Exotic Care Online (ECO) is a new telemedicine platform for UK exotic pet owners. This project was for a new business which meant there was no existing brand or website. The ECO team sought to establish a vibrant yet professional brand identity and a seamless website experience tailored to their unique, exotic-pet-owning audience. Their goal was to provide specialist telemedicine services, exotic pet-specific resources, and adopt an efficient booking system with Stripe payment integration. They also wanted to be known for their eco-friendly ethos.
Their vision was clear. It was the KIJO team’s job to make sure that these elements worked in harmony; that ECO’s website conveyed the exceptional care and support they provide for exotic pets, whilst also helping them stand out in a growing digital veterinary market.
Users Made a successful booking
Users Thought the Platform Offered a Easy Experience
Users thought the branding style represented the company well
We started by establishing a detailed design brief and identifying the user personas. These were UK-based exotic pet owners aged 18 to 54. From our research, we discovered that this target audience was comfortable with online platforms. This meant their preference for video consultations over in-person visits could shape key project assumptions. Competitor research revealed that main competitor brands like First Vet, TeleVet, and Vetter didn’t offer a specific exotics service like this; there was a complete gap in the market to capitalise on. This discovery guided our efforts to create a distinctive offering tailored specifically for exotic pet owners.
We decided to focus on a single user persona which drove the design and functionality of the platform. This persona was an exotic pet owner seeking a reliable telemedicine platform with access to species-specific resources, virtual consultation booking, and educational content on pet care. From tracking medical history to receiving clear diet and behaviour advice, their goals directly informed every aspect of the website’s architecture.
From our strategic research, the sitemap could be meticulously designed to guide users seamlessly through the platform. On the homepage, we utilised the “5 W’s” approach—why, what, how, who, and where—to clearly tell the story of the brand. With our keyword research in mind, we created dedicated landing pages for various exotic pets which provided detailed information on common health issues, diets, and care advice relevant to these species types.
SEO planning was integral to this focused strategy phase too. We identified the best keyword opportunities, analysed competitor keywords, and defined focus keywords for the homepage and landing pages. This approach not only would enhance the site’s visibility but also lay the groundwork for future landing page opportunities to align with user interests and search trends.
A key goal of the project was to ensure that the booking process was seamless. The booking enquiry stage was mapped out in five intuitive steps. These were:
Our previous experience in developing booking flows for businesses meant that these steps have been tried and tested; we know they work. The KIJO team used this framework but tailored it specifically for Exotic Care and their users. We changed the selection from ‘service’ to ‘pet species’ so that the user can select which pet they need a consultation for. We also added in an enquiry details step which asked specific questions regarding the pet to prepare for the consultation. The booking plugin – built for WordPress by KIJO and reserved exclusively for our clients – is also integrated with Stripe for secure payments. This enables ECO to offer their services across the country, rather than just in-surgery, setting them apart from most veterinary practices.
In addition to the booking system, an account area was created. This allows users to access their pet’s past consultations and notes from them which enhances the service offering.
The booking form design was adapted to integrate seamlessly with the platform’s branding, ensuring a cohesive and intuitive experience tailored to Exotic Care Online’s needs. It was added to the site via our internal booking plugin. The styles, settings and content were then configured in the backend to ensure it was styled correctly as per the brand guidelines and was fully operational.
The branding process for Exotic Care Online began with a clear objective: to create an identity that exuded professionalism while embracing vibrancy to resonate with the exotic pet community.
To define the visual direction, we created three distinct mood boards. Each showcased unique font styles, colour palettes, graphic elements, and art direction, offering varied approaches to balance “vibrancy” with “professionalism”. We presented these three concepts to the client. Each centred on a mark representing the brand. One concept featured the letter “e” for “exotic,” combined with a visual reference to a gecko’s foot. Through further exploration, the final design evolved into a mark featuring the initials “ECO,” highlighting the eco-friendly ethos of the brand. The initials were paired with the full company name beneath, creating a versatile logomark and logotype combination.
The chosen brand identity utilised eco-friendly tones of dark green and white. These shades were complemented by vibrant light green accent colours to reflect energy and approachability.
The website design was built on these elements and incorporated the logomark as a background graphic to reinforce branding throughout the entire user journey. Each animal landing page was distinguished with its own unique colour palette (e.g. birds are blue, reptiles are lime green). This aids the site’s clarity and navigation, and thus enhances the user experience.
To ensure consistency across all applications, we developed comprehensive brand guidelines. These outlined rules for logo usage, colours, typography, illustrations, and applications. A robust design system was also created, extending the brand guidelines into digital components. This included global styles for fonts, colours, buttons, controls, and form inputs, forming the foundation for the platform’s user interface. We built out the global styles established in the design system first.
The results of user testing and platform implementation highlight the success of Exotic Care Online in meeting its goals and user needs. ECO’s brand identity received great acclaim, with 100% of non-bias test participants agreeing that the website represents a friendly, professional exotic pet veterinary clinic brand.
The platform itself demonstrated strong usability, with 95% of users managing to book a consultation and complete a successful booking. In addition, over 80% of these users agreed that doing so was “easy”.
In our professional (and not so humble) opinion, the animal-specific landing pages are a particular standout feature of the Exotic Care Online site. These provide targeted, species-specific content that aligned with user expectations. Additionally, the custom booking plugin with Stripe integration enables seamless transactions and ongoing booking tracking.
This comprehensive approach has introduced Exotic Care Online to the market as a trusted, user-friendly resource for exotic pet owners in the veterinary telemedicine space.
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