Pet store online shop: what it needs to actually sell

A pet store online shop has to solve one specific thing: letting customers quickly find the food or accessory they always buy, add it to the cart and place the order without calling. For that you need a catalog with good search and filters, clear product pages and a simple checkout, which for many pet stores works better over WhatsApp than with online payment.

I'll walk you through the pieces it needs, the decisions worth making before you start and how I solved it for Mecohue, a pet store with a veterinary clinic in Wilde, Buenos Aires.

Why doesn't a pet store sell online like any other shop?

A pet store has a peculiar catalog: many brands of food, each in several sizes and for different life stages or breed sizes, plus accessories, cat litter, toys and grooming products. The products are similar to each other, and customers usually know exactly what they want: the same bag they bought last month.

That changes the priorities. In a clothing store, photos and discovery matter; in a pet store, what matters is that search works, that filters take you to the right brand and that repeating a purchase is quick. And there is another detail: many pet stores also offer grooming or have a vet practice, so the same website can be used to book appointments.

What does a pet store online shop need?

These are the pieces you can't skip. On Mecohue's public site, there's no payment and no prices shown: everything ends in a WhatsApp conversation.

• Catalog with search, filters and sorting. Customers type the brand or filter by category, find the product in seconds and can sort the results.
• Product page with a gallery. Several photos, a description and the information customers need so they don't have to ask you.
• Simple cart. Add products, change quantities and see the summary before sending the order.
• Closing on WhatsApp. The order or the question lands in the store's WhatsApp with the product already written. At Mecohue, each product has a “check availability on WhatsApp” button that opens the chat with the product filled in.
• Booking for services. If you offer grooming or vet services, each service should explain what it includes and how to book (at Mecohue, it’s over WhatsApp).
• About page with a map. Who you are, where you are and how to get there, with Google Maps embedded.
• Works well on a phone. Most of your customers will visit from their phone, so the design has to be built for small screens first.

WhatsApp orders or online payment?

This is the first decision, and there is no single answer. Online payment (with MercadoPago or another payment gateway) makes sense when you sell to customers you don't know, ship to other areas or have enough volume to justify the fees. WhatsApp ordering makes sense when your customers are from the neighborhood, already know you and want convenience: see what's available, put together the order without mistakes and have you confirm it.

At Mecohue we went with the simplest option: the website has no cart and shows no prices. Each product has a “check availability on WhatsApp” button that opens the chat with the product already written, and the store replies with price and availability. Home delivery covers Wilde and nearby. That way we used the channel where they were already serving customers, without changing how they get paid. If the business needs it later, online payment can be added on top of the same shop. I explain what defines the cost of each path in how much an online store costs in Argentina.

What should a pet store website look like?

Many websites in this industry look alike because they come from the same template: the same banner, the same stock photos. Nothing wrong with that, but it says nothing about the business.

For Mecohue we went for a warm, colorful design: orange, turquoise and yellow on a cream background, bold rounded headings and illustrations of dogs and cats. The idea is for the site to feel like the neighborhood store you visit with your pet: friendly, cheerful and easy to browse on a phone.

This isn't a rule: the design has to reflect what your business is like. But it's worth asking what image you want to project before picking a template. I go deeper into this in custom website vs template.

WhatsApp catalog, platform or custom shop?

Three ways for a pet store to sell online, depending on where the business is:

The full comparison between selling on Mercado Libre, Tiendanube or your own shop is in the post linked below.

Should I use Mercado Libre or Tiendanube instead of my own shop?

For many pet stores, Mercado Libre (the big online marketplace in Argentina) or a platform like Tiendanube are a good way to start. The question is what you want the website to do: if it's only selling individual products nationwide, a platform may be enough. If you want the website to be the shop window of your store, with grooming or vet appointments and your regular customers, your own shop gives you more control. I compared them point by point in your own online store vs Mercado Libre or Tiendanube.

And if your pet store is also a vet clinic, the website is only one part. On my services page you can see what I build, and in management system for vet clinics and pet stores I go over the modules worth having behind the counter.

How much does an online shop for a pet store cost?

It depends on three things: how many products you have, whether you charge online or through WhatsApp and what has to talk to what. A catalog with WhatsApp ordering is the simplest version; if the shop also has to connect with the register, the inventory and the clinic, it stops being a standalone shop and becomes a custom management system. Tell me what you sell over WhatsApp or email and I will send you a fixed quote within 48 hours. You don't have to do everything at once: you can start with the catalog and add the rest later.

What should you have ready before you start?

• The product list. Name, brand, size, category and price. If you already have it in a spreadsheet, that's the best starting point.
• Photos. Of the products and of the store. Product photos can come from the supplier; photos of the store build trust.
• How you want to close orders. WhatsApp, online payment or both, and who answers.
• Delivery areas and method. If you deliver, where and how; if it's in-store pickup, during which hours.
• Services that need booking. If you offer grooming or vet care, which services can be booked and at what times.

Frequently asked questions