Breeders Websites

[Roova]

I really like Aimfor Cairn Terrier's website. She's got great photos of her dogs with the family and at shows, health and grooming information and comes across as a really friendly, approachable but responsible breeder. I looked at a few websites a little while back and sent messages to a few breeders and out of all of them Amy was the friendliest and took the time to write back a really informative email to me.

I think you can have a great website but it should hopefully be followed up with decent contact with the people you're website is likely to attract :D

Edited January 2, 2013 by Roova

[SaddleNotIncluded]

I look for no music, nice colours, clear and easy to read text, no ads, stacked and candid photos, the names of the breeder, and an updated News page.

When selecting my breeder, I came across one site that was a Geocities page, a starry background with lime green writing, the text was all in capitals and the spelling was horrible.

The last news update was from 2007, and it had huge clipart pictures of random animals everywhere, most of them obstructing text or images, and a whole page called 'Cuuute!' that had google images of baby monkeys on it.

Absolutely no info anywhere, except for a short paragraph about their tallest dog in a sub page that blared The Crazy Frog Song when clicked on, and tiny blurred thumbnail images of their dogs that didn't enlarge.

The Contact page was just a blurry photo of an American flag, with a picture of a mailbox below it. Neither of those were links, or clues to how exactly I could contact the breeders.

The mouse pointer was a monkey that trailed a string of bananas across the screen when moved.

It was, and still is, the absolute epitome of everything that can possibly go wrong when designing a website.

I couldn't care if every dog they bred had an IQ of 150 and was a multiple champion at 6 weeks old, they put me off by their sloppy, frankly nauseating website.

[Sayreovi]

Great information, I am wanting to do my own website soon so have noted down all suggestions of what to do and what NOT to do as well! :p

[Gertrude139]

I look for no music, nice colours, clear and easy to read text, no ads, stacked and candid photos, the names of the breeder, and an updated News page.

When selecting my breeder, I came across one site that was a Geocities page, a starry background with lime green writing, the text was all in capitals and the spelling was horrible.

The last news update was from 2007, and it had huge clipart pictures of random animals everywhere, most of them obstructing text or images, and a whole page called 'Cuuute!' that had google images of baby monkeys on it.

Absolutely no info anywhere, except for a short paragraph about their tallest dog in a sub page that blared The Crazy Frog Song when clicked on, and tiny blurred thumbnail images of their dogs that didn't enlarge.

The Contact page was just a blurry photo of an American flag, with a picture of a mailbox below it. Neither of those were links, or clues to how exactly I could contact the breeders.

The mouse pointer was a monkey that trailed a string of bananas across the screen when moved.

It was, and still is, the absolute epitome of everything that can possibly go wrong when designing a website.

I couldn't care if every dog they bred had an IQ of 150 and was a multiple champion at 6 weeks old, they put me off by their sloppy, frankly nauseating website.

Surely you have to be making that up!

And how did you vision manage to survive past the home page to the sub pages, and why on earth did you go to them?!

[SaddleNotIncluded]

I look for no music, nice colours, clear and easy to read text, no ads, stacked and candid photos, the names of the breeder, and an updated News page.

When selecting my breeder, I came across one site that was a Geocities page, a starry background with lime green writing, the text was all in capitals and the spelling was horrible.

The last news update was from 2007, and it had huge clipart pictures of random animals everywhere, most of them obstructing text or images, and a whole page called 'Cuuute!' that had google images of baby monkeys on it.

Absolutely no info anywhere, except for a short paragraph about their tallest dog in a sub page that blared The Crazy Frog Song when clicked on, and tiny blurred thumbnail images of their dogs that didn't enlarge.

The Contact page was just a blurry photo of an American flag, with a picture of a mailbox below it. Neither of those were links, or clues to how exactly I could contact the breeders.

The mouse pointer was a monkey that trailed a string of bananas across the screen when moved.

It was, and still is, the absolute epitome of everything that can possibly go wrong when designing a website.

I couldn't care if every dog they bred had an IQ of 150 and was a multiple champion at 6 weeks old, they put me off by their sloppy, frankly nauseating website.

Surely you have to be making that up!

And how did you vision manage to survive past the home page to the sub pages, and why on earth did you go to them?!

Pity me, for I thought that it might get better, and perhaps the front page was meant as a deterrent to those not bold enough to brave it for the sake of a pup.

I think my wits were addled by the damn monkey pointer

[Leema]

Also are you aware that it looks like an old version of your website is displayed when the URL is entered with www in front of it? I am guessing it is an old version since no updates since May 2011.

