ADRIAN (Mich.) – Merillat’s Web site, merillat.com, was awarded a 2006 Web Award for Best Consumer Goods Web site by the Web Marketing Association (WMA). Merillat was selected as the winner when judged on seven criteria including, design, ease of use, copywriting, interactivity, use of technology, innovation and content.

“Winning this award reflects Merillat’s commitment to providing state of the art features to our consumers,” said Ray Pate, manager of interactive services for Merillat. “We want to make it easy for anyone to realize their dream of owning a beautiful kitchen. Merillat’s Web site makes the first step of buying cabinetry fun by allowing consumers to design their kitchen, offering them a glimpse at the potential reality that could be theirs.” On average the Merillat web site receives over 165,000 visits per month.

The judges commented on the attractiveness of the site, its easy navigation and how the information was so useful it was simple to make a decision to buy. “This is the first and only time I have given a perfect score in 4 years of being a WebAward judge,” said one judge. “The Idea Folio and My Style quiz are very cool! And what great personalization,” said another judge. With scores based on a scale of zero to ten, merillat.com received a score of ten in five out of seven categories. The overall possible score is 70, and Merillat successfully earned a total score of 68 points, two short of a perfect score. “What’s even more impressive is winning the Web Award in a broad category like Consumer Goods, which put us up against some very stiff competition in such a broad segment,” said Pate.

Merillat’s Web site guides consumers in the search for their perfect kitchen by allowing users to change the wood specie and finish in a variety of room applications to find the right cabinetry style.

“This feature allows consumers to begin planning their kitchen before going into a showroom,” said Pate. “It cuts down on the time they have to spend shopping for their kitchen and helps them to be more prepared and knowledgeable.”

The Style Finder on merillat.com aids consumers in finding the right style based on their lifestyle and design preferences. Style Finder takes Web site users through a quiz helping them to determine whether they are partial to formal, traditional, country traditional, eclectic, or contemporary styles. After finding their style with the help of the Style Finder quiz, consumers can then view various door styles and kitchen applications related to the chosen style.

Another easy-to-use online tool is Merillat’s 3-D Design Planner. This feature helps consumers become more informed about creating the kitchens of their dreams, by allowing them to see the kitchen in a 3-D computer model. In addition, the 3-D Design Planner offers three ways for consumers to design their kitchens based on their design experience.

Merillat.com helps consumers to see the design possibilities in their new kitchens as well as browse through a variety of beautiful kitchens created by Merillat designers. Whether the user is looking to remodel their kitchen, is in the process of building a new home, or just looking for decorating inspiration they can find what they are looking for at Merillat.com.

Based in Adrian, Mich., Merillat Industries, LLC, has been providing quality cabinetry since 1946. With nine manufacturing plants located throughout the United States, Merillat has grown to become one of the nation’s largest cabinet manufacturers and the number one builder preferred cabinet. Merillat offers the best selection of stylish, quality products at a variety of price levels. Merillat is leading the industry in consumer research to better understand what new home shoppers are looking for when purchasing a home. Merillat is proud to be a Platinum Sponsor of the National Association of Home Builders, Women’s Council, member of the Color Marketing Institute and National Kitchen and Bath Association.

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