Hello and welcome!

My name is Tony and I am here to help you browse this website!

  • Sounds good!
  • No, thanks...

Oh... Ok, I'll be here if you change your mind...

  • All right.
  • Wait, I changed my mind...

This is what you are looking for... Here you can find some useful tools! You can register your domain name and hosting service, contact me and even pay your bill...

  • Thanks...
  • I think I don't totally understand.
  • I have another question.
  • Ok ok, enough help...

Cool, how can I help you?

  • I'd like to know more about your company.
  • I need a website... DUH!
  • I have a website, but it's old and rusty!
  • I want a large website, pepperoni, extra cheese.
  • I have a great idea and I need a developer.
  • I want an APP for mobile devices.
  • I'd love to see some samples of your work.
  • Nope, this is not helpful, nevermind.

Ok, so you know your way around the World Wide Web, cool!
Here is some info you might be interested in...

  • Thanks, pal!
  • Wait... WORLD WIDE WHAT?
  • I have another question.
  • Ok, no more jibber jabber!

All right, I guess you are new to the crafty world of the web... Fear not! I'll take care of that, here is some useful information for you.

  • Thank you.
  • New to this? HA! No no, I know what HTML is.
  • I have another question.
  • On a second thought... I don't think I need your help.

Of course, I can revamp your website, make it shine and bring it into the 21st century! You can read more about it and give me a call at +1 (704) 325-3069 or email me at tony@morellowebdesign.com

  • Thanks.
  • My website? But I don't have one yet!
  • I'm not following...
  • I have another question.
  • You are not very helpful.

Wow! I can't wait to hear all about it! Here is some info you might find useful. And you can give me a call at +1 (704) 325-3069 or send me an email at tony@morellowebdesign.com

  • Got it!
  • What-a-what-a?
  • I have another question.
  • Ok, I don't think I need any more help.

Ooh! This is one of my favorite things! I love making APPs it makes me happy inside...

  • Great.
  • I have another question.
  • Ok, no more pleae.

Here we go! This is my portfolio. I update it... sometimes! And hopefully one day your website will be here too.

  • Ok.
  • Cool, me want one!
  • Great, but what's this stuff?
  • I have another question.
  • Ok ok, enough help...

Of course! and we'd love to know more about you as well!

To get in touch give me a call at +1 (704) 325-3069 or send me an email at tony@morellowebdesign.com

  • Thanks.
  • I have another question.
  • Ok ok, enough help...

Would you like to know how is the weather in your city? No problemo!

May I check your location, please?

  • Sure, go ahead!
  • I'd rather tell you the city.
  • No, sorry...
  • Thanks for the heads up!
  • Start over.

Ok, what city should I look for?

  • Try this!
  • Ok, nevermind.

Let me see if I can find what you are looking for...

  • Moving on...

Want to send me a message? Ok, let me find a pen and paper...

Ok, what's your name? And your email address is... All, right... Now your message!

  • Ok, looks good.
  • Nevermind.

Thanks for leaving me a message. I'll check it out ASAP and get back to you!

  • Great, thanks.
Check Domain Name

You can register your domain name and host service with our partner BlueHost at an especially low rate!



  • Not now, thanks.!
  • I don't understand what I should do...
Check Domain Name

Ok if things seemed off and you are not seeing a blue box where to type a domain name to check for availability, then chances are you are using an ad-blocker! It's cool, I use one too (that's how I found out you are not seeing it, lol).

Just turn it off or pause it for this website (there is no ad anyways) and try again after reloading the page. Easy peasy!


  • Gotcha!
About SmartNav

Hi, I am a SmartNav instance! What is SmartNav you say? It is a little plugin easy to install on any website that can be configured to help users browsing in a unique way!

I was designed by Tony Morello (my dad I guess...) and I am extensible via plugins to perform some quite useful tasks such as sending emails and find stuff for you... Cool, huh?

Morello Designs Web

Once upon a time...

My name is Tony Morello and 19 years ago I graduated as Graphic Design Technician in Italy. I worked very hard since then in various agencies, expanding my skill set, learning a lot and growing older... At the beginning I had nothing to do with websites... and to be honest 10 years ago I thought there was not much of a market for them... Like many others I was wrong.

Then the Internet!

Internet boomed and print design jobs were fewer and fewer and so I reinvented myself and started learning how to merge my design skills to programming languages... And I fell in love with my job. I started helping other developers and assisting them in the graphic portion of our projects learning all I could about coding until I was finally able to develop an entire project by myself.

A brave new world.

In 2010 I moved to the United States, got married and decided that I was a grown up! I started my own web design business and have grown professionally and personally a great deal. Now I do what I love and I try my best to show it in every one of my projects. I enjoy working with my clients and get to know what they do and are passionate about so that I can make their dreams come true.

Social... and sociable!

