{
  "title": "The State of Independent Vet Clinic Websites 2026",
  "edition": "2026-Q4",
  "period": "Q4 2026",
  "sample": false,
  "source": "corpus",
  "note": "Aggregates computed from automated scans. No individual site is identified.",
  "url": "https://clikiti.com/research/vet/2026-q4",
  "scannedAt": "2026-10-15T12:50:24.611Z",
  "publishedAt": "2026-10-15T12:12:53.432Z",
  "modifiedAt": "2026-10-15T12:50:42.588Z",
  "license": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licenseUrl": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "attribution": "Free to use and cite under CC BY 4.0. Credit Clikiti with a link.",
  "citation": "Clikiti. (2026, October 15). The state of independent vet clinic websites 2026 (Q4 2026) [Report]. https://clikiti.com/research/vet/2026-q4",
  "audience": "Web agencies and freelancers selling to independent veterinary clinics",
  "sampleSize": 138,
  "marginOfErrorPts": 8.3,
  "medianScore": 77,
  "meanScore": 77,
  "meanQuestionsAnswered": 3.7,
  "questionCount": 10,
  "findings": [
    "Only 17% of the 138 independent veterinary clinic websites we scanned say whether they are taking new patients.",
    "A typical site answers four of the ten questions pet owners ask before choosing (mean 3.7).",
    "The median overall score is 77 out of 100 (mean 77).",
    "The least-answered questions are \"Are you taking new patients?\" (17%), \"Will my anxious pet be handled gently?\" (17%) and \"What does a visit cost?\" (17%).",
    "The best-answered are \"How do I reach you, and when are you open?\" (75%) and \"What do I do if it happens tonight?\" (57%).",
    "By kind of business, the highest median score is 78 (mobile and house-call vets), against 77 for general and family practice, 76 for emergency and urgent care and 75 for specialty and referral.",
    "78% fail \"Text contrast passes 4.5:1\" (WCAG 1.4.3).",
    "76% fail \"VeterinaryCare structured data\" (Schema.org · VeterinaryCare).",
    "72% fail \"Loads in under 2.5 s on a phone\" (Core Web Vitals · LCP)."
  ],
  "questions": [
    {
      "id": "newpts",
      "question": "Are you taking new patients?",
      "label": "Says whether it takes new patients",
      "standard": "Pet-owner question 5",
      "passPct": 17,
      "bySegment": {
        "gen": 31,
        "er": 3,
        "spec": 4,
        "mobile": 16
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "gentle",
      "question": "Will my anxious pet be handled gently?",
      "label": "Fear Free or low-stress handling described",
      "standard": "Pet-owner question 8",
      "passPct": 17,
      "bySegment": {
        "gen": 22,
        "er": 7,
        "spec": 4,
        "mobile": 31
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "price",
      "question": "What does a visit cost?",
      "label": "A price shown: an exam, a vaccine or a fee",
      "standard": "Pet-owner question 9",
      "passPct": 17,
      "bySegment": {
        "gen": 12,
        "er": 7,
        "spec": 8,
        "mobile": 44
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "species",
      "question": "Do you see my kind of animal?",
      "label": "Species named, or exotics said yes or no",
      "standard": "Pet-owner question 2",
      "passPct": 22,
      "bySegment": {
        "gen": 31,
        "er": 13,
        "spec": 28,
        "mobile": 13
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "reviews",
      "question": "Do other owners vouch for you?",
      "label": "Reviews marked up, in a widget or quoted",
      "standard": "Pet-owner question 10",
      "passPct": 23,
      "bySegment": {
        "gen": 27,
        "er": 17,
        "spec": 24,
        "mobile": 22
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "payment",
      "question": "How can I pay for a big bill?",
      "label": "Payment plans, financing or pet insurance explained",
      "standard": "Pet-owner question 7",
      "passPct": 41,
      "bySegment": {
        "gen": 45,
        "er": 70,
        "spec": 36,
        "mobile": 13
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "book",
      "question": "Can I book without calling?",
      "label": "Book or request an appointment online",
      "standard": "Pet-owner question 4",
      "passPct": 46,
      "bySegment": {
        "gen": 71,
        "er": 23,
        "spec": 36,
        "mobile": 38
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "vets",
      "question": "Who will treat my pet?",
      "label": "Veterinarians named with their degree",
      "standard": "Pet-owner question 6",
      "passPct": 54,
      "bySegment": {
        "gen": 41,
        "er": 37,
        "spec": 72,
        "mobile": 75
