Hi there
I’m new to Trusted House Sitters and new to the forum. I’ve created my profile etc and posted some dates for a sitter for my lovely dog and cats but am getting no responses!
I’m not sure what I can do to get some interest? I’ve identified a few sitters that look really good but I’m not sure how it works if I invite them to sit?? Do I then get the chance to chat with them etc. to see if they’d be a good fit?? If they are interested that is?
I’d appreciate any advice from members who have more experience.
Thanks
Jan
Hello @jan4 & welcome. Jaffa looks sweet & your sit sounds lovely. I think you could do with some better photos as lots are a bit of a room or a piece of furniture which aren’t showing your lovely property off. Closer ones of Jaffa as the first two would be good. Personally we like a few of the pet, the living room, kitchen, sitters bedroom & bathroom and outside space. Great if they have captions on them too. Maybe reorder them & have another go. Change the title to something like “Beautiful walks & escape in Exmoor National Park with chilled Jaffa.” Sitters also like to know how long Jaffa can be left alone, walking patterns, feeding duties, where does he sleep. All that will help. It sounds lovely, just needs showing off a bit more. Inviting sitters is a long shot as calendars and locations change so often, better to attract more interest from everyone if you can. Best of luck
Hi @jan4
It would be useful if you could add your listing to your profile, that way some of us can have a look and give you feedback.
Here’s how to do it:
Hi @jan4 , your listing looks very nice but I have some suggestions that, I think, will make it stand out.
Jaffa seems like a pleasure to care for and I like the captions on your pictures. I agree with @Cuttlefish that your photos should try to show the entire room. Your home looks lived in and comfortable but for your listing, I would suggest that less is more. They would make a better impression if you removed all extraneous items for the pictures, such as the tea towels hanging on the stove handle, all items on the bathroom shelf and counters and papers on the desk. You should also make your sitter’s bedroom look inviting with a nice, neat made bed and include the windows. I, for one, am interested in the window coverings in the room where I would sleep. And there’s no need to say the guest room is not decorated yet. I, personally, don’t care. I just want to know if I’ll be able to get a good night’s sleep in it. I also love the fact that you have a piano.
The view from your home is beautiful. Definitely keep that photo and the picture of Jaffa wrapped in a towel is sweet. You don’t need that many pictures of her, though. Two pictures of each pet is adequate. Your first picture should be of the front of your house or an especially cute one of Jaffa.
And speaking of Jaffa, when does she eat, where does she sleep, does she wake during the night and how long can she be left alone?
How far is it to food stores, other shops, attractions (you can mention some), restaurants, buses and the train station? Are these walkable and if not, is there public transport? If a car is necessary and you are able to provide use of one, you will appeal to a wider pool of sitters. Make sure you check with your insurance company first to see if it’s feasible.
Thanks for posting to the forum. Hope to see more of you and good luck finding the perfect sitter for your lovely pets.
I’ve had a good read of your listing and really hope that you find a sitter soon. I would be very interested in sitting for you if I wasn’t currently travelling and housesitting in Australia. Maybe when I return to the UK….
Good that you’ve taken notice of the advice given and adjusted the listing accordingly.
@Smiley
Thanks for that. I’ll be doing some more pics today of the living room, bathroom and kitchen and adding those and then I think I’ll have done all I can. Thank you so much for your help
The other suggestions have been spot on. I would also break up the text in your Responsibility section. At the moment it’s an overwhelming amount and more narrative than instructive. In the Responsibility section people should be able to easily view the specific needs of your pets. Bullet points are a great way to do that so for example: - Dog needs 3 walks daily. 1 short morning and evening. 1 for 40 minutes midday.
Feed morning and evening. Describe type of food.
After that or in another section you can describe the pet’s personality a bit but avoid going into long stories.
I agree with what @HostAndSitter has said here. I also think you should break up the text under the Home section into paragraphs separated by a space in between. You might be losing some readers who are overwhelmed with all the information as it is now… but with the changes you’ve made—- it’s looking good!
Hi @jan4. Firstly your place looks amazing. If I was sure I’d not react to beautiful Jaffa (I get a very bad reaction to some dogs that triggers my asthma) I’d apply.
My only suggestion as a sitter that doesn’t drive would be to state if there are food shops in South Molton if your community shop isn’t up and running for sitters by the time they sit.
Good luck.
Thank you all for your great suggestions and comments. I’ve re-done the listing with new pics and I’ve amended the written sections which will now hopefully read better and make the relevant bits more accessible. Fingers crossed that will help
It’s improved but just being honest it’s still too much information for me. I went to check your updates and didn’t want to read. The opening page would be best with keeping it to details about your pets and home. You can tell sitters a bit about yourselves later. And I still encourage you to bullet point the needs of your pets in a very brief way. You have a gorgeous home, beautiful pets and a lovely location but I see still only one applicant. Remember this really is an advertisement. You want to quickly catch people’s attention. More details can follow. Good luck.
I disagree. I think it’s a very interesting and useful listing now, giving prospective sitters plenty of information to make a choice. They will be drawn to the picture of Jaffa and to the location. Go @jan4 and well done! I have no doubt more applicants will follow. Let us know when you’ve confirmed a sitter.
Well done @jan4 on taking notice of the very helpful suggestions to improve your listing. It certainly has made a difference! I, for one, like to see the detail you have included in the responsibilities. It’s great to see you already have one applicant. If they’re not suitable, I would remove your dates for an hour then re-post them. By doing this it will become a New listing and lose the label ‘Low Applications’. I will be in Devon but your dates don’t quite fit my availability unless you had some flexibility. All the very best.
