During a recent weekend trip to Columbus, OH* with my sister and 11-year-old nephew, we found ourselves in a bit of a conundrum one morning. We’d missed the hotel breakfast by 8 minutes (Doh!), and as it turned out, our hotel was in the business district, so most restaurants were closed on weekends. But wait! Lo and behold, just when we’d almost given up hope, we found a little joint called Goood Friends (three O’s on purpose) that was open and decided to give it a go.
Being the web designer I am, when we checked the restaurant’s website to get their location and menu, my first thought was “Hey, nice website.” So here we are, with the latest installment of my “Websites I LOVE” series. Below are four things I loved about their site as well as how you can apply this “Goood stuff” to your own website. Enjoy!
Movement!
As you navigate around the Goood Friends website, it’s impossible to miss that there’s movement and animation everywhere you look. They managed to strike that perfect balance that makes for movement that’s fun and engaging without being distracting or overwhelming.
Do it on your website: When considering animation on your website, the first question you need to ask is whether it fits with your brand. The Goood Friends brand is cheeky, in your face, and fun, so for their brand, it makes perfect sense. If you decide it is a good fit, talk to an animator about how you can create some simple GIFs to embed. (I know one if you’re looking for a rec.) AND as it happens, I just incorporated a simple but effective GIF into my Ellanyze website header! Whereas my tagline used to say “get a website that reflects your business,” now the word “business” revolves with other words like writing, music, art, company, and empire. Check it out 😉
Reinforcing the Brand at Every Turn
Something the Goood Friends website does masterfully is reinforcing their brand at every turn. A few examples: They don’t stop at Goood when it comes to those notable three O’s. You see it in other places as well. The word “friend” is used all over the site, i.e., in their hiring section, it reads “We’re always looking for talented, amazing friends.” Also, their cheeky, in-your-face writing style is present everywhere, i.e., at the bottom of the menu page, it says, “Are you just going to keep scrolling? Order already!”
Do it on your website: I think a wonderful question for any business is “How can we reinforce our brand at every turn?” Are there words, phrases, or images that are integral to your brand that you can reinforce throughout your website?
A Call-to-Action Button that Stays in Place
Feeed me! Actually, they only put two e’s in the Feed Me button that sticks in the upper right corner of the site, but it still works just as well. This means as soon as you’ve decided, “Yeah OK, this place looks good,” you can click “Feed Me” and start online ordering. Winning!
Do it on your website: If you don’t yet have a sticky header, it’s a great way to go, ensuring your user can access the navigation from any point on the site. And the upper right corner is an awesome place for a big button that features your primary call to action (you’ll notice nonprofits typically have a donation button in this spot).
Quality Photography
I can’t emphasize enough what a difference it makes when a business invests in high-quality, on-brand photography for their website. A picture is worth a thousand words, and on the Goood Friends website, it shows. The three owners (clearly longtime goood friends) as well as loads of pics of their delicious food are featured sitewide.
Do it on your website: You know if you’ve been avoiding hiring a great photographer to avoid the expense. Make the decision to invest in good photography and it will absolutely pay for itself in the long run. I know some fabulous SE Michigan photographers if you need a rec.
Looking for more?
Enjoy these other past installments in the “Websites I LOVE” series!
Websites I LOVE Series: Outcast Landing
Websites I LOVE Series: DuckaDilly Fabrics
Websites I LOVE Series: The Hairy Dog
*We traveled to Columbus to check out an extensive Star Wars exhibit at their local science museum, you know, just in case you were wondering why three Michiganders were venturing to their arch rival state of Ohio.
