OUR PRIDE. OUR PASSION. OUR WORK.
TOSA FARMERS MARKET
Beautiful photography brings a website to life and expresses the brand’s personality.
Mercury simplified user paths and allowed the treasure trove of professional photography to take center stage for Tosa Farmers Market
The results are captivating and the functionality far more intuitive.
AMPCO PUMPS
Improved user paths, continuity in design, and a focus on relevant content additions have dramatically improved search rankings of this robust, enterprise site.
The Ampco Pumps website needed to accomplish a lot – multi-language translation, incorporation of a relationship building device for users to connect with experts, a revamped product finder, inclusion of helpful tools and calculators, a searchable database of technical product information … the list went on.
The talented team at Mercury achieved each website goal and maintained industry best practices at each milestone.
SEO MATTERS
Optimized content improves the organic – and free – web traffic to a site. A search engine optimization (SEO) treatment including optimized content allows “searchers” to find your site easily … and improves site ranking on search page results.
The Mercury style of SEO treatment includes a mobile-friendly display, relevant well-written content, wisely chosen keywords, correct coding and applied security. It’s something we do on every site we build. And, always within best practices.
TRAINFEST
For more than a decade, Mercury has been the marketing arm of Trainfest. We’re on our third iteration of creating and maintaining the Trainfest website.
The current website takes advantage of all our learnings – from analytic analysis and results of systematic user experience testing to applying traditional research findings and leisure travel trends.
Serving two distinct target audiences, this site is built to deliver robust experiences to each with information galore (as they want it), historical archives, and an active e-commerce for products and event tickets.
APPLIED BEST PRACTICES
B2B, B2C or NON PROFIT WEBSITES
Mercury builds websites to maximize user experiences while ensuring trouble-free search engine ranking
WAUKESHA ENGINE
To kick off Waukesha’s product entry into the Applied Power Generation category, a luxury incentive travel program was launched. A standalone website was central to generate excitement, track points, and deliver promotional updates.
CARMEX
In tandem with its first advertising campaign in 70 years, a fully redesigned website was launched. Content and visuals were intentionally portrayed playfully to capitalize on the Carmex legacy brand personality … and the urban myths surrounding the product.
TRANE
In conjunction with the opening of the newly redesigned Commercial HVAC parts stores, Mercury applied consumer retail tactics to generate store traffic. New incentive buying programs were launched. A new website was created to track NA buying patterns and in-store foot traffic.
TEKRA
Because of our strong reputation for being quick learners and ability to generate relevant content, Tekra engaged Mercury to create all the content on their website. Design services were then applied and extended to other marketing tactics.
BLOGS ARE GOOD
FOR YOUR WEBSITE’S RANKING WITH SEARCH ALGORITHMS
They help boost organic page positions
WOLTER POOLS AND SPAS
After creating a new identity for this family-owned business, Mercury went to work on renovating their website using a companionable fresh, clean approach.
Dynamic photo galleries were created to better showcase Wolter Pools and Spas design and building ability.
Sales promotional opportunities to capitalize on their unique brand presence within their market were recommended by Mercury and implemented within the site.
IS CORP
As a private secure cloud provider, IS Corp is committed to offering superior performance in their product’s design, maintenance and uptime. They take pride in knowing their seasoned team of technology professionals are proactive and committed to superior customer satisfaction.
Mercury’s experience and portfolio of sample work caught IS Corp’s attention. It was Mercury’s shared commitment of values and the integrity of how we do business that earned us the opportunity to create the IS Corp website.
And create it, we did for multiple distinctly different target audiences. Part of the challenge was to provide enough specific information without disclosing too many of the tangible reasons to choose IS Corp – because of high risk security issues. Mission accomplished.
GREAT CONTENT
EQUALS BETTER STORYTELLING
At Mercury, we connect your reader’s experiences and knowledge to maximize their engagement with your website
SETON CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
Seton Catholic Schools came to Mercury with a challenge – “In the next 60 days, we need to launch a new initiative for Milwaukee Catholic elementary schools called Seton Catholic Schools. We’re organizing the schools into a collaborative network. We need to define the brand and figure out how to promote it.”
Mercury embraced the challenge.
Upon completing a brand definement exercise, Mercury delineated the Seton brand including Vision and Mission statements to the Brand Platform. The logo was redesigned to meaningfully portray the brand and include the recommended tagline.
Leaning on Mercury’s experience in education, a promotional plan was drafted and the master architecture designed for the websites. Within the 60 days, Mercury defined the brand, redesigned the identity, created a marketing plan, and launched a 60+ page fully built Seton website and four individual custom school sites with over 50+ pages each!
DIVINE MERCY
As with all participating Seton schools, Divine Mercy maintained its own personality and brand attributes. This website presence was dramatically reorganized and expanded to improve all user experiences – current and prospective parents, and parishioners.