Facebook

Like my page!
Follow my news, latest
works and updates.

Twitter

Follow my tweets to get
a peek into everything
that inspires me...

Google +

Facebook's dumb cousin...
He is slow but we
love him anyways.

Web Design 101

What is a website and why do I need one?

A website is nothing more than a set of textual documents (hypertexts) connected together by links (hyperlinks). These documents, like any other electronic documents, can include pictures, graphic, audio and video contents and they are formatted using a standard language called HTML (HyperText Markup Language).

Whenever your goal is to estabilish your presence online you are going to need a website. A website can be as simple as a business card, providing basic information about the company, or as advanced as an online retail store (e-commerce) or remote learning plaform (e-learning). It can help you expand your customer base or retain and serve your current one providing readily available information and services 24/7.

Static or dynamic?

Websites can have static or dynamic pages according to the method used to generate them. Static pages usually do not change and always output the same content (imagine an "about us" page where the information is always the same every time you click) while dynamic pages output different contents based on the user inputs (such as search engines which will return a list of items matching the user's search queries).

Domain name and host

To access a website we type its address (i.e. www.morellowebdesign.com) this address (without the www part) is called domain name and it is unique to every website. When you type or click on a domain name in your browser the DNS service (Domain Name System) connects you to a remote computer host where your website is phisically stored.

Responsive web design

With the rise of handheld devices people are now browsing the internet mainly from their phones and tablets. This is why it's crucial for a website to have well formatted contents across different platforms. Here is where responsive design comes into play. Thanks to modern techniques it is possible to modify and tweak the appearance of a website on-the-fly to always provide the best browsing experience.

What do I need to start my website?

In order to get your website up and running first you are going to need a domain name and a hosting service. The domain name, like we said is the address and the name of your website (www.yourwebsite.com) while the host is a computer on which your website will be stored. Although they work seamlessly they are 2 separate entities and can be linked and unlinked at any moment. It is possible (although not recommended) to register the domain name with one provider and hosting service with a different one. Also it's possible to link multiple domain names to the same host in order to use the same service to store multiple websites.

GET DOMAIN NAME & HOSTING

Get the best hosting service
at a special price through
Morello Web Design!

Designing Websites

Why should you pay for a professional website?

When you have a serious business you need the right tools. It is true there is plenty of DIY when it comes to making your own website and although technologically savvy, later on, one might find out they bit off more than they could chew! You wouldn't attempt to perform a transmission job on your car even if you can buy your very own tools at Walmart! That is why it is important to hire a professional to achieve your online goals.

How much does a website cost?

That's a common question to which there is not one single answer. Unfortunately a website is not a pizza... There is no small, medium or large with 2 toppings! That would make everybody's life easier, in fact every business needs different features from their website. The good news is that I am honest. In my experience I believe that upselling might make you more money at first but it doesn't help you retain your clientele over time! I have fixed prices for most common projects and a brief chat with the client ahead of time about their expectations usually leads to a quote fairly quickly. Any additional request is usually charged by the hour. I am happy to say that the majority of my clients are returning customers and I managed to estabilish a positive and productive relationship with them, and that is priceless.

The right stuff for the right people

The web is an evolving world and an extremely fast one! I work very hard to bring the latest technologies to my customers. Like every geek I like shiny new technological toys and that is why all my websites and web applications are developed using only the latest techniques! Whether I am working with a small budget or a blank check (never happened but, hey, one can dream...) my goal is to provide a quality product. Additionally all my projects are specifically designed around the client, I don't have any one-size-fits-all solutions. During our first contact I try to assess the client's needs and give them as many options as I can, because I believe in informed decisions, and a person that doesn't know what they are buying can't make one.

After all, we do live in the future...

We live in a world where people can control their house from a mobile phone, I think it's absurd when I browse the internet and find a website that is not not mobile ready! More than half of american consumers browse the internet from their mobile devices and in most cases they end up having a terrible user experience because the pages they open are not formatted to fit a smaller screen size or to react to touches instead of clicks. Every website I developed since 2012 has been responsive at no extra charge, it just was the right thing to do. You wouldn't even think to pay additional fees to have your website fit different display resolutions on a laptop or desktop computer, so why should you pay extra when it comes to mobile browsing?

Moving Parts

More than a website.

Thanks to programming languages such as PHP, MySql, CSS and Javascript it is possible to push the basic HTML beyond the simple website with our "about us" and "contact" pages to create a real software application that lives on our web-host and is thus accessible from anywhere there is an internet connection. Furthermore thanks to responsive design techniques it is possible to use our web application seamlessly from our computer, smartphone or tablet!

Web development and web design are inevitably the two faces of the same coin and they are starting to overlap to the point that most of the graphical effects in moder websites are generated solely with the use of code without the need for external images. This not only allows for a faster and lighter browsing experience but also open the door for designs that were not possible to achieve before where animation and user interaction shape the content provided by the website.

