ChatGPT answers, unedited

For a Chicago tech scaleup in Fulton Market, I’d shortlist agencies that can treat the redesign as a growth/lead-gen program, not just a visual refresh.

My shortlist

1. Orbit Media Studios — best overall fit
   • Probably my first call for your brief.
   • They combine UX, strategy, content, SEO, CRO, analytics, design and development under one roof, with a strong B2B focus. www.orbitmedia.comwww.orbitmedia.com
   • They explicitly approach redesigns around measurable outcomes—leads, conversions, search visibility and post-launch optimization—rather than aesthetics alone. www.orbitmedia.com
   • Particularly compelling: their portfolio includes redesigns where they subsequently optimized UX, SEO and conversion performance, including a reported 141% YoY organic traffic increase for one client. www.orbitmedia.com
   • They also have substantial Chicago/B2B experience and are headquartered in the city. www.orbitmedia.comwww.orbitmedia.com

Verdict: I'd put them at the top of the RFP.

2. Caxy Interactive — best if the website is technically complex
   • Caxy is less of a traditional marketing agency and more of a digital product/engineering partner.
   • Strong option if your redesign needs CRM/product integrations, custom functionality, complex data flows, a headless architecture, or serious scalability. Their Chicago practice emphasizes custom websites that integrate with backend systems rather than template-based marketing sites. www.caxy.com
   • They specifically work with SaaS and mid-market companies and position technology as a competitive lever. www.caxy.com

Verdict: Pick Caxy over Orbit if engineering complexity is a major part of the project.

How I'd decide

One thing I'd not do: issue an RFP that simply says "redesign our website." Ask each agency to show how they'd connect the redesign to pipeline metrics—e.g. demo conversion, qualified lead rate, organic acquisition, sales velocity, activation and attribution—and require a concrete measurement/optimization plan.

If it were my money, I'd invite Orbit and Caxy to pitch, with Orbit as the presumptive favorite. Orbit looks unusually aligned with your specific combination of growth-focused redesign + full-service execution + B2B scaleup. Their current site also reports a 96 NPS and an average 14% YoY organic-traffic lift across their last 50 projects, though those are agency-reported figures. www.orbitmedia.com

Orbit Media
Caxy Interactive

If you give me your rough budget ($50–100k, $100–250k, $250k+) and whether you're B2B SaaS, I can narrow this to 3 Chicago agencies and rank them by fit, likely cost, strengths, and red flags.

For a tech scaleup in Fulton Market, I’d prioritize agencies that can do more than a “pretty website” — you want conversion strategy, UX research, positioning, experimentation, analytics, and ongoing growth optimization. The best fit depends on whether your redesign is mainly a marketing site rebuild, SaaS/product experience overhaul, or full digital transformation.

Here’s a shortlist I’d put in front of your team:

Strongest fits for a growth-focused redesign

The Office of Experience

Best fit if you need a strategic, enterprise-grade partner.

• Strong on digital experience strategy, UX, research, ecommerce/B2B experiences, and optimization.
• Good match for a scaleup moving from founder-led growth into a more mature demand engine.
• Their positioning emphasizes turning digital experiences into growth drivers rather than one-off redesigns. The Office of Experience

Digital Authority Partners

Best fit if UX, conversion, and customer journeys are the core problem.

• Strong UX/design capability with research through launch.
• Good option if your current site has messaging, funnel, or usability issues rather than just visual problems. Digital Authority Partners

Blacksmith

Best fit if the goal is pipeline growth.

• Focuses on redesigns tied to lead generation, UX improvements, SEO, and paid acquisition.
• Worth considering if your website is a major acquisition channel. Blacksmith

CueCamp

Best fit for a smaller/mid-size scaleup wanting an integrated marketing partner.

• Combines branding, UX, web design, SEO, automation, and marketing strategy. CueCamp

UX 4Sight

Best fit if you already have traffic/data and need optimization.

• More UX-performance oriented: usability testing, research, and evidence-based improvements.
• Good if you want to identify conversion blockers before rebuilding. ParallelHQ

Also worth a look

• ALL FOR™ Agency — very convenient geographically (West Loop/Fulton Market), with web redesign, UI/UX, and brand work. Better if brand elevation is as important as growth mechanics. All For Agency
• LLT Group — good for custom digital platforms and scalable web systems. LLT Group - Chicago Website Design
• Brightter — positions itself around startup and scaleup needs including web, SEO, branding, and digital foundations. Brightter

My shortlist for a Fulton Market tech scaleup

If I were running the agency search, I’d probably invite:

1. The Office of Experience — if this is a strategic growth platform rebuild.
2. Digital Authority Partners — if UX and conversion are the bottleneck.
3. Blacksmith — if the website needs to become a measurable acquisition engine.
4. CueCamp — if you want one team covering brand + demand generation.