This means if someone goes to your blog clicks on 20 different things and then doesnt want to press 'back' until they find the original site they may go to the URL and remove /blog which will bring them back to the old site.

PS. new site is much better IMHO love the clean simplistic look, easy to navigate and not too much info on the one page

Hi Gertrude,

Thanks for looking and your feedback.

http://www.leemakennels.com/border and http://leemakennels.com/border go to the same page (the 'new look'). I currently have http://leemakennels.com/borders (with an 's'!) as the 'one people are supposed to visit'. I'm planning to make them both go to the same place, soon, once I've put the finishing touchers on border (without an s).

Hope that makes sense?

[PRADA68]

If breeders are going to have a website their website must be truthful and not full of crap like some I have seen. Definately no music and their breed information must be correct and not of their personal opinion or looking through rose coloured glasses.

[Gertrude139]

Also are you aware that it looks like an old version of your website is displayed when the URL is entered with www in front of it? I am guessing it is an old version since no updates since May 2011.

This means if someone goes to your blog clicks on 20 different things and then doesnt want to press 'back' until they find the original site they may go to the URL and remove /blog which will bring them back to the old site.

PS. new site is much better IMHO love the clean simplistic look, easy to navigate and not too much info on the one page

Hi Gertrude,

Thanks for looking and your feedback.

http://www.leemakennels.com/border and http://leemakennels.com/border go to the same page (the 'new look'). I currently have http://leemakennels.com/borders (with an 's'!) as the 'one people are supposed to visit'. I'm planning to make them both go to the same place, soon, once I've put the finishing touchers on border (without an s).

Hope that makes sense?

Makes sense, not sure how I managed to get stuck on the old one then when I started on the new one. I must be special!

[Esky the husky]

I kind o like being able to access a puppy enquiry form as much for curiosity as anything else

[Christina]

Most people have said it all.

But the one thing I really want to see (that I have found missing from many breeders websites) are the registered names and pedigrees of dogs. If I'm researching for a puppy and I have particular lines I'm interested in I want to be able to find that information. To be honest when I started thinking about getting a new pup before Hamish came along, I completely disregarded any breeder that didn't include registered names and pedigrees. it felt like "what are they trying to hide" by not including that information. Plus I don't really want to waste my time or that of others if the lineage of the dogs is not of interest to me.

That is how I felt too however for people looking for a pet puppy this may not bother them & they would probably not care or the pedigree may be meaningless to them.

I don't like websites that are too longwinded, it gets boring with too much info.

I like nice clear, close up photos of the dogs too. Old & out of date doesn't appeal either. I swear some have dogs on that are long dead. I always put when mine was last updated right on the front page.

[dancinbcs]

Pedigrees are important to me and a history of all litters bred with dates and parents so you can see what they are trying to achieve. Links to factual breed info are better than something made up to suit themselves. If you are going to illustrate colours make sure you have the correct names on the colours.

[minimax]

Also are you aware that it looks like an old version of your website is displayed when the URL is entered with www in front of it? I am guessing it is an old version since no updates since May 2011.

This means if someone goes to your blog clicks on 20 different things and then doesnt want to press 'back' until they find the original site they may go to the URL and remove /blog which will bring them back to the old site.

PS. new site is much better IMHO love the clean simplistic look, easy to navigate and not too much info on the one page

Hi Gertrude,

Thanks for looking and your feedback.

http://www.leemakennels.com/border'>http://www.leemakennels.com/border and http://leemakennels.com/border go to the same page (the 'new look'). I currently have http://leemakennels.com/borders (with an 's'!) as the 'one people are supposed to visit'. I'm planning to make them both go to the same place, soon, once I've put the finishing touchers on border (without an s).

Hope that makes sense?

It's a bucketload easier if you make your index the page people are meant to visit - ie: http://www.leemakennels.com/

edit: and for older browsers, http://leemakennels.com/borders isn't centered so it seems your coding might be a bit wonky?

Edited January 2, 2013 by minimax

[Zug Zug]

Health testing results for all the breeding animals, so the reader can see it straight away (and you don't have to contact if you're not comfortable with the results you're looking at)

Also it shows very clearly that you take the testing and your role as a breeder seriously

On the puppy page - a description of how the puppies are raised while with you

Also agree with the comments about an easy to read, quick to load design. Nothing to slow, glitzy or bedazzled. Go for simple and elegant - the dogs photos are what people are really wanting to see anyway.

