you would have reached in October.
How do I avoid selling at a loss during Black Friday?
First calculate the contribution margin per product, not the store’s average margin. Then set a threshold: the maximum acquisition cost you can sustain with the discount applied. If the discount is 30% and advertising costs 25% of revenue, you are probably below zero. Exclude low-margin products from the discount, push the high-margin ones and use the promotion to drive volume on products that generate repurchase, not on those bought only once.
How do I manage inventory and shipping during Black Friday?
In the pet sector a stockout costs more than the discount: anyone who can’t find the kibble they usually buy gets it elsewhere and often doesn’t come back. You need a per-product forecast based on the previous year’s data, extra stock on best sellers, early communication to the courier on expected volumes and delivery times stated honestly on the site. Better to promise five days and deliver in three than the other way around.
What do I do after Black Friday with the newly acquired customers?
This is the part almost everyone skips, and it is where the profit is. Someone who bought with the discount is not yet a customer: it is a single purchase. In the following two weeks you need a post-purchase email sequence with usage tips, a review request after delivery, a repurchase or subscription offer calibrated to the product’s consumption and a dedicated retargeting audience for the Christmas campaigns. Black Friday should be evaluated on the 90-day margin, not on the week’s revenue.
Christmas
When do Christmas purchases for pet products start?
Earlier than you might think. Demand generally starts moving as early as mid-November, with the peak concentrated between 1 and 15 December, while the last week is dominated by people looking for guaranteed delivery or gift cards. Anyone who shows up only on 10 December finds high ad costs and competitors’ inventory already positioned. The preparation of Christmas content and offers should be finished by the end of October.
What do I sell at Christmas if I have a dog and cat product store?
At Christmas who buys changes: it is no longer just the owner reordering, it is someone buying a gift. This shifts demand toward gift sets, advent calendars for dogs and cats, beds, toys, leashes and collars, treats in Christmas packaging, and gift cards. Consumable food sells less as a gift but remains the engine of repurchase. The most efficient move is to build two or three gift bundles at price tiers, roughly under €25, between €25 and €50, and over €50.
How do I set up Christmas ad campaigns?
With a three-phase calendar. From the second half of November, inspiration campaigns with content like gift ideas for dog owners, which gather an audience at low cost. From 1 to 15 December, a sales push with the gift bundles and a message centered on the recipient of the gift, not the product. From 16 December onward, the message becomes urgency and guaranteed delivery, then digital gift cards when shipping can no longer arrive in time. The gift card saves the last week’s sales.
Until when can I guarantee delivery before Christmas?
It depends on the courier, but as a practical rule it is best to set the cutoff date two days before the one stated by the courier and communicate it visibly on the site with a countdown. Past that date, replace the message with digital gift cards instead of leaving the delivery promise active. A missed delivery at Christmas generates complaints and negative reviews that weigh much more than the single lost order.
What do I do in January, after Christmas?
January is the month when almost everyone turns off campaigns, and for this reason ad costs are among the lowest of the year. It is the right moment for three things: reactivating by email those who bought in November and December with a repurchase offer, converting into a subscription those who bought food or consumable products, and acquiring new customers at reduced costs by taking advantage of the absent competition. Add fast returns handling: in January the gift returns arrive.
Groomers, vets, shops and pet services
How do I find new customers for my grooming salon?
Grooming is a local business: the strongest lever is not national advertising but presence within a few kilometers. In order of effectiveness: a complete Google Business Profile listing with real photos of the work, hours and reviews, because anyone searching "groomer near me" arrives there; geo-targeted Meta campaigns within 5-10 km with before-and-after videos, which are the content that converts most; an online booking system and automatic reminders; a recall program to bring the customer back every 6-8 weeks.
How much does it cost to advertise a grooming salon or a local pet service?
Much less than an online store costs, because the audience is small. As an estimate, with €200-400 per month in ad spend over a 10 km radius you generally get measurable results, with a cost per contact that on average sits between €3 and €10. The real limit is not the budget but the ability to manage them: if you don’t reply to messages within a few hours, the generated leads are lost. Before increasing spend, it is better to fix how you handle requests.
How do I grow my veterinary practice or clinic?
With an important premise: veterinary health communication in Italy is subject to ethical rules and must be informative and truthful, not promotional or suggestive. Within these limits, what works is: a well-kept Google Business Profile listing with reviews, educational content that answers real questions from owners, a transparent presentation of services and treatments, online booking and reminders for boosters and periodic visits. The growth of a veterinary practice comes more from trust and continuity than from aggressive advertising.
How do I promote a physical pet shop?
A physical store has an advantage the online channel doesn’t: people and animals walk into it. The main levers are an up-to-date Google Business Profile listing, video content shot inside the store with customers and their animals, geo-targeted campaigns, and above all collecting contacts at the checkout to build an email or WhatsApp list to reactivate. The natural next step is to add an online store for consumable food, which is the category that generates repurchase.