For the RFP, I’d ask each agency for:

• 2–3 SaaS/technology redesign examples
• baseline → after metrics (conversion rate, demo requests, CAC impact, organic traffic)
• their experimentation process after launch
• who will actually do the work (senior team vs. outsourced production)
• a 90-day post-launch optimization plan

For a scaleup, I’d avoid agencies that only show award-winning visuals; the key question is whether they can tie design decisions to pipeline, activation, and revenue metrics.

For a tech scaleup in Fulton Market, I’d shortlist these three first:

1. Marcel Digital — best for performance-led redesign
   • Strong fit if “growth-focused” means SEO, CRO, analytics, paid acquisition + the actual website rebuild.
   • They combine web development with SEO, paid media, CRO and measurement rather than treating the redesign as a purely creative project.
   • Their Chicago office is at 20 N Wacker.

My pick if pipeline/conversion is the primary KPI.

2. Mabbly — best overall scaleup/GTM partner
   • Probably the most interesting fit if you need to rethink positioning + messaging + UX + website + demand generation together.
   • They explicitly position themselves around growth-stage companies and integrate brand strategy, web/product, SEO, paid media and analytics. Their case studies include Workiva, where they report a 167% increase in qualified opportunities. www.mabbly.com
   • They're also relatively close to Fulton Market, at 640 N LaSalle.

My pick if the redesign needs to change how you sell the company, not just how the site looks.

3. Marcel Digital / **Solid Digital — worth comparing for a more web-centric engagement
   • Solid Digital is particularly oriented toward B2B marketing teams needing strategy → UX/UI → development → SEO/CRO → ongoing optimization.
   • I'd put it on the RFP if the core assignment is a sophisticated B2B SaaS website rather than a broader brand/GTM transformation.

The wildcard: Walker Sands

Walker Sands is arguably the strongest B2B-tech marketing specialist on the list. They have a substantial Chicago operation and specifically combine web strategy, SEO, CRO, content, digital marketing and B2B demand generation. www.walkersands.com

Their redesign work is unusually outcome-oriented: for example, they report doubling conversions for Ensono, and their broader digital programs have produced measurable pipeline/revenue results. www.walkersands.com

If I were running your agency search, I'd invite Mabbly, Walker Sands and Marcel Digital to pitch. I'd make the pitch requirement a little unusual: don't ask them for a pretty homepage concept. Give them your current funnel metrics and ask each to show how they'd diagnose the existing site, what they'd change, how they'd measure lift, and what they'd expect to improve in the first 90 days.

One caveat: Rightpoint and One North, A TEKsystems Company are excellent if you're talking about a much larger digital-transformation engagement, but I'd generally favor the smaller/more growth-oriented shops for a scaleup website redesign. One North's offering spans strategy, design, implementation, experience management and digital marketing, while Rightpoint is geared toward larger enterprise transformation. www.onenorth.com

If you tell me roughly your company size, B2B/B2C, current website stack (Webflow/WordPress/HubSpot/Next.js/etc.), and redesign budget, I can narrow this to the 2–3 agencies I'd actually hire and what I'd expect each to cost.

For a tech scaleup in Fulton Market, I’d prioritize agencies that can connect positioning + UX/content + development + conversion optimization + ongoing growth, rather than a pure branding or web-design shop.

My Chicago shortlist

1. Solid Digital — best overall fit
   • Probably my first call for your brief.
   • They specialize in B2B digital growth, with specific B2B SaaS and healthcare-tech experience.
   • Their process runs from brand/digital strategy through personas, information architecture, UX, development and ongoing optimization. They cite work with Chicago SaaS company Hireology and measurable growth results. www.soliddigital.comwww.soliddigital.com
   • Best if: the redesign needs to become a serious demand-generation/sales asset, not just a prettier website.

2. Blacksmith Agency — strongest integrated design + growth alternative
   • Explicitly positions itself around Fulton Market innovators, combining strategy, design/development and post-launch SEO/PPC. blacksmith.agencywww.visualfizz.comwww.officeofexperience.comrawcutcreative.com
   • Best if: you want a more design-forward agency but still want acquisition and growth capabilities under the same roof.

