Web Design


Are you a web designer? Yea, everyone is.Just like that kid down the street, your local supermarket bag-boy, and some geek you know at work, we also do web sites.  Anyone can put up a website as there are plenty of tools that make it as easy as putting in a CD and answering a few simple questions.  No real computer skills are needed at all, which explains the overabundance of willing “web-designers” that have day jobs.  In fact, you could do your own site quite easily.  However, the question you should ask yourself, is just because you can do it, should you do it?  You can paint your own car if you wanted to, as the local hardware store sells everything you need.  However, the result you get will not be the same as that which comes from a professional.  Maelstrom is a web application software development shop based right here in Milwaukee.  We not only do web sites but we can take the web and make tools that replace those other desktop applications.  See our solutions page for many examples of software we have written for businesses right here in America’s heartland and beyond.

So, now that we have that settled, why would you use Maelstrom to do your website?  Well, here are a few factors:

  • Our rates are very reasonable
  • Dedicated artists that have a clue and know how to listen
  • All of the artwork for your site will be original and created by us (and you own it)
  • We know how to make a site that can easily be read by search engines
  • We can enhance your site to talk to your accounting, CRM, or other servers securely
  • We are software developers, not designers.  This means we can do things designers cannot.
  • Our marketing strategy can show you how to make money with your site right away.

A Static Site or Web Brochure

If you really think about it, every company only gets one website that the world will see and use to judge you.  It is akin to a full color brochure in the hands of every man, woman, and child on the face of the earth.  So, why would you leave this awesomely important task to some kid, or some local computer guy?  The web has much more in common with art than with computers.  So, don’t fall into that trap of thinking that because someone can slap in a hard drive that they are somehow qualified to do your website as well.  In fact, ask yourself if you would also trust this person to do your business cards, color brochures, and other marketing collateral.  If you say “No way, are you new?”, then you have the wrong person lined up to do your site.  We do a ton of marketing material, logo designs, and even brochures.  However, we are also geeks, so you get the best of all possible worlds in your Maelstrom Solution.

Here is what you receive if you use Maelstrom for your entry into the World Wide Web:

  • All original artwork – approved by you before we move forward
  • The first 3 pages created by us are included (remaining ones at time & materials, or you can do them yourself)
  • Optimized for the search terms of your choice so you can be found by your potential customers
  • Email services included for 10 mailboxes (each additional $1 a month)
  • Unlimited Email aliases (meaning sales@yourcompany.com = mary@yourcompany.com)
  • Outlook, Web, Pocket PC, and Cell Phone enabled email services so you are always in touch
  • Our statistical tracking package free for 1 month, so you can see how your site is doing
  • A short Flash animation to add a little “va-voom” to the site.  This is also free with the site.
  • Bulk email marketing engine to reach out to your existing clients with a professional looking email

Content Management Engine

Content Management Systems based on Microsoft C#.netWe have also created a great solution for companies that want to keep their web sites up to date themselves, offer catalog and eCommerce solutions, blogs, and much more.

See our Content Management Solution page for more details.

You can also get a shopping component to do eCommerce.  Note that there is a additional charge to get all the security merchant hook-ups completed.  The return on this investment for this is system has been under one month for 100% of the clients that use it today!  This is our #1 selling solution because it is a successful system that answers most of the issues people have with the web today.  Things like:

  • No need to wait for a web-designer to make your changes
  • No restrictions on number of pages or bandwidth usage
  • All solutions come with email so even small companies can avoid AOL email addresses
  • Easy to learn and use (if you can send an email, you have all the skills you need).

A quick feature list:

  • Everything from the static site package above (including artwork)
  • Automatically optimizes pages and content for easy search engine scanning and indexing
  • You can add pages at any time and have as many as you need (no limit)
  • Document Management containers for document delivery
  • Advertising engine for banner or column ads
  • Catalog system for showing your products
  • Shopping Cart Add-on for catalog is additional (security certificates and so on)
  • You can set security for each page, or each area within a page (employee only, or customer only pages)
  • Let as many people as you desire edit portions of your site (helps a site to grow and keeps content fresh)
  • Discussion groups and forum topic system (huge boost for you in the search engines)
  • Multi-author Blog system and rolling content containers
  • RSS feed publisher and subscriber containers (let others sites carry your news and vice-versa)
  • On-site training and unlimited support
  • New modules are added often, and most are free to you
  • A lot more…

If this sounds interesting, contact us today and see a demo.  It doesn’t cost anything to see, and we promise not to pester you.

Web Site Types & Pricing

Our web site offerings basically come in two flavors:

  • Static (brochure) sites that seldom change
  • Dynamic (CMS) sites that change often

Below are some of the many projects we have done in the past.  Please note that the customer has complete control over the content of their site, but the ones based on our CMS control the look and the feel so the client can focus on content.  If you would like to receive a quote, please send us an email or call us at (262)785-4207.  Note that our sites cost much less than you might expect.

There are more websites listed on our political website – www.idealcampaign.com.

