Limited Supply – S15 E7: More Website Design Lessons From the Best Brands

Host: Nik Sharma
Date: February 18, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode is a deep-dive on website design best practices, focusing on real-world examples from high-performing DTC (direct-to-consumer) brands. Host Nik Sharma draws lessons from specific brand websites—both well-known and obscure—to highlight what works, what doesn’t, and actionable takeaways for ecommerce founders and marketers. Nik continues last week’s format: live, detailed analysis of websites’ design, funnel structure, copy, upsells, and CRO (conversion rate optimization) elements, with candid, tactical commentary and critique.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Carrying Over from Last Week: Why Good Website Reviews Take Time

• Last week’s episode got great feedback; Nik notes he planned to cover 8 sites, but only made it through 3 due to the depth needed for effective analysis.
• Today: continuing the series with three more brands, focusing on high-traffic sites and performance-driven funnels, including supplement and device verticals.

2. Deep Dive: The Absorption Company

Brand and Packaging Impressions

• Celebrity-founded supplement brand (actor Ian Somerhalder).
• Nicely executed, consistent branding and packaging—stands out instantly both in-store and online:
  • “The packaging is beautiful and consistent…easy to read. You can immediately tell just from looking at it, it’s a really nicely branded brand.” (05:12)
• Website mirrors this clarity and visual balance with well-sized headlines, calls-to-action (CTAs), and product imagery.

Homepage Structure and Key Modules

• Hero Section: Split image-text layout, desktop optimized, “which I am a fan of, for desktop sites.” (06:32)
• Social Proof: 30,000+ reviews; Nik suggests this is underemphasized (“I’d maybe call that out louder, maybe even add a quote…” (07:18)) and specifically recommends testimonials about their core value proposition—absorption technology.
• Product Section: Allows toggling between ‘Stacks’, ‘Powders’, and ‘Capsules’. He critiques using “Stacks” since it may confuse the average customer.
• Problem/Solution Module: Visual storytelling wins points (“…photo of water spilling onto a table to show poor absorption—amazing visual metaphor.” (08:01)), plus strong stat-driven copy (“77% of Americans take supplements, yet over 90% remain deficient in key nutrients.”).
• Calls out minor messaging inconsistency between “8x absorption” (headline) and “5x” (product), suggesting more precise copy.

Content and Design Details

• Well-used “push-pull” page structure—problem/solution section, then modules encouraging action.
• Clinician’s Choice and scientific call-outs add credible authority.
• Areas for improvement: clearer consistency in product claims and more direct social proof.

Shop (Collections) Page Critique

• Mini loading screen: “Looks cool, on-brand, feels premium…something normal Shopify sites don’t have.” (12:36)
• H1/H2 Optimization: Unlocked SEO by using proper heading structure and link strategies—direct SEO insight from guest Dylan Ander.
• Descriptive Icons: Brand-building is “a culmination of 100,000 things done at a very small level…1% better over time.” (14:45)
• Social Proof: Suggests using a product slot for a hero testimonial or “best for new customers” poster.
• Education in Supplements: Best-in-class supplement brands teach users what to expect at 48 hours, 7 days, 30 days—manages expectations, reduces churn.

Product Detail Page (PDP) Suggestions

• Header/Hierarchy: Nicely compact, but star ratings should reflect total reviews (not just specific product).
• Images: Too much whitespace; opportunity to integrate more educational icons.
• Benefits/Ingredients: Suggests slide-out modules for better UX, icon representations rather than dense paragraphs.
• Subscription and Upsells: Good toggle UI, but “reduce clicks” and integrate gift explanations without requiring a click.
• Trust Signals: Lab tests, HSA/FSA badges, money-back guarantee.
• Content Depth: Strong use of “Why it works” sections and infographics, but make timelines (Month 1, 2, 3) interactively obvious.

Cart and Checkout Observations

• Free shipping threshold called out in notification bar.
• Upsell opportunities in cart are missing.
• Quantity selector could be improved with plus/minus UI or volume discount offer.

3. High-Traffic, High-Conversion Funnels: Lessons from “Performance Market-y” Brands

A. Pulsetto Tech (Device / Medical DTC)

• ~1 million monthly pageviews.
• Landing page focus—immediately reroutes homepage traffic to high-conversion landing pages.
• Design fits the “VSL” (Video Sales Letter) model: headline, video, social proof, icon-driven features, benefit stacks.
• Icons: Explicit, visual, directly connected to benefit ("Three people icons for 'happy customers,' clickable stars, dollar signs, etc.").
• Benefit-driven flow: Keeps hitting customer desires, e.g., "Calm your mind," "Relieve stress," with supporting doctor endorsements.
• Comparison Tables: Effective use of visuals and emojis; re-emphasizes upgrade value between product tier (Lite vs. Fit).
• Checkout Flow: Aggressive upsells (“Do you want to add 67% off Pulsetto App Premium?...33% off the travel case”—clever price-psychology). Nik catches a critical error—a price mismatch (“$33” claim, but actual charge is $35—“That’s false advertising, I think they can get in a ton of trouble for that.” (54:11)).
• On Shipping Charges: “Charging $5.99 shipping on a $355 cart is probably really stupid. That’s going to cause a lot of, you know, dropouts.” (54:54)

