Whether it’s ‘near me’ searches, or the 46% of searches that have local intent, modern consumers are increasingly starting their buying journey online.
It’s no different for pet stores.
When pet owners need dog food or their cat requires grooming, they search “pet store near me” and expect a website that’s professional, easy to navigate, and showcases your expertise. A poorly designed, clunky website will send customers elsewhere, often to big-box retailers or online giants like Chewy.
At the very least, pet owners should be able to browse your services, check your hours, read reviews, and potentially order products before stepping foot in your store. When you start thinking of your website as a 24/7 salesperson, you’re on the right track.
“But I can’t design a website!” That’s OK — with modern tools, you don’t need to! But you still need to build a website that caters to your customers, and makes it easy for them to shop.
A well-designed website isn’t a nice-to-have — it’s a must-have. So, what are the main elements to consider?
Designing your pet store website can feel daunting, especially if it’s your first time creating a small business website. Luckily, pet store website design can be broken down into four main elements.
Studies have shown that website design aesthetics play an important role in improving the user experience. In particular, the study found that web visitors’ first impressions of a website are formed within 50 milliseconds, which also impacts the users’ perceptions of a website’s appeal and usability.
A great first impression is built upon your website’s visual appeal. Focus on how you bring your brand’s visual branding elements to life in your design, including your:
What’s in a logo? More than you would think. Memorable logos are often simple yet bold. Think McDonald’s Golden Arches, the Nike Swoosh, or Apple’s bitten apple — they’re all instantly recognizable and represent their brand.
A logo can’t be an afterthought. For your website, make sure it’s in the website header and works well at different sizes. An obvious choice for pet stores is something with an animal involved. But things like paw prints might feel cliché.
Instead, consider typography-focused designs that reflect your store's personality — playful for family-oriented stores, elegant for premium pet services, or trustworthy for health-focused businesses.
Much like a logo, colors help portray your store’s personality. They also play a role in how your store is perceived. Pet stores should feel calming and welcoming, and your website is no different.
Instead of red and orange, which evoke excitement, maybe try calming blues and greens. Earth tones convey natural, organic products. Avoid overwhelming color schemes — they’ll make your website look chaotic. Stick to two or three primary colors, plus neutral tones.
Last, make sure all text is readable! Text that gets lost in dark colors doesn’t provide a good user experience.
Fancy fonts aren’t necessary. It’s much better to choose a font that’s readable across all devices. A friendly, approachable font is more readable than overly decorative fonts. You might try one font for your headlines, and a complementary one for your body text.
You want potential customers who come across your website to trust you. Use real images of happy pets, your actual store, and staff members to show that you care and want the best for pet parents. You’re trying to create an emotional connection, not just make a sale.
You can also include photos (or videos) of your services in action: grooming sessions, training classes, or customers browsing your store.
Related Read: 6 Fresh Pet Grooming Trends To Try in 2025
Fail to plan, plan to fail. Before diving into pet store website design, establish a brand style guide. Consider logo usage, color codes, fonts, and image style. This will make the process easier and help create a cohesive brand experience.
Visual appeal is only the starting point of website design. While it contributes greatly to getting users interested in your pet store, web visitors won’t stay on your page unless it’s also easy to use and navigate. That’s where user experience (UX) comes into play.
Here are a few tips to improve the UX of your pet store website:
Think of your own user journey when you click into a website. You’re likely looking for key information. The navigation menu helps direct users to where they need to go. Your main menu should include essential pages: Home, Products/Services, About, Contact, and Hours.
Secondary menu items for your pet store might include services like "Grooming," "Training," or "Boarding." Keep the menu simple and avoid clever names that confuse visitors.
76% of people who search for local services on their smartphones visit a physical place within 24 hours. If your website doesn’t work on mobile, you’ll miss out. Test your site on various devices to ensure buttons are large enough to tap, text is readable without zooming, and forms are easy to complete on small screens.
A website’s main job is to get users to complete an action. What do you want users to do? Actions that deserve prominent placement include "Schedule Grooming," "Shop Now," "Call Us," and "Get Directions." Notice we’ve suggested action-oriented language — “Book Appointment" works better than "Services."
Make important calls to action (CTAs) stand out with contrasting colors and clear labels.
Most customers who click into your website have an idea of what they want to do or what they’re looking for. For pet stores, customers are likely looking for specific products or services. A search bar helps them find information quickly.
You can include filters for product categories, price ranges, and brands to help users find what they need.
On average, people are willing to wait up to eight seconds for a page to load, but a large portion of web users will leave your page in as few as three seconds. This is especially true on mobile devices. How can you improve loading times?
Start by compressing images or converting JPEGs into WebP formats — without sacrificing quality. Next, minimize unnecessary plugins — they strain resources — and finally, choose a reliable web hosting provider. Just taking care of these three things will help you avoid frustrating potential customers.
A good user experience helps potential customers find what they need, and fast. Whether they want to book grooming appointments, check your store hours, or browse products, every interaction should feel intuitive and helpful.
Pro tip: An impressive website that takes forever to load will never perform as well as a simply designed, action-oriented website.
One of the most important functions a pet store website can fulfill is to let customers purchase items online. E-commerce is an increasingly popular option for individuals who want to shop without leaving the comfort of their own home. Meet those needs by incorporating e-commerce into your pet store website’s design.