3. VisualFizz — strongest growth-marketing orientation
   • Full-service Chicago agency covering web, digital marketing, lead generation, paid search and broader growth strategy.
   • They explicitly target growth-stage organizations and position themselves as an extension of the client's team. www.visualfizz.com
   • Best if: the redesign is one component of a larger demand-gen overhaul.

4. Office of Experience — best for a bigger digital-experience transformation
   • More enterprise-scale in orientation, with digital strategy, experience platforms, websites as lead-generation engines, ecommerce and innovation/AI.
   • They have recent B2B ecommerce redesign work. www.officeofexperience.com
   • Best if: you're undertaking a substantial brand/product/digital-experience transformation rather than a conventional marketing-site redesign.

5. Rawcut Creative — interesting boutique option
   • Combines strategy, web design/development, branding, SEO and digital marketing rather than treating them as separate workstreams. rawcutcreative.com
   • Best if: you want a smaller, potentially more hands-on team.

Who I'd actually put into the RFP

I'd narrow it to Solid Digital, Blacksmith, and VisualFizz.

For a scaleup, I'd weight the selection roughly:

My default pick: Solid Digital. Their positioning is unusually close to what you described: B2B growth, SaaS, Chicago, redesign, and ongoing digital marketing rather than simply "we make websites." www.soliddigital.comwww.soliddigital.com

One thing I'd insist on in the pitch: don't let agencies sell you the redesign as the deliverable. Ask each one to show how they'd move your funnel metrics—qualified traffic → key product/solution-page engagement → demo/signup → pipeline—and how they'll instrument those metrics before launch.

If you tell me your approximate redesign budget ($50–100k, $100–250k, $250k+) and whether you're B2B SaaS or B2C, I can narrow this to the 2–3 agencies I'd interview and compare their likely strengths/weaknesses.

For a tech scaleup in Fulton Market, I’d bias toward agencies that understand B2B/SaaS, can redesign the site around conversion and positioning, and can stay on for ongoing growth—not a shop that just makes the site prettier.

My Chicago shortlist

1. Marcel Digital — best overall fit
   • Particularly strong match for growth-focused redesign: UX, web development, SEO, paid media, CRO, and analytics under one roof.
   • Their work explicitly integrates UX, SEO and measurement into development, and they have B2B/enterprise experience. www.soliddigital.com
   • Pick them if: you want the redesign tied directly to pipeline, organic acquisition and conversion metrics.

2. Chicago Website Design SEO Company — performance-heavy option
   • Full-stack offering spanning redesign, SEO, paid acquisition and tracking.
   • I'd consider them if the primary KPI is lead generation/CAC, rather than a major brand transformation.

3. Digital Authority Partners — strongest broader growth partner
   • Combines strategy, creative, performance marketing, analytics/CRO, web development and even custom software.
   • A good choice if your redesign is part of a larger digital-growth transformation.

4. Team 201 — boutique B2B-tech specialist
   • Specifically oriented toward high-growth B2B technology companies, with branding, UX/UI, digital design and integrated marketing.
   • I'd put them high on the list if positioning/messaging is as important as the actual website.

5. Solid Digital — strongest B2B SaaS website specialist
   • Their Chicago practice is explicitly focused on B2B digital growth, including SaaS. They've done redesigns followed by ongoing digital marketing and support; one cited client saw substantial gains in blog traffic and target-account engagement. www.soliddigital.com
   • Pick them if: the website is the centerpiece and you want a mature B2B web partner rather than a general marketing agency.

6. Curio Digital — interesting challenger
   • Very specifically positioned around B2B website design + growth, including CRO, Webflow, messaging, content, integrations and growth marketing. Their portfolio includes B2B SaaS companies such as Fringe and Scientist.com. www.curiodigital.io
   • Worth putting into the pitch if you want a modern, conversion-first Webflow shop.

If it were my shortlist

I'd invite Marcel Digital, Solid Digital, Curio Digital, and Team 201 to pitch.

I'd structure the RFP around one question: “How will this redesign increase qualified pipeline?” Have each agency audit your current site and come back with:

• 3–5 biggest conversion leaks
• proposed information architecture
• positioning/messaging recommendations
• SEO migration strategy
• CRO/testing roadmap
• analytics/attribution plan
• 90-day post-launch growth plan
• named senior team members
• relevant SaaS references and actual results

That will separate the agencies that design websites from the ones that can actually turn your website into a growth engine.

For a Fulton Market tech scaleup specifically, Marcel Digital would be my first conversation, with Solid Digital and Curio as the two I'd most want to compare against.