ST. CATHERINE
The outside facing benefits of a Seton School collaboration directly impacted the amount of available content and topics to be shared on the St. Cat’s website. The site went from less than five pages to a fully-functioning dynamic 50+ page website.
NORTHWEST CATHOLIC
Special care was taken in the NWC website architecture to maintain the established benefits of this collaborative parish Catholic school, while introducing the enhanced student/parent/admin/teacher benefits derived from the Seton collaboration.
ST. RAFAEL
Tailored to address the specific wants and needs of current and prospective Spanish speaking parents, the St. Rafael website successfully incorporated the vast benefits of a Seton collaboration. Content style was altered to best meet the target audience needs.
SITE SECURITY IS NOT EQUAL
Applying a SSL certificate is a great first step in securing your site
An SSL provides secure, encrypted communications between a website and an internet browser. (Every site we build has one.)
Bonus … Google provides a rankings boost for pages with installed SSL certificates
UTI – UNIVERSAL TECHNICAL INSTITUTE
A referral led UTI – the largest multi-location trade school in the US – to Mercury.
UTI, with corporate offices in Phoenix, entrusted Mercury with website copy creation because of our expertise in generating rich content in alignment with a brand’s goals. And, our ability to connect with site visitors with messaging that resonates with them.
Mercury has created multiple iterations of UTI website content, as well as countless video scripts. We’ve completed a user audience and voice competitive review. And yes, we’ve never driven a truck or motorcycle, or have done much more than put gas into our cars… but, we’re quick learners with an innate ability to insert ourselves into our target audience mindsets.
BUNZEL’S OLD FASHIONED MEAT MARKET AND CATERING
This fully-functioning e-commerce site was built with the best user experiences in mind and written to generate the most Google juice possible using SEO-rich, original content.
E-commerce was new to Bunzel’s … and they are now believers! Their smoked meats, in particular, are being shipped from coast to coast.
WHAT’S UX?
Web design is about more than making your website “pretty.”
It’s about focusing on the user experience (UX), reinforcing your brand’s values and attributes, getting found in the search engines, and producing a level of success to justify the investment.
Understanding and executing a solid UX is the key to accomplishing all the goals.
EXHIBIT SYSTEMS – NEW PHOTO PLZ
While some may call it “trade show booths,” Exhibit Systems actually creates brand environments that happen to appear at trade shows.
The Exhibit Systems website needed to express their unique approach to customer satisfaction and provide a visual cornucopia of inspiration of trade show environment design possibilities.
Mindful of the UX for their varied customer profiles, multiple photo galleries were implemented since “seeing is believing.”
BODYWISE – new photo plz
Any size business benefits from a well-executed website. Just ask Olympic Athlete now Sports Masseuse, Jerome Davre of Bodywise Massage.
Jerome wanted to improve his web presence and Google Business listing. Ideally he never wanted to worry about his website again. Mercury accomplished his small business needs. Plus, we maintain the site to ensure it’s always in good working order.
WEL COMPANIES
As transportation is a highly competitive industry, WEL opted to have Mercury first look at their company as a brand and discern their competitive edge.
Mercury then went to work on the WEL website to elevate the brand’s values while differentiating WEL in the range of transportation and warehousing services, and employment opportunities.
IMPACT SALES
Assets from two different websites were combined to create the new Impact Sales website. The result … a larger share of voice in training and coaching programs.
Content was reorganized and restructured to demonstrate the value of consultative sales and service cultures. And, to make it easier to signup for a course suited to the user’s need.
SUNSET PLAYHOUSE
As the first community theater group in Wisconsin to build a dedicated theater, Sunset Playhouse wanted to continue their landmark position with a new website they could both update and manage.
Headliner lead performances took center stage. Variable e-commerce was added. Cross-selling opportunities were implemented. The refresh included a new logo too!
As Google analyzes hundreds of factors to determine which sites deserve page one placement on its search engine, it also directs a searcher to potential “likeable” websites.
How? The algorithms prioritize “meaningful engagement” opportunities (pertinent copy, blogs, etc.) to reward websites who offer their visitors an intuitive, predictive and comfortable user experience.
THE FRESHMAT
A San Francisco startup, The FreshMat is a mat cleaning service for yoga studios and sports facilities.
After creating the company identity, Mercury originated the website to tout the product’s health, financial and social benefits. An information balance needed to be of struck between primary target audience needs of San Francisco, and those in Chicago and NYC.
This website is entirely scale-able to grow with the company and the markets it will serve.
DR. PAUL MOYER DDS MS SC
One of Milwaukee’s top endodontists needed a fresh online presence to distinguish him from competitors.
The content and design of his new responsive website was crafted to provide helpful information to current patients while alleviating anxiety of potential patients.
Complimentary literature was also designed to maintain an integrated look to all patient information.
WANT TO SEE MORE SAMPLES?
We’ll put the coffee pot on
FIRST FRUITS
Mercury is committed to assisting nonprofits promote their missions. We feel its our responsibility and makes all of us feel good about our corner of the world. In fact, about 20% of Mercury’s time is spent annually helping nonprofits at our “lights on” rate.
