What a Dog Grooming Website Needs
Dog owners look at a grooming website to answer four questions: what do you do, what will it cost for my dog, when can I come, and will my dog be safe with you? A good grooming website answers them on a phone, lets people book without calling, and shows real dogs you have groomed.
The facts quoted here come from primary sources: the AVMA's page on vaccinating your pet; Google's guidelines for representing your business on Google, its help on services on your Business Profile and bookings through a provider, and the Maps policy on fake engagement; Google Search Central on local business structured data; and schema.org's LocalBusiness and PetStore types, all checked on 14 November 2026. The rest is our view from building websites for service businesses.
The short answer
A dog grooming website needs a services page with your own prices written as text and explained by size, coat and condition, a "Book now" button on every page, a clear page on vaccination records and what to expect on the first visit, before and after photos of real dogs, a short page for each groomer, and a name, address or service area, and services that match your Google Business Profile.
Services and prices by size and coat
The services page is the one owners check first, and for grooming the price depends on the dog. Our view: list each service (full groom, bath and tidy, puppy intro, nail trim, de-shedding, teeth brushing, hand stripping if you offer it) with a short line on what is included and roughly how long the dog stays with you. Then explain how the price changes, as text on the page rather than a photo of your price board. Our salon website guide explains why prices belong in text.
Most groomers price by size or weight, by breed or coat type, and by condition. A simple table works well: small, medium, large and giant down the side, services across the top, with your own "from" prices. Under it, say in plain words what can raise the price, such as matting, a coat that has not been groomed for a long time, or a dog that needs extra handling, and that you confirm the final price when you see the dog. Our view: owners accept a range with a reason far more easily than a surprise at pick-up.
Google lets you show the same list on your Business Profile, where you can "group services into categories and include additional details, like descriptions and prices". It also says not to put "prices, or phone numbers in custom service names", so keep the price in the price field. See Business Profile services.
Online booking
Put a "Book now" button in the header of every page and have it open the booking screen directly. A grooming booking needs a few details a haircut booking does not (our view): the dog's name, breed, rough weight, age, coat condition and anything the groomer should know first, such as nervousness, health problems or a dog that does not like dryers. Keep the first step short and ask for the rest after the slot is picked. Ask whether this is the dog's first visit, so you can block the right amount of time.
Our guide to online booking for service businesses covers the choice of system, reminders and deposits and no-show rules, which matter for long appointments. Bookings can also start on Google: Google's help says that with a supported provider "Your booking providers will show up on your Business Profile within a week", and if you do not use one, "You can also add your own link to your Business Profile."
Vaccination records and first visits
The AVMA's page for pet owners says "Reputable boarding, daycare, grooming, and training services require up-to-date vaccinations to keep all pets safe", and that "Many local and state laws require certain vaccinations—even for indoor-only pets." It also notes that Bordetella and canine influenza vaccines "are recommended for dogs that visit places where other dogs gather, like boarding, daycare, and training facilities."
Which vaccines you ask for is your decision and your local law's, so check with your state or county and your own vet. The website's job is to say it clearly before anyone books (our view):
- Which vaccination records you need to see, and whether a vet's certificate is required.
- How to send them: upload in the booking system, email, or bring them on the day.
- What happens if a record is missing or out of date.
- What the first visit involves: a short check-in, a look at the coat, the price confirmed, and pick-up time.
An upload in your booking or client system is better than an open contact form, because records carry the owner's name, address and vet details. Say what you keep and for how long in your privacy notice; website privacy basics covers what to write.
Before and after photos
Before and after photos show your work better than any description, and dog owners love to share them. Our view: show them as taken, with the same light and angle on both sides, and say what was done ("full groom, teddy bear face, poodle cross"). Ask the owner before you post their dog, and leave out anything that shows their home, car plate or face unless they agree. Give each photo a short alt text, and keep the files small so the gallery loads fast on a phone. The rights side is covered in website photos and image licensing, and the photos you post on Google in Business Profile photos.