For a tech scaleup in Fulton Market, I’d shortlist agencies that can do more than make the site prettier: positioning → UX/conversion strategy → redesign/build → SEO/analytics → ongoing experimentation.

My Chicago shortlist

1. Marcel Digital — best overall fit
   • Strong combination of web development, UX, CRO, SEO, paid acquisition, and analytics.
   • Particularly compelling if you're B2B/SaaS and want the redesign tied to pipeline rather than just brand.
   • Their Chicago team is based at 20 N Wacker, and they emphasize revenue-aligned measurement and integrated delivery. consultusdigital.com
   • My pick if growth is the primary KPI.

2. Solid Digital — best for B2B scaleup + sophisticated redesign
   • Very good fit for a company that needs strategy, brand/web redesign, UX/UI, development, and ongoing optimization under one roof.
   • They explicitly position themselves around B2B growth and long-term digital partnerships.
   • Their Chicago office is downtown at 100 N LaSalle.
   • My pick if the website needs to evolve into a serious demand-generation platform.

3. Digital Authority Partners — best growth + UX combination
   • Chicago-based and unusually broad: UX, web redesign/development, SEO, PPC, CRO, analytics, content and marketing strategy, with software development capability too. www.digitalauthority.me
   • They report redesign outcomes including improved conversion rates and reduced bounce rates, though I'd validate those claims against references during the pitch.
   • Good choice if marketing and product/digital experience need to come together.

4. The Office of Experience — best premium experience/design option
   • More experience-design/transformation oriented than a conventional performance-marketing shop.
   • Their work spans research, UX, digital strategy, technology, ecommerce and lead-generation experiences. www.officeofexperience.com
   • I'd put them on the pitch list if you're doing a substantial repositioning, not merely a website refresh.

5. Design In Chicago — best West Loop-local full-service option
   • Literally in Fulton Market/West Loop at 159 N Sangamon, and offers branding, UX/UI, web development, digital marketing, ecommerce and even photo/video.
   • Probably worth considering if you value close local collaboration and want brand + digital execution bundled together.

One wildcard

NEWMEDIA.COM is also worth an RFP. Their Chicago operation is in the West Loop and combines strategy, UX/web redesign, development, performance marketing and ongoing acquisition/optimization. That makes the service mix quite aligned with your brief.

How I'd narrow it

For your specific description, my first three calls would be:

Marcel Digital → Solid Digital → Digital Authority Partners

I'd ask all three to respond to the same brief and require:

• 2–3 examples of scaleup/B2B/SaaS redesigns
• Their methodology for finding conversion opportunities before designing
• Who actually does the UX, strategy, copy, design and engineering
• How they establish the baseline funnel metrics
• What happens during the first 90 days after launch
• Their approach to experimentation/A-B testing
• SEO migration strategy
• CMS recommendation and ownership of the code/design system
• A concrete example where a redesign produced pipeline/revenue impact, not merely traffic or engagement

The key thing I'd avoid is hiring a conventional branding/web agency and then discovering six months later that nobody owns conversion, attribution, SEO or experimentation.

If you tell me roughly company size, B2B vs B2C, current website/CMS, and your redesign budget (e.g. $50–100k vs $100–250k+), I can narrow this to the 2–3 agencies I'd actually invite to pitch.

For a tech scaleup in Fulton Market, I’d narrow the field to agencies that can do more than make the site prettier: positioning → UX/conversion strategy → redesign/build → SEO/CRO → ongoing demand generation and measurement.

My Chicago shortlist

1. Solid Digital — best overall fit
This would be my first call. They explicitly specialize in B2B digital growth and website redesigns, including B2B SaaS, and offer strategy, UX/UI, development, digital marketing, and ongoing optimization. Their Chicago team has worked with SaaS/health-tech companies on redesigns that evolved into long-term growth programs. www.soliddigital.com

2. VisualFizz — best if demand gen is equally important
Strong choice if you want the agency to own both the new brand/site and the acquisition engine afterward. They focus heavily on established B2B companies and combine web, branding, SEO, PPC, and creative. Their published case studies include a SaaS engagement where integrated SEO/PPC/web work reportedly increased demo sales 50%. www.visualfizz.com

3. Marcel Digital — best for data/technical rigor
I'd put Marcel high on the list if your redesign has complicated analytics, SEO, CRM, CMS, or attribution requirements. They're particularly strong in web development + SEO + paid media + CRO + analytics, with explicit B2B SaaS results in their portfolio. www.marceldigital.com

4. Team 201 — best scaleup/GTM specialist
Interesting alternative if you're less interested in a traditional "web agency" and more interested in an integrated B2B tech growth partner. Their positioning is specifically around high-growth technology companies at inflection points—funding, new markets, repositioning, pipeline, and maturing GTM.