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "afterhours",
      "question": "What do I do if it happens tonight?",
      "label": "What to do after hours or in an emergency",
      "standard": "Pet-owner question 3",
      "passPct": 57,
      "bySegment": {
        "gen": 57,
        "er": 83,
        "spec": 40,
        "mobile": 44
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "contact",
      "question": "How do I reach you, and when are you open?",
      "label": "Tappable phone plus opening hours",
      "standard": "Pet-owner question 1",
      "passPct": 75,
      "bySegment": {
        "gen": 86,
        "er": 87,
        "spec": 72,
        "mobile": 47
      }
    }
  ],
  "technical": [
    {
      "id": "con",
      "label": "Text contrast passes 4.5:1",
      "standard": "WCAG 1.4.3",
      "failPct": 78,
      "bySegment": {
        "gen": 76,
        "er": 73,
        "spec": 84,
        "mobile": 81
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "schema",
      "label": "VeterinaryCare structured data",
      "standard": "Schema.org · VeterinaryCare",
      "failPct": 76,
      "bySegment": {
        "gen": 78,
        "er": 63,
        "spec": 68,
        "mobile": 91
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "lcp",
      "label": "Loads in under 2.5 s on a phone",
      "standard": "Core Web Vitals · LCP",
      "failPct": 72,
      "bySegment": {
        "gen": 84,
        "er": 47,
        "spec": 72,
        "mobile": 78
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "alt",
      "label": "Images have text descriptions",
      "standard": "WCAG 1.1.1",
      "failPct": 20,
      "bySegment": {
        "gen": 24,
        "er": 10,
        "spec": 28,
        "mobile": 16
      }
    }
  ],
  "segments": [
    {
      "id": "gen",
      "name": "General and family practice",
      "sites": 51,
      "median": 77,
      "weakPct": 0
    },
    {
      "id": "er",
      "name": "Emergency and urgent care",
      "sites": 30,
      "median": 76,
      "weakPct": 0
    },
    {
      "id": "spec",
      "name": "Specialty and referral",
      "sites": 25,
      "median": 75,
      "weakPct": 0
    },
    {
      "id": "mobile",
      "name": "Mobile and house-call vets",
      "sites": 32,
      "median": 78,
      "weakPct": 0
    }
  ],
  "agencyProblems": [
    {
      "id": "newpts",
      "label": "Says whether it takes new patients",
      "standard": "Pet-owner question 5",
      "failPct": 83,
      "question": "Are you taking new patients?",
      "fix": "Say on the home page whether the clinic is taking new patients, with one line on what the first visit involves and what records to bring.",
      "pitch": "A family new to town cannot tell from your site whether you would even see their pet.",
      "effort": "Quick fix"
    },
    {
      "id": "gentle",
      "label": "Fear Free or low-stress handling described",
      "standard": "Pet-owner question 8",
      "failPct": 83,
      "question": "Will my anxious pet be handled gently?",
      "fix": "A short page on how the clinic handles anxious pets: Fear Free or Cat Friendly certification, quiet rooms, pre-visit calming, linked from the home page.",
      "pitch": "Owners of nervous animals put off visits, and your site never tells them how you make it easier.",
      "effort": "Content"
    },
    {
      "id": "price",
      "label": "A price shown: an exam, a vaccine or a fee",
      "standard": "Pet-owner question 9",
      "failPct": 83,
      "question": "What does a visit cost?",
      "fix": "Publish the price of an exam and the common vaccines, or a starting price and the travel fee for house calls.",
      "pitch": "\"What will a visit cost?\" is the question owners are most nervous to ask, and your site gives them no number at all.",
      "effort": "Content"
    },
    {
      "id": "species",
      "label": "Species named, or exotics said yes or no",
      "standard": "Pet-owner question 2",
      "failPct": 78,
      "question": "Do you see my kind of animal?",
      "fix": "Name the animals the clinic sees (dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, reptiles) and say plainly whether it sees exotics, on the home and services pages.",
      "pitch": "Owners of a rabbit or a bearded dragon cannot tell whether you will see them, so they call someone who says so.",
      "effort": "Quick fix"
    },
    {
      "id": "con",
      "label": "Text contrast passes 4.5:1",
      "standard": "WCAG 1.4.3",
      "failPct": 78,
      "fix": "Raise text contrast to at least 4.5:1 in the theme.",
      "pitch": "Parts of the site are hard to read, and it is a WCAG failure.",
      "effort": "Quick fix"
    }
  ]
}