First Fruits is a great example of a small nonprofit with big ideas, passion, and a commitment to their vision.
The website is central to their communication efforts, and you can tell by their nearly daily updates. First Fruits has embraced the power of the web.
BRIDGER TRAINS BY HUMMINGWORKS
Bridger Trains brings out the maker and creator in those that play with it … and the Mercury team experience has been no different.
A referral brought HummingWorks of Japan to Mercury with the task to introduce their new STEAM toy to the US market. (STEAM is an educational acronym for science, technology, engineering, art and math)
After completing a competitive review for this battery-operated, app-controlled train, Mercury went to work on a defining the brand and concepted the introduction plan. The process was nearly as fun (and interesting) as building a Bridger engine, brick-by-colorful brick.
A Shopify site was built by Mercury. Note the message continuity within all of the campaign elements. It’s paramount for cutting through the toy market clutter.
UNCORKT
New ownership led to new branding of this special Wine & Craft Beer establishment in downtown Racine, WI.
One visit by Mercury to Uncorkt revealed an impressive product selection, great customer service, and an authentic camaraderie at its Wine Tasting Bar.
It was only natural to play up the Uncorkt experience (and brand attributes) using “glass conversations”. Check out the series of comic book-style conversations on their website. Fun!
BRAWNTEC
When a manufacturer is committed to ISO 9001, often a new effective product emerges. That was Federal Tool & Engineering’s experience.
FTE built their own material handling solutions. Soon others saw these modular efficiency solutions and wanted them. Being entrepreneurs, FTE launched their line of material handling products as Brawntec.
Mercury, a marketing partner of FTE through multiple iterations of their website, created the new Brawntec product website.
PIUS XI HIGH SCHOOL
Confronted by the challenge often faced by private schools, the Pius website needed to perform two distinct ways – as a current student info hub and as a lure for potential students.
Mercury created a new robust multi-staged site architecture to mitigate the challenge … and to act as a selling reinforcement tool.
The new site design and content supports the Pius brand pillar directives, and prominently features “real reasons” to choose Pius. The President of Pius remarked, “you’ve made students in China want to come here.”
PROSPERITY 101
Like many small businesses busy doing the actual day-to-day work, this free-market educational resource provider suffered from a fragmented corporate identity.
After taking a moment for some brand work and strategic thinking, a newly refocused direction emerged. A refreshed brand identity quickly followed.
The new “look and feel” was integrated across all P101 media tactics, including all social channels, website, educational tools, and sales materials.
WHO HOSTS YOUR WEBSITE IS IMPORTANT
We contract our hosting environment with the industry leading best practices provider. They earn every penny we pay them – plus more.
In our opinion, having a beautiful website doesn’t do anyone any good if its not secure, and served up when a user wants it.
VCS
Since the VCS reputation is built upon trust, exceptional craftsmanship, and their attention to detail, the VCS website needed to exemplify those qualities.
Mercury paired the brand’s values with the treasure trove of knowledge of staff knowledge to create a showpiece website.
A concrete services microsite was created and linked to launch that business expansion.
Upon the site’s launch, VCS experienced a surge in inquiries.
THINK BIG. START SMALL
Mercury is passionate about the importance of quality early childhood care and education. If the research hadn’t convinced us, our personal experience as parents would have.
Working in tandem with Childcare Resource Centers, the WI DPI, MPS, and a host of other lead organizations, Mercury created a website to inform the public of the value of quality childcare and education.
Designed to compliment the host of campaign elements, the site also informed medical practitioners and childcare providers.
3PLR
Finding people to work in third party logistics is as competitive as the industry itself.
3PLR operates as both a supply chain consultant and recruitment specialist.
Since both facets of the business are often seamlessly integrated, the website needed to offer compelling reasons to engage with 3PLR – as an employer and as a potential employee. Mission accomplished.
MAKE A BRIGHT FUTURE
Using a contest to break through the media clutter in reaching potential students, a lead generating landing page was created to capture entrants for this Archdiocese of Milwaukee Catholic high school enrollment campaign.
Site was programmed to provide contest entrant information to the individual schools in real time for their followup. Assets created for the site were re-purposed after the campaign to the individual schools for their re-post.
CROSCILL
Croscill as the largest home bedding manufacturer in the US., transformed the industry when they introduced comforters to replace bedspreads. (Croscill designers gave us Priscilla curtains too.)
Mercury designed the Croscill website to be a window into the NYC home fashion showroom, and to generate excitement around the collections – for both the buyers and the consumers.
LOWE’S
Prior to taking the work in house, Mercury was tasked by Lowe’s Home Improvement to position, design and write web sub sites.
As part of their relationship building efforts with the Nat’l Realtors Assn., Lowe’s offered realtors free assets to share with their customers – both those buying and selling.
Print on demand opportunities were featured.