Architecture plan, persona profiles, and funnel flow by track
The current wholepetnh.com has 37 live pages organized with no consistent logic. Programs are buried under "Diplomas." Business content is scattered across Boardroom Boss, Business Edge, and the CE directory. There is no persona routing on the homepage - every visitor gets the same experience regardless of whether they are a first-time groomer or a franchise operator. The proposed structure organizes everything into four persona tracks, each with its own hub and program path, while consolidating redundant pages and retiring content that is no longer load-bearing.
Build the new site in persona-track order: Start Your Career first (highest enrollment volume), then Level Up, then Train Your Team. Enterprise can be a contact-gated page in Phase 1 and get its full build in Phase 2. Every page should know which persona it is for and route that visitor toward one clear CTA.
Someone entering grooming for the first time, often coming from a related field or from a lifelong passion for animals. Ready to invest in a credential that proves they took the work seriously.
A clear, recognized credential that opens doors and proves they took the work seriously.
PCS to MCS pathway, DOE accreditation, alumni network, and career support built into the program.
An experienced groomer with years of hands-on work but no formal credentials. They have put in the time and know the craft - they just have nothing on paper to prove it.
Recognition for what they already know. A way to differentiate from newer groomers and justify higher prices.
Certifications that validate experience, behavior specialist and aesthetician tracks, and the Groomer's Boardroom for business skills.
A salon owner trying to reduce turnover, reduce injury incidents, and build a reputation for quality. They are running a business first. Training is a means to measurable outcomes.
A done-for-you staff training system with measurable outcomes and employer-of-choice positioning.
Modern Grooming Professional program (Behavior, Skin & Coat, Workplace Safety), staff onboarding modules. WPGA handles all grading and reporting.
A franchise owner, non-groomer business operator, or pet retail chain adding grooming services. They are not groomers. They need a system they can plug in, trust, and scale.
A certified, standardized training system that makes their grooming operation safe, scalable, and defensible.
Institutional-grade training programs, certifiable at scale. WPGA handles all curriculum, grading, and certification across every location.
| Current URL | Page | Action | New URL | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| / | Home | Restructure | / | New persona-router homepage. 4 clear CTAs above the fold, each pointing to its track hub. Keep accreditation proof bar and stats. |
| /about-us | About Us | Restructure | /about | Consolidate with Experience the WPGA Standard content. Lead with DOE accreditation and stats. Add Educators section preview. |
| /diplomas | Certification Programs | Retire | Redirect → /programs | Content split into individual program pages. "Diplomas" framing replaced by persona tracks. |
| /diplomas/animal-communication | Animal Comm. Diploma | Move | /programs/animal-communication | Cleaner URL. Merge with /animal-communicator page content. Single source of truth. |
| /diplomas/master-pet-styling | Master Pet Styling | Move | /programs/master-canine-stylist | Rename to match credential name (MCS). Reframe for Aspiring Groomer track. |
| /animal-communicator | Animal Communicator | Retire | Redirect → /programs/animal-communication | Duplicate of the diploma sub-page. Consolidate all AC content into one URL. |
| /modern-groomer-summit | Modern Groomer Summit | Keep | /programs/modern-groomer-summit | Move into Programs namespace for cleaner hierarchy. |
| /finance | Financing Options | Keep | /resources/financing | Keep content. Link from Start Your Career and Level Up track pages. |
| /boardroom-boss | Boardroom Boss | Restructure | /level-up/groomers-boardroom | Belongs to the Seasoned Pro track per persona map and offer-bundle architecture. Reframe around business-building for experienced groomers, not the "boss" brand. |
| /experience-the-wpga-standard | Experience the WPGA Standard | Retire | Merge → /about | Content absorbed into the About page and homepage accreditation section. |
| /certification/how-to-become-a-certified-groomer | How to Become a Certified Groomer | Restructure | /start-your-career | Becomes the Aspiring Groomer track hub. Expand with program comparison, FAQs, and enrollment CTA. |
| /the-professional-grooming-standard | The Professional Grooming Standard | Move | /academy/wpga-standard | Keep as a trust/credibility page. Link from About and all program pages. |
| /watch | Video Library | Keep | /community/videos | Rename URL for clarity. Content intact. |
| /events | Events | Keep | /community/events | Move under Community namespace. |
| /retail-store | Wellness Shop | Keep | /resources/shop | Rename to "Wellness Shop" to match brand positioning. Content intact. |
| /global-campus | Global Campus | Keep | /academy/global-campus | Move under Academy. Highlight online/remote access as a differentiator. |
| /apply-here | Apply Here | Keep | /apply | Cleaner URL. Keep as the primary CTA destination. Pin in global nav. |
| /career-in-dog-grooming | Career in Dog Grooming | Restructure | /start-your-career/career-guide | Expand as a top-of-funnel resource. SEO article format. Links to PCS/MCS programs and Apply. |
| /trade-shows | Trade Shows | Keep | /community/trade-shows | Move under Community namespace. |
| /ce-directory | CE Directory | Keep | /level-up/ce-directory | Place under Level Up track. Primary resource for Seasoned Pro persona. |
| /ce-verified | CE Verified | Keep | /resources/ce-verified | Keep. Used by third parties verifying credentials. Move to Resources. |
| /3-part | 3-Part Grooming Reset | Keep | /resources/3-part-reset | Keep as a lead magnet. Descriptive URL for SEO and sharing. |
| /quick-links | Scholar Lounge / Quick Links | Restructure | /community/scholar-lounge | Rename to match the actual community platform name (Scholar Lounge on Heartbeat). |
| /educators | Educators | Restructure | /academy/educators | Redesign as a team gallery. Each card links to individual profile. Credentials prominently listed. |
| /educators/[slug] | 7 Educator Profiles | Move | /academy/educators/[name] | Clean URLs (remove Squarespace random slug). Content kept, designed to match new system. |
| /ac-videos | AC Free Videos | Keep | /resources/ac-videos | Keep as a lead magnet for Animal Communication track. |
| /business-edge | Business Edge | Move | /train-your-team/business-edge | Reposition under Train Your Team. Reframe copy for Salon Owner persona. |
| /faqs | FAQs | Keep | /resources/faqs | Keep. Consider persona-filtered FAQ layout (tabs by track). |
| /contact-us | Contact Us | Keep | /contact | Cleaner URL. Content intact. |
| /privacy-policy | Privacy Policy | Keep | /privacy-policy | No change needed. |
| /disclaimer | Student Disclaimer | Keep | /disclaimer | No change needed. |
Every current URL that changes must get a permanent 301 redirect from the old path to the new one. The highest-priority redirects are the program pages that may have external backlinks: /diplomas → /programs, /diplomas/animal-communication → /programs/animal-communication, /certification/how-to-become-a-certified-groomer → /start-your-career, and all educator profile slugs. The 404 pages (/about, /programs, /blog, /boardroom, /the-summit) have likely been linked to externally and should also receive redirects to the closest relevant new page.