New Trend: Personal Sitter/Nanny Sites
In this economy, we’ve been seeing an increase in the number of child care providers showing up on Sittercity. From recent graduates who can’t find other work to former business executives who have been laid off, caregiving seems to be a popular path for those interested in making child care their new career.
Even though a new job is posted on Sittercity every 5 minutes, there’s still stuff competition to land the best positions with the best families. That might be why some savvy sitters are creating their own personal websites detailing their experience and skills in the field of child care.
Example of a Sitter/Nanny Site
Complete with references, availability, rates and contact information, this personal sitter site gives parents plenty of information about the caregiver, her background and her experience.
Pros of Having Your Own Site
- Helps you stand out from the crowd
- If well done, makes you look very professional, like the example above
- Gives you control over what pages/feature to include (the example site even has an online booking option)
- Lets you showcase more personality through design and formatting
Cons of Having Your Own Site
- Costs money every month
- No background checks
- Less secure –- anyone can find/contact you
- No third-party reviews where parents can rave about you
The Bottom Line
Is your own personal sitter/nanny website necessary? It’s not. Your Sittercity profile allows you to post all of the information you’d include on a personal site with the added benefit of certain safety features such as background checks and a protected email address that only paying members can see.
That said, is it a cool idea to have your own personal sitter/nanny website? We think so! When paired with the safety features of Sittercity, it can be a great supplement to your services. In fact, we know that some sitters have their own personal site without their personal contact info; instead, they direct parents to their Sittercity profile to help keep themselves protected.
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July 7th, 2009 at 7:25 pm
This blog post inspired me to create my own childcare site. I’ve made sites in the past, so I’m surprised really that I didn’t think to do it before, but the site I used is really great and easy for new web builders. It’s free, with some ads, but nothing bad. The templates are very nice, and you can upgrade for better ones and to get rid of the ads. I highly recommend it. My own leaves out contact info, other than their form which sends me an email without revealing mine, and I also posted a link to my sittercity profile. If you’re looking for a good site builder, I highly recommend Free Webs:
http://ksunanny.webs.com/
July 8th, 2009 at 10:20 am
Thanks KSUNanny, I’ll give it a try.
July 8th, 2009 at 8:03 pm
I would love to form a group of Nannies in my area to share tips and have fun playing together. There are only two indoor arena’s to play (one for all ages while the other for 3 and above) usually I sit children while Mom’s are home. Some Mom’s encourage out of home field trips while others do not. Would like to be in a neighborhood club where just adults could meet and discuss/exchange idea’s for play (I spend alot of time at library gearing activities games/toys of learning towards the childs ages I watch) Nanny Apryl of Streamwood, IL contact me at the sittercity website if interested.
July 9th, 2009 at 10:58 am
Hey Apryl! I’m Jessica and that was my site featured. Anyway, I run a Nanny Support Group in Chicago and I’m an Organized on the local active meetup group. Do you ever get into the city? Send me an email or give me a call and we’ll chat.
-Jessica
http://www.nannyjessica.com
http://www.chicagoprofessionalnannyassociation.com
KSU Nanny-Your site looks great! I would really recommend against having a calendar with where you’re going to be for your safety! Maybe have a secure login for your existing clients?
July 10th, 2009 at 10:32 pm
jkala, I felt like it was ok, since I just gave a city/area, not an exact location, but I guess I might take it off. I just made the site this week, and the calendar option seemed really great, since a lot of times I have parents contact me wanting to know if I’m available for full time weekly positions, and the calander makes it clear what days I normally have available, you know? I may change it to just say waht days I’m working though, with no indication of where or when exactly. Thanks for the tip!
July 16th, 2009 at 7:25 pm
I believe this a great idea! I wish I would of thought of it sooner and I have a website with WEBS. KSUNanny, I like you site, it is great. I also saw that you started a “nanny meet.” I have been putting together a nanny association in the Metro Atlanta now for a couple of months. I actually just got most of the kinks out. Here is the website http://nanasg.webs.com/ if anyone in the Metro Atlanta Area wants to check it out!
July 20th, 2009 at 9:07 am
Jockelly, that’s fantastic! I just registered at your site. I have been trying to find a local nanny association/group and, as you said, there really don’t seem to be any around. Good to meet a fellow KSU student as well.
Thanks!