B. Bioma Health (Supplements)

• ~1.7 million monthly pageviews.
• Homepage is minimalist, but most traffic is funneled to highly optimized quiz-to-offer pages.
• No direct PDPs: Can’t click product images/titles to see details; funnel is linear—‘Order Now’ or ‘Show Ingredients’ are only options.
• Quiz Structure: 19 questions (“quite a bit—usually 5–10 is optimal”). Smart first question: gender—enables easier product funneling.
• Quiz-to-Landing-Page: At quiz end, customized landing page greets user by email, serves a personalized coupon (e.g., “entrepreneurnick-feb16”), triggers subtle countdown urgency (“Most customers convert in 24 hours, so they use a 24-hour timer instead of 2.”)
• Offer Structure: Focused on three- or six-month bundles (“Based on your data, we recommend a three month or six month plan…”); graphical promise ("With Bioma, by Day 60, you’ll hit your goal weight.”), which Nik calls out as totally unrealistic but clever for conversion.
• Checkout: Discount and free shipping called out in contrasting colors; email is already pre-filled thanks to quiz input—reduces abandonment, smooths funnel.

4. Industry Trends, Inspiration, and Ethical Boundaries

• Nik’s excitement is tangible when breaking down performance-driven sites, even the “very performance market-y” ones that push the envelope on copy and claims.
• Advocates for studying advertorials and heavy DR (direct response) landers for inspiration—even if you don’t copy tactics, the principles of clarity, urgency, and customer education are transferable:
  • “Advertorials—these are the places I like to get inspiration. You can hear my voice getting super excited…”
• Cautions about misleading price/offer mismatch and unrealistic product claims—calls out potential legal and customer backlash.
• Return to Nik’s “1% better” mantra—great brands obsess over many small improvements at every touchpoint.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Brand Building:
  “Building brand is a culmination of 100,000 things done at a very small level…doing things 1% better over time, every day, all the time, in every channel, at every touch point. That’s how you build brand.” (14:45)

• On Supplement Education:
  “The best supplement brands…tell you what to expect for the next 90 days…it’s about managing expectations, so people don’t quit at two weeks when they don’t feel anything.” (17:59)

• On False Urgency and Value:
  “That’s not a mistake, guys…that’s a genius psychological trick to make you just scan over it and think you already read it…” (53:09)

• On Direct Response Sites:
  “These sites, and advertorials—these are the places I like to get inspiration…and you can hear my voice just getting super excited.” (59:17)

• On UX Details and ‘Small Big’ Wins:
  “The easier you can communicate, the better it is for your website—if you ran a split test with these icons, I bet it would increase your revenue per session…” (45:15)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00–02:00 – Intro, pledge for “no hot air”, setup for continuation of last week.
• 04:20 – Review begins: Absorption Company homepage.
• 13:05 – Deep dive on mini loading screens, collection page optimization, importance of icons, and headline/subhead structure.
• 16:20 – Supplement education, expectation management for subscriptions.
• 24:45 – Product detail page teardown—social proof, toggles, benefits callouts.
• 30:30 – Cart and checkout journey.
• 37:50 – Transition to performance and “native” ad-driven sites; Nik’s love for heavy DR models.
• 41:18 – Pulsetto Tech breakdown: funnel design, VSL tactics, icons, benefits, upsell mechanics, checkout critique.
• 54:00 – Bioma Health: streamlined quiz funnel, aggressive bundling, testing custom coupons, urgency timers.
• 59:17 – Wrap-up, lessons from “performance market-y” sites, looking ahead to future episodes.

Takeaways for Listeners

• Marginal improvements in storytelling, user experience, and funnel clarity add up to major brand equity over time.
• “Performance” landers and quiz funnels, while sometimes ethically questionable, are gold mines for inspiration—especially on clarity, urgency, and conversion-centric design.
• Ensure your offers and pricing always align throughout the journey—mismatches erode trust instantly.
• Incorporate education and “what to expect” sections in supplement/health products to reduce churn and improve satisfaction.
• Always look for “1% better”—from copy, icons, timers, testimonials, to design micro-interactions.

If you want more tactical website teardowns, make sure to subscribe to Limited Supply and Nik’s newsletter at Nik Co Email. More spicy DTC takes and actionable advice coming every week!