Be honest about matted dogs. A short note that a badly matted coat is usually clipped short for the dog's comfort, with a photo, sets expectations better than a gallery of only perfect show cuts.
Groomer pages
Our view: give each groomer a short page or card with a real photo, the breeds and styles they enjoy, any training or certification they actually hold, the days they work, and a button that books with them. Many clients ask for the same groomer every time, so let the booking screen open with that groomer already picked. Keep claims to what is true and checkable; a list of breeds someone has groomed for years says more than "expert".
Mobile grooming and your service area
A mobile grooming van is a service-area business in Google's terms. Google's guidelines say "If your business doesn’t have a storefront with clear signage but travels to customers at their physical locations, you’re allowed one service-area Business Profile", and that "If you’re a service-area business, you should hide your business address from customers." They add that the overall service area "shouldn’t extend farther than about 2 hours of driving time from where your business is based." A salon that also runs a van can show its address and a service area as a hybrid business.
On the website, list the towns or neighborhoods you cover on one page, say what you need at the customer's home (parking space, water or power if your van needs it), and explain any travel charge. If you are thinking of a page per town, read service area pages first: thin copies of the same page help nobody.
Opening hours need care too. Google says certain businesses shouldn't list hours, including "those that operate only by appointment". If you are appointment-only, say so on the site and give the hours you answer the phone or messages instead.
Reviews and your Business Profile
Ask every client for a review the same way, for example in the message that says their dog is ready. Google's Maps policy says merchants may not "Offer incentives – such as payment, discounts, free goods and/or services - in exchange for posting any review", may not "selectively solicit positive reviews from customers", and "should not require or pressure users to leave ratings or write reviews while on the premises". So a free nail trim for a review breaks the policy, and so does asking only the happy clients. Our Google reviews guide covers replies, and reviews and testimonials on websites covers showing them on your own pages.
Keep the business name, phone number, address or service area, and services the same on the website and the Business Profile, and change both on the same day when something changes.
Which schema type to use
Google's local business documentation says to use the "most specific LocalBusiness sub-type possible". Schema.org has no type for a dog groomer (it has PetStore, "A pet store", but that is for shops), so a grooming salon uses LocalBusiness itself, which schema.org defines as "A particular physical business or branch of an organization." If you also run a pet shop from the same address, Google says "If you have multiple types, specify them as an array", for example ["LocalBusiness", "PetStore"]. Our local business schema guide shows the fields, including opening hours and the service area.
A short checklist (our view)
- A services page in text, with your own "from" prices by size and what can change them.
- A "Book now" button on every page that asks for breed, weight and coat condition.
- A clear page on the vaccination records you need and how to send them.
- Before and after photos of real dogs, posted with the owner's OK, with alt text.
- A page or card for each groomer, with a link that books with them.
- For mobile grooming, a service-area profile with the address hidden and a page listing the areas you cover.
- Reviews asked for the same way from every client, with no incentives.
- Name, phone, address or area and services the same on the site and the profile.
Vets, salons and pet shops have matching guides in what a veterinary website needs, what a salon website needs and what a pet store website needs. If you would rather have it built for you, our website development service builds custom WordPress and static websites made to load fast, rank well and be easy for your team to edit.
Frequently asked questions
What should a dog grooming website include?
A services page with prices as text explained by size and coat, online booking from every page, your vaccination record rules, before and after photos of real dogs, groomer pages, reviews, and contact details and services that match your Google Business Profile.
Should a dog groomer show prices online?
Our view: yes. Show your own "from" prices by size or breed group, and explain what can raise the price, such as matting or extra handling, and that you confirm the final price when you see the dog.
Can a dog grooming website ask for vaccination records?
Yes. The AVMA says reputable grooming services require up-to-date vaccinations, and many local and state laws require certain vaccines. Say which records you need and let owners upload them in your booking or client system rather than an open contact form.
Does a mobile dog groomer need a Google Business Profile?
It helps people find you. A mobile groomer without a storefront is allowed one service-area Business Profile, should hide the home address, and should keep the service area within about two hours of driving from where the business is based.