Critique my Cat Furniture Site

Evita · 14th Nov 2014, 08:16 AM

Would appreciate thoughts on my cat furniture site. I feel there are things kind of missing,
but can't put my finger on it.
Here's my site of you care to take a look: scandicat

Thanks!

Evita

kirbymarketingconcierge · 14th Nov 2014, 08:45 AM

I am not an expert on landing page design

but to me :

picture too big, but like the simple layout

not going on price, but "scandinavian quality" :

does that mean lasts longer???
unique designs?
I would push that more.

"loved by cats" or "so durable and designed for a cat's 9 lives.."

offer some more content beyond "cleaning tips".
Example : "how to choose the best cat furniture"
"5 scientific secret's on how cat's become attracted to and use"
"forget Walmart, made to order - designed by humans, loved by cats "

"1 technique used for cat furniture when your feline has Cat Scratch Fever"

"cat man do"
"cat stevens"
"cat got your tongue"
"cat nap"

spend 2 weeks with a dog, and you will come to think you are a King
spend 2 weeks with cat, and you will realize, your cat IS King.
our furniture, is their palace
(replaced - king, for god, to not offend anyone)

cats are like your website visitors - what's in it for them?

combine video, misic, a skit with a cat to push to go viral

just top of mind stuff.

best wishes on your venture and don't stop moving forward.

remember, as a business person, you have 9 lives too!

Gijsbertus · 15th Nov 2014, 10:35 AM

There is a line on the left side (middle) that says '' join our affiliate program'' ?? get that to another place = bottom of page - it is disturbing

savidge4 · 15th Nov 2014, 05:42 PM

the main page there is nothing saying "HEY do this!!!!" or as it is called a call to action. EVERY page I looked at has this great amount of white space below the content of the page.

On the plus size, your writing is very nice. You can read the joy of cats that you have.

I personally am not a fan of the "floating" page design. ( everything blends into a body of white. ) Something somewhere needs to break that up a bit. with your sense of style there just needs a bit of definition... It focuses the ability to look and read what is on the page.

Hope that Helps!

Evita · 16th Nov 2014, 10:12 AM

Originally Posted by Gijsbertus

There is a line on the left side (middle) that says '' join our affiliate program'' ?? get that to another place = bottom of page - it is disturbing

Thanks! That was not supposed to be there. Thanks for pointing it out.

Evita · 16th Nov 2014, 10:21 AM

Originally Posted by savidge4

the main page there is nothing saying "HEY do this!!!!" or as it is called a call to action.

I personally am not a fan of the "floating" page design. ( everything blends into a body of white. ) Something somewhere needs to break that up a bit. with your sense of style there just needs a bit of definition... It focuses the ability to look and read what is on the page.

Hope that Helps!

Yes, I do need a call to action. As these are more expensive products I'm assuming I will have not so many impulse buyers so my call to action should probably be structured accordingly somehow. Thoughts?

When you say I could have some more definition, could you please elaborate? How?

Thanks!!

Evita

Evita · 16th Nov 2014, 10:30 AM

Originally Posted by kirbymarketingconcierge

best wishes on your venture and don't stop moving forward.

remember, as a business person, you have 9 lives too!

You gave me a number of ideas and pointers. Thank you.

Yes, I have a skit in mind as my cats do some funny
things including one cat who begs to be spanked. He'll push stuff off the kitchen counter and then runs to his "spanking station" with his butt sticking out waiting for me... LOL!!!! It is quite hilarious but a bit hard to catch on video. (Obviously the "spanking" is not a real spanking

I'll be giving your suggestions some thoughts for sure.

Evita

JakeM1 · 16th Nov 2014, 06:56 PM

I really like the minimalistic design and the use of photos which have a white background (one a white website). It looks very clean and draws more attention to the focal point within those images.

When viewing the website on an iPad however (I'm not sure if it's also like this on other devices?), there's a very large area at the bottom of the page which is just white. This white space is probably 2x the length of your content and is a bit distracting as it seems like you're meant to scroll down when nothing is there?

Overall though, I'm really liking the look of your site. Good luck with your venture!

savidge4 · 17th Nov 2014, 02:10 AM

Originally Posted by Evita

Yes, I do need a call to action. As these are more expensive products I'm assuming I will have not so many impulse buyers so my call to action should probably be structured accordingly somehow. Thoughts?

When you say I could have some more definition, could you please elaborate? How?

Thanks!!

Evita

Evita,

Im a web designer... Simple design like you have created is by far not my "style" BUT I appreciate good design when I see it. Your site is there, but not THERE. One of the best examples I have seen of the all "white" design is Whole Design Studios | Holistic Design Agency, Berlin & Leeds and in reality its not all white. but it has that airy feeling. The slight separation of color between the navigation and the body is that "definition" I was speaking about.