If you want to entice users to buy, your products should take center stage. Product pages need to be informative and intuitive. A good product listing includes:
Once users click into a product listing, give them more details to make them confident in their purchase. Include product specifications like ingredients for pet food, size charts for accessories, and age recommendations for toys. Customer reviews and star ratings don’t hurt either!
Once a customer decides they want to buy, a straightforward purchasing process is a must. An easy process builds trust and reduces cart abandonment. You should:
Go one step further by offering checkout options for one-time purchases while still encouraging account creation for repeat customers.
There’s a fear that disconnected selling channels can cause inventory chaos — and it’s a legitimate fear. There’s nothing worse for customers than adding a product to their basket, only to be disappointed that it’s out of stock.
To combat this, when someone purchases your last bag of premium dog food online, your in-store point of sale (POS) system should immediately reflect that item as out of stock.
Your website is also a great place to add elements that build trust and credibility with your audience. When you build elements like these straight into your pet store website design, web visitors immediately understand that your pet store is trustworthy and well-regarded, making them more likely to make a purchase or visit your store in person.
Generally, there are two types of web design elements you can add to enhance trust in your pet store:
Unfortunately, artificial intelligence (AI) is making it easier to fake testimonials and reviews — but it also gives you an opportunity to feature your real customers. Images and videos of customers with their pets are immediately more trustworthy than text-only reviews.
Feature testimonials on your homepage, service pages, and product listings. An important note: Interact with reviews! Thank customers for good reviews, and respond professionally and compassionately to negative ones. Responding to negative reviews with a helpful attitude highlights your commitment to customer service.
Nothing says “we’re a legitimate business” more than relevant credentials.
For small businesses like pet stores, this includes Better Business Bureau (BBB) membership, professional grooming certifications, or local business awards. Small touches like security badges on checkout forms reassure customers about payment safety.
Last, if you're an authorized dealer for specific pet food brands or carry certified organic products, prominently feature those partnerships to build credibility.
Trust and credibility elements work best when they feel natural. Don’t cram all of your testimonials into one page. Instead, integrate them throughout your site.
Pro tip: While it’s essential to display trust signals, how you treat your customers is a better indicator of trust. Respond promptly to questions and reviews, and use transparent business practices.
If you have no website design experience, it’s tempting to choose a generic (or popular) website builder. But they often lack the pet industry-specific features you need, forcing you to work around their limitations.
Instead, use a pet-specific website builder. Yes, we’re biased, but we’ve poured years of work into creating websites pet store owners love. Our solution is designed specifically to help you succeed, with features like:
We understand how your store operates. There’s no need for expensive bells and whistles or customizations. Your website becomes an extension of your physical store, not a separate system requiring constant manual updates.
Now that you know the basics of creating your pet store’s website, let’s look at a few examples of inspiring pet store website designs to get your creativity flowing.
Native Pet makes shopping simple with a quick health quiz that tells you exactly which supplements your dog needs. Instead of guessing through dozens of products, answer a few questions about your pet's age, size, and health concerns — then get specific recommendations.
The website looks clean and professional without feeling overwhelming. Products are organized by what they actually fix — "Hip & Joint Support" or "Digestive Health" — not confusing category names. Each product page clearly explains what it does and why your pet needs it.
Even though they only sell online, pet stores can copy their innovative approach: Help customers find the right products quickly instead of making them hunt through endless options.
This Pacific Northwest chain runs 60+ stores and knows how to compete with big-box retailers. Right on their homepage, they mention "scientifically-based nutritional guidance" and "35+ years of experience," immediately showing they're not just another pet store.
The website uses warm colors and photos of actual pets (not stock photos), making it feel welcoming rather than corporate. You can easily find what you need with simple menu categories like "Dogs," "Cats," and "Learning Resources."
They teach pet owners, rather than just selling products. Their seasonal guides help with summer cooling tips or winter safety, positioning them as local experts. Real customer reviews appear throughout the site, showing social proof without feeling pushy.
This Anna, Texas store shows how independents can beat big-box retailers. Ryan, the owner, doesn't just sell pet food — he educates customers, sponsors local teams, and provides eco-friendly potty bags for city parks.
The website handles both pet and farm supplies without feeling cluttered. You can easily book grooming appointments, set up auto-delivery, or find the right feed for your horses. The integration between online ordering and in-store pickup works smoothly.
Their eTailPet-powered site handles complex inventory (pet food, farm feed, grooming supplies) while keeping everything simple for customers. Auto-delivery prevents customers from switching to Chewy, and the local delivery option serves their Texas community better than online retailers.
A well-designed pet store website works 24/7 to attract customers, showcase your expertise, and drive sales. You have to be where your customers are — when they research pet products and services online, they expect to find a professional website.
The pet stores that thrive online understand a key principle: Your website should work as hard as you do. It needs to book grooming appointments, manage inventory, process payments, and build customer loyalty — all while looking professional and loading quickly on mobile devices.
eTailPet provides everything covered in this guide, from professional design templates to seamless e-commerce integration and inventory management. Better yet? It’s specifically designed for pet stores.
Want to see our e-commerce capabilities in action? Schedule a demo with one of our pet store experts today.
If you’d like to learn more about running a pet store, check out these resources: