gw-svelte/docs/competitors.md

# Competitor analysis — Auckland dog walking

A look at what two of our closest competitors do well, and what's worth borrowing for Goodwalk. Captured 2026-05-20.

---

## Fetch Dog Walking — https://fetchdogwalking.co.nz

### What they do well

- **Founder-led narrative.** Andy Evans is named on the site and the philosophy ("freedom to explore in nature is an essential investment in our dog's health") is front and centre. Feels like a person, not a faceless service.
- **Content depth.** They go beyond "book a walk" and publish:
  - Auckland **Dog Parks** guide
  - Basic **Training** tips
  - **FAQs** page
  - "Our Dogs" and "Our People" pages
- **"Dog's Highlight of the Week"** — a recurring content hook that gives existing clients a reason to keep visiting the site and gives new visitors social proof.
- **Diversified offering.** The 100-acre Waitakere Ranges farm-stay / boarding service is a real differentiator — they're not just selling walks, they're selling a destination.
- **Positions on authority.** Tagline "Auckland's Leading Dog Walking Company" is bold and clear.
- **Strong primary CTA.** Homepage contact form is short (company, dog name, phone, email, suburb, message) — low friction.

### What we could implement

| Idea | Effort | Why |
|---|---|---|
| **Founder bio / "About Matt" page** with photo and philosophy | S | Personality is a moat. Easy SEO win for branded searches. |
| **"Dog of the Week" / Instagram-style spotlight on the homepage** | M | Gives the site an "alive" feel; reuses content we likely already post to social. Could pull from the existing client_profiles table. |
| **Dog parks of Auckland** content page | M | Pure SEO play — high-intent local search ("best dog parks Auckland"). Drives top-of-funnel traffic. |
| **Training tips / FAQ content hub** | M | Same SEO logic. Also reduces support load. |
| **"Our pack" page showing all dogs we walk** (with owner consent) | S | Trust + community. We already collect dog photos in onboarding. |

---

## Sticks & Bones — https://sticksandbones.co.nz

### What they do well

- **Process is the product.** They sell their *enrollment process* as a trust signal:
  1. Free Meet & Greet at home
  2. **Minimum two Assessment Walks** before enrollment
  3. Handler matching
  4. App-based booking
  This makes the service feel professional and screened — they're not taking everyone.
- **Real-time walk reports via app.** Clients get photos and a report after every walk. This is the single biggest differentiator and the most-mentioned feature in their testimonials.
- **Concrete trust signals.**
  - Police-checked handlers
  - Secure key handling process documented
  - Handlers named individually ("Amanda walks our Cooper")
  - Maximum 4 dogs per Urban Adventure Walk (explicit cap = safety)
- **Personalised client app** for scheduling, history, and reports — clients self-serve.
- **In-home dog sitting**, but only for enrolled walking clients (creates retention + upsell).
- **Tagline is benefit-led**, not feature-led: "dog walking made easy" + "active dogs behave better."

### What we could implement

| Idea | Effort | Why |
|---|---|---|
| **Post-walk reports** (photo + short note delivered by email or in the client portal) | L | This is the killer feature. Our admin dashboard already touches client_profiles — extending to walk records is a natural next step. Single biggest perceived-value lift available. |
| **Document our enrollment process** as a 3-step visual on the homepage (Enquire → Meet & Greet → First Walk) | S | We already do a Meet & Greet — we're just not selling it. Pure copy/design change. |
| **Cap group size publicly** (e.g. "max 4 dogs per pack") | S | Free trust signal if it matches reality. |
| **Name the team** with photos on About page | S | Sticks & Bones gets specific mentions of handlers by name in reviews — that only happens when you make handlers visible. |
| **Police-check / insurance / first-aid badges** in the footer or About page | S | Cheap credibility. |
| **Client portal extensions** — walk history, upcoming bookings, ability to reschedule | L | We already have auth + onboarding + admin dashboard. The data model is most of the way there. |
| **"Enrolled clients only" services** as a retention hook (e.g. boarding, sitting) | M | Mirrors S&B's sitting model. Existing clients get priority — gives a reason to stay engaged after onboarding. |

---

## Cross-cutting themes

Both competitors do these things; we should too:

1. **Named humans on the site.** Founder, team, dogs. The word "we" without faces is worth less.
2. **Process as proof.** Both make their intake process visible — it doubles as marketing.
3. **Service ladder, not a service.** Walks → assessments → boarding/sitting → premium options. Gives clients somewhere to grow into.
4. **Locations as content.** Specific Auckland park / suburb mentions throughout — local SEO and "they know my area" trust.

## What Goodwalk has that they don't (lean into this)

- **Multi-step onboarding form** with signature, vet, emergency contacts, behavioural profile — already more thorough than what's visible on either competitor.
- **Database-backed client profiles** — foundation for a portal richer than S&B's (their app is the obvious next ceiling; we have data they don't seem to capture).
- **Brand-coloured design system** already in place (Goodwalk Green / Yellow) — distinct visual identity vs. the generic blue/green dog-walker templates.

## Suggested priority order

1. **Founder/team page + named handlers** (1 day, big trust lift)
2. **Visualise the enrollment process on the homepage** (1 day, sells the Meet & Greet we already do)
3. **Dog Parks of Auckland content page** (2-3 days, SEO compounding)
4. **Post-walk reports** in the client portal (1-2 weeks, table-stakes vs. S&B)
5. **Walk history / portal extensions** (2-3 weeks, retention moat)