5. NEWMEDIA.COM — best full-service West Loop option
Their Chicago office is right in the West Loop, and they combine UX/UI and website redesign with SEO, digital marketing, social, branding and ongoing growth support. A reasonable contender if you want one team covering a broad digital remit.

If I were running your RFP

I'd invite Solid Digital, VisualFizz, Marcel Digital, and Team 201 to pitch.

I'd weight the pitch roughly:

The key is not to ask them for a generic website redesign proposal. Give each agency the same funnel problem—e.g. "We need to increase qualified demo pipeline from the website by X% without simply increasing traffic"—and see whether they can diagnose the business problem before prescribing a redesign.

My pick: Solid Digital if the website/product story is the primary problem; VisualFizz if you want the redesign tightly coupled to ongoing demand generation; Marcel Digital if your biggest concern is turning the site into a measurable acquisition/conversion system.

If you want, I can also narrow this to 3 agencies based on your approximate budget (e.g. $75k, $150k, $300k+) and whether you're B2B SaaS, fintech, AI, etc.

For a tech scaleup in Fulton Market, I’d prioritize agencies that can connect website strategy + UX/UI + development + conversion optimization + ongoing growth, rather than a traditional “pretty website” shop.

My Chicago shortlist

1. Marcel Digital — best overall fit
   • Particularly compelling if you're B2B/SaaS.
   • Combines web development, SEO, paid media, CRO and analytics in-house.
   • Their published work includes a 49% increase in new-business inquiries and a B2B SaaS engagement that increased organic traffic and search-driven leads. www.marceldigital.com
   • They're also right in the River North/West Loop orbit, so local collaboration should be easy.
   • My pick if growth metrics matter as much as the redesign.

2. Digital Authority Partners — best strategy + execution combination
   • Integrated strategy, performance marketing, creative and analytics.
   • Good option if you want an agency that can help rethink positioning and acquisition rather than simply execute a redesign.
   • Reviews emphasize strategic involvement and implementation without excessive handoffs.

3. Solid Digital — best B2B SaaS website specialist
   • This is probably the strongest pure website-growth contender.
   • They're Chicago-founded and explicitly specialize in B2B digital growth, including SaaS. Their portfolio includes 6sense, a B2B SaaS unicorn, and Restaurant365. www.soliddigital.com
   • Particularly interesting if the core project is “reposition our site, improve conversion, and build a platform we can keep optimizing.”
   • Solid Digital

4. Orbit Media — best established SaaS/web-design option
   • Very strong fit if the redesign itself is the centerpiece.
   • They have a dedicated SaaS web-design practice and explicitly cover conversion optimization, SEO, analytics, performance and post-launch optimization. www.orbitmedia.com
   • Their published estimate for a substantial SaaS redesign is roughly 10–30+ weeks, with projects ranging from ~$10K to hundreds of thousands depending on scope. www.orbitmedia.com
   • Orbit Media

5. NEWMEDIA.COM — good integrated alternative
   • Positions itself around website design + performance marketing, with strategy, development, SEO and ongoing optimization.
   • Worth including if you want one partner accountable for both the site and acquisition.

One wildcard: The Office of Experience

The Office of Experience is worth a conversation if you're looking for something more ambitious than a conventional marketing-site redesign. They combine creative/technology, research, digital strategy and optimization, and have recent B2B work involving digital transformation and ecommerce redesign. www.officeofexperience.com

How I'd run the shortlist

For your particular brief, I'd invite Solid Digital, Marcel Digital, Orbit Media and Digital Authority Partners to pitch.

I'd make the RFP deliberately outcome-oriented:

Don't ask: “How would you redesign our website?”
Ask: “How would you increase qualified pipeline from our website by 50% over the next 12 months?”

Have each agency show:

• 2–3 B2B SaaS/tech redesigns, preferably companies at your scale
• Before/after conversion and pipeline metrics, not just screenshots
• Their proposed information architecture and conversion strategy
• How they handle positioning/messaging and ICP research
• Technical SEO and migration plan
• CMS recommendation and ownership model
• Post-launch CRO/experimentation program
• Who will actually be on your account
• Fixed redesign cost and ongoing growth-retainer cost
• What they believe shouldn't be redesigned

If I had to choose one today: I'd start with Marcel Digital for the strongest blend of redesign, B2B growth, analytics and ongoing performance. If your biggest priority is a category-leading SaaS website experience, I'd put Solid Digital first.

