If you’re the owner of a puppy or a dog, you may have noticed that dog walking fields are becoming increasingly popular at locations around the UK. They’re a way for dog owners to provide their furry friends with the exercise and stimulation they need in a safe environment. These enclosed fields or paddocks offer a secure place for dogs to run and play off the lead, without the worry of them running away or getting into trouble. These spaces can be great for training away from distractions of other dogs or noises, but also help anxious pups to feel calm and safe.
Youbee Media were recently given the opportunity to help a new business venture, My Happy Hounds as they prepared to open their secure dog walking and exercise paddock in East Cowton. This was a fantastic opportunity to showcase our consultative approach and support a new, ambitious e-commerce business. To start, Youbee Media enhanced the My Happy Hounds’ brand, and extended this to be a more comprehensive brand kit. This allowed our team to support with designing, building and launching a new e-commerce website, as well as provide launch support across Facebook and Instagram.
About My Happy Hounds
My Happy Hounds is comprised of two paddocks spanning seven acres of land near Northallerton. Each paddock has high, secure fencing around the parameter and can only be accessed with a gate code. Every user of the paddock has the piece of mind that their booking is for their use only, and their dog will not be met by another canine during their visit. This solution is ideal for those looking to keep their dog away from distractions when training their puppy or dog, or if they have an anxious dog that’s wary of others when out walking.
My Happy Hounds’ dog walking fields are perfect for letting your dog run free! With acres of grass, parkour equipment, areas to sniff and to dig – dogs of all shapes and sizes will have a great time exploring the space. Read more about each paddock, here.
There is a toilet on site, a first aid kit and a bench - so that you can relax while your dog plays. Further demonstrating how My Happy Hounds are going above and beyond to create a great experience for all visitors.
How Youbee Media helped
Rebecca, from Youbee Media was introduced to Harry and Alison via Tina Boden, The Micro Business Mentor.
The concept of the paddocks was created by Harry and Alison some time ago, so they had a clear vision about what they wanted to create and had done their research. However, all the right planning and building permissions, drainage and electricity requirements needed to be laid out first. Bringing My Happy Hounds to fruition has been a long process, but the end result looks fantastic.
The Youbee Media creative team developed the My Happy Hounds logo image to a design file, and enhanced its features. Making their logo unique and changing the wording. Along with the logo, our creative team developed a colour palette, font and brand style. These assets were given to the website builders, along with a project brief.
The new, 7 page e-commerce website incorporates a WooCommerce booking system which will also allow for the business to grow and develop as the popularity of the field increases.
Youbee Media’s digital team created and optimised social media channels, as well as a Google My Business account and a digital marketing strategy. Along with a social media countdown to the opening date, Youbee Media were responsible for creating a steady rise and organic increase of followers. At the time for the website launch, Youbee Media ran digital ads to accelerate the reach and audience growth. The digital marketing team consistently looked across all channels to ensure any content that was created, enhanced existing messages and built the narrative around the new dog walking site.
Small business marketing support
For small, micro and growing businesses, marketing is often a daunting task. Business owners feel that they need to (or should) do as much as they can themselves in order to keep costs low. However, they often realise that the best approach may be to hold onto what you do best and outsource the rest.
Harry and Alison wanted to write the website copy themselves, but appreciated they may need an extra eye over the details. So Youbee Media offered to check and review this copy, offering feedback and suggestions – rather than outsourcing the work to a professional copywriter. This way, the business still feels as though the website is in their tone, language and voice – but well written to support the customer journey.
Having an agency on hand for support means that you can run through new ideas, identify gaps or opportunities and pick which ones to execute. Youbee Media and My Happy Hounds had regular planning sessions and catch ups during the implementation and the launch of the website and social media to ensure the end result was ‘just right’.
Fantastic client feedback…
"Youbee Media have been fantastic. From the outset, Becky listened to our needs and tailored a package to meet them. For us, being a new business and not technically minded or social media savvy, has meant a big reliance on the Youbee Team. Becky and her team have always been very responsive to our queries and requests for help (and there’ve been many!), whilst demonstrating patience, professionalism, and humour!
We highly recommend speaking with the Youbee Team to discuss your needs. We’re sure they’ll be full of great ideas and suggestions to help your business."
- Harry and Alison, Founders of My Happy Hounds
A few words from Marketing Director, Rebecca Hopwood
“When starting a new business there are so many unknowns. From experience, we know that we need to listen, be patient and try to find solutions wherever we can. We’ve implemented a few workaround solutions when needed for My Happy Hounds, taken their needs on board and produced a well functioning, robust website that will last for years to come.
When we work with a client, we’re always in it for the long run. So relationships that are built on trust are really important to us. I can’t wait to see what Harry and Alison create next, but I know it will be great.”
Need support with social media management? Youbee Media can help, and Becky’s workshops offer hands-on consultancy advice to go further.
