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Sealwise Epoxy brand logo featuring an interlocking geometric diamond icon in dark navy with cream fill, paired with bold uppercase SEALWISE wordmark on a clean white background
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How a Forced Name Change Became the Best Thing That Happened to a Colorado Springs Epoxy Company

A cease and desist letter forced a name change. Instead of panicking, they went all in: complete rebrand, conversion-focused website, local SEO domination across a 25-mile radius, commercial market expansion, and social media that kept the phone ringing.

Client: Sealwise Epoxy

#1 From invisible online to across a 25-mile radius, fully booked, and expanding into commercial

$26,240

New Revenue (6 Months)

60 Days

Time to First Leads

Fully Booked

Calendar Status

#1 Across Region

Keyword Rankings

25 Miles

Ranking Radius

5 (Brand + Web + SEO + Social + Commercial)

Services Delivered

This Is What Their Inbox Looked Like After 60 Days

Before we talk strategy, before the “how,” here’s what matters: results.

This is a screenshot of their email inbox, two months after the website went live. Every one of these is a real lead from a real homeowner looking for epoxy flooring in Colorado Springs.

Screenshot of Sealwise Epoxy's email inbox showing 9+ qualified leads from homeowners requesting epoxy flooring quotes, received within a 10-day period in June 2024 Their inbox, June 2024. Nine qualified leads in 10 days. All organic. Zero ad spend.

And this is what happened to their calendar:

Sealwise Epoxy Instagram post announcing they are fully booked until Spring 2025, with their diamond logo on a dark branded background Fully booked until Spring 2025. From a company that was invisible online 6 months earlier.


The Numbers That Matter

What ChangedThe Result
New Revenue (First 6 Months)$26,240
Time to First Leads60 days
Calendar StatusFully booked through Spring 2025
Local SEO Rankings#1 for “epoxy garage floor” across 25-mile radius
Google Visibility BeforeNowhere. Not ranking for anything.
Google Visibility AfterDominant. All green across the entire Colorado Springs region.
What I BuiltBrand identity + Website + SEO + Social media + Commercial materials

The Challenge: A Forced Name Change and Zero Online Presence

Sealwise Epoxy didn’t start as Sealwise.

For over 15 years, they operated as Sealwize (with a Z), building a reputation for quality epoxy and coating work across Colorado Springs. Referrals kept them busy. Then a cease and desist letter arrived.

The original Sealwize logo, a metallic-style horizontal badge with gold and blue coloring The original Sealwize brand. This is what 15 years of reputation was built on.

The name had to change. Sealwize became Sealwise. One letter, but from a search engine and brand recognition standpoint, the consequences were real. Any existing online presence under the old name (their basic website, directory listings, word-of-mouth search traffic) was now pointing at a brand that no longer existed.

Billboard advertisement showing the old Sealwize brand identity with the metallic badge logo, promoting deck restoration services in Colorado Springs Their previous advertising under the old Sealwize brand. Established, but dated.

And even before the name change, their digital presence was thin. If you searched “epoxy garage floor Colorado Springs” on Google, they were nowhere. Not page two. Not page five. Nowhere.

Keyword ranking map showing Sealwise Epoxy's SEO visibility before working with DMS, with mostly red and orange indicators showing rankings of 20+ across the Colorado Springs area Before: Their keyword map for “epoxy flooring” across Colorado Springs. Red means not ranking. That’s a lot of red.

Every homeowner searching for epoxy flooring in their area was finding competitors instead. Fifteen years of quality craftsmanship, invisible to anyone who picked up their phone and searched.

It started with a simple request: “We need a new logo.” That conversation became a five-phase digital transformation.


This Works Well For

This case study is most relevant if you:

  • Run a home services or trade business that relies on word-of-mouth
  • Have years of quality work but zero online visibility
  • Know competitors with worse work are outranking you on Google
  • Need a complete digital presence (not just a website, not just SEO, the whole thing)
  • Are dealing with a brand change, name change, or business transition
  • Want to stop wondering where next month’s projects will come from

Industry fit:

  • Contractors (epoxy, painting, roofing, HVAC, plumbing, electrical)
  • Home services (cleaning, landscaping, remodeling)
  • Any local service business in a competitive market
  • Companies with great reputations but no digital footprint

This probably isn’t your situation if:

  • You already rank well and need more conversion optimization
  • Your business is e-commerce or national (this is a local SEO story)
  • You need leads this week (SEO takes 30-90 days to gain traction)

Phase 1: A New Name Deserves a New Identity

The first request was straightforward: a new logo. They didn’t tell me the full story at the time. I designed a complete brand identity system under their existing name, Sealwize.