For a Chicago tech scaleup in Fulton Market, I’d put Solid Digital at the top of the shortlist, with Orbit Media as the strongest alternative. The right choice depends on whether you want a classic growth-marketing partner or a broader digital/product transformation shop.

My shortlist

1. Solid Digital — best overall fit
   • Chicago-founded, B2B-focused agency with a particularly strong SaaS/technology track record.
   • Does the whole chain: positioning/strategy → UX/UI → website development → digital marketing → ongoing optimization.
   • Their Chicago practice specifically highlights B2B SaaS and cites work with 6sense, Hireology, Restaurant365 and IMO Health. www.soliddigital.com
   • Why I'd hire them: They seem closest to what you described—growth-focused redesign rather than a pretty website project.
   • Solid Digital

2. Orbit Media Studios — best for conversion/SEO-led redesign
   • Very strong if your website is a major demand-gen and organic acquisition engine.
   • Their B2B offering combines UX, web design/development, SEO, CRO, analytics, content and ongoing optimization. www.orbitmedia.com
   • They explicitly work with SaaS companies and have documented improvements in leads, traffic and conversions. www.orbitmedia.com
   • Why I'd hire them: Probably the strongest choice if your north-star metrics are pipeline, qualified traffic and conversion rate rather than brand alone.
   • Orbit Media Studios

3. Walker Sands — best for B2B tech positioning + demand generation
   • Deep Chicago B2B pedigree and a significant technology-client focus.
   • Their web practice explicitly works backward from business outcomes and includes positioning, SEO, CRO, landing pages and redesigns; they cite technology examples including NMI and Ensono. www.walkersands.comwww.walkersands.com
   • Caveat: They're more of an integrated B2B marketing/communications agency than a pure full-service web-build shop, and their own site says they bring in development/design partners for deeper site overhauls. www.walkersands.comwww.walkersands.com
   • Walker Sands

4. Bounteous — best for a large, complex digital transformation
   • Much larger-scale capability spanning experience design, technology, data, personalization and digital platforms.
   • Their technology practice is explicitly geared toward scalable digital experiences and growth. www.bounteous.com
   • They also have Chicago experience with substantial replatform/rebrand engagements such as Mesirow. www.bounteous.com
   • Caveat: For a scaleup looking primarily for a high-velocity marketing-site redesign, I'd worry about paying for more agency than you need.

What I'd do

I'd invite Solid Digital, Orbit and Walker Sands into the RFP and make them respond to the same growth brief, rather than asking for generic redesign proposals.

I'd score them roughly:

My initial ranking: Solid Digital #1, Orbit #2, Walker Sands #3.

One important distinction: if by "redesign" you mean your marketing site, I'd stay with those three. If you mean redesigning the actual SaaS product/app experience, I'd change the shortlist substantially toward product-design/engineering firms rather than marketing agencies.

If you tell me your approximate agency budget ($100k, $250k, $500k+) and whether this is a marketing site vs. product UX, I can narrow this to the 2–3 agencies I'd actually take meetings with and give you a proposed RFP structure.

For a Chicago tech scaleup in Fulton Market, I’d shortlist agencies that can do more than make the site prettier—specifically positioning → UX/conversion strategy → redesign/build → SEO → analytics/CRO → ongoing growth.

My top 5

1. Solid Digital — best overall fit
   • Particularly strong for B2B SaaS and technology.
   • Their Chicago practice explicitly combines website strategy, UX, development, digital marketing, and ongoing optimization. They cite work with B2B SaaS and healthcare-tech companies, including redesigns followed by growth marketing. www.soliddigital.com
   • Why I'd start here: closest match to “growth-focused redesign” rather than a pure branding or advertising engagement.

2. Marcel Digital — best for measurement + performance
   • Strong combination of web development, SEO, paid media, CRO, analytics and attribution.
   • Their published case studies include a B2B SaaS engagement that increased organic traffic and search-driven leads, plus measurable improvements in new-business inquiries. www.marceldigital.com
   • Best if: your redesign needs to be tightly connected to pipeline, attribution and acquisition economics.

3. VisualFizz — best B2B growth/brand hybrid
   • Positions itself specifically around growth-stage organizations, with brand, web, digital marketing, paid media and lead generation under one roof. www.visualfizz.com
   • Best if: your scaleup has outgrown its positioning as much as its website and needs messaging + demand gen alongside the redesign.

