ChatGPT answers, unedited

For a Chicago retail brand looking for Shopify theme development + an ongoing CRO/testing partner, I’d prioritize agencies that can do more than a one-time redesign: you want strong Liquid/theme engineering, analytics instrumentation, experimentation discipline, and a retainer model.

A shortlist I’d put in front of a marketing director:

A few questions I’d use in your agency evaluation:

1. “Show us 3 Shopify stores where you improved conversion rate after launch.”

Many agencies can build themes; fewer can prove they improved revenue.

2. “Who owns the experimentation roadmap?”

Look for a team that does:

• funnel analysis
• heatmaps/session recordings
• customer research
• hypothesis prioritization
• A/B testing
• post-test implementation

3. “Will CRO winners get shipped into the theme?”

Avoid a setup where the CRO team recommends changes but the dev team bills separately for every implementation.

4. “What does your first 90 days look like?”

A strong partner should usually propose:

• Shopify audit
• analytics review (GA4, Shopify analytics, pixels/events)
• UX friction inventory
• prioritized test backlog
• first 2–4 experiments

For a downtown Chicago retailer, my initial outreach list would probably be:

1. Colored Byte — closest match to “Shopify + CRO ongoing partner.” www.shopify.com
2. WayOut — if theme architecture/performance is a major concern. www.wayoutinc.comcoexist.media
3. Mejix — if you are on Shopify Plus or have complex retail operations. www.mejix.com
4. Coexist Media — if you want a smaller embedded team. coexist.media

If you share your approximate annual ecommerce revenue, Shopify vs Shopify Plus, and whether you need UX design or only development/CRO, I can narrow this to the 3 agencies I’d actually invite to pitch.

• Praella - eCommerce Agency - 203 N LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• BlueBolt Solutions - 415 N La Salle Dr, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Nansen LLC - 300 W Hubbard St Ste 301, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Invesp - 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Americaneagle.com, Inc. - 200 W Jackson Blvd Fl 22, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Ethercycle - 4905 Old Orchard Shopping Ctr, Skokie, IL 60077, United States
• Ethercycle - 3 S Prospect Ave, Ste 12, Park Ridge, IL 60068
• 1DIGITAL AGENCY | eCommerce Agency - 205 N Michigan Ave Suit 810, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Uncap - 8770 W Bryn Mawr Ave, Ste 1300, Chicago, IL 60631
• 1o8 - 231 S LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Chicago Website Design SEO Company - 10 S Riverside Plaza #875, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• SEO Design Chicago - 2068 N Western Ave 1F - Front, Chicago, IL 60647, United States
• WPrime Agency - 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza #1212, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Digital4Startups Inc. - 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza Suit 1212, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• SeedCart | Web Designers In Chicago - 222 S Riverside Plaza #15, Chicago, IL 60606, United States

For a Chicago retail brand looking for Shopify theme development + an ongoing CRO testing partner, I’d shortlist agencies that can do more than a one-time redesign. You want a team that can maintain a testing roadmap: analytics → hypotheses → UX/design → development → A/B tests → iteration.

A few strong candidates:

A few Shopify-specialist agencies worth including in an RFP even if they are not strictly downtown:

• Ethercycle — Shopify-first consultancy known for themes, migrations, ongoing support, and CRO-oriented improvements.
• Colored Byte — Shopify partner focused on store builds, redesigns, optimization, and ongoing CRO work. Shopify
• Makro — Shopify Plus-oriented team with emphasis on large catalogs, integrations, and conversion optimization. Makro Agency

My shortlist for a retail marketing director

If I were sending an RFP, I’d probably invite:

1. Praella — best local Shopify Plus fit.
2. Ethercycle — best Shopify-native specialist option.
3. BlueBolt — best if you have enterprise complexity or personalization goals.
4. Invesp — if CRO rigor is the priority and you want a testing culture.

For your RFP, I’d ask each agency to show:

• 3 Shopify stores they actively optimized after launch
• their CRO process (testing cadence, hypothesis backlog, statistical approach)
• examples of PDP/cart/checkout experiments
• who actually codes the theme work (in-house vs subcontracted)
• monthly retainer structure after launch

One question that would change the ranking: are you on Shopify already, and are you a mid-market retailer ($5M–$100M ecommerce revenue) or enterprise-scale? The right agency profile is quite different.

Yes. For Shopify theme development + an ongoing CRO/testing program, I’d prioritize agencies that can own both the front-end engineering and the experimentation loop—not a generic digital agency that happens to know Shopify.

