Running a successful pet-care business goes beyond providing excellent services for pets.

It also requires careful monitoring of key metrics that help you evaluate your business’s financial health, visibility, and overall performance. Choosing software that can help you eye on the right data can help you make informed decisions, optimize operations, and ultimately grow your business.

Here are five essential metrics that every pet-care business should track to stay on top of profitability, visibility, and customer satisfaction.

Customer Retention Rate

A woman gives a dog a high fiveCustomer retention is critical for any business, but it’s especially important in the pet-care industry, where long-term relationships are built on trust. Retaining loyal customers means repeat business and word-of-mouth referrals, which can greatly impact your revenue.

How to Track:
Calculate customer retention by tracking how many of your customers are returning over a specific period. Subtract the number of new customers acquired from your total customers, then divide that number by the total customers at the start of the period. Multiply by 100 for a percentage.

Why It Matters:
A high retention rate indicates that your services are meeting expectations, which helps keep your income stable and predictable.

Average Revenue Per Customer

Understanding how much revenue each customer generates helps you assess the financial value of your customer base. This metric can give you insights into customer behavior, spending patterns, and how effective your upselling strategies are.

How to Track:
Divide your total revenue for a given period by the number of customers served during that period.

Why It Matters:
Tracking this metric allows you to identify opportunities for offering premium services, packages, or additional products to boost revenue without needing to acquire more customers.

Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)

A woman pets a dog in a storeKnowing how much it costs to acquire a new customer is essential for determining whether your marketing strategies are efficient and profitable. CAC includes everything from marketing expenses, discounts, and promotions used to attract new clients.

How to Track:
Add up all marketing and sales costs for a specific time period, then divide that number by the total number of new customers acquired during that time.

Why It Matters:
If your CAC is higher than the average revenue per customer, you may need to revisit your marketing strategies to make customer acquisition more cost-effective.

Occupancy Rate

The occupancy rate measures how much of your facility's capacity is being used at any given time. Whether you run a boarding kennel, grooming service, or daycare, occupancy rate gives you a clear picture of how well your business is utilizing its space. Pet-care software like Gingr can also help assess your occupancy with future revenue and occupancy estimators, providing a gauge for success.

How to Track:
Divide the number of pets or services booked by your facility’s total capacity over a certain time period, then multiply by 100 for a percentage.

Why It Matters:
A high occupancy rate means that you’re maximizing your facility’s potential, while a low rate may signal that you need to adjust pricing, marketing, or service offerings to attract more customers.

Online Review Score

A man holds a corgi while sitting with a laptopIn today’s digital world, your online reputation can make or break your business. Tracking your average online review score across platforms like Google, Yelp, and Facebook gives you a sense of how customers perceive your services. Reviews are often the first thing potential clients check when deciding whether to trust your facility.

How to Track:
Manually keep track of the average score across all review platforms or use a reputation management tool to automate this process.

Why It Matters:
A strong online review score not only builds credibility but also improves your visibility in search engine results. Responding to reviews and maintaining a high score can increase customer trust and attract new clients.

By focusing on these five key metrics—customer retention, average revenue per customer, customer acquisition cost, occupancy rate, and online review score—pet-care businesses can better understand their performance and make smarter decisions for future growth. Tracking the right data not only helps improve profitability but also enhances customer experience, leading to long-term success in a competitive industry.

Unlock Instant Insights with Gingr

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