When I presented the mockups, they shared the rest. A cease and desist letter had forced the name change. Sealwize was becoming Sealwise. One letter: Z to S.

Here’s the thing about good brand design: the system shouldn’t depend on a specific spelling. The geometric diamond icon, the color palette, the typography, the entire visual language I’d built worked regardless of whether the name ended in Z or S. I updated the spelling at no extra charge. What could have been a stressful setback turned into a clean break from the old brand.

New Sealwise geometric logo design on paper, showing the interlocking diamond icon with clean modern wordmark The new brand identity system. Built to work everywhere, from a favicon to a truck wrap.

The brand wasn’t just a logo. It was a complete visual language:

  • Logo system with full lockup, simplified icon, and wordmark variations
  • Color palette and typography that communicates precision and professionalism
  • Brand applications from business cards to vehicle wraps to job site signage

The simplified icon works at favicon size. The full lockup commands attention on a truck wrap. Every version maintains impact and legibility across every application.

New Sealwise Epoxy brand identity system showing the redesigned logo on laptop, business cards, and branded materials with the geometric diamond icon The complete brand system, delivered under the new Sealwise name.

Sealwise brand flag mockup showing the geometric diamond logo on fabric

Sealwise branded product labels in light and dark colorways with the geometric diamond icon

Sealwise branded packaging tape with repeating diamond logo pattern

Sealwise business card mockup showing the diamond-cut design with navy and cream colorway

Scattered Sealwise business cards showing front and back designs with the geometric brand system

Stacked Sealwise business cards on a minimal background, showing both sides of the design

Every touchpoint reinforces credibility. From the business card a homeowner keeps on their fridge to the tape on a delivered sample kit.


Phase 2: A Website That Works 24/7

A website for a trade business needs to do one thing well: turn visitors into phone calls. Everything else is decoration.

I built their website around conversion, not aesthetics for the sake of aesthetics. Every element had a job:

  • Project photography front and center so visitors see the quality before reading a word
  • Clear calls-to-action on every page (call, text, or submit a quote request)
  • Mobile-first design because homeowners searching “epoxy garage floor near me” are on their phones
  • Fast loading because slow pages lose impatient visitors
  • Trust signals like their BBB accreditation, years of experience, and real customer reviews

The website became their hardest-working employee. Available 24/7, never calls in sick, converts visitors into leads while the crew is out pouring floors.


Phase 3: Local SEO, From Invisible to Unavoidable

This is where the real transformation happened. We went from not ranking for anything to dominating the local search results, then expanded that dominance outward.

Colorado Springs: The Core Market

The strategy started with one keyword: “epoxy garage floor.” Not because it’s the fanciest keyword, but because it’s what real homeowners type into Google when they need this service.

I optimized everything: the website structure, the content, the Google Business Profile, the local citations. Consistent NAP (name, address, phone) across every directory. Schema markup so Google understands exactly what services they offer and where.

Remember that name change? Every old directory listing, every old citation pointing to “Sealwize” had to be found and updated. This is the invisible work that makes local SEO harder when a business changes its name. Most people don’t think about it until they realize Google is confused about who you are.

The result:

Keyword ranking map showing Sealwise Epoxy's SEO visibility after working with DMS, with all green indicators showing #1 rankings across the entire Colorado Springs area After: The same keyword map. All green. #1 across the entire region. That’s what dominance looks like.

Compare that to the “before” map above. Red everywhere turned to green everywhere. That’s not incremental improvement. That’s a complete reversal.

The leads followed immediately. Within 60 days of the website going live, their inbox started filling with quote requests from homeowners across Colorado Springs and the surrounding area.

Within 6 months, those leads turned into $26,240 in new projects. All organic. Zero ad spend. And by the end of 2024, their calendar was fully booked through Spring 2025.

Extended view of Sealwise Epoxy's email inbox showing even more qualified leads from homeowners across the Colorado Springs area
Real quote requests from real homeowners, all finding Sealwise through Google.