My Chicago shortlist

1. Praella — strongest overall fit
   • Downtown: 203 N LaSalle St.
   • Shopify/Shopify Plus is a core specialty, with theme redesign, UX, integrations and ongoing improvements.
   • Particularly compelling if you want one partner from theme development → analytics → UX optimization → ongoing growth.
   • A Chicago-focused industry roundup also identifies Praella as a Shopify Plus/Premier-level specialist with a strong emphasis on revenue/retention-driven UX. weframetech.com
   • My take: I'd put them at the top of the RFP list.

2. BlueBolt Solutions — interesting CRO/experimentation option
   • Downtown: 415 N LaSalle.
   • Shopify/Shopify Plus development plus ongoing maintenance and optimization; their broader practice includes experimentation/personalization.
   • My take: Worth interviewing if your CRO program is as important as the initial theme work.

3. 1DIGITAL AGENCY | eCommerce Agency — good Loop location + broader ecommerce
   • Downtown: 205 N Michigan Ave.
   • Ecommerce-focused and works across Shopify/Shopify Plus, design/development and digital marketing.
   • My take: More attractive if you want ecommerce marketing capabilities alongside development, rather than a Shopify-specialist engineering shop.

4. Americaneagle.com, Inc. — enterprise option
   • Downtown: 200 W Jackson Blvd.
   • Much larger organization, with ecommerce, UX, development, analytics and post-launch support.
   • My take: Consider them if you're a sizeable retailer with complex integrations, multiple brands/sites, or enterprise governance. For a focused theme + CRO retainer, they may be more agency than you need.

5. Atwix — technical/complex-commerce option
   • Downtown: 20 N Wacker Dr.
   • Stronger fit for technically complicated Shopify/ecommerce implementations and integrations than for a pure CRO-led engagement.
   • My take: I'd include them if your Shopify environment has substantial backend complexity.

One non-downtown agency I'd still put on the RFP

Uncap isn't downtown—it is near O'Hare—but it is sufficiently Shopify/ecommerce-focused that I'd consider the geography a minor issue. Its positioning is heavily around Shopify/Shopify Plus, UX, development and integrations. weframetech.com

If I were you

I'd send the brief to Praella, BlueBolt, and Uncap, with Americaneagle as the enterprise benchmark.

The key thing I'd test in the pitch is whether they actually run a continuous experimentation program, rather than saying "CRO" and then delivering occasional UX recommendations. Ask each agency to show:

• 2–3 examples of Shopify theme rebuilds followed by ongoing A/B testing
• How they form hypotheses from GA4/Shopify analytics, session recordings and customer research
• What testing platform they use and how they handle Shopify's technical constraints
• Typical tests/month
• Who owns test design, implementation, QA, analysis and rollout
• Whether developers are included in the monthly retainer
• How they distinguish A/B tests from simple UX/design changes
• A sample 90-day roadmap for your store

That last point is especially important: the agency that gives you a credible testing roadmap will probably be a better long-term partner than the agency with the prettiest Shopify portfolio.

If you tell me roughly annual ecommerce revenue, Shopify vs. Shopify Plus, and whether you need them to redesign the whole theme or mainly develop/iterate the existing one, I can narrow this to the best 3 and give you an RFP scorecard.

Yes. For your specific brief—Shopify theme development + an ongoing CRO/testing program, with a preference for downtown Chicago—I’d narrow the field considerably rather than picking a generic digital agency.

My shortlist

1. Praella — best overall fit
   • 203 N LaSalle St, downtown Chicago
   • Shopify Plus Platinum Partner.
   • Explicitly offers store builds/redesigns, analytics, checkout work, CRO, integrations and ongoing optimization. www.shopify.com
   • This is probably my first call if you're a substantial retailer and want one partner responsible for both development and experimentation.
   • Stronger fit for a sophisticated/enterprise Shopify operation than a small theme shop.

2. BlueBolt Solutions — strong CRO + development option
   • 415 N LaSalle Dr, River North.
   • Shopify Plus work plus ongoing maintenance/support, and notably experience with Optimizely/experimentation and personalization.
   • I'd interview them if your CRO program needs to go beyond simple landing-page A/B tests into personalization, experimentation infrastructure and analytics.

3. 1DIGITAL AGENCY | eCommerce Agency — convenient Loop option
   • 205 N Michigan Ave, Loop.
   • E-commerce-focused agency covering Shopify/Shopify Plus, design/development and marketing.
   • Worth putting into the RFP if having a genuinely downtown office matters, although I'd probe harder on how much of their ongoing work is rigorous experimentation versus general optimization/marketing.

4. PlanetX Technologies — technical/engineering-oriented
   • Merchandise Mart, River North.
   • Shopify/Shopify Plus theme customization, custom development, integrations and ongoing troubleshooting.
   • I'd consider them more for the development side than as my first choice for a mature CRO strategy.

