Merge Studio, LLC

What Merge Studio, LLC does

Merge Studio, LLC is a Boulder, Colorado-based, woman-owned digital agency founded in 2016 by Michelle Dodd and Stacey Schultz (who departed in 2019, leaving Dodd as sole founder-CEO). The firm designs and develops custom WordPress websites and delivers digital marketing services—SEO, social media, email, paid advertising, and content writing—targeting a primary customer segment of nonprofits and purpose-driven organizations, with a secondary segment of mission-aligned B2B businesses. As of the latest data, the agency operates with an intentionally small team of approximately five members and has served more than 100 nonprofit clients, including AARP Wish of a Lifetime, American Psychological Association divisions (Society for Health Psychology, Society of Clinical Psychology), WildEarth Guardians, California WIC Association, and Healthy Child Care Colorado.

The company's core technology stack is WordPress CMS extended through a portfolio of custom third-party integrations: a proprietary bridge to Blackbaud Luminate for fundraising and advocacy workflows, MemberPress Courses integration for membership sites and CE certification automation, Zoom/YouTube/Events Manager Pro for webinar delivery, plus standard integrations with MailChimp, Constant Contact, Google Analytics, Gravity Forms, and Canva. Notable technical competencies include UX research-driven design, ADA accessibility compliance, and complex page migration (e.g., 5,000+ page overhaul for WildEarth Guardians). The firm also publishes an educational blog and email newsletter as content marketing channels.

Merge Studio's revenue model blends project-based one-time fees for website builds ($25,000-$80,000 by complexity tier), recurring subscriptions for website maintenance ($125/month) and digital marketing retainers ($3,000-$10,000/month), usage-based support ($150/hour), and fixed-fee diagnostic services such as digital brand audits ($2,175-$6,525). Go-to-market is consultation-driven and sales-led: prospective clients complete a detailed intake form, receive a free consultation, and are qualified on fit and budget before engagement. The company has not raised external funding, maintains no disclosed parent or subsidiary entities, and reports no patents, regulatory actions, or M&A activity. Distribution is direct via the company website (merge.studio) within a domestic US focus, though remote delivery capabilities suggest no hard geographic restriction.

Name

Merge Studio, LLC

Legal name

Merge Studio, LLC

Website

https://merge.studio

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Merge Studio is a Boulder, Colorado-based, woman-owned WordPress web design and digital marketing agency serving nonprofits and mission-driven organizations with custom websites, integrations, and ongoing marketing retainers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Web Design and Digital Marketing Services

NAICS

Advertising Agencies (541810), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

Integrated Full-Service Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Content Studio & Creative Resourcing (In-house/Embedded Teams) (BPAFAIAJ), Content Production (Video, Design, Copy, Studio) (BPAFAAAF)

Keywords

• WordPress website development
• Nonprofit web design
• Digital marketing services
• Website maintenance services
• Digital brand audits

Headquarters

HQ city

Boulder

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations

Revenue model

1. Website Design & Development: One-time custom WordPress website design and development projects ranging from $25,000-$80,000 depending on complexity and functionality requirements. Projects include design, development, content strategy, and initial training.
2. Website Maintenance: Monthly recurring maintenance service at $125/month including backups, security scans, WordPress and plugin updates, site speed optimization, and up to 30 minutes of support per month.
3. Website Support: On-demand hourly support at $150/hour with 1-hour minimum, billed in 30-minute increments. Requires clients to be on their hosting/maintenance service.
4. Digital Audits & Strategy: One-time audit services: Website Audit ($2,175), Digital Marketing Audit ($2,175), Foundational SEO Review ($2,175), and comprehensive All-in Digital Brand Audit ($6,525).
5. Digital Marketing Services: Ongoing digital marketing services including social media management, email marketing, content writing, SEO, paid advertising, and brand strategy. Monthly budgets mentioned range from $3,000-$10,000.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Merge Studio designs, develops, and maintains custom WordPress websites for nonprofits and mission-driven organizations, bundled with digital marketing services such as SEO, social media management, email marketing, content writing, and paid advertising. They also provide monthly website maintenance, on-demand hourly website support, and one-time digital brand audits covering website usability, digital marketing strategy, and SEO. The agency is differentiated by deep specialization in nonprofit-specific integrations such as Blackbaud for fundraising/advocacy and MemberPress for membership, webinar management, and continuing education certification.