Black Forest: Expanding the Territory

Once Colorado Springs was locked down, we expanded north into Black Forest. New construction was booming in that area, which meant fresh garages that needed epoxy floors. Perfect timing.

The SEO strategy grew to cover a full 25-mile radius, targeting homeowners and new homebuyers throughout the region. The goal: anyone searching for epoxy flooring anywhere in the greater Colorado Springs area should find Sealwise first.

Keyword ranking map showing Sealwise Epoxy ranking #1 across an entire 25-mile radius covering Colorado Springs, Black Forest, and surrounding areas in January 2025 January 2025. Every single point on a 25-mile grid: #1. From Castle Rock to Security-Widefield, from Woodland Park to Black Forest. Complete market coverage.

That map is 225 data points. Every one of them is a #1 ranking. Not #2, not #3. First.


Phase 4: Going After the Commercial Market

With the residential market won, the next question was obvious: what about commercial?

Builders, general contractors, and property managers need epoxy flooring for warehouses, restaurants, retail spaces, and commercial garages. But they don’t search Google the way homeowners do. They respond to relationships, presentations, and professional materials.

I created everything Sealwise needed to walk into a meeting with a builder and close:

  • Sales presentations tailored for commercial decision-makers
  • Professional business cards and printed collateral that match the brand identity
  • Marketing materials (leave-behinds, one-pagers) explaining their commercial capabilities
  • Digital assets for email outreach and follow-up

This wasn’t about changing who Sealwise is. It was about giving them the tools to sell what they already do to a different type of buyer. Same quality craftsmanship, new market.


Phase 5: Social Media That Educates and Entertains

Running parallel to the commercial push, I built a social media presence for Sealwise on Instagram. The goal wasn’t vanity metrics. It was brand trust.

When a homeowner sees Sealwise rank #1 on Google and then finds a professional, active Instagram profile with real project photos and educational content, the decision to call becomes easier.

I created three types of content:

Educational Carousels

These carousel posts educated homeowners about epoxy flooring while positioning Sealwise as the local experts. Each one starts with a video explanation followed by detailed slides.

Brand Graphics and Community Posts

Beyond educational content, I created branded graphics for seasonal promotions, client appreciation posts, and community engagement. This kept their Instagram active and professional between project showcases.

Happy New Year 2025 branded graphic for Sealwise Epoxy featuring custom flake pattern design

Holiday thank you post for Sealwise Epoxy clients and community

Custom flake color options showcase for Sealwise Epoxy garage floors

Sealwise Epoxy promotional graphic announcing seasonal availability and booking information

Client testimonial graphic featuring Mari Cruz Garcia's 5-star review of Sealwise Epoxy's garage floor work

Sealwise Epoxy Instagram post announcing they are fully booked until Spring 2025

On-Site Photography and Video Content

I live in the area, so I photographed and filmed their finished projects myself. Real work, not stock photos.

On-site photo of a completed outdoor epoxy flooring project, photographed by Kristian for Sealwise Epoxy's Instagram content Real projects, shot on-site. No stock photos.

I also produced short-form video content for their social media. These videos showcased their process, highlighted finished projects, and built personality around the brand. Each one loads on click.

Relaxing epoxy pour timelapse

Finished floor reveal

Latest project showcase

New service announcement

Client appreciation

Honoring loyal customer Ted Riddle


The Results: From Zero to Full Market Control

The Full Picture

A cease and desist letter. A forced name change. Zero online presence. That was the starting point.

Within months: a professional brand identity, a website converting visitors into calls, and #1 rankings across the entire Colorado Springs metro. Within a year: expansion into Black Forest, 225 consecutive #1 rankings across a 25-mile radius, a fully booked calendar, and the tools to compete for commercial contracts.

Why This Worked

This wasn’t just SEO, and it wasn’t just a pretty website. It worked because every phase built on the one before it:

  1. The brand identity made them look as professional as their work actually is
  2. The website turned that credibility into a conversion machine
  3. Local SEO put them in front of every homeowner searching in their area
  4. Commercial materials opened a second revenue stream with builders
  5. Social media content built trust and kept them top-of-mind between searches

Remove any one of those pieces and the results would have been smaller. Together, they created a complete digital presence that transformed how the business operates.

The name change that felt like a crisis? It became the catalyst for building something much bigger than a new logo.


