We recently connected with Alyssa Biestek and have shared our conversation below.
Alyssa, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s jump right into how you came up with the idea?
DogLove Original Brand was born fairly spontaneously after a close family friend was diagnosed with a very rare form of cancer. I have always dabbled in crafts and creating things for others, so I had an Etsy page for those projects. After receiving that unfortunate news, I quickly came up with DogLove, and knew that I wanted all of the proceeds to be donated back to pay for medical treatment for my dear friend.
As a dog lover and dog mom myself, I knew there was nothing better than dogs to grab people’s attention and put smiles on their faces. Knowing how strong the “dog mom” culture is, I felt I had an idea that could truly turn out to be successful. Through playful designs, personalized products, and high quality apparel, DogLove truly has something for everyone. I spent hours over one weekend designing, uploading, and fine tuning all of my Etsy listings to fully launch DogLove Original Brand. In just a short while, my Etsy business was able to raise over $300 as a donation back to my friend fighting the hardest battle of all.
DogLove isn’t just an Etsy business for dog people, it’s truly a passion project that was established to give back. As the business continues to grow, my goal is to always donate a portion of the proceeds to those in need…whether that is for cancer treatments and support, animal shelters, or anyone else in need, DogLove will make sure we are giving back.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I am the proud owner and creator of DogLove Original Brand, and of course, I am a dog mom! Part of the inspiration for the brand came from my two pups, Ranger the rescued mixed breed, but 100% adorable, and Luke the rescued Doberman Pinscher, with quite the personality, and my doggy nephew, Benny the mini Australian Shepherd. Owning dogs is a lifestyle, so I wanted to ensure all of the products in the shop reflected and fit in well with the lives of dog owners.
Some of our best-selling products have been our breed stickers, which showcase numerous breeds of dogs and let the world know that someone is a proud dog mama of that breed. We have “dog mom era” apparel to embrace the dog life to the fullest! Each of our t-shirt designs is carefully created by me, and the shop rotates designs based on seasons. For fall and Halloween lovers….stay tuned, the fall collection will be launching soon!
While I love all of our products, there is a special place in my heart for the “DogHope” line that I designed. This line showcases our original logo, however incorporates the word hope and a cancer ribbon. I have created DogHope designs for various cancers, including the rare form our family friend was diagnosed with. Each DogHope t-shirt is a way to support those fighting the fight and those we’ve lost. This collection of apparel is always on our site, and will never be rotated out for seasonal items. Customers get to choose from a variety of colors of the shirt itself, and a variety of designs.
Getting in touch with us is easy, so if there is something customers want to see in the shop, they can reach out and let me know! I am always open to new design ideas, color combinations, and input on what products the brand should be selling.
DogLove prides itself on bringing high-quality products and exceptional customer service to the forefront. We are happy to have Comfort Colors as our t-shirt and sweatshirt base brand because anyone who has worn Comfort Colors knows how exceptionally comfortable they are. This brand makes it easy for our products to be unique, as their color options are one of a kind and go so well with the designs that I’ve made for our apparel. DogLove does work with third-party providers, so there are times when things do not go as planned with orders. In terms of customer service, I ensure each customer receives the correct product, and am proactive if something goes wrong. It is not uncommon for customers who have experienced an error to receive coupon codes and refunds. I truly believe the customer experience should be positive, even if there are bumps in the road.
How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?
DogLove Original Brand thanks all of our customers for ordering a product with a coupon for their next shopping experience, so from the get-go I set the precedent that customers are valued within my brand. When I notice repeat customers coming back to order more and more, they receive bigger discounts for being so loyal to DogLove.
Customers can keep in touch via our Instagram (@dogloveogbrand) and our Facebook page. One of my hopes is to get more involved on TikTok Shop to provide more accessibility for connection and shopping!
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
I am so happy to say that the most effective strategy for growing clientele and boosting sales has been word of mouth. The people I have around me have helped boost DogLove Original Brand and they’re the reason I’ve been able to get this off the ground. From colleagues who didn’t hesitate to purchase a shirt (or two!) because the money goes to a good cause, to the family members who like and share every single social media post, it just goes to show how powerful your network can be.
I’ve worked to grow the social media presence of DogLove to reach new people all across the country. Additionally, I have a wonderful best friend who has educated me on proper SEO for listings and marketing, which all have helped my business grow. What’s truly amazing, is that I was able to start the brand, gain clientele, make sales, AND profit without putting a lot of money in on the backend and it’s all because of my support system believing in the mission of DogLove.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dogloveoriginalbrand.etsy.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dogloveogbrand
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dogloveogbrand
