As the owner of pet site who happens to do almost all of his own programming, I get to indulge in my own silly ideas all the time.
Case in Point: The Dog Poop Calculator. That's right. You can enter the breed of dog you have, and the calculator takes the typical weight, food intake and lifespan of that breed to tell you exactly how many pounds of dog doo you will be scooping over the course of your dog's life.
It will even tell you the equivalent in number of iPhones, Big Macs and VW Beetles.
It's hard to believe a simple Fido Fleece dog coat could mean the difference between life and death.
I was getting ready to go to bed one night, and Dexter got up from his dog bed in my bedroom, took a few steps, and threw up.
"Dexter!" I yelled, "Outside!"
I
thought that he must have just had some indigestion, as dog's often do.
I was immediately fretting about the mess I'd have to clean up. Little
did I know that in a few hours, Dexter would be fighting for his life.
I've already confessed that
I'm a sci-fi junkie. I also happen to be a fan of over-the-top cat
condos. So, when I see that we're now carrying a cat condo that looks a
bit like the Lunar Lander, I'm instantly intrigued. The Savvy Tabby Kitty Observatory
is a space saving (get it?!?!?!) design that fits in the corner, but
provides some serious play and relaxation opportunities for your cat.
And I have a secret...
I know this is sort of inside baseball, but as a small business owner and fledgeling online retailer, I'm thrilled that our customers have thought highly enough of us to give us a sustained 100% top rating, according to BizRate. Our order volume has been picking up, and we've often worked into the night to ship orders, answer customer service questions and make sure our customers are treated right.
Here's the award:
Ooooooh. Shiiiiiny. You can click on it to see a listing of comments. Here's a sample:
Nov 22, 2008 Outstanding Company! Free and fast shipping!!! Great merchandise! Nov 20, 2008 Thank you for the order delivered promptly and in excellent condition.
Nov 17, 2008 Product was exactly as advertised. Ordering was simple and delivery was fast. E-mails kept me informed about the status of my order. I found this buying experience to be excellent and have added BaxterBoo.com to my list of favorite sites. Sep 13, 2008 BaxterBoo was awesome! I love the personal service that was received as well as the little extra's they offered to my pets. I would highly recommend BaxterBoo!!! Thanks guys!!!
And I'm not just posting the good ones. Take a look for yourself. I'll take any chance I can to brag on our people, and Baxter Boo folks are the greatest. Thanks, guys You rock.
OK, I just sent out our newsletter this morning. I admit it, not everyone will get it the joke. Or maybe it's just not funny?
It's obviously (to some) based upon the I Can Has Cheezburger blog, which I admit to spending entirely too much time on. It's full of pictures of (mostly) cats and (some) dogs dressed up in embarrassing cat clothes or in compromising situations, and a horribly mispelled caption, ostensibly written from the pet's point of view. (I get special bonuses for using fancy words).
I just got an email from Vickyie, one of our subscribers, containing only this:
Our Simple Guarantee: We will treat you as we would like to be treated if we were ordering. We will ship your order quickly, usually on the same day you place it. We will not share your information with any other company and use the most advanced security to protect your payment details. We will not email you if you don't want us to. If you are not happy with your order, please contact us, and we will promptly make it right. We appreciate your business.