Posted on Aug 28, 2015

iFeature of the Month: Kathy’s Kritter Korner

Two happy customers of Kathy's Kritter Corner

Two happy customers of Kathy’s Kritter Corner

It is truly our pleasure to announce this month’s iFeature of the Month! Kathy Arnold of Lockhart, Texas, has taken a passion of hers and turned it into a profitable small businessKathy’s Kritter Korner is primarily an online store selling accessories for one of the most important family members in life — our dogs! Check out her iPage website here: http://www.kathyskritterkorner.net/

From reversible coats, collars and bows, to tasty treats, Kathy is ready to make your dog’s day. She uses her website to sell her product and share her brand online. It is people like Kathy who inspire us to be a better web host, and it is stories like hers that motivate us to follow our own dreams in life. We had a chance to talk with Kathy about her experience with iPage and her life as a small business owner. Here’s what she had to say!


 

Hi Kathy, Thanks for being a customer of iPage! How did you hear about us and why did you ultimately end up choosing iPage as your web host? How has your experience been so far since you set up your account with us?

Well at first, and unfortunately, I listened to friends who recommended another top-named website builder. It was a horrible experience from the first day of trying to build it and our relationship ended after one week of frustration. Then I did research online and was impressed with your site and promises of success! I immediately went to you! You are much more user-friendly and your tech support is actually helpful, especially by comparison. And your phone support agents are all very knowledgeable and supportive!

 

We’re so happy we’ve been able to help you get set up online. Before we talk about your website. We want to know more about your business! What was your motivation for Kathy’s Kritter Korner? How did the business come about?

My career was in business management and accounting, but I wanted to return to my passion, so I did pet grooming for the last seven years….But due to the physical stress of that job, I looked for my next chapter. Over many years of having pets, I have found it difficult to find certain items, like safe, humane and attractive collars, coats that actually cover the dog’s entire body for warmth, dog treats that aren’t packed with artificial extras. So it felt like natural path to follow to make those things readily available to other pet owners.

 

That’s incredible. It’s so inspiring to hear of people who followed their passion even after years working in a different area. As for your website, we love it! Did you design it yourself? 

Thank you! Yes, I designed it myself using Weebly and E-commerce. It was fairly easy to understand and correct when I made mistakes. The icons are pretty straight-forward and easy to drag and drop.

 

Wonderful! It’s good to know Weebly is easy to use! How much time do you dedicate to managing the site? And are there any other iPage tools you use to keep your website up and running?             

It’s amazingly easy to keep the products for sale updated which is great. It’s wonderful that I didn’t need to take a course to understand your offerings. I spend about 4 hours per week on the site upkeep, but would have no problem increasing that time, with more business! Like I said, it is easy and simple.  I can’t say if there are better, but I can say there are much worse…iPage is perfect for me and my company’s needs!

 

Oh, good! And are there any areas of the site you’re still looking to improve?

Well, love the fact that I can add a page and change/update the products so fast and easily! But I still need to improve the marketing and exposure. I’d also like to improve how people can search for my site. At this point, my company Facebook page comes up first, and that seems to confuse things.

 

That definitely makes sense. Marketing can be one of the more difficult aspects of site management. What else has been a biggest challenge in getting online and creating a website? How have you overcome it?

In terms of creating my website, the biggest challenge is my own ignorance about what I need and how to build it! Once I figure out what I need, I can call your Tech Support and get walked through the execution of it. They also recommend alternative ideas. As far as starting my own business, the biggest challenge has been starting off with limited funds and getting nationwide exposure. I’m still trying to overcome that.

 

Well, we think you’ve done a fantastic job so far. And we’re happy to hear you’re able to get help when you need it. Speaking of being a small business owner, what advice can you give to others like you about creating and managing a website and online presence?          

I strongly recommend iPage for creating and managing your business, especially if it constantly changes, or if you’re not a professional website builder. It has organized and grouped my products so that anyone can to go to that section and see everything. And it’s easy for me to check my inventory and update it, as needed. I have not yet achieved all of my goals with it, but have hope that, with exposure and marketing funds, I will be successful.

One of my goals is to be an online store, nationwide and my website is definitely a helpful stepping stone.

 

Thank you so much for the recommendation, Kathy. We really appreciate it! Now before we let you go, is there anything else you’d like others to know about your business? What would you like to tell potential customers about you and your work through Kathy’s Kritter Korner?

Our goal is to offer high quality products, individually made, to pet owners who want that extra “something” for their pet.  We will strive for your satisfaction and can customize, as needed.  You are dealing with a small, local business, rather than a corporation using mass-production with the “one size fits all” mentality. Everything is made in Texas but can be made for your pets and delivered via USPS nationwide. 

Our products are as unique as your pets! We offer unique, handmade items.  They are always made with the comfort and safety of your dog in mind.  Currently we offer reversible coats, Martingale collars, healthy natural treats, elastic neck bling and bows.  New items are added frequently.  We will soon introduce “nap/travel mats” and throws to our product line, as well as walking harnesses.  As the owner of Kathy’s Kritter Korner, I have studied, lived with, worked with and loved dogs for more than 60 years. And those dogs have shared lots of insights into what they need and want.

 

Awesome! We want to thank you for your time and wish you nothing but the best with your business. As a lover of all animals here at iPage, we are so happy to see you putting smiley faces and waggly tails on our dogs across the nation with your product!  Good luck to you!

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