About half of our requests make reference to feeling like we would be a good fit based on our profile. Oddly, a majority of our clients end up having nervous or anxious dogs, so while I didn't write our profile intending to cater to that demographic, that seems to be what has happened. It works out well, as I've done a lot of work with anxious, even severely, aggressively fearful dogs (including my own, though you'd never know it to see them now) and they seem to trust me quickly and follow my dogs' lead. (I'm actually really curious - if anyone feels like checking out our profile I'd love to know what nervous/anxious dog owners are seeing in it.. besides the list of reviews that make mention of all the nervous dogs we've watched, that is!)
I really prefer customers who have done their research, so I put a lot of time and energy into our profile, making sure all the important information was there and putting up the best pictures to represent our lifestyle and what we can offer our guest dogs. Once a stay is booked, I'm diligent about getting pictures and posting them promptly (through Rover daily, but also as they happen on instagram and in updates to our Facebook page, so the owners can see them as they choose and I'm not triggering those push notifications all the time through Rover). I really strive to get good, print-worthy pictures for owners because that's what I try to do with my own dogs. Our prices are average, but I think our service pushes us beyond others in the area.
The number one reason people tell me they message me is because I have pet nutrition/health knowledge and more than likely there is something about their dog (Allergies, aggression, surgery, etc) The #1 reason people choose to book someone else is that I do work and am gone 6-8 hours at a time