What makes the exact right combination of flavors? Savory versus sweet, tangy versus mellow; which works best to create perfection?

In the summers at the beach, on Friday nights, we eat Italian delicacies. Fresh baked bread, mozzarella in water (made that afternoon), sun-dried tomatoes, fresh Jersey tomatoes drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and topped with fresh basil from the yard, sweet roasted red peppers, cured meats like sopressata, salami and proscuitto and black, salty olives.

Every Friday I attempt to make the perfect bite combining as many of these as possible into one mind-blowing explosion in my mouth.  Sometimes I find that less is more and it’s about the right combination and the correct layering.

I start with the bread, a medium sized slice, big enough to hold up the elements I will add without overwhelming everything else. Next I put either fresh or sun-dried tomato so that the oil will soak into the bread a little, then choose a meat: prosciutto is my favorite, so salty and thinly sliced.  After that, I place roasted red pepper for sweetness to work with the salty meat, then fresh mozzarella for its rubbery texture and milky consistency. Finally the fresh basil sits on top, not only for its fragrance and lively, earthy taste but for color and beauty.

All of these things work together to make a perfect bite.

How does this relate to websites and marketing?

When I talk to a client I want to know what his business offers that no one else can.  What are the layers that make his product or service the perfect bite for his clients?

The website is like the bread.  It needs to be flexible but strong, able to hold the information and not overwhelm the eye with design.

A website can be the basis for a good marketing plan but it’s only part of the recipe. Just having a website does not mean that you will automatically have business. You need all the elements to be right. You need the content to be sharp, succinct and well written. The navigation must be easy to find and follow and take the user to the most important information. Too much information can be overwhelming. The images you use can sweeten the site and make the user take notice. Video is very important not only for the user experience but as a powerful tool for search engine optimization.

When the site is layered just perfectly, you need the basil on the top. That’s you! You are the element that tops the perfect bite. You know your business better than anyone does and you need to be the final element that means success.  Let people know that your site is up and how to find it. Use social media, email marketing, networking and, of course, your business cards and collateral to drive people to the site.  Once you get them there, if the recipe is right, they will get the full flavor of your business all in one convenient bite.