Product overview

Merge Studio is a Boulder, Colorado-based web design and digital marketing agency serving nonprofits and purpose-driven organizations. The company operates as a single integrated offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Core services include WordPress Website Development (custom design and development), Digital Marketing (SEO, social media, email, paid ads), and Digital Brand Audits (assessments and strategy). These are supported by WordPress Website Maintenance ($125/month, includes backups and updates) and on-demand Website Support ($150/hour). For nonprofits, they offer specialized Nonprofit Website Design & Development and Nonprofit Digital Marketing sub-brands. Their most complex service is an integrated Webinar Management & CE Certification module built on MemberPress, MemberPress Courses, Zoom, YouTube, and Events Manager Pro that centralizes registration, automates certificates, and reduces administrative workload.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Website Support On-demand hourly website support service covering downtime assistance, necessary fixes, cross-browser support, WordPress management, and content updates at $150 per hour with a 5-hour minimum quarterly commitment.
• WordPress Website Development Custom WordPress website design and development services focused on nonprofits and purpose-driven organizations, producing websites with accessible design, easy navigation, and functionality for donations, sign-ups, and action-taking. Projects typically range from $25,000 to $80,000 depending on scope and complexity.
• WordPress Website Maintenance Monthly recurring maintenance service for WordPress websites including backups, security scans, core and plugin updates, speed optimization, and bundled support time, priced at $125 per month.
• Digital Marketing Custom digital marketing strategy and execution spanning SEO, social media management, email marketing, content writing, paid advertising, Google Ad Grant management, and brand identity services for purpose-driven organizations.
• Digital Brand Audits One-time assessment services covering website usability, digital marketing strategy, and SEO, delivered as fixed-fee audit packages (Website Audit, Digital Marketing Audit, Foundational SEO Review at $2,175 each, and an All-in Digital Brand Audit at $6,525) with prioritized roadmaps for improvement.
• Nonprofit Website Design & Development Specialized nonprofit-focused website design and development service including accessibility best practices, UX design, conversion optimization, SEO, content strategy, copywriting, and integrations with CRM, donation platforms, and membership systems.
• Nonprofit Digital Marketing Tailored digital marketing services for nonprofits spanning digital strategy, social media management, email marketing, content writing, paid advertising, Google Ad Grant management, brand guidelines, and brand identity.

Quantifiable outcome

• Saves up to 1 hour of administrative time per webinar for Society for Health Psychology through automated registration and CE certificate delivery
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration18 records

Feature5 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Forum One: Forum One is a digital agency that builds websites, applications, and online communities for nonprofits, associations, and mission-driven organizations. Directly comparable to Merge Studio in vertical focus, services, and project-based WordPress/digital engagement model, though operating at larger scale.
• Big Duck: Big Duck is a branding, communications, and marketing agency exclusively serving nonprofits. Directly comparable to Merge Studio in nonprofit specialization, with overlapping offerings in brand strategy, website design, and digital communications.
• Whole Whale: Whole Whale is a digital agency for nonprofits and social enterprises that builds websites, runs digital ads, and provides analytics and strategy services. Closely comparable to Merge Studio in services, target customer, and productized engagement approach.
• Orbit Media Studios: Orbit Media Studios is a web design and development agency producing content, websites, and optimization services for mid-market clients. Directly comparable in agency model, custom web build focus, and content-marketing-driven inbound motion, though less nonprofit-specialized.
• Lullabot: Lullabot is a strategy, design, and development agency specializing in complex content-driven websites, primarily on Drupal and other CMS platforms. Comparable in agency model, custom integration work, and high-touch consulting for large content-publishing organizations.
• Kanopi Studios: Kanopi Studios is a digital agency specializing in WordPress design, development, and support. Directly comparable to Merge Studio's WordPress-first stack, custom development offerings, and ongoing maintenance tier.

Broad incumbents

• Blue Engine: Blue Engine (formerly Blue State Digital) is a large digital agency serving nonprofits, advocacy groups, and purpose-driven brands with strategy, fundraising, and digital platforms. Overlaps with Merge Studio's nonprofit focus but operates as a much larger, full-service incumbent with proprietary fundraising technology.
• 10up: 10up is a larger WordPress-focused agency offering design, development, and content strategy. Comparable in core WordPress expertise and custom integration work, but operates at significantly larger scale across enterprise clients including publishers and media companies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Merge Studio, LLC