

Ask HN: Please review my weekend project: a dating website for dogs - liquimoon
http://www.plentyofdoggies.com/

======
pwim
I can't see anything without creating an account. Perhaps expose some data to
logged out users so they can get a better idea what the service is about.

Also, you don't have any traditional method to contact you (just facebook and
twitter). An email address would be nice.

------
wavesplash
That's exactly how dogster.com started, a free dating site for dogs (walking
dates, etc) which lead to more than the occasional real date for single
owners. There are/were a few clones too.

One question is why dogster.com, who was clearly the leader, shifted direction
towards being more of a portal and less of a dating site.

------
edanm
A few comments about the basic design of the front page. I'm not a designer or
anything, so take with a grain of salt.

The design is nice, but has a little bit of a "thrown together" look: the
different things on the page don't really seem like they belong together.

I'd recommend a few things:

1\. Align the logo of the site to the left (aligned with the text below).

2\. Since I assume your subscription form at the bottom is _not_ the most
important thing, I'd make it much smaller, and move it to the right (someplace
more out of the way). Where it is now, it looks like it should be the login
form.

3\. On that note, I'd move the login form to where the subscription form is
now, and make it much bigger. Also, I'd probably make the "new user" link even
bigger than that, since you'll mostly be getting new users for now. I'd
probably make it a separate, very large, "call to action" button, and center
it in the screen (ala Drop Box).

4\. Last thing: I don't know what plentyoffish.com is, and that's in the first
sentence of your site. You really don't want me leaving your site first thing.

~~~
liquimoon
Thanks a lot for your feedback. I am no designer myself. I've redesigned the
home page according to your suggestions.

------
Confusion
I think you should realize that it may turn out you will actually primarily
cater to dog owners looking for dates with other dog owners.

~~~
d0m
Well, you really thought it was for dogs?

~~~
FreeRadical
I did.

------
Roridge
It sound crazy, but it actually has promise. I don't know about dogs finding
"love" so much, but breeders might find it useful in that sense.

~~~
thibaut_barrere
I believe the side-effect of having owners meet is very valuable (just like
having a kid around actually helps to start a conversation with someone).

This may come out as a dog-owner dating site :)

~~~
coryl
Makes more sense that way, a dog breeding network is too niche and small.
Dating/recreational activities for dog owners might be better.

~~~
frederickcook
There is nothing wrong with niche and small when you're dealing with an
affluent populations such as recreational dog breeders. There are people that
may pay hundreds of dollars per year for a high-quality service.

------
akd
You should make it more tailored (but not explicitly mention that) it's for
dog owners to meet each other. For example, meeting other "friendly dogs and
dog owners" or something like that.

Everyone knows it's not for doggie breeding, most pets are spayed or neutered.

~~~
Snoddas
"most pets are spayed or neutered" {{citation needed}}

~~~
btilly
[http://ezinearticles.com/?Spay-and-Neuter-
Statistics&id=...](http://ezinearticles.com/?Spay-and-Neuter-
Statistics&id=1421183) claims 75% of pet dogs and 87% of pet cats are
neutered.

Of course when a single female cat can make over a dozen kittens per year,
this is still not high enough to avoid the obvious problems.

~~~
Snoddas
Wow, what a difference from here in Sweden. While cats are are about 70% fixed
for dogs the number is MUCH smaller, 7% for females and 4% for males.

But we don't have a wild-dog problem here, leave a dog out unattended over the
winter and it's pretty much guaranteed that it will be dead come spring. Cat's
seem to do much better somehow.

------
stuntmouse
Needs pictures, even stock photos would be a start. Try 99designs for a decent
logo.

Agreed that this site has some promise.

------
olliesaunders
If purpose of the page is to get people to sign up, change the design to push
that: explain, with pictures and text, what people will get/see if they sign
up, and have a big, obvious, unintimidating, sign up form.

------
NEPatriot
I would add some benefit to signing up for your newsletter. By signing up what
do I get?

------
alnayyir
Okay, you made me laugh. Points for that. Jesus.