[alpha bet]

If you want to set up a website that you can use long term.... it is worth looking up JOOMLA - I was put on to this format when I went to a dog conference and many of the trainers recommendedthis type of website. Can be set up with the opportunity for you to do all the updating and adding loads of photos.... quick and easy once you learn how.

Cost me more to set up initially as I also had some lessons, however now am able to add new pictures, change old pics, add new pages or sub pages. I have built heaps more onto my site over the last 12 months and have had fun doing this.

Some web designers run short courses in how to set up. So by outlaying more I have ended up saving in the long run - also gives me a few email addresses that are processed thru the website so if i change my internet provided I dont loose my email address. You can check my site if you want for comparison www.alfoxton.com.au

[espinay2]

From the point of view of another breeder - pedigree and health test info. Nothing worse than having to spend hours doing detective work just to find out the basics if something takes your fancy and you want to know a bit more.

I am using breederoo.com . It is set up specifically for breeders and very easy to use.

Edited January 3, 2013 by espinay2

[Leema]

Also are you aware that it looks like an old version of your website is displayed when the URL is entered with www in front of it? I am guessing it is an old version since no updates since May 2011.

This means if someone goes to your blog clicks on 20 different things and then doesnt want to press 'back' until they find the original site they may go to the URL and remove /blog which will bring them back to the old site.

PS. new site is much better IMHO love the clean simplistic look, easy to navigate and not too much info on the one page

Hi Gertrude,

Thanks for looking and your feedback.

http://www.leemakennels.com/border'>http://www.leemakennels.com/border and http://leemakennels.com/border go to the same page (the 'new look'). I currently have http://leemakennels.com/borders (with an 's'!) as the 'one people are supposed to visit'. I'm planning to make them both go to the same place, soon, once I've put the finishing touchers on border (without an s).

Hope that makes sense?

It's a bucketload easier if you make your index the page people are meant to visit - ie: http://www.leemakennels.com/

edit: and for older browsers, http://leemakennels.com/borders isn't centered so it seems your coding might be a bit wonky?

Good that /borders (with a s) is going bye-byes then! :D

Leemakennels.com leads to an index for my blog, rescue, and breeder website. They're all equally important to me, and I couldn't single one out to be the first page people look at.

[minimax]

Also are you aware that it looks like an old version of your website is displayed when the URL is entered with www in front of it? I am guessing it is an old version since no updates since May 2011.

This means if someone goes to your blog clicks on 20 different things and then doesnt want to press 'back' until they find the original site they may go to the URL and remove /blog which will bring them back to the old site.

PS. new site is much better IMHO love the clean simplistic look, easy to navigate and not too much info on the one page

Hi Gertrude,

Thanks for looking and your feedback.

http://www.leemakennels.com/border'>http://www.leemakennels.com/border and http://leemakennels.com/border go to the same page (the 'new look'). I currently have http://leemakennels.com/borders (with an 's'!) as the 'one people are supposed to visit'. I'm planning to make them both go to the same place, soon, once I've put the finishing touchers on border (without an s).

Hope that makes sense?

It's a bucketload easier if you make your index the page people are meant to visit - ie: http://www.leemakennels.com/

edit: and for older browsers, http://leemakennels.com/borders isn't centered so it seems your coding might be a bit wonky?

Good that /borders (with a s) is going bye-byes then! :D

Leemakennels.com leads to an index for my blog, rescue, and breeder website. They're all equally important to me, and I couldn't single one out to be the first page people look at.

I know what you mean, but for googling etc your index page should be the one you want people to find when they search for you. ie: if you search for leema, or leema border terriers, or leema kennels, it brings up your index page not your /borders (which you want it to do, and most people are smart enough to decide which link they want to follow from there - but I'd have each link open in a new tab or window, instead of navigating away completely).

I think the "launch page" is under used these days, I remember the old days of web designing when almost everyone had an index page with a pretty picture and simply an "enter" button

But I am old school, I still code my sites manually ;)

note to self: make 2013 the year you enter the real world!

Edited January 3, 2013 by minimax

[becks]

launch pages are just a pain in the butt and extra effort involved to get to the actual website and what you want to see!

[minimax]

launch pages are just a pain in the butt and extra effort involved to get to the actual website and what you want to see!

Clicking is a part of life. Websites are hardly ever going to have all the information you want on a single page, and you're going to have to click to see other information - it's why we were born with fingers!

[Sheridan]

Clicking is better than scrolling.