{New in The Shop} Lollipop Collection & Photo Shoot! | The TomKat Studio.

The heart background with stripes distracts from the website’s content.  The color of the font and and background make it difficult to read.  The placement of products on the homepage are misaligned and distracting.  All of the product pictures, text and clipart makes the site look busy

Cutting down the text at the top of the homepage might make it more readable. 

“Our Party Games and Activities Help You Celebrate a Great Home Birthday Party and or Family Holiday Party”

SimpliFun offers party supplies and downloadable printable party games and printable party invitations for kids, tweens, teens and adults all ages.  Enjoy ready-to-give full party kits, including mystery party games murder mystery games.  All with immediate online delivery.  With immediate online delivery, SimpliFun Studios is your online source for the party supplies you need to keep the compliments coming long after your guests get home.

Menu Bar

On the homepage menu, perhaps organize the party favors in one place and the games in another.  I’ve seen collapsible menus on various sites that might be useful when you’re trying to display this many categories.  Or just adding subsections for things like “decorations” or “Crafts” might make it more manageable

Pro:  I really like the google search feature and the drop down menu that allows you to search by gender– but some of the categories such as cooking party have no associated products.

Product Pages

Pro:  I like how images of the printed party are included and how you describe the synopsis and provide examples of invitations and other things included in the party.

Con:  Although the information is useful, it might be more effective if you provided it in separate links.  For instance, you can create a separate link for the characters in mystery parties.  That way, the viewer can click if they’re interested, and not become overwhelmed by text if they aren’t.  For instance, Host Party has links for  Characters in their mystery party sections.

Modal window or light box.  Party planning.

Condense posters (including four or more pages) into one.

TO DO:  Go through flip books and come up with critique/solutions.

SCRIBD

• Find a way to make “book” the default format (perhaps remove other formats?)
• Change dimensions on viewable space on SCRIBD book format to match (deleting unnecessary negative space)
• Display only the best content and note that only a part is being displayed (because viewers are unlikely to scroll through 30+ pages of material.

Content on individual theme pages

• Include an image on every theme that shows what the printable party looks like in printed form.  While the SCRIBD book gives a good idea of what’s included in the package, it is difficult to visualize what the product will look like printed out.   The DINO Party is a good example of this — Dinosaur Party
• Maybe include a time estimate or rating to reflect how long or how difficult party prep might be in comparison to other products you offer.  If someone is really in a bind, it might be helpful to know exactly what things they need to purchase up front (such as the bean bags for the valentines party or the black light for the glow in the dark party).

Dinosaur Party

• Dino party icon on scroll bar could be updated to reflect one of the dinosaurs included in the package.  I personally like the triceratops!
• Display a tee-shirt to show how the iron on print-out will work

Art Party

• Resolution on the sample party package image makes it difficult to see what the product is.
• Image might look better if centered rather than off to the left.

Sports Party

• Include an image like the one in the DINO PARTY and ART PARTY.

Games Games Games

• Water mark is solid—need to set transparency.
• Maybe create a more interesting icon for this theme
• Describe some of the specific games in the product.

Under the Sea

• Solid water mark on page 26

Deep Space Party

• Include a picture of the printed party products as well as a picture of the “Space Shuttle Cake” on the theme page in addition to SCRIBD

Beach Party

• The printed product image is very low resolution and difficult to see.
• “You add your guests and food, then have fun yourself!”
• Solid watermark on page 26

Joke Party

• Solid watermark on page 7-9

Nights of the Round Table

• Especially difficult to discern what the finished printed product would look like.  There are a few craft like items shown on SCRIBD that should be shown in finished form.

Fairy Tale Party

• Includes how long the scavenger hunt will take – good!

Product Features:  Structured

Additional Categories

• * Extra fee other than shipping?  NO

Promotions

• Free shipping from the UK

Delivery

• License to access PDF for 30 days

Additional Mediums

• Boxed/shipped- No additional charge

Social Networking

• Has social networking toolbar embedded in her products screen : http://www.murdermysterystore.co.uk/product.asp?item=303  – bottom of screen
  Digg
  Delicious
  Facebook

Duration

• 2-3 hours

Sample

• Offers cover picture, general written synopsis, and a list of things that come with the printable package.  No sample of the PDF package.

