Content strategy

Overview

PetFolio's species-tailored prompts are what make the profile creation experience work. This document captures how prompts will be created, validated, and maintained.

Prompt creation approach

The initial prompt sets for each species will be authored internally and validated through user research. The survey below is designed to:

1. Validate the prompt set - confirm we're asking the right questions for each species
2. Understand what people actually track - what do pet owners already write down, and what do they wish they had?
3. Identify gaps - what professionals wish they'd been told but never are
4. Prioritise species - which species to build tailored prompts for first, based on real user distribution

User research survey

Introduction

Tell us what matters most when it comes to pet care information.

We're researching how people manage and share information about their pets - with vets, sitters, groomers, and other carers.

This survey takes around 5-10 minutes. Your answers will shape what we build, so please be as honest as possible. There are no right or wrong answers.

Your responses are anonymous.

Section 1: About you

All respondents.

Q1. Which of the following best describes you? Select all that apply. (multiple choice, multi-select, required)

• I own or care for one or more pets
• I work with pets professionally (e.g. sitter, vet, groomer, trainer, boarding facility, rescue centre)
• Both of the above

Routing

• "Pet owner only" sees sections 1, 2, 4, and 5
• "Professional only" sees sections 1, 3, 4, and 5
• "Both" sees all sections

Q2. What species do you own or care for? Select all that apply. (multiple choice, multi-select, required - owners and "both")

• Dog
• Cat
• Rabbit
• Small animal (e.g. guinea pig, hamster, rat)
• Bird
• Reptile or amphibian
• Fish or aquatic
• Other (please specify)

Q3. How many pets do you currently care for? (multiple choice, required - owners and "both")

• 1
• 2
• 3-4
• 5 or more

Q4. Which of the following best describes your professional role? Select all that apply. (multiple choice, multi-select, required - professionals and "both")

• Pet sitter or dog walker
• Veterinary professional (vet, vet nurse, vet tech)
• Groomer
• Trainer or behaviourist
• Boarding or daycare facility
• Animal rescue or rehoming centre
• Breeder
• Other (please specify)

Section 2: Pet owners - how you manage pet information

Pet owners and "both" respondents.

Q5. Where do you currently keep your pet's important information? Select all that apply. (multiple choice, multi-select, required)

• In my head
• In a notes app or document on my phone
• In emails or messages with my vet
• In paper records at home
• In a spreadsheet
• On my vet's portal or app
• In a pet-specific app
• I don't really keep records
• Other (please specify)

Q6. How confident are you that you could hand over everything a carer needs to know about your pet - right now, today - without forgetting anything? (rating scale 1-5, required)

1 - Not at all confident / 5 - Very confident

Q7. Which of the following have you ever experienced? Select all that apply. (multiple choice, multi-select, required)

• Struggled to find a document or record when I needed it quickly
• Forgotten to mention something important to a sitter or carer
• Had a sitter or carer do something that upset or stressed my pet
• Had to repeat information I'd already given to a previous professional
• Worried that my pet wouldn't be cared for correctly in my absence
• None of the above

Q8. Describe a time when sharing information about your pet felt difficult or stressful. What happened and what made it hard? (short text, 300 character limit, optional)

Q9. How important is it to you that the following types of information are clearly recorded and shareable? (rating scale 1-5 per item, required)

Rate each from 1 (not important at all) to 5 (essential):

• Health conditions and diagnoses
• Medications and dosage instructions
• Allergies and intolerances
• Behaviour - what the pet likes and dislikes
• Behaviour - fears, triggers, or known reactivity
• Daily routine and schedule
• Feeding and diet instructions
• Personality and quirks

Q10. How often do you need to share information about your pet with someone who cares for them? (multiple choice, required)

• Rarely or never
• A few times a year
• Monthly or more frequently
• Regularly - I have ongoing help from others

Q11. Who do you share pet care information with? Select all that apply. (multiple choice, multi-select, required)

• Family members
• Friends
• A paid pet sitter or dog walker
• A vet or vet nurse
• A groomer
• A boarding or daycare facility
• A trainer
• Rescue or rehoming organisation
• I don't share information with anyone

Section 3: Professionals - what you need from pet owners

Professionals and "both" respondents.

