Tag: online

The biggest remote services on Bark – 2021

Who would’ve guessed that more people would be working from home than from the office in 2021? With Covid-19 forcing businesses big and small to close their doors for months on end, many companies have had no other option but to shift their services online. 

With Covid-19 fast-tracking the movement to remote working, we’ve seen a huge number of services transitioning online on Bark, from counselling to personal training and even hypnotherapy. 

If you’re wondering which remote services are leading the way in the current Covid-19 crisis, here’s the lowdown on the biggest remote services that aren’t just surviving, but thriving on Bark. 

Dog Training 

With lockdown leaving us with more time to care for our canine friends, the demand for online dog training services has skyrocketed. Whether it’s Zoom-led group classes or individual sessions, online dog training services cover everything from behaviour and positive reinforcement to health and fitness – all you need is a strong internet connection and you’re good to go! 

Many customers are even finding that online dog training is preferable for all sorts of reasons, especially for those of us with busy schedules or furry-friends with a serious case of car travel sickness! 

If you’re in need of some new training techniques for your furry friend, find a local Dog Trainer on Bark.

Personal Training 

With gyms being amongst the hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic, personal trainers have had to come up with creative new ways to work online. And with exercise being the number one means to fight the boredom of lockdown for so many of us, there’s been no shortage of demand for remote personal training services – we’ve seen online PT requests skyrocket since the pandemic emerged earlier this year. 

Many fitness professionals have seen huge success in operating their business remotely through Bark. So much so, that some have decided to move their services entirely online. The beauty of remote personal training is the convenience – with just the aid of a tablet or laptop, you can pretty much hold a training session from your living room, garden, or wherever you like!

Boost your fitness from home with a Personal Trainer on Bark.

Counselling and Therapy 

It’s no surprise that coronavirus has impacted our mental wellbeing in lots of ways. Everything from supermarkets, to social gatherings and education have been affected by the pandemic, leaving many of us feeling a little unbalanced, to say the least. In a year that’s been like no other, counsellors and therapists have been able to provide vital support from afar while keeping their business afloat through remote services. 

Online counselling and therapy are becoming increasingly popular, as it gives people the option to carry out the session from the comfort of their own home if they’d prefer. Being able to speak to someone without having to meet them in person has also been incredibly helpful during times of lockdown and social distancing. 

To get the support you need regardless of your location, search for online Health and Wellness professionals on Bark.

Tutoring 

The flexibility of online tutoring makes it ideal for those of us who are stuck inside and looking to learn a new skill. From business and career coaching to maths tutoring and guitar lessons, when it comes to the options available for online tutoring the sky really is the limit! 

If you’re asking yourself whether online tutoring is worth it in comparison to in-person tutoring, the answer is absolutely! As long as you have a strong internet connection, it’s just as effective as in-person tutoring, and can even be better as many students feel more confident carrying out the session from the comfort of their own home. 

Online tutoring also means that professionals are able to teach twice as many students, as they don’t have to worry about travel time cutting into their precious teaching hours! 

We’ve got hundreds of professionals providing their services online. So whether it’s learning guitar or turning your living room into your very own fitness studio, if you’re looking to make the most out of your time at home, find what you’re looking for on Bark. 

And if you’re thinking of moving your business from the physical to the digital, we can help. With the demand for remote services soaring on Bark, there’s plenty of customers to connect you with. But don’t just take our word for it – sign up as a professional today. 

An easy guide: How to build an online presence for your small business

We are surrounded by media. From when we sit at the bus stop in the morning to when we chill out in front of the TV in the evening, we are constantly targeted by large companies and brands who are desperate to gain our attention. This has become increasingly prevalent in the age of social media, which has provided another avenue from which brands can target us, even drilling down into our demographics and interests. With that in mind, small business owners now need to make sure that they are developing an online presence, to make them stand out in industries that are already heavily saturated.

It’s common knowledge that online presence means brand awareness. Nowadays, how you present your brand online is similar to meeting a customer for the first time. Your online brand is essentially what people think of you when you are not available. Online presence is often a test of credibility for many technologically savvy consumers, who would rather connect with businesses online first before making a purchasing decision. This poses an opportunity to impress and capture the attention of potential customers. These days the first port of call when looking for information about a product or a service is to ‘Google’ it, meaning online presence is crucial if you want to make your business a successful one.

So how can you become a major player in this competitive age? Here are 5 ways to effectively maximise your online presence:

Branding 

No matter how big or small your company is – branding matters. From word go a clear and consistent branding strategy should be developed, which can be pumped across all online channels to create brand recognition. According to the founder of The NY Brand Lb, Mary Van de Wiel, “without a brand you ultimately lack an identity, a presence – and a purpose.” You should think about your tone of voice and your values, as well as your visual aesthetic. Not particularly creative? Don’t know where to start? Then maybe you should find a graphic designer who can help you pinpoint what your business is about in a visually appealing way.

Communicate your brand
Shout loud about your brand

Website Design and Development 

You never know who will be knocking on your virtual door at any time of the day or night – so make sure your home on the Internet is kitted out for new visitors! Creating and more importantly maintaining a website is a useful tool for every business. Here, you can shout loud about your portfolio of work and maybe even offer your tuppence-worth via a company blog. Your website needs to be functional and user friendly, and this is where a professional with experience in website design and development may come in handy! Once you find the right web developer, start thinking about optimising your website. This will make sure that your website performs well on search engines – just like the aforementioned Google! Be front and centre of the online world, and drive traffic to your website with the help of an SEO professional.

Web Site Design
Build a user-friendly website!

Social Media

You’ve developed your brand, and mastered your website. But how can you enhance the visibility of your brand even further? The key is to make sure you are on social media – which is both effective and cost effective. Social media not only helps you to grow your customer base by reaching a wider audience, it also helps you to promote brand recognition and loyalty. Find a social media marketer who can help you maximise channels such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Although not the most widely used social network, G+ should also be maximised. Effective use of G+ can determine your inclusion and ranking in the carousel of businesses that appear at the top of the Google search results. As well as aiding your SEO, there are also advanced features available to businesses using G+. Check out G+ for yourself and add Bark.com to your circles!

If you’re feeling particularly competitive, you might want to also get set up on new and emerging social networks like Snapchat and Periscope. The opportunities are endless!

Be active on social media
Engage with your customers via social media

Email Marketing

In this day and age, almost everyone has an online presence in some form, even if it is just an email address. Email marketing is a sure way to stay on the radar of potential customers, and it can definitely allow you to establish profitable relationships in the long term. This is to be used wisely, and should not be spam abuse. Instead your emails should offer something to the consumer – be it special offers, industry news or company updates. Feeling a little confused? Then find an email marketer to help you get the job done.

Build a customer database
Build a targeted email marketing campaign

Online Directories

Regardless of how strong your online presence is, you won’t be able to sit back, relax and let the cash flow in. You need to get ahead of your competitors, who are battling against you with extensive advertising budgets. If a customer can’t find you when they are searching for a product or a service, then you simply won’t get the business. Joining an online directory like our very own Bark.com ensures that you are placed directly in front of the right people, often for a very minimal spend. No matter what service you provide, learn more about joining Bark by visiting our Pro-Centre.

Incorporating a targeted email marketing campaign with your slick new branding, user-friendly website and engaging social media strategy will set your small business on a path to success, all with the added help from an online directory like Bark.com!

Do you have any other tips for small business owners? Let us know!

For more Bark.com tips and insights, why not check out our other blogs?