How we build websites
(refer to diagram above)
Upon receipt of the initial check, deposit slip (a) is retreived, releasing marbles from jar (b) which run through funnel and tube (c) out onto floor. Meanwhile, Grandpa (d) crosses kitchen for Metamucil (e), and slips on marbles, cursing loudly. In response to loud cursing, dog shock collar (f) discharges electrical pulse, which is detected by multitester (g) whose dial revolves sharply clockwise pulling string through pulley (h). Lateral force on string pulls trigger on revolver (i), which fires bullet, popping balloon (j), which startles monkey (k) whose hat pops off in response. Flying hat bumps wooden spoon (l), spilling lentils onto floor. Roomba robotic vacuum cleaner (m) detects mess on floor and moves about in random pattern, guiding wireless mouse (n), which designs website.
Your Site's Role
At the very least, your site is a promotional brochure. It can also be a profit center, salesperson, information library, ad campaign, administrative assistant, lover and friend. We don't do the lover kind, but Melaroo does build the best sites available to reputable businesses.
Target Market
When we first set out to design a site, we start with the most important question: whose hoagie is that in the fridge? Once that's settled, we determine the target market. We take care not to make the target too broad...at first glance, this seems like an ironic analogy, because broader targets are easier to hit. But nobody's impressed when you hit your uncle Don with a tennis ball from across the living room, because who can't do that? Okay. Done joking. Let us rephrase. We don't try to target every person on the planet with a single website, because the only people to respond will be business coaches and financial planners trying to sell you something. Marketing targets should be specific. Focused. Someday we'll get the analogy straight. A site can't be all things to all people, which is why businesses with successful online presence often have numerous, even hundreds of sites.
User Experience
What do you want the site user to do? The real answer to this question is, invariably, to give you money. So if you're trying to sell widgets through your site, buying widgets should be the easiest thing for visitors to do. If your objective is to get them to call for a free consultation/sales pitch, make them eager and able to call. If it's primarily an information resource for your real, live sales people to direct prospects to, make that information easy, easy, easy to get to.
Consumer Confidence
"Aw, c'mon...these guys look legit!" If this was something people actually said, we at Melaroo wouldn't have much of an edge over our competition. There are definitely exceptions, but most people like to do business with businesses who seem to be established, successful and competent. We adhere to the old Company-Product-Price school of thought, which implies that clients are looking for these attributes in descending order of importance. Your company should look like a real doggone company. Your product should speak for itself. If your clients are super worried about price, do you really want them for customers anyway? There's a threshold a site needs to reach to look 'professional', and most designers never get there. Melaroo consistently maxes out the technology. Our aesthetics are bursting at the seams.
Stuff that Works
Are you hoping to sell an extensive catalog of products online? Do you need your clients to find, register and pay for your upcoming seminar? Would a community forum on industry topics benefit your site users? Do you have sensitive information you need to get online without publishing it to the whole world? Websites can't fly, make toast or drive you to the airport, but if there's something sites can do, we can make them do it.