But the artistry in the site I linked is the use of the image. Its just visually stunning. AND how it MAKES you look at the page. Your eyes go left to right across the top... bang right down to the end of the table to the call to action "WHO WE ARE" and then zip right to the secondary call to action in the bright color to call or text.

You then go to the "Work" and "Services" page and with the boxes, there is the definition. the about page, again the play with the slight color difference. and then, the blog... the contrast in design is almost shocking. Its like the stark white is the boring business stuff.. NOW look at out colorful content.

If you cant tell I love the design of this page, I think its simply brilliant.

But anyways I hope that helps you out!

dburk · 17th Nov 2014, 08:07 AM

Hi Evita,

Lacks clarity.

When you land on the homepage it isn't very clear that you are actually selling things. One must dig into the website to finally learn that you are selling cat furniture. This is a common problem with website design. When you design a website for yourself, it is easy to forget that users do not know everything about your business that you yourself know. Often, when we develop our own website we assume that users know too much and we presume they know the purpose of the page. Many will be able to figure it out, but you will lose some folks along the way, and even some you do not lose will be on the verge of hitting the back button making the path to conversion less likely.

People who are shopping generally want to see two things very prominently, else they may leave and go elsewhere. They want to see a photo and a price.

Anytime you display a product image it should be accompanied by the price and a call to action. This is how people know you are selling the item displayed. You can easily fix this issue by including the price prominently and adjacent to the product image, and naturally a CTA on a buy now button..

I have to ask, since you posted this website design critique within the CRO forum, have you considered trying to do some CRO? If all you looking for is website design advice it might be better to post that in the Website design forum found here: Website Design

CRO isn't asking people to critique your website, it involves a data driven decision process using advanced analytical techniques.

Conversion rate optimization - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

GosuCommerce · 10th Dec 2014, 03:14 AM

The idea behind the project is very interesting. But why is there no footer on the main page? Is 561.374.3451 a phone number? I am confused. Why points? Pictures are not alligned (for example, on the page Why buy from us). Your shopping cart icon is too small, but the cart popup is actually too big. There is hardly any text there.

aaron90247 · 11th Dec 2014, 06:12 PM

Unfortunately the design left much white space at the bottom. I'm viewing in chrome browser.
This site lacks synergy.

If you are asking $649 for a product the site should reflect that high price in it's quality or it may cause doubt in a buyers mind.

That being said, you can definitely increase sales with excellent copy while still keeping the layout. (with that white space fix)

seohacker · 12th Dec 2014, 10:58 PM

Not really into cats so I don't really know what's with scandinavia.

Eliminate the great white space at the bottom part.
Cite advantages and benefits for the cat owners a little more the cats themselves.
No compelling call-to-action message or button
Video, images and configure & purchase section is 'off' I think it could be layouted better.

14th Nov 2014, 08:16 AM	#1
Evita HyperActive Warrior War Room Member Join Date: 2007 Location: Out In The Left Field Posts: 324 Thanks: 217 Thanked 33 Times in 24 Posts	Critique my Cat Furniture Site Share on: Would appreciate thoughts on my cat furniture site. I feel there are things kind of missing, but can't put my finger on it. Here's my site of you care to take a look: scandicat Thanks! Evita
	Homeopathic Flea Repellent For Cats

14th Nov 2014, 08:45 AM	#2
kirbymarketingconcierge kirby Join Date: 2011 Location: Nowhere, USA Posts: 1,317 Thanks: 281 Thanked 599 Times in 420 Posts	Re: Critique my Cat Furniture Site Share on: I am not an expert on landing page design but to me : picture too big, but like the simple layout not going on price, but "scandinavian quality" : does that mean lasts longer??? unique designs? I would push that more. "loved by cats" or "so durable and designed for a cat's 9 lives.." offer some more content beyond "cleaning tips". Example : "how to choose the best cat furniture" "5 scientific secret's on how cat's become attracted to and use" "forget Walmart, made to order - designed by humans, loved by cats " "1 technique used for cat furniture when your feline has Cat Scratch Fever" "cat man do" "cat stevens" "cat got your tongue" "cat nap" spend 2 weeks with a dog, and you will come to think you are a King spend 2 weeks with cat, and you will realize, your cat IS King. our furniture, is their palace (replaced - king, for god, to not offend anyone) cats are like your website visitors - what's in it for them? combine video, misic, a skit with a cat to push to go viral just top of mind stuff. best wishes on your venture and don't stop moving forward. remember, as a business person, you have 9 lives too!