Q12. When you take on a new pet or client, how do you typically receive information about the animal? Select all that apply. (multiple choice, multi-select, required)

• Verbally from the owner at the time
• A printed or handwritten sheet from the owner
• An intake form we ask them to fill in
• Vet records or documentation they bring with them
• Digital notes or a file the owner shares
• I usually have to ask and piece it together
• Other (please specify)

Q13. How complete is the information you typically receive from owners before caring for their pet? (rating scale 1-5, required)

1 - Very incomplete / 5 - Very complete

Q14. What information do you most often find is missing when you take on a new pet? Select all that apply. (multiple choice, multi-select, required)

• Health conditions or diagnoses
• Current medications and dosages
• Allergies or intolerances
• Feeding instructions (amounts, brands, timings)
• Behaviour around other animals
• Behaviour around strangers or children
• Known fears or stress triggers
• Daily routine and schedule
• Emergency contact and vet details
• What to do if the pet shows signs of distress
• Nothing - I usually have what I need

Q15. How often does incomplete or missing information make your job harder or compromise care? (rating scale 1-5, required)

1 - Never / 5 - Very frequently

Q16. If an owner could send you a structured profile before you first met the animal, how useful would that be to you? (multiple choice, required)

• Extremely useful - it would significantly improve the handover
• Quite useful - it would save time and reduce questions
• Somewhat useful - nice to have, but not essential
• Not very useful - I prefer to gather information in person
• Not useful at all

Q17. What is the single most useful piece of information a pet owner could give you before you work with their animal? (short text, 300 character limit, optional)

Q18. Which species do you regularly work with professionally? Select all that apply. (multiple choice, multi-select, required)

• Dogs
• Cats
• Rabbits
• Small animals (e.g. guinea pig, hamster, rat)
• Birds
• Reptiles or amphibians
• Fish or aquatic
• Other (please specify)

Section 4: Profile content - what matters

All respondents.

Q19. Which of the following would you want clearly flagged at the top of a pet's profile, so that it cannot be missed? Select all that apply. (multiple choice, multi-select, required)

• The pet must never be let off the lead
• The pet has a serious health condition
• The pet has a food allergy or intolerance
• The pet has a known fear or stress trigger
• The pet has a dangerous bad habit (e.g. will eat foreign objects)
• The pet requires medication that cannot be skipped
• The pet has specific rules about being left alone
• Something about the pet's behaviour around people or other animals
• None of the above - I would read the full profile

Q20. How useful would step-by-step instructions be for specific activities - for example, a detailed walk routine, a feeding procedure, or a medication administration method? (rating scale 1-5, required)

1 - Not useful at all / 5 - Extremely useful

Q21. When it comes to a pet's personality and character - things like favourite toys, quirky habits, favourite people - how important is it that this information is included alongside the practical care information? (multiple choice, required)

• Essential - personality makes the profile come alive and helps you connect with the animal
• Important - it adds useful context even if it is not strictly necessary for care
• Nice to have - interesting but not needed for safe care
• Not important - I only need practical care information

Q22. Is there any type of information about a pet that you think is consistently overlooked or undervalued - something that rarely gets communicated but really should be? (short text, 300 character limit, optional)

Section 5: Wrap-up

All respondents.

Q23. How do you currently feel about the way pet care information is shared and managed in general? (multiple choice, required)

• It works well enough - I have no major complaints
• It's a bit frustrating - things get missed or are hard to find
• It's a real problem - important information is regularly lost or incomplete
• I haven't thought about it much

Q24. Would you be willing to take part in a short follow-up interview (30 minutes, remote, compensated) to discuss your experiences in more detail? (yes/no, required)

Q25. Please leave your email address if you are happy for us to get in touch about the follow-up interview. (email field, optional - shown only if Q24 = Yes)

Closing message

Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey. Your answers will directly inform how we design tools for pet owners and professionals.

Survey design notes

Completion time

Route	Questions	Estimated time
Owner only	Q1-Q11, Q19-Q25	~6 minutes
Professional only	Q1, Q4, Q12-Q25	~6 minutes
Both	All 25 questions	~9 minutes

What the data tells us

Quantitative outputs:

Questions	What it tells us
Q2, Q3, Q18	Species distribution - which species to prioritise for tailored prompts
Q9	Importance rating per information category - validates profile prompt priorities
Q6	Owner confidence baseline - how big is the problem
Q13, Q15	Professional satisfaction baseline - measures severity from the receiving end
Q14	Gap analysis - what professionals most often lack
Q19	Safety brief prioritisation - validates the Top Tips concept
Q20, Q21	Validates step-by-step protocols and personality content decisions

Qualitative outputs:

Question	What it tells us
Q8	Owner pain point stories - real scenarios for personas and documentation
Q17	Professional "most wanted" - likely surfaces things not covered in Q14
Q22	Overlooked information - likely the most surprising and useful responses

Species prioritisation

Q2 (species owned) and Q18 (species worked with professionally) together provide a cross-validated view of which species have the most demand from both sides.