Building blocks

When I was a kid I loved playing with LEGO's! I could invent pretty much anything I wanted and "make it happen". Software development must be the way adults keep playing with LEGO's. Every software is built assembling smaller parts together, following the roman principle of "divide et impera" (divide and conquer). Developing software application has become more and more exciting over the years due to the increasingly high number of options and possibilities offered by modern devices and browsers! And it always fills me with awe when a client's idea comes to life!

What is a web app?

A Web App or Web Application is an application software that runs in a web browser (such as Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox) and is created with a combination of browser-supported programming languages (such as PHP, SQL and HTML). Common examples of web applications are webmail clients, online stores, social networks, etc... Handheld devices added the need for web software to be seamlessly displayed on a wide range of screen sizes and to be accessible in a simpler and more immediate way.

A dynamic experience

A web application is a unique experience for each user. Due to their dynamic nature their contents is generated in real-time based on the user's preferences and choices. This means that a web application has to account for the human component every time it displays information. The development of such interfaces is always carefully planned ahead and it can be very complex and time consuming. It might require a team of several people working together in order to reduce development time and costs.


Fork me on github

In addition to being a "gun-for-hire" I also believe in the power of Open Source and Free Software! Once I reached the maturity to be able to develop and actively contribute to the Open Source community I started publishing some of my code for other web designers to use and improve. You can find (and fork) some of my scripts on GitHub

Apps! Apps everywhere...

Big software for tiny computers.

Modern phones are more than just tools to contact other people, they have the same processing power you could find in a $2,000 PC only 10 years ago! They can do amazing things and run amazing pieces of software commonly referred as APPs. The advantage of creating an app for your business rather than just having a website, although mobile ready, is simple: apps can do what a simple website just can't, they can interface with a smartphone's hardware in a very powerful way providing a more accurate, feature-rich and utlimately satisfying experience for the end user through the use of sensors such as GPS, camera, gyroscope or directly accessing your contact or social apps installed on the device. The possibilities are endless!

One APP, Many devices.

Making one app is not enough unfortunately. If you want to reach as many users as you can we need to make at least two: one for iOS (Apple devices) and one for Android! Since they don't run the same software they each have different formats for their apps. Every app must also be designed with many different types of devices in mind, phones, tablets, phablets... Big screens, small screens, internet connectivity, no internet connectivity, bluetooth, no bluetooth... etc. Professional companies design apps that "understand" the specification of the device they are installed on and react to work with what they find. This is very important to provide the best user experience!

Let's hit the market.

Once we have our shiny new app and we tested all of its features the next step is to publish it. This is often a very underestimated step of the process although so very important! We can have the coolest app on the planet but if people can't find it they can't install it and use it! Setting up a proper page on the different app marketplaces is a work of love just as much as building the app itself... Beautiful screenshots and videos illustrating how the app works can go a long way in making users want to install your app and start using it! Afterwards users' feedback and rating will push your app to the top of the listings!

Me in the wild!

The Chef's Connection

Online magazine featuring the most famous chef's in the world! Interviews, photo galleries and much more!

Cityquicker

A curated directory of the best places to hangout in New York City.

Common Focus Consulting

Consulting practice geared towards businesses and organizations.

The Knack For Biz

Consulting firm offering business development, networking, sales, special events and customer assistance services.

Balvanera NYC

Balvanera is an Argentine restaurant + bar de vinos from Chef Fernando Navas - located in the heart of NYC's ever-emerging Lower East Side community.

Consorzio Nazionale Artigianato (Italy)

The Italian Confederation of SMEs has been representing and protecting the interests of craft companies, SMEs, and self-employed workers for over sixty years.

Institutional Research Assessment & Report Consulting

IRAR Consulting  offers its services to offices of Institutional Research and office of Institutional Reporting.

Naturium (Italy)

Organic shop in the heart of Cosenza (Italy). From the freshest foods to the finest all-natural beauty products.

Battman Studios

Alan "Battman" Batt is one of the most renown photographers in New York City. This is his e-commerce.

Tim Shea

New York live performer Tim Shea's personal website.

Photoshop User Magazine (publication)

Featured in the October 2012 issue of Photoshop User Magazine for the segment "Design Makeover".

jqueryplugin.net (publication)

Some of my scripts from GitHub were featured on online magazine JqueryPlugin.net.

Tony's Toolbox

Contacts

Email Me!

Email me if you have any questions or you want to discuss your project and get a quote!

Call Me!

If you want to talk with a live person (provided I had my coffee) just give me a call at +1 (828) 572-3223

Services

DOMAIN NAME & HOSTING

Purchase your domain name and hosting service through us from our partner BlueHost.

Pay your bill

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