15th Nov 2014, 10:35 AM	#3
Gijsbertus Advanced Warrior War Room Member Join Date: 2009 Location: South of Belgium Posts: 837 Thanks: 218 Thanked 284 Times in 243 Posts Blog Entries: 35	Re: Critique my Cat Furniture Site Share on: There is a line on the left side (middle) that says '' join our affiliate program'' ?? get that to another place = bottom of page - it is disturbing
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15th Nov 2014, 05:42 PM	#4
savidge4 Midnight Oil Warrior Join Date: 2013 Location: Bridgeport, WV. Posts: 6,746 Thanks: 3,543 Thanked 6,537 Times in 3,469 Posts	Re: Critique my Cat Furniture Site Share on: the main page there is nothing saying "HEY do this!!!!" or as it is called a call to action. EVERY page I looked at has this great amount of white space below the content of the page. On the plus size, your writing is very nice. You can read the joy of cats that you have. I personally am not a fan of the "floating" page design. ( everything blends into a body of white. ) Something somewhere needs to break that up a bit. with your sense of style there just needs a bit of definition... It focuses the ability to look and read what is on the page. Hope that Helps!

16th Nov 2014, 06:56 PM	#8
JakeM1 Active Warrior Join Date: 2014 Posts: 85 Thanks: 12 Thanked 14 Times in 14 Posts	Re: Critique my Cat Furniture Site Share on: I really like the minimalistic design and the use of photos which have a white background (one a white website). It looks very clean and draws more attention to the focal point within those images. When viewing the website on an iPad however (I'm not sure if it's also like this on other devices?), there's a very large area at the bottom of the page which is just white. This white space is probably 2x the length of your content and is a bit distracting as it seems like you're meant to scroll down when nothing is there? Overall though, I'm really liking the look of your site. Good luck with your venture!

17th Nov 2014, 08:07 AM	#10
dburk VIP Warrior Join Date: 2005 Location: Tampa, Florida Posts: 6,367 Thanks: 333 Thanked 1,621 Times in 1,287 Posts	Re: Critique my Cat Furniture Site Share on: Hi Evita, Lacks clarity. When you land on the homepage it isn't very clear that you are actually selling things. One must dig into the website to finally learn that you are selling cat furniture. This is a common problem with website design. When you design a website for yourself, it is easy to forget that users do not know everything about your business that you yourself know. Often, when we develop our own website we assume that users know too much and we presume they know the purpose of the page. Many will be able to figure it out, but you will lose some folks along the way, and even some you do not lose will be on the verge of hitting the back button making the path to conversion less likely. People who are shopping generally want to see two things very prominently, else they may leave and go elsewhere. They want to see a photo and a price. Anytime you display a product image it should be accompanied by the price and a call to action. This is how people know you are selling the item displayed. You can easily fix this issue by including the price prominently and adjacent to the product image, and naturally a CTA on a buy now button.. I have to ask, since you posted this website design critique within the CRO forum, have you considered trying to do some CRO? If all you looking for is website design advice it might be better to post that in the Website design forum found here: Website Design CRO isn't asking people to critique your website, it involves a data driven decision process using advanced analytical techniques. Conversion rate optimization - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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10th Dec 2014, 03:14 AM	#11
GosuCommerce Gosu Join Date: 2013 Posts: 68 Thanks: 3 Thanked 32 Times in 28 Posts	Re: Critique my Cat Furniture Site Share on: The idea behind the project is very interesting. But why is there no footer on the main page? Is 561.374.3451 a phone number? I am confused. Why points? Pictures are not alligned (for example, on the page Why buy from us). Your shopping cart icon is too small, but the cart popup is actually too big. There is hardly any text there.

11th Dec 2014, 06:12 PM	#12
aaron90247 Warrior Member Join Date: 2014 Posts: 4 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Critique my Cat Furniture Site Share on: Unfortunately the design left much white space at the bottom. I'm viewing in chrome browser. This site lacks synergy. If you are asking $649 for a product the site should reflect that high price in it's quality or it may cause doubt in a buyers mind. That being said, you can definitely increase sales with excellent copy while still keeping the layout. (with that white space fix)

12th Dec 2014, 10:58 PM	#13
seohacker Active Warrior Join Date: 2010 Location: PH Posts: 61 Thanks: 0 Thanked 13 Times in 12 Posts	Re: Critique my Cat Furniture Site Share on: Not really into cats so I don't really know what's with scandinavia. Eliminate the great white space at the bottom part. Cite advantages and benefits for the cat owners a little more the cats themselves. No compelling call-to-action message or button Video, images and configure & purchase section is 'off' I think it could be layouted better.
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