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Discover practical website strategies from three local game and craft stores that prioritize clarity, community, and customer experience. Get tips and inspiration for improving your own site.
Your website is often the first impression potential customers have of your business. While it's tempting to look at major corporations for inspiration, some of the best website lessons come from local businesses who understand their community and know how to speak directly to their target audience.
I analyzed three local community-focused game and craft stores - Labyrinth Games & Puzzles, The Dragons Concord, and Craftspace - to uncover practical website strategies you can apply to your own business. Each of these businesses has created an online presence that not only showcases their products but also builds a genuine community of friends.
Labyrinth Games & Puzzles shows that even businesses with extensive product catalogs can create websites that feel welcoming rather than overwhelming.
A mistake that many E-commerce websites make is having too many products on the homepage and not an effective organization structure. It’s important to consider what your customers are most likely searching for. When someone visits a game store website, they're usually looking for something that falls into the category of games, puzzles, or specialty toys. Labyrinth's main navigation is structured to make that search easier.
Their homepage doesn't overwhelm visitors with every single product. Instead, they feature a carefully curated "Featured Products" section that highlights what's popular or seasonal.
Below that, they use clear category cards with pictures that instantly communicate what you'll find in each section. Furthermore, they know Pokémon and Magic the Gathering are two of the most popular items, so they give these special attention with larger cards. Below that are more cards with links to the respective product category.
What sets Labyrinth apart from feeling like just another online store is how they weave community throughout their website. They dedicate an entire section to encouraging people to visit in person and play games with others, complete with an event calendar and photos that show real people having fun.
Even though this is an E-commerce site, it doesn’t feel like you’re shopping on Amazon or Walmart. It still feels like you’re on a community-oriented website.
Their footer goes beyond the typical contact information and policies. They include a newsletter signup that offers "50 Labyrinth Loyalty Victory Points.” Even if you don't know what those are, the creative language makes you curious.
They also maintain a weekly "What's New at Labyrinth" blog that keeps the community engaged and gives people reasons to return to the website.
You can access product categories, your account and orders, and other policy information here. Store hours, contact information, and social media links are all there as well. Even if all you saw was the footer, you could still find exactly where you need to go. A well-structured footer acts like a second navigation menu.
If a photo is worth a thousand words, then videos are worth ten thousand. The intro video on The Dragons Concord’s homepage is fantastic at showing the decorations, type of clientele they serve, and the energy of the place.
In about ten seconds, you understand not just what they offer, but what it feels like to be there. This works because video captures things that text sometimes can’t. For a business like The Dragons Concord, where the social aspect is crucial, showing people having fun together is worth more than any description could be.
The tagline "Created by gamers, for gamers" immediately tells their target audience that this business understands them. Throughout the site, they use language that resonates with the tabletop gaming community without alienating newcomers.
One of the most effective aspects of The Dragons Concord's website is how much space they give each section. They let each offering have its own clear section with a heading, description, photo, and call-to-action.
Their homepage consists of the following sections:
Each section flows logically from the previous one and addresses a different need. By giving each section ample space to breathe, visitors can easily find what applies to them without feeling overwhelmed.
Craftspace has a playful and welcoming homepage.
They recognize that many visitors won't know exactly what a craft space business is or all that they offer, so they lead with a thirty-second overview video. The video should either auto-play or include a thumbnail because it appears as a large gray box until the play button is pressed.
In addition, there’s a clear “about us” explanation in their first paragraph. They immediately communicate their value of providing unique classes for kids and adults taught by local artists, space rental for craft projects, and birthday party hosting.
Both of these are good ways to introduce visitors to a business they may not be familiar with. If your business concept isn't immediately obvious, use your homepage's prime real estate to quickly and clearly explain what you do and why it matters to your visitors.
I like their logo and the slogan “A Crafter’s Playground”. The text is really small on the logo, so I think it should be larger and more prominent on the homepage. That’s also a quick way to sum up what they do so they should proudly display it!
Where some businesses simply list upcoming events as text, Craftspace uses high-quality photos that show exactly what participants will create or experience. Each event listing includes an image that demonstrates the craft or shows the finished product. This especially makes sense for the type of business they operate. For experience-based businesses, showing the end result or the experience itself makes for a compelling pitch.
They've added interactive features that reveal more details when you hover over an event, along with options to register, add to calendar, or share. This approach works because it removes the guesswork and visitors can see exactly what they're signing up for.
Especially if you’re going to include a calendar on your homepage, don’t neglect to maintain it and let it go stale. Update it regularly and make each event stand out as worth going to.
What your business’ website needs is clarity, personality, and a focus on their customers. Whether it’s organizing your site around how people actually shop, using video to instantly convey your vibe, or turning events into visual invitations, each of these sites succeeds by staying authentic and intentional to who they want to reach.
If you're a business owner looking to refine your website this year, please fill out the contact form and mention that you'd like a website review in the project description. I'll personally evaluate your site and provide a consultation with tailored feedback and a plan of action.