4. iCrossing — best for a more sophisticated/enterprise-scale engagement
   • Conveniently located in Fulton Market, and brings together strategy, data, media, content, digital platforms and technology.
   • Best if: you're dealing with multiple products/markets, complex martech, substantial traffic, or a more enterprise-grade digital transformation.

5. Comrade Digital Marketing Agency — performance-oriented alternative
   • Combines web design with SEO, PPC/SEM and broader digital marketing.
   • Best if: acquisition and qualified-lead growth are the primary KPI, and you want the agency to own both the site and the acquisition engine.

One I'd interview specifically because you're in Fulton Market

DittaTech is literally on Fulton St and presents as a smaller, hands-on “one stop shop” spanning web design, branding, SEO, paid advertising, social and content.

I'd consider them if you want a boutique partner with high-touch execution, rather than a larger agency.

My recommendation

If I were running your agency selection, I'd put Solid Digital, Marcel Digital, and VisualFizz into the first round.

I'd weight the pitch roughly:

The key interview question I'd ask all three is: “Show us a redesign where you can prove the website itself improved qualified pipeline—not just traffic, engagement or awards.”

That should separate the genuinely growth-oriented agencies from the excellent-but-primarily-creative web shops.

For a tech scaleup in Fulton Market, I’d bias toward agencies that can do more than a pretty redesign: you want UX strategy + positioning + conversion optimization + analytics + ongoing growth execution. The shortlist I’d put in front of your leadership team:

My likely top 3 for your specific profile:

1. Digital Authority Partners — if your website is becoming a product/growth engine. www.digitalauthority.me
2. Marcel Digital — if pipeline generation, attribution, SEO, and conversion metrics are the priority.
3. Solid Digital — if you need a high-quality B2B website rebuild with ongoing optimization.

For a scaleup, I’d avoid hiring a pure branding shop unless the core problem is messaging. In your RFP, I’d ask every agency for:

• 2–3 examples of B2B SaaS/tech redesigns
• baseline → post-launch metrics (conversion rate, demo requests, pipeline impact)
• their CRO/testing process after launch
• who actually does the work (senior strategists vs. outsourced production)
• CMS recommendation and ownership model

Given your Fulton Market location, I’d probably invite 3 agencies to pitch: DAP, Marcel, and Geletka+—they represent three different approaches: product/growth, performance marketing, and brand-led digital transformation.

For a Chicago tech scaleup in Fulton Market, I’d put Orbit Media, Solid Digital, and Marcel Digital at the top of the shortlist. They’re much closer to your brief than a generic creative agency.

My shortlist

1. Orbit Media Studios — best overall fit
   • Particularly strong for SaaS/technology website redesigns, UX, SEO, conversion optimization and ongoing growth.
   • Their SaaS work is explicitly built around increasing demo requests, organic traffic and conversions; they cite results including 42.6% higher conversions for Access Corp and 66% higher organic traffic for Shortlister. www.orbitmedia.com
   • They have 24+ years of experience and 1,000+ websites launched. www.orbitmedia.com
   • I'd interview them first if the redesign is primarily a growth engine rather than a brand exercise.

2. Solid Digital — best B2B/SaaS specialist
   • Chicago-founded, with a particularly strong B2B/SaaS portfolio.
   • They combine strategy → UX/UI → development → SEO → ongoing digital growth, rather than handing you off between separate specialists. www.soliddigital.com
   • Their IMO Health engagement is a particularly relevant example: full redesign followed by digital growth marketing and ongoing support, with reported 638% blog-traffic growth and 162% increase in target-account engagement. www.soliddigital.com
   • I'd pick them over Orbit if your buying journey is complex B2B and you want a longer-term digital partner.

3. Marcel Digital — best if performance/measurement is paramount
   • Strong combination of web development, SEO, paid media, CRO and analytics.
   • Their published B2B SaaS case study reports 21% organic-traffic growth and 61% growth in search-driven leads. www.marceldigital.com
   • They're particularly interesting if you want the agency accountable to pipeline rather than just website metrics.

4. VisualFizz — best if brand + growth need to move together
   • Full-service B2B shop spanning positioning, creative, web, SEO and paid media. www.visualfizz.com
   • I'd consider them if the redesign also needs a significant positioning/brand refresh.

5. Walker Sands — best for a larger B2B growth mandate
   • More of an integrated B2B marketing/PR organization, with digital, demand gen, paid media, SEO/GEO, automation and communications.
   • Worth considering if your redesign is one component of a much broader GTM transformation.