One important non-downtown wildcard

Ethercycle in Skokie is actually worth talking to despite your downtown requirement. They're unusually Shopify-specific, with custom theme development, Shopify optimization and retained support. If Shopify expertise matters more than the office address, I'd include them in the pitch process.

Who I'd actually invite to the RFP

For a Chicago retailer, I'd start with:

Praella → BlueBolt → Ethercycle → 1Digital

And I'd make the agencies answer the same five questions:

• Who will actually code our Liquid/theme work? In-house vs. outsourced.
• How many A/B tests do you typically run per month?
• What experimentation stack do you recommend? Shopify/GA4/Optimizely/VWO/etc.
• Can CRO hypotheses turn directly into theme/code changes without another vendor?
• Show us 2–3 Shopify clients where testing produced measurable revenue/conversion improvement, not just a redesign case study.

That's important because a lot of agencies market themselves as "CRO" when what they really mean is UX recommendations and periodic site tweaks. For your model, I'd specifically look for a developer + analyst + CRO strategist working as one team.

One caveat: I wouldn't use LUNAR or Orbit Media just because they're well-known Chicago agencies. Their capabilities are broader, but they're not as clean a match for a Shopify-theme-plus-continuous-CRO mandate. Orbit, for example, is primarily a broader web strategy/development/SEO/CRO shop rather than a Shopify specialist.

If you tell me roughly annual ecommerce revenue, Shopify vs. Shopify Plus, and your expected monthly agency budget, I can narrow this to the 3 agencies I'd actually put in front of your procurement team, including likely price tier and strengths/weaknesses.

For a Chicago retailer looking for Shopify theme development + an ongoing CRO/testing partner, I’d shortlist agencies that can do more than a one-time redesign: you want strong Shopify engineering, analytics discipline, experimentation process, and a retainer model.

Here are the ones I’d put on an RFP list:

A few Shopify specialists worth adding even if they aren’t strictly “downtown office” agencies:

• Colored Byte — particularly aligned with your brief because they explicitly combine Shopify builds, theme work, redesigns, and ongoing CRO/testing support. www.shopify.com
• Dumo Digital — worth considering if the main KPI is conversion improvement rather than brand redesign; they position around Shopify CRO, retention, analytics, and growth programs. www.dumodigital.comwww.shopify.com
• Conspire — highlights Shopify Plus development plus conversion and AOV optimization programs. www.conspireagency.com

For a marketing director at a retailer, I’d evaluate them less on “can they build a pretty Shopify theme?” and more on these questions:

1. CRO operating model
   • Do they run a monthly experiment backlog?
   • Do they provide hypotheses, test design, statistical readouts, and learnings?
   • Who owns analytics (GA4, Shopify analytics, heatmaps, testing tools)?

2. Theme development approach
   • Are they building in Shopify Online Store 2.0 sections so your team can iterate?
   • Do they optimize Core Web Vitals and mobile PDP performance?
   • Can they support merchandising changes without developer tickets?

3. Retail experience
   • Have they worked with catalogs, promotions, loyalty, retail POS, inventory complexity, and omnichannel journeys?

My likely first calls would be:

1. Praella — if you want a local, senior Shopify partner.
2. Colored Byte — if CRO experimentation is the core mandate.
3. BlueBolt — if your roadmap includes enterprise integrations/personalization.
4. Dumo Digital — if you want a growth-retainer model.

For an RFP, I’d ask each agency for three examples of Shopify stores where they improved conversion rate after launch, not just screenshots of launches. www.dumodigital.comwww.shopify.com

Yes. For your specific brief—Shopify theme development + an ongoing, experimentation-led CRO program—I’d narrow the Chicago field considerably rather than picking a general web agency.

My shortlist

1. Praella — best overall fit
   • Downtown: 203 N LaSalle St.
   • Shopify Plus Platinum Partner with explicit capabilities in custom storefronts, UX, integrations, analytics and CRO. Shopify’s partner directory also shows client reviews specifically for CRO and ongoing website management. www.shopify.com
   • Why I'd shortlist: probably the strongest combination of Shopify engineering + ongoing optimization for an established retailer.
   • Watch-out: they are a fairly substantial agency, so I'd ask exactly who will be dedicated to your account and how much senior CRO talent is actually involved.

2. BlueBolt Solutions — strong technical/experimentation option
   • Downtown: LaSalle Drive.
   • Particularly interesting if your retailer has a more complicated stack. They work across Shopify/Shopify Plus and experimentation/personalization platforms, with ongoing maintenance and development.
   • Why I'd shortlist: good candidate if you want the agency to own both the technical implementation and experimentation infrastructure rather than simply hand CRO recommendations to your dev team.

3. Fresh Design Studio — good Merchandise Mart option
   • Downtown: Merchandise Mart.
   • Shopify/ecommerce development plus conversion-oriented optimization, with a stronger creative/design orientation.
   • Why I'd consider them: attractive if the theme work involves a significant UX/visual refresh as well as testing.

