Pets are like family. And sometimes, we can love the furry creatures so much that it can be easy to forget they are not human. However, just because we walk differently, speak a different language and have different priorities and responsibilities in life, doesn’t mean we aren’t alike in many ways. In fact, you might be surprised just how many similarities cats and website users actually have in common…

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They’re Impatient

When my cats want food, they want it now; and they will follow me around the house crying as loud as they can until they get what they want. Your website users are the same way…except without the whole crying and following you around the house thing.

When a user arrives at your website, they don’t want to wait or have to search around for the information they are looking for. Your content should be presented in a way that’s easy to understand and navigate.

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They’re Easily Distracted

My cats fight over everything. Who gets the best spot on the bed, who gets to drink from the water fountain first, who gets to sit a box….a cat’s life is so hard. But when it’s time to distract one so that the other can have their turn, it’s nearly impossible to keep anyone’s attention focused in one place.

The same is true of your website. When a user arrives, if they are greeted by flash, video, pop-ups and other distracting objects, then they are more likely to get frustrated, overwhelmed and loose focus on achieving their goal. Keep your website simple, straight to the point, and don’t try to include any unnecessary distractions.

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They Like Routine

Cats are very routine creatures; and like many humans, they hate change. When you’re designing your website, it can be tempting to incorporate a new design trend or website functionality; however, it might not actually make sense for your business.

Web designers and marketers make website decisions based on what they know will work. It’s not always just about what looks good. You might think it would be a great idea to hide the main navigation on the homepage to make room for a full-screen video, but it could cause your users to become frustrated and leave when they don’t understand how to navigate your site.

When it comes to designing a website for your business, don’t try to reinvent the wheel. Save your more creative ideas for a project that’s better suited.

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They Rely on Their Instincts

Cats, like all humans and animals, are born with a set of natural instincts. They can’t help but see a bug or a bird and want to chase it. As website users, we have also developed a set of instincts over time as we become more and more familiar with technology. Just think, it wasn’t that long ago we all learned how to “swipe,” “tap” and “pinch” on mobile devices. Now it has become instinctual of us to perform these actions when moving through pages or zooming into an image.

These same basic instincts also apply to your website – whether it’s on desktop, tablet or mobile. If a user is looking for your business’s phone number, they will look for a Contact page. If they are looking for information about your company, they will look for an About page. Making sure your website follows these instincts and provides excellent user experience will ensure that your website visitors will have an enjoyable experience. For more information on how to achieve this, check out our blog, 7 Simple User Experience Rules to Follow.

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They Want to be Delighted

One thing that always make me jealous of cats is they never do anything that isn’t fun. As humans, we wake up every day with a list of priorities that we need to take care of – many of them having zero reward. Your website shouldn’t feel like just another task for someone to complete during the day.

Put your creativity to work and find a way to make your website an enjoyable experience for your users. Delight them with great, helpful content and get them to engage with your business either by signing up for a newsletter, liking or sharing your great content on social media. Furthermore, include your personality on your website through fun video and images that will make your users excited about your brand. 

Ultimately, just like cats, fulfilling your website users’ needs is simple. Give them what they want, keep it easy-to-use, and always strive to be delightful.