How do I get found by people searching for a dog sitter or a dog boarding kennel?
On these services Google search is dominant, because the person has a specific and often urgent need. So the priority is: a Google Business Profile listing with photos of the facility and reviews, a page on the site for each service and each area served, and Google Search campaigns on local queries. Meta helps earlier, when there is time, to build trust with content showing the facility and a typical day. Demand is highly seasonal: August and the holidays must be prepared at least two months in advance.
How do I advertise a dog trainer or a dog daycare?
Here whoever demonstrates wins, not whoever describes. The content that works is journey videos, with the same dog filmed at the start and after a few weeks, and answers to concrete problems like pulling on the leash, barking or separation anxiety. These are widely searched topics and let you intercept people already aware of the problem. The right path is useful content, then a free introductory consultation, then a lesson package. Selling the package directly cold rarely works.
How do I promote a property, a hotel or a service that accepts pets?
Anyone traveling with a dog searches very specifically, with queries like "dog-friendly hotel" plus the destination name. This makes Google Search and dedicated pages per location the main channel. You need a page that answers the real questions: maximum weight allowed, additional cost, whether the dog can be left alone in the room, available spaces and services. Photos with animals in the common areas are worth more than any text. On Meta, seasonal retargeting in the weeks when holidays are booked works well.
How do I sell my products to shops, groomers and vets?
The resale channel requires different materials from direct-to-consumer sales: a price list with clear margins for the reseller, a minimum order, display materials and a serious technical data sheet. A mixed strategy works: LinkedIn and Meta campaigns profiled on business owners, direct contact and a presence at trade fairs. Watch the price: if you sell online at the same price as the shop, the shop won’t take you. You need a coherent pricing policy across both channels, defined before you start.
Shopify, website and the technical side
Why Shopify for an online pet product store?
Because it natively covers the specific needs of this sector: recurring subscriptions on food, variants by size and format, shipping management for heavy products, direct integration with Meta, TikTok and Google Shopping, and an app ecosystem for reviews and loyalty. It reduces maintenance costs and intervention times compared with a custom solution. It is not the only possible choice, but in most cases it offers the best balance of cost, speed and reliability.
How long does it take to build an online store on Shopify?
As an estimate, a well-built site with a structured catalog, content and complete configuration generally takes 4-8 weeks, depending on the number of products and the availability of materials. The part that almost always slows things down is not the development, it is the content: product photos, descriptions, ingredient tables and size guides. Anyone who arrives with the materials ready halves the time. Going online with an incomplete catalog is the choice that costs the most, because you start with a low conversion rate.
How do I correctly track my online store’s sales?
You need three elements working together: the Meta pixel with the server-side Conversions API, Google Analytics 4 configured on purchase events, and a GDPR-compliant cookie consent system that does not indiscriminately block all tracking. With only the browser-side pixel, today a significant share of conversions is lost and campaigns optimize on partial data. Before judging a campaign’s results, always verify that the platform data and the back-office data reasonably match.
How do I handle reviews, returns and customer support?
In this sector the emotional level is higher than average: a slow response becomes a negative review much faster than elsewhere. The minimum rules are three: a reply within 24 hours on all channels, a clear and visible return policy on the product page, and an automatic review request 7-10 days after delivery. Reply publicly to negative reviews too: the community reads, and a problem handled well is worth more than ten enthusiastic reviews.
Working with Bau Pet Strategy
How long does it take to see results?
The first sales from advertising can arrive in 2-4 weeks, but stable data to make decisions on generally requires 60-90 days. The first month is used to build content, tracking and the campaign structure; the second to test offers and audiences; from the third you scale what worked. Anyone promising structural results in 30 days is selling an expectation that in this sector rarely materializes.
Why a pet-specialized agency instead of a generalist one?
Because the learning time costs money. A vertical agency already knows the realistic acquisition costs, the creatives that work, the regulatory constraints on labeling and pet food claims, the seasonality and the repurchase behavior. Bau Pet Strategy was born from direct experience with Animal Instinct, an online pet food store managed in-house: over 17,000 customers, more than €170,000 invested in advertising and €1.3 million in total sales since the project started. It is not theory applied to the sector: it is a method built inside the sector.
What kind of businesses do you work with?
We work with anyone operating in the pet world in all its forms: food and supplement brands, online stores of accessories and dog and cat products, physical shops, groomers, dog boarding kennels and daycares, trainers, accommodations that accept pets, and distributors and manufacturers selling to the resale network. The channels and messages change, but the logic stays the same: understand who buys, what convinces them and how much it costs to reach them.
How much does it cost to work with you?
We don’t work with standard packages, because a brand that needs to launch and one that needs to grow have different needs. Collaborations are structured on three levels: strategic consulting and launch plan, advertising management with content production, and online store development on Shopify. The first step is always a free analysis call where we look at numbers, catalog and current campaigns and say clearly whether we can be useful or not. If the conditions to generate a return are not there, we say so before signing.
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