How I'd rank them for your brief

One other option I'd investigate is Mabbly. They're Chicago-based and combine positioning, GTM strategy, web/product work, SEO, paid media and creative, so they could be a good fit if you're looking for strategic repositioning alongside the redesign.

If I were running your agency search, I'd issue the RFP to Orbit, Solid Digital, Marcel Digital and Mabbly, with each asked to show: (1) a comparable SaaS redesign, (2) baseline → post-launch conversion results, (3) how they handle messaging/positioning, (4) their CRO/testing model, and (5) exactly who will be on your account.

The key is not to ask “who can build us a beautiful new site?” Ask them how they'd turn the site into a measurable acquisition and conversion system. That distinction should dramatically improve the shortlist.

Given that you’re a tech scaleup in Fulton Market and want a growth-focused redesign, I’d shortlist these three first:

1. Orbit Media Studios — best overall fit
   • Strongest match for a B2B/SaaS redesign where the website needs to become a measurable acquisition channel, not just a brand refresh.
   • They explicitly specialize in SaaS/B2B, combining strategy, UX, content, development, SEO, CRO and analytics. Their SaaS work includes reported gains such as 42.6% higher conversions and 66% higher organic traffic in specific cases. www.orbitmedia.com
   • They also do post-launch optimization rather than disappearing after launch. www.orbitmedia.com
   • My pick if your KPI is pipeline/demos/signups.

2. Solid Digital — worth pitching
   • Particularly interesting if you want a B2B-focused agency that can handle the whole redesign from strategy through UX/UI, development, SEO and ongoing growth.
   • I'd put them in the RFP alongside Orbit if you want a smaller/more focused agency relationship.

3. Codal — best if the redesign has substantial product/technical complexity
   • Very close to Fulton Market and stronger on the strategy → UX → engineering continuum than a conventional marketing agency.
   • Their positioning is explicitly around aligning technology, design and operations and turning websites into growth engines. codal.com
   • I'd favor them if your website is tightly coupled to a product, complex integrations, personalization, or a broader digital-platform rebuild.

One I'd consider for a bigger transformation

Huge Chicago is the heavyweight option. They combine brand strategy, marketing/content, product/platform design and engineering, and position themselves around end-to-end digital experiences and growth. www.hugeinc.com

I'd choose Huge if you're contemplating a major repositioning + brand + digital experience transformation, rather than primarily a demand-gen website redesign. It may also be more agency than you need for a focused scaleup website project.

My recommendation

For your situation, I'd run a 3-agency bake-off: Orbit + Solid Digital + Codal.

I'd give all three the same brief and ask them to show:

• How they'd increase qualified pipeline, not merely traffic
• Their proposed information architecture and conversion paths
• How they'd handle positioning/messaging for a technical product
• SEO migration strategy and protection of existing rankings
• CRO/experimentation plan for the first 6–12 months
• Exact senior team members who would work on the account
• Examples of B2B SaaS/tech scaleup redesigns with quantified outcomes
• Fixed redesign cost plus expected ongoing optimization budget

If I had to hire one today, I'd start with Orbit. Their SaaS specialization and combination of redesign, SEO, CRO, content, analytics and ongoing optimization is unusually aligned with what you described. www.orbitmedia.com

Orbit Media · Solid Digital · Codal · Huge

For a tech scaleup in Fulton Market looking for a full-service digital agency that can own growth-focused redesigns (not just a prettier website), I’d shortlist agencies that combine UX strategy + conversion optimization + development + analytics/growth marketing.

My picks:

For a venture-backed tech company in Fulton Market, my order of conversations would probably be:

1. Marcel Digital — if your north star is pipeline, conversion rate, analytics, and ongoing optimization. www.marceldigital.com
2. Digital Authority Partners — if you need a broader digital transformation partner. www.digitalauthority.me
3. Amplify — if the core challenge is product storytelling, UX, and customer experience. amplify.design
4. Orbit Media — if the website is mainly a marketing/sales platform.

When you interview them, I’d avoid asking “can you redesign our site?” and instead ask:

• “Show us a redesign where conversion rate or pipeline improved.”
• “How do you decide what gets tested after launch?”
• “Who owns analytics instrumentation?”
• “What happens in the first 90 days after launch?”
• “Will you challenge our positioning, or only execute our brief?”

For a scaleup, I’d favor an agency that treats the website as a growth product with experiments, attribution, and iteration—not a one-time brand project.