What Victoria Maddux Said

“The best content creator, branding, and logo specialist in Colorado Springs.”

Victoria Maddux, 5-star review


The Takeaway: A Name Change Is Not the End

Referrals are great. They’re also unpredictable, unscalable, and invisible to the 90% of homeowners who start their search on Google.

Sealwise had 15 years of excellent work behind them. But none of that mattered to the homeowner typing “epoxy garage floor Colorado Springs” into their phone. That homeowner was finding whoever showed up first.

The cease and desist could have been a disaster. Instead, it became permission to start fresh, do everything right, and build a digital presence from the ground up.

Within months, they went from invisible to unavoidable. Within a year, they’d expanded their reach to cover a 25-mile radius and opened an entirely new commercial market. All from a conversation that started with “we need a new logo.”

That’s what happens when great work gets the visibility it deserves.


Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

About 60 days from the website going live. The first month was the site getting indexed and Google recognizing the new content. By month two, leads were coming in regularly through the website's contact forms and phone calls.

It meant starting from scratch on citations, directory listings, and brand consistency online. Every old mention of 'Sealwize' had to be found and updated. But since they had minimal online presence to begin with, the bigger challenge was building visibility from zero, not recovering lost rankings.

Because each piece reinforces the others. A great website with no SEO gets no traffic. Great SEO with a bad website gets traffic that doesn't convert. A strong brand with no online presence is invisible. And social media without a website gives people nowhere to go. The commercial materials extended the same brand into a new market. The full package is what made the results this dramatic.

Yes, with the right strategy and consistent work. Most local businesses have weak or nonexistent SEO. That means the bar to entry is lower than you'd think. The challenge is doing it right: proper website structure, consistent business listings, optimized Google Business Profile, and content that matches what people actually search for.

Two things: targeting the right keywords (what real homeowners actually type into Google, not what sounds impressive) and building a technically sound website from the ground up. When the foundation is right, Google rewards it faster because there's no technical debt to overcome.

Black Forest was experiencing a construction boom with new residential developments. New homes mean new garages that need epoxy floors. By expanding SEO coverage into that area before competitors caught on, Sealwise became the default choice for homeowners moving into new builds.

Builders and general contractors don't search Google the way homeowners do. They respond to direct outreach, professional presentations, and polished materials. I created sales decks, printed collateral, and marketing materials that gave Sealwise the tools to walk into meetings and close commercial contracts.

This was a comprehensive engagement covering brand identity, website design, local SEO, social media content, and commercial marketing materials, delivered across multiple phases. Every business has different needs, so the scope varies. The best way to find out is to have a conversation about what your business actually needs. No pressure, no pitch.

You can start anywhere. But this case study shows why building on each phase produces the best results. If your budget is limited, I'll tell you which piece to prioritize first based on your specific situation. For most local service businesses, a website with local SEO built in is the highest-impact starting point.

SEO is ongoing. Rankings need maintenance, content needs updating, and your Google Business Profile needs regular attention. Sealwise moved to a monthly retainer after the initial build. I offer month-to-month maintenance with no long-term contracts. You stay because the results speak for themselves, not because you're locked in.


Not Ready Yet?

That’s okay. Here’s how to prepare for when you are.

Do this now (free):

  1. Search your main service + your city on Google (e.g., “epoxy garage floor Colorado Springs”). Note where you rank, or if you rank at all.
  2. Look at the top 3 results. That’s who’s getting the calls you’re not getting.
  3. Check your Google Business Profile. Is it complete? Does it have recent photos? Recent reviews?

Questions to answer before we talk:

  • How are you getting most of your leads right now? (Referrals, ads, Google, social?)
  • What’s your service area? (City, county, region?)
  • Do you have a website? If so, how old is it?
  • What does a typical project look like in terms of revenue?

When the timing is right: I’m happy to take an honest look at your current online presence. No obligation, no pressure. If SEO and a website aren’t the right move for your business right now, I’ll tell you. I’d rather have an honest conversation than sell you something you don’t need.

Let’s talk about what’s possible

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Kristian Kreaktive at Google Activate event

Case study by

Kristian Kreaktive

Founder & Lead Strategist at Digital Marketing Services

17+ years of experience helping small businesses grow their online presence through strategic SEO, web design, and branding.

Google Certified 40+ Websites Built 5.0 Google Rating
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