I made a new web site based on an idea I had a few months back. Just looking for some feedback from fellow dog owners, if there are any. Feel free to try out the site if you inclined to do so.

http://www.FidoFinder.com

 

I am not a dog owner, but that site seems like a great idea. not bad at all...if it's a one of a kind thing (no other sites like it) that's a pretty damn good idea.

T

 

There are a few mom & pop-looking sites where you can post a lost/found dog, and maybe one or two larger sites with the same idea. The thing that sets my idea apart is registering ahead of time, so that if your dog is lost people can find you without you having to do anything. I think it would be a great resource for people, vets, SPCA, etc.

This site is smart too. When you post a lost dog it checks for dogs of the same breed and area (zip codes in a 5-mile radius) that were posted as found, so it helps to match up people who potentially could have found their dog. It does the same when a found dog is posted. Also, if your dog is lost you'll get email updates if a dog is posted as found and is of the same breed and in your area. You can use the site to contact these individuals as well, it's all integrated.

I've got more ideas to help tie all of it together, but this is phase 1.

 

not bad wes. what are you using to make the site? ASP.NET?

 

Actually I strayed from my usually tools (ASP/SQL Server) and went open source. The site is done in PHP with a MySQL backend (I coded most of it on my Linux server at home). 100% free tools. I had never used either before this. And, it only cost me an extra $10/month to upgrade my web hosting account with Yahoo to handle PHP/MySQL (plus many other benefits). I bounced my other two sites (REDNR.com and VelocityRed.com) too keep the costs down.

 

Good idea. How effective will this be if the dog lost is not pure bred? Perhaps you have answered the question on the site, but I just skimmed through it. Also, is your site going to be advertised anywhere like at pet stores or something so that it can get a large area base. It seems that success of finding my dog rides alot on how many people in my surrounding area know about this site. So from what I see it is free to register and post a found dog, but costs to place a lost dog ad (seems fair).

 

Non pure bred dogs essentially have more than one breed. So, there are two breed boxes (primary and secondary) if your dog is a mix. Also, there is a breed named "Mutt" and a breed named "Other" for catch-alls.

It does not cost anything to register or post a lost or found dog. Once you post a lost dog you can choose to upgrade your lost dog posting (image, phone number, reward), but the free listing will stay on the site for 7 days. Upgraded listings (if upgraded with reward) stay on longer.

But yes, the success of "conversions" (finding lost dogs that were posted) does highly rely on this site being THE site to go to.

But, not a single dog ever has to be found on this web site in order for it to be successful (at least financially). I'm not saying that's my goal, to not help people find their dogs, but in actuallity the site is somewhat like having insurance (other than state-required car insurance). You do it in the hopes that it saves your butt one day, whether it ever does or not you feel good knowing you have it.

Also, it's not a site that people will frequent. You're not going to go there more than maybe a few times. You won't really find people sitting and discussing their lost dog posting experience with other lost dog posters at Starbucks. The idea is to create a place that is known as THE place to go to register your dog JUST IN CASE. From there, people will also go there to post their lost dog, or found dog, and the cycle continues. Somehow the word of mouth advertising, for now, has to be "It just makes sense, register your dog..." as opposed to "I lost my dog and Fido Finder found it!" But, after a year or so the later may very well be the word of mouth advertising.

 

First of, I like the idea and it has a lot of potential. Once you have the website debugged, I would try to establish some 'relationships' with the local pet rescue groups and provide them with some brochures. They can pass them out during their adoption programs that are held on Saturdays at several local PetSmarts. This would be an excellent grassroots campaign.

Now to the good stuff. Okay, being in the field, I'm putting on my Beta Test hat on and have some suggestions.

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Joe, I see where you're going with some of the suggestions. But, it's hard to predict what people will want to do next for this perticular site. And, if you can't predict what they want to do next, it can just be confusing to guess, IMHO. I agree with the zip code, I should add that. I agree that the form validation is primitive, I threw that together and expect to have client-side JS validation as well in the future. I totally agree with the dog adoption comment. Right now registrants cannot upgrade their account, for example with an image, only Lost Dog listings can be upgraded, BUT, I need to add the code so that registrants can also add an image. So, I agree with that one too...I just gotta add the code.

I do plan on attempting to get breeders and adoption agencies to either encourage their customers to register OR have the adoption agency offer to do it for them (would be nice if there was a laptop with wi-fi for registration on the spot.

One good news item already, the Millie Bush Bark Park has agreed to put a link to Fido Finder on their web site. One thing the site has going for it is that the idea does scream "commercial". You could go to the site and have no idea how it could ever make money. If you don't dig around you won't even find anything to "buy". But, when it comes down to frantically looking for you're Fido, you're presented with a tempting offer. At least that's the idea. It's going to be a while before the site is "famous" enough that people are willing to fork over cash for upgrades...but it can happen.

 

ttt