An app for dog boarding and walking discovery case study.

I have utilized Woofmeets as a customer and dog walker/sitter because I adore dogs. For some, dog walking has been a profitable side business. I like to refer to it as the “Uber/Lyft” of dog walking. In order to help the users comprehend Woofmeets, I set out to find new prospects, suggest enhancements for the platform, and conduct this case study.

1. Understanding Woofmeets

I figured out Woofmeets positioning first. According to Woofmeets, it was “developed for dog people, dog lovers.”

• For pet parents seeking peace of mind, Woofmeets offers dependable pet care. Only 20% of prospective pet sitters are accepted due to its stringent screening process.
• Fast and simple — Using the app, payment transactions can be completed and communications can be sent securely.
• Woofmeets brings together a neighborhood of animal enthusiasts who can then trade services like dog walking, boarding, and dog sitting.

2. Target Audience

Woofmeets has two distinct customer bases, in my opinion.

• Pet owners — Trying to find a reliable dog walker or sitter
• Pet sitters — This covers a broad range, ranging from youngsters to the elderly to working professionals. For those who previously had trouble connecting with potential pet clients, it makes a terrific business on the side.

3. Competitor

• Rover
• Wag
• PetBacker.com
• Fetch Pet Care
• Care.com
• HouseCarers.com
• Local dog boarding resorts
• Local dog kennels

4. High-Level Features

It seems best to comprehend each of the essential features and functionalities of the app now that I have gone into more detail about Woofmeets’ position.

As a dog parent:

• Search for pet sitters nearby — Based on the type of service required, this can be customized and then further filtered down by criteria like distance, cost, and availability.

• Instant Messaging
• Photo Sharing
• Secure Payment and Communication
• GPS tracking
• Report Generation

As a pet sitter

• Keeping in touch with potential clients in a secure manner
• A flexible calendar of availability
• Pricing is dependent on the size of the dog, the type of treatment, and special holiday pricing
• Generate report cards
• Realtime Tracking — Utilize a visual dashboard to monitor and communicate information about the dog’s activity, including time tracking, walk routes on a map, bathroom breaks, and food intake.
• The option to have repeat clients
• The option to lock rates for repeat clients
• Organize “meet and greets” with potential dog clients and their pets
• Make your own Woofmeets advertisement to attract customers.

5. Areas for Improvement

• Absence of oversight. Evidently, a dog sitter didn’t take the dog for a long enough or regular enough toilet break. After several days, the pet owner discovered their sick dog when they got home.

• Dog walkers use third-party apps like WoofTrax to transmit accurate walking maps to dog owners because the GPS does not display the right trails. Considering a little trail in your park, Woofmeets does not recognize “off the path” walks.

6. Research

In order to get some knowledge and add some color to my perspective and solutions, I was able to speak with a few dog sitters who are friends as well as trawl through online forums like Reddit.

• Do inexperienced or beginner pet sitters on woofmeets.com get away with being irresponsible?

I questioned my friend, a full-time pet sitter in Seattle, and she recalled a time when her super-careless friend used Woofmeets and had a booking the same day. The such vetting would not be something I would trust. These guys damage the reputation of trustworthy pet sitters like us.

Someone commented on Reddit:

There is no provision for tipping, which is, in my opinion, a poor design given that dog walking is a service. Some dogs certainly need more care and handling than others, and the locked price doesn’t reflect this effort fairly.

7. Opportunity, Focus and Solutions

While it may be possible to raise the accountability of pet sitters with a few ostensibly straightforward fixes, it is not always simple. To gain credentials for pet sitters/walkers on their platform and stop further deterioration of their value proposition, “Trusted Pet Care,” Woofmeets.com should, in my opinion, collaborate with veterinarians and other pet training authorities. Simple questionnaires like this one will not suffice.

A Glimpse of Woofmeets