Website Appearance

Pros:

• Separated by categories Boxed Sets, Download Party Games, Other, & Costume
• Has a quick search function for # of participants
• Strong header with easy to use left aligned menu
• Lack of clutter/straight to to point
• Includes rating system for games

Cons:

• Product is expensive

Personal Rating

• 3

Personal Rating Description

1– Website content is extremely difficult to navigate, Website design is extremely difficult to look at.

2–Website content is hard to navigate, Website design is hard to look at.

3–Website content is navigable with effort, Website design is okay.

4–Website content is easy to navigate, Website design is good/pleasing

5–Website content is extremely easy to navigate, website design is extremely well done and impressive

Product Features:  Unstructured

Categories

• Baby Shower
• Print-out paper dolls
• Movie trivia games
• Slumber Party Games
• Jumbo Packs
  
• organized by season/occasion (50-70 different downloadable games)

Promotions

• Save 15% by using code provided on website’s homepage
• Free trivia & coloring sheets when you join their newsletter
• Jumbo pack available for$19.99
• Free fall games available after providing email

Additional Mediums

• None

Delivery

• Email

Social Networking

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Google+

Sample

• Shares an image of the game that you can zoom on in order to read parts of the story
• Offers written description of what’s included in the email package

Website Appearance

Pros:

Clearly updated very regularly.  Featured games are a free promotional winter games e-book and superbowl party games.   Although the games are essentially unstructured, the website offers free ‘tips’ on how to run your party.  Their superbowl party tips include recipes and decorations followed by their suggestion that you purchase one of their superbowl party packs.

Their method of displaying products is very professional looking.  For individual party games, they use a magnifying feature so that you can read various parts of the game without being able to look at the entire product at once.  For the party package ($20.00), they use a  slideshow like feature that you can’t adjust, but also includes a list of all the individual games that you will receive.

The overall appearance of the site is very simple and easy on the eyes.  They appear to have organized their sidebar by order of importance with super-bowl, valentines day, mardi gras & oscar trivia games listed first.  On the bottom of the page, they have an elaborate list of games organized by either occasions (such as baby shower games etc.) and seasons.  Miscellaneous games are placed in other games.

Cons:

• No search function

Personal Rating–4

1– Website content is extremely difficult to navigate, Website design is extremely difficult to look at.

2–Website content is hard to navigate, Website design is hard to look at.

3–Website content is navigable with effort, Website design is okay.

4–Website content is easy to navigate, Website design is good/pleasing

5–Website content is extremely easy to navigate, website design is extremely well done/impressive

Product Features: Unstructured

PRODUCT FEATURES

These are mostly just simple games with a theme such as baby shower crosswords, and warrant no instruction or explanation.  The site offers a deluxe package that consists of 500 games for multiple holidays and events.  The product is provided over the web rather than in PDF, so the user must visit the site in order to download their product and the site makes no guarantees that the same products will be there.  

Additional Categories

Appears to have affiliates or multiple domain names.  Contains several different categories listed below.

• Baby Shower Games…
• Bridal Shower Games
• Printable Kit that includes 500+ games categorized by baby/bridal shower and holidays for $29.95

Additional Mediums

• Offers shipped versions of printable games for twice the amount of the printable/downloadable version
• Offers to ship a CD for an additional $18.00 plus s&h

Promotions

• None

Delivery

• PDF Download

Social Networking

• None

Sample

• Offers a vague image and vague written description of what you receive upon purchase

Website Appearance

Pros:

• Simple design with no clutter
• Has quick links tab on right side of screen for easy navigation

Cons:

• Is not organized by age group, gender etc.
• Doesn’t clearly explain what products you’ll get upon purchase.

