The site in this week’s example is Duluth Sauna.com. The design is a little outdated and a perfect candidate for independent review. Here’s what the site looked like at the time of the review:

What Does This Website Do?

  1. It is about Duluth Family Sauna that offers private rooms and sauna environment.
  2. It is an advertisement for a sauna that says it is a family sauna, but appears to be for both families and singles/couples. It gives information about all aspects of the sauna.
  3. Web Page of a sauna for men and private rooms.
  4. It is a family sauna place.
  5. The site gives detailed information about the “Duluth Family Sauna”.
  6. This is a website promoting a sauna/hotel service.
  7. The Duluth Family Sauna has private and community sauna rooms available to the public. The Duluth Family Sauna advertises itself as family friendly and a very relaxing, safe place. All people of all ages and sizes are welcome.
  8. Based on the website it seems to be a group sauna room.
  9. The website is advertising a Sauna called the Duluth Family Sauna.
  10. It promotes a business called Duluth Family Sauna.

Best Current Feature

  1. Simple presentation is the best. Acceptance of credit cards is a good feature.
  2. I like the brick background with the open sign, it is pretty neat looking.
  3. It provides information about cost, and the hours of operation.
  4. The gallery. Don’t need to click in the pictures. Once you roll the mouse over the picture you can see it.
  5. The specials listed on the website is the best feature. It states clearly what the specials are, what the rules are, and the prices for each special including tax.
  6. The best feature about the site is how informative it is about the business. By visiting the Duluth Family Sauna website you will come away fully knowing what they do and where they are.
  7. I think the best feature on the site is the fact that you describe it as being a family sauna. The pizza and drinks boxes suggest that there are refreshments available.
  8. It has the business’ address and phone number.
  9. I liked the FAQ section; it answered most questions that one would have.
  10. I like that the site navigation is easy to follow and I especially like having a photo gallery. I wouldn’t normally go to a public sauna so it’s nice having some pictures to know what the place looks like.

People who seek out this business’ site are probably looking for cost and hours of operation, which the reviewers agree is easily found. The rest of the website should simply provide the user with an idea of what to expect when they walk in the door.

One Thing to Improve

  1. The scrolling headline thing is a bit too distracting and not very enjoyable. I would say nothing too flashy.
  2. It is a little busy which makes it more difficult to know where to look. You don’t really notice the word family in the title as it kind of blends in. I was a little confused about whether it was really a family sauna or geared toward singles and couples with silhouette the at the top and the picture of the man (which wasn’t that good of a picture).
  3. Make the picture on top of the homepage more appealing to family.
  4. At the moment there are too many animated graphics. They distract the user, and I would recommend removing all animated graphics or replace them by non-animated graphics.
  5. Have pictures of people in the gallery section. It’s nice to see a picture of a family to prove that this is a family friendly place.
  6. The picture of the man with the blue towel seems to cheapen the site and gives the impression of who your customers are. A photo of a family inside a sauna would be much more inviting.
  7. With me not being from the area, if I was to just come across this website and did not read it, I would think that it is for adults only. I guess the picture on the homepage of the man in just a towel is a little misleading. If this is a place for singles or making friends I think the family sauna thing is a little misleading. As a mother of three (teenagers) I am not quite sure I would take my family there because I am confused on what type of place it it.
  8. Use simple background colors, no bricks, and get rid of all of the animated images, such as the bug and the word “fun.”
  9. If this really does have families visit, maybe the picture on the home page should not be so suggestive. Just a thought.
  10. The overall design of the website seems a little amateurish with the brick wall background, the “Come In It’s Open” sign, the different fonts, and the animated GIFs. I’d get rid of all of that, select one or two fonts to use for the entire site, and redesign the logo to look more professional. I’d also lose the images of the dudes in towels. It makes the site look a little too porn-ish.

Some of the imagery on the site seems to conflict with the idea of a family-friendly sauna business. It is a little difficult to decide which demographic is being targeted. Or is it both?

The inclusion of an animated GIF can draw attention to a section of your website, but too many moving images and text effects can feel a little chaotic. These were also very common design choices during the late 90s and early 2000s, so having many of them could be telling visitors that your site was designed a decade ago and you’ve never been back. If the design is outdated, what about the information? Most of the reviewers agree that limiting the animated images and updating the backgrounds and header could streamline the site and give it a fresh, updated makeover.

Once they’ve clarified the targeted demographic and freshened up the design, they could retest the site through 3rd Party Feedback to see how well the reviews improve.