Melta
Solutions
Build a directory website for your niche or region
For people who know their industry or region and want to turn that knowledge into a directory that attracts visitors and earns money. You describe it in plain language. Melta builds it, puts it online and runs it for you.
Build a directory website without writing code
A good directory lives on two things: knowledge of a niche, and entries that can be compared. The knowledge is yours. Everything else, meaning data, search, filters, regions, reviews, payments and daily operation, used to be the expensive part. Melta takes over that part.
You describe which entries the site lists, which details belong to each entry, how visitors search, and how you want to earn money. From that you get a concept in plain language. When it fits, you confirm it, and Melta builds the site. A full build can take up to about a day. Then you test it in a preview with demo data and test accounts, and you decide when it goes live.
If you want to build a directory website, the niche does not have to be big. Typical sites: the trade businesses of one region, therapists with their specialities, every coworking space in a city, or a leisure portal for routes, spots or restaurants. The clearer the niche, the easier the right visitors find you.
What goes into a directory built by Melta
A directory is more than a list. These building blocks belong in almost every portal; in the concept you decide which ones you need and what to call them.
Entries with structured fields
Every entry has fixed fields that fit your industry: opening hours, price range, specialities, difficulty, facilities. Structured details can be compared and filtered; free text cannot.
Search and filters
Visitors search by keyword and narrow down with filters built from your fields. Someone looking for an emergency electrician in one town sees exactly that, not the whole list.
Regions
Entries belong to towns, cantons, states or areas you define. You start with a pilot region and expand later without rebuilding the site.
Community reports and reviews
Visitors report how they found an entry: a rating, a short review, the current condition. That keeps the directory alive without you checking every entry.
Listing packages and sponsorship
Businesses book a featured entry, an annual package or a sponsorship slot and pay on the site, one-time or as a subscription, through a ready checkout.
Admin
You review new entries, approve reviews, maintain fields and see which packages are booked. If you want, businesses keep their own entry up to date.
Two example products
Both were described in plain language, built by Melta and run in preview. They show two directions a directory can take.
Steigwärts
A via ferrata companion for Vorarlberg: every route in the region with difficulty, length, approach and best season, community condition reports, a personal tour log and sponsorship packages for mountain sports shops, alpine schools and cable cars. Free for climbers, funded by partners from the region. See the example product Steigwärts
HandyKompass
A smartphone catalogue from current flagships to used devices, with retailer prices from Switzerland, Germany and Austria and a buying guide that turns a few questions into three matching devices. A directory that does not just list, but advises. See the example product HandyKompass
Describe the product you want. Melta builds it, puts it online and connects payments, legal pages and your domain. You own what runs.
How your directory website earns money
A directory can earn in several ways. You pick one in the concept or combine them. Payments run through Melta: one-time payments, subscriptions and checkout are connected, and payouts come to you.
| Model | Who pays | For what | Fits when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Featured entry | Businesses | Top of the list, logo, pictures, link | Many entries, and businesses want to stand out |
| Listing package as a subscription | Businesses | An extended entry with more fields, monthly or yearly | Businesses use the directory to win customers |
| Sponsorship | Partners from the region | Visibility on the site, annual packages in tiers | The directory should stay free for visitors |
| Premium for visitors | Users | Personal area, saved lists, notifications | Visitors come back regularly |
Change runs and a monthly AI quota are included; you need no API key. The platform takes a share of your sales, so it earns only when you earn. All numbers are on the pricing page.
What Melta runs for your directory
After the build, the site keeps running without you touching the technology:
- Hosting and domain. The directory runs on a melta.ai subdomain or on your own domain, bought through Melta or connected.
- Payments and email. Packages are paid in the checkout; confirmations and notifications go out automatically.
- Legal pages. Imprint, privacy policy and terms are generated from your operator details, ready for Switzerland, Germany and Austria.
- Support inbox. Messages from businesses, such as new opening hours, land in one inbox and are sorted by topic automatically.
- Analytics and monitoring. Without cookies, you see which entries and regions people search for and which packages sell. Errors are collected and shown.
- Preview with demo data. Before anyone else sees the site, you test it with test accounts and sample entries.
A note: a directory with reviews and entries about third parties raises questions of moderation, data subject rights and responsibility for other people's content. The generated legal pages are general information, not legal advice. If in doubt, clarify what applies to your site with a professional.
Frequently asked questions
How do entries get into my directory?
You decide that in the concept. You maintain entries yourself in the admin area, businesses submit their own entry and you approve it, or both. The preview comes with demo entries, so you can test search and filters right away.
What does it cost to build a directory website?
The build is a fixed one-time price per product; afterwards the directory runs on a plan per organisation, and change runs are included in every plan. All numbers are on the pricing page.
Can I charge for entries?
Yes. Featured entries, listing packages and sponsorship are offered as one-time payments or subscriptions and paid directly on the site. Melta handles the checkout and the payouts; you only decide what a package costs.
Can I start with one region and expand later?
Yes. Many directories begin with a pilot region. New regions, fields or categories are a chat message later on. The change appears in your preview first, and you decide when it goes live.
Describe your directory
Melta is in early access. Sign up, and you will get an invitation as soon as a spot opens up.
Get early access