Republican Party of Wisconsin 
Republican Party of WisconsinThe Republican Party of Wisconsin launched their new site this weekend.  Our CMS will allow them to easily update their news, features, and other informative columns using our built-in editor.  Blogs, discussion groups, and other features are also available to them as they get used to the flexibility they have never had in the past.  Maelstrom was pleased to show off the communication flexibility of our Content Management System for the Republican Party as well as the graphical talent of our staff.  Visit www.wisgop.org and take a look at their new Maelstrom Solution.
Rogan’s Shoes launches new retail website 
Maelstrom Solutions presents www.rogansshoes.comAfter the incredible successes of Rogan’s Cheer & Pom site (which we released over a year ago), they asked us to upgrade their site to our Content Management & eCommerce System (CMS).  This online-store has more than 20,000 products, great shoe finding information, user experience tracking, cross product suggestion system, as well as many tools to help the shopper find what they need.  The easiest way to sell something, is to make buying effortless.  We have produced one of the best catalog and shopping cart systems available today on the open market.  Our sites are successful because we allow the search engines to do their job, and the consumer to locate what they need. This site has it all, and for a lot less than they paid for their yellow pages ad. Visit www.RogansShoes.com and check out their new website.
Goodfrienz Gift Shop in Delafield, WI 
Goodfrienz - Unique Gift shop located in Delafield, WIGoodfrienz is an upscale gift boutique located in Delafield Wisconsin and is yet another retail customer to move toward our highly successful catalog and content engine.  Based on our Content Management System (CMS), they enjoy the ability to alter all aspects of the site contents or catalog products at any time. Other retail shops on our system have experienced documented increases in revenue of 300%+ in the first 2 months of operation and well over 1,000% after 6 months.  The ease of search engine scanning and the friendly shopping experience offered by our websites make it a true retailers dream.
Industrial Vacuum Loaders from Fast-Vac 
Industrial Vacuum Loaders from Fast-vacOrmson corporation had a huge problem; their website was not easy to find, and their product is the best in it’s class.  We are sure this happens to a lot of companies when they hire a relative or someone operating out of their basement to do web design.  The designer may have a good idea of how to use their editor, but no artistic talent makes a great product look bad.  Maelstrom re-did this site from the ground up in less than 2 days.  It can now also be easily searched by search engines.  Visit www.fast-vac.com and you will see why the people of Fast-Vac feel that Maelstrom is the only true web-design studio in Milwaukee.
Coalition For America’s Families 
Coalition For America's FamiliesThe Coalition For America’s Families is another non-for-profit website designed to send their message as well as hope to glean contributions to continue their work.  Maelstrom has produced this site based on existing marketing collateral (a brochure), so their is a cohesive look and feel across all marketing products in the company.  This site uses our Content Management System so their can update their blog as well as post additional information as their messages are broadcast.  Note that Charlie Sykes from WTMJ radio even said, “The Coalition for America’s Families has launched a new website that is one of the best I have seen in Wisconsin.” 
Political Activist Site – SickOfTaxes.com 

Meet our latest entry into the political non-for-profit vertical market, SickOfTaxes.com.  This site is pointing out some flaws in the budget of Jim Doyle (our Governor here in Wisconsin).  This site is unique in that a large scale TV advertising campaign will be broadcasting the message to the entire state.  Also, this site has the interesting facet of being a page in a much larger site that has a unique look.  This shows some of the power of our content management system in that each page can have an independent look and feel.  Check out the larger site for Coalition For America’s Families as well.
AIS Technology 
AIS Technology (www.aistechnology.com)AIS has been a long time business partner of Maelstrom.  They are also based right here in Milwaukee.  Not only is their website a Maelstrom creation, their logo was also created by our art group.  AIS has always demanded a top-notch web site, and this latest version is yet another example of why they choose Maelstrom each time they are looking for a fresh look.  Their site is powered by our content management system.  Visit www.aistechnology.com if you are in the insurance vertical market and need support from Microsoft based solutions or TAM (from applied system).  They can help resolve a ton of your technology issues.
Web-based Formula Management 
Web based formula & recipe management (www.formulamanager.com)IRIS is one of Maelstrom’s custom development products, but we decided to create a separate site for it due to the heavy demand it has in the recipe management universe.  This site is powered by our Content Management System of course, and it allows existing customers a completly different experience because of our security model.  Visit www.formulamanager.comtoday to take a look at what Maelstrom can do, not only from a website perspective, but from a product creation and custom web development standpoint.  IRIS is a 100% web-based product.
Cady’s Creations – Personal Chef 
Cady's Creations - Person Chef (www.cadyscreations.com)Cady’s Creations is a personal chef service.  Meaning they will come to your home and use your kitchen to create an in-house gourmet meal.  They needed a website to rival upscale restaurants, as their chef does do guest appearances in some of Chicago’s nicer establishments.  This site is powered by the Maelstrom Content Management System so they can update their own website without needing a geek, or knowing anything about web design.  Visit www.cadyscreations.com and sample their services.  We can tell you first hand that you will not be disappointed.  Maelstrom is also a happy client of their services.
Core Business Staffing 
Core Business Staffing - www.corebusinessstaffing.comCore Business Staffing is a high end recruiting firm dedicated to finding sales and technical people for hired employers.  They needed a site that displayed their professional attitude but also their out-of-the-box way of doing business.  This site is powered by the Maelstrom Content Management System so they can easily add new opportunities and keep their content fresh.  Of course, rotating content is critical to search engine placement, so once this site has been scanned a few times (it is new), it should ride to the top quickly.  Visit www.corebusinessstaffing.com to take a peek at their new site.
Rogan’s Shoes – Cheer & Pom Site 
www.cheerandpom.comRogan’s Shoes chose Maelstrom to create their offering into the highly competitive Cheerleading Shoe marketplace.  Powered by our content management solution, they can add new products, run discussion groups and maintain a high ranking on most search engines without an effort.  See www.cheerandpom.com to stock up on those Cheerleading shoes you know you need.  This light weight design offers the potential shopper a quick loading experience with an uncluttered view if the information and brands they seek.  Our powerful catalog system allows for many possible ways to sort and order products.