Personal Rating–2

1– Website content is extremely difficult to navigate, Website design is extremely difficult to look at.

2–Website content is hard to navigate, Website design is hard to look at.

3–Website content is navigable with effort, Website design is okay.

4–Website content is easy to navigate, Website design is good/pleasing

5–Website content is extremely easy to navigate, website design is extremely well done and impressive

Product Features:  Structured

Categories

• Easter Egg Hunts Only

Promotions

• None

Duration of Game

• 20-30 minutes

Additional Mediums

• None

Delivery

• PDF Download

Social Networking

• None

Sample

• Provides written description of contents as well as scavenger hunt story line.

*Note:  1 Adult game at http://www.easteregghunts.co.uk/index_files/romanticeasteregghunt.htm for $6.00

Website Appearance

Pros:

• Very simple to navigate due to the small number of products offered

Cons:

• Too much text with a small font size and annoying font
• Pastel colors, although appropriate for the Easter theme, make it difficult to read subheadings
• Clipart is pixilated in a number of places and looks cheesy.

PERSONAL RATING–2

1– Website content is extremely difficult to navigate, Website design is extremely difficult to look at.

2–Website content is hard to navigate, Website design is hard to look at.

3–Website content is navigable with effort, Website design is okay.

4–Website content is easy to navigate, Website design is good/pleasing

5–Website content is extremely easy to navigate, website design is extremely well done and impressive

Downloadable dinner parties for ADULTS/CHILDREN

Product Features: Structured

ADULTS

Additional Categories

• Table decoration ideas (12)
• Quiz nights (61)
• Church resources (40)
• FREE icebreakers (4)
• FREE team building activities (4)
• FREE information Sheets (8)

CHILDREN

http://www.red-herring-games.co.uk/catalog/-c-26.html
______________________________________

Promotions

• Free items

Delivery

• Download from website, PDF

Additional Mediums

• download only

Social Networking

• Facebook
• Twitter

Sample

• Written description of game contents and mystery plot

Website Appearance

Pros:

• Strong sidebar with easy to navigate categories
  

Cons:

• Too much negative space
• It is organized by number of players which is tough to navigate, and the images behind each number are low resolution and look unprofessional.

Personal Rating–3

1– Website content is extremely difficult to navigate, Website design is extremely difficult to look at.

2–Website content is hard to navigate, Website design is hard to look at.

3–Website content is navigable with effort, Website design is okay.

4–Website content is easy to navigate, Website design is good/pleasing

5–Website content is extremely easy to navigate, website design is extremely well done and impressive

Product Features:  Structured

Categories

• Spy Party
• Egyptian Party
• Pirate Party
• Scooby Doo Party
• Princess Party
• Fairy Party
• Cowboy Party
• Witch Party
• Horror Party
• Halloween Party
• Christmas Party
• Easter Egg Hunts
• Hawaiian Luau Party

Promotions

• None

Game Duration

• 2-3 hours

Social Networking

• None

Delivery

• PDF Download

Website Appearance

Pros:

• Organized website dedicated only to Children’s mystery party’s.

Cons:

• Link dedicated to teen/adult birthday parties (at freeform.com) is broken

Offers 12 mystery party kits for children aged 5-12.  Affiliated with http://www.freeformgames.com which serves children 12 and up.  Payment service is paypal.

Post for freeform games: http://www.childrenspartygames.com/competitor-research/mystery-party-games/www-freeformgames-com/

Linked to http://www.halloweengamesatoz.com/

via shareasale services

Product Features:  Unstructured

Additional Categories

• Adults
• All-In-One Collections
• Bingo Games
• Family Games
• Kids
• Personalized Games
• Songs & Game
• Trivia Games
• Word Games

Promotions

10% for liking on facebook and 20% fodiscount just to make it seem discounted

Social Networking

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Google+

Additional Mediums

• None

Delivery

• PDF Download, only available for 90 days off website

Website Appearance

Pros:

• Clean easy to use website

Cons:

Printouts are only accessible on their website for 90 days.