When you think of the fastest growing segments in eCommerce, what do you think? Consumer Electronics. Fashion. Home Goods. Would you think the Pet Industry?
The Pet Industry is estimated to bring in $60 Billion in 2015, up $2 billion from the year prior. Looking at Pet Food specifically, the $23 billion dollar market has the highest ecommerce penetration relative to any other home care categories. In 2015 alone, Pet Food ecommerce grew 55%. Pet Food and other items within the Pet Industry segment are surprisingly one of the few areas that Amazon is not dominating, which means there is tremendous opportunity for manufacturers and retailers alike to take advantage of this opportunity. According to Forrester, online sales of pet products now total $3.7 billion per year, a 76% increase since 2010.
Additionally, the Pet Industry is a market that is not dominated by one or two large organizations. Even the largest companies in this space lack a strong digital presence, which again, presents tremendous opportunity for manufacturers and retailers to penetrate the ecommerce market.
Here are some consumer demand metrics that might shock you and showcase the tremendous opportunity in this market.
Chewy.com’s Meteoric Rise
If you look at one of the leading websites in eCommerce, Chewy.com’s traffic over the past few years, you will see they are seeing growth…. incredibly strong growth.
According to third party tools, they are receiving almost 400,000 visits from organic search, every month! Now let’s look at popular dog magazines and online content destinations, The Bark and Modern Dog Magazine.
The thirst for Pet Content is never quenched
Modern Dog Magazine went from almost no traffic from organic search in 2013 to receiving over 100,000 visits a month.
Looking at The Bark, you see that their traffic is even greater, with an even larger spike within the past 2 years. There is such a demand for content related to pets, and those producing that unique content and employing a sound content marketing strategy are winning. If you are a manufacturer or reseller of pet products and you aren’t invested in eCommerce, you are missing a tremendous opportunity.
Still think the Pet industry isn’t turning to ecommerce? Let’s look at keywords….
Keyword Volume within the United States
Below are the average monthly keyword volumes within the United States for search keywords related to the pet industry, according to Google.
· Dog Food – 49.500 searches a month
· Homemade Dog Treats – 18,100 searches a month
· Dog Treats – 12,100 searches a month
· Natural Dog Food – 5,400 searches a month
· Best Grain Free Dog Food – 5,400 searches a month
· Limited Ingredient Dog Food – 3,600 searches a month
· Healthy Dog Treats – 2,900 searches a month
· Online Pet Store – 2,400 searches a month
· Pet Supplies Online – 1,900 searches a month
· Dog Food Online – 1,300 searches a month
Now I know what you are thinking, these numbers are low… Only 50,000 people each month are searching for Dog Food? How can Chewy.com receive almost 400,000 visits a month with such low search volume? For comparison, here are some keyword volumes for some more common terms.
· Men’s Dress Shoes – 60,500 searches a month
· Shoes for Women – 49,500 searches a month
· Women’s Clothing Online – 22,200 searches a month
· Men’s Shoes Online – 5,400 searches a month
· Women’s Shoes Online – 5,400 searches a month
Wait… so you are telling me about half of the amount of people looking for Women’s Shoes Online (or Men’s Shoes Online) are searching for an Online Pet Store? Yep. The same amount of people are searching for Dog Food then are searching for Shoes for Women. The numbers are staggering when put into this context.
*Disclaimer: Average Monthly Searches are ‘low’ because of the ‘long-tail’ nature of search today. Consumers’ type long queries into the search bar and each query is unique, which means you should not focus on specific keywords and more about covering the subject!
What does this mean for you and how do you get started?
If you are a manufacturer of products within the Pet Industry, chances are you are fighting for shelf space, giving away most of your profits, and burning cash on inventory chasing down the big box retailers; all while your audience is looking for these products online. The reality is the big box retailers do not carry a broad selection of artisanal, natural, boutique products because their shelf space is finite and the competition for shelf space is fierce. Additionally, you might be getting boxed out by larger brands willing to pay placement fees to keep their products on the shelf.
Why not go direct to consumer and sell your products online? Whether you want to sell your products on Amazon or your own website, the barrier to entry has never been lower.
The best way to get started is to create a Google Shopping Advertising Campaign, coupled with a Content Marketing (Online PR) Campaign so that you can provide thought leadership to consumers desperate for information, and feverously searching for answers to their pet related questions. Need proof, the site CanIGiveMyDog.com gets over 1,000,000 visits from search engines… a month! Think people are hungry for pet related content? You could be answering those questions, and connecting consumers to your story, your product, and your brand.
Now is the time. The industry continues to grow and consumers are increasingly turning online to make their purchases. With a relatively small investment and a sound strategy, you too can speak to these consumers, and grow your business.
We have experience in the Pet Industry, as well as countless other industries. Let us help tell your story and reach your audience.