I'm trying to convince someone to take a look at Mellel, and it occurred to me that while I like the web site, it could be doing a better job in selling the product.
In clicking on scholars from the home page, for example, there is a lot of text explaining the features, but a notable lack of screenshots. For me, I think big selling points are the outline pane and the integration with Bookends (both should be clearly shown and explained). I wouldn't start with footnotes -- although superior in Mellel, having footnotes is expected, not an immediate selling point.
Then if you click on 10 reasons to switch, this is a very good section, but we have some screenshots that you can't see very well.
Edit: I would add that if you do put in more screenshots, for God's sake don't use the brushed metal. I'm sure you've seen many reviews of people who were turned off by this. In the top 10 page, you don't use it, but you do for the footnotes example.
improving the web site
Moderators: Eyal Redler, redlers, Ori Redler
improving the web site
Last edited by FA1 on Fri Oct 20, 2006 12:58 am, edited 1 time in total.
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digimarkus
- Already downloaded the guide
- Posts: 27
- Joined: Wed Sep 06, 2006 6:34 am
I first encountered Mellel on the old redlers website and it didn't make me very confident in trying the software. The old site didn't communicate the sense that Mellel was a refined, quality product, with an "insanely great" writing experience. Nor did the old site help me understand Mellel's specific brand promises ( i.e. it's suitability to scholarly writing). That said, the new website is now quite effective in this way. And the change is what sold me on downloading the product and giving it a try.
However, I agree that there is still room for improvement. I would like to see something that is stylewise like: http://www.zengobi.com/, http://www.macromates.com/, or http://www.solavant.com/. Adding to this sort of "innovative, easy to use" mac-like feel, I would also blend in a bit more of a scholarly/typographic sophistication like in http://www.cornell.edu/, or http://www.alistapart.com/.
Why is this important? Because the website's look and feel created my first impression of Mellel. With the old website I didn't give the product a try and it wasn't until I got Sente (and it's promotion of Mellel) that got me to at least try the download. Even for a work processor - mac users are sold to try things by screen candy. The feature list is great, but what does the experience of using it look like?
Just some things I would like to have seen as a prospective buyer...
- Mark
However, I agree that there is still room for improvement. I would like to see something that is stylewise like: http://www.zengobi.com/, http://www.macromates.com/, or http://www.solavant.com/. Adding to this sort of "innovative, easy to use" mac-like feel, I would also blend in a bit more of a scholarly/typographic sophistication like in http://www.cornell.edu/, or http://www.alistapart.com/.
Why is this important? Because the website's look and feel created my first impression of Mellel. With the old website I didn't give the product a try and it wasn't until I got Sente (and it's promotion of Mellel) that got me to at least try the download. Even for a work processor - mac users are sold to try things by screen candy. The feature list is great, but what does the experience of using it look like?
Just some things I would like to have seen as a prospective buyer...
- Mark