4. 1DIGITAL AGENCY — broader ecommerce option
   • Loop: 205 N Michigan Ave.
   • Covers Shopify/Shopify Plus development, migrations, integrations and digital marketing.
   • Why I'd consider them: useful if you want Shopify development bundled with broader acquisition/SEO/PPC capabilities, though I'd probe more deeply on the sophistication of their ongoing A/B testing program.

One important caveat

I wouldn't limit the RFP to agencies that literally have a downtown office. For CRO specifically, I'd also interview Praella's strongest competitors outside the Loop.

For example, Conspire has a particularly relevant service mix: Shopify Plus development, design, conversion/AOV optimization and A/B testing, and fractional Shopify teams combining development, CRO and strategy. www.conspireagency.com

And Blue Stout is worth considering if experimentation is the primary objective. Its model explicitly combines conversion analysts, designers and Shopify Plus engineers, with weekly optimization rather than treating CRO as a periodic audit. bluestout.com

If I were running your RFP

I'd invite 3–4 firms:

The key RFP question I'd use is not "Do you do CRO?" Almost everyone says yes.

Ask instead:

"Show us the last 3 Shopify experiments you designed, including the hypothesis, sample-size methodology, implementation, statistical result, and what you changed afterward."

That will separate genuine experimentation teams from agencies whose "CRO" means heatmaps, UX recommendations and occasional button-color tests.

If you tell me roughly annual ecommerce revenue, Shopify vs. Shopify Plus, and your retail category (apparel, beauty, home, specialty, etc.), I can narrow this to the 3 agencies I'd actually put in the RFP and what I'd expect each to cost.

Yes. For Shopify theme development + an ongoing CRO/testing program, I’d put these downtown Chicago firms at the top of the RFP list:

1. Praella — my first call

Praella is probably the closest match to your brief. It's a Shopify Platinum Partner with a Chicago headquarters, and Shopify's partner directory specifically lists conversion-rate optimization, analytics/tracking, custom development and ongoing website management. www.shopify.com

That combination matters: you don't want a theme-development shop handing the finished site to a separate CRO consultancy. Praella positions itself as an ongoing extension of the merchant team, and its portfolio includes substantial Shopify Plus work. praella.com

I'd shortlist them if: you're a mid-market/large retailer, want a serious Shopify partner, and expect the relationship to continue well beyond the initial theme project.

Praella

2. BlueBolt — strongest CRO/testing fit

BlueBolt Solutions is particularly interesting for your requirement because they have a dedicated Shopify CRO & Experimentation practice rather than merely saying they "do CRO." They describe A/B, multivariate and split-path testing, instrumentation, hypothesis development, UX testing and statistical analysis. www.blueboltsolutions.com

They're also a Shopify Plus Partner and explicitly combine custom Shopify development with optimization and ongoing support. www.shopify.com

I'd shortlist them if: your marketing team already has traffic/data and wants an agency that can turn that into a genuine testing roadmap.

BlueBolt Solutions

3. Atwix — strongest technical/enterprise option

Atwix is at 20 N Wacker and is much more engineering-heavy. They offer custom Shopify themes, Liquid development, performance optimization and integrations, plus ongoing support, A/B testing and CRO. www.atwix.com

For a retailer with complicated POS/ERP/CRM/PIM integrations, large catalogs, multiple storefronts or Shopify Plus requirements, I'd take them seriously.

I'd shortlist them if: the theme work is likely to touch complicated commerce infrastructure—not just UX and front-end development.

Atwix

4. Nansen — CRO/analytics-led alternative

Nansen is in River North rather than the Loop proper, but still very central. Their ecommerce practice explicitly includes A/B testing, personalization, conversion optimization and continuous data-driven optimization. www.nansen.com

I'd view them somewhat differently from the first three: stronger as a digital optimization/CRO partner, whereas Praella/BlueBolt/Atwix are more obvious choices if custom Shopify theme engineering is a major part of the assignment.

Nansen

My recommendation for your RFP

I'd invite Praella, BlueBolt and Atwix to pitch, with Nansen as a fourth if CRO/analytics is particularly important.

And I would make the RFP test something very specific:

"Show us the team and process that will take us from theme development into a 6–12 month experimentation roadmap."

Ask each agency to provide:

• 2–3 comparable retail Shopify case studies
• Who actually does the Liquid/theme development
• Their testing stack (Shopify, GA4, Optimizely/VWO/etc.)
• Typical number of experiments per quarter
• How they determine statistical significance
• Whether developers are included in the CRO retainer
• Proposed monthly retainer and included development hours
• An example of a test that lost and what they learned from it

That last question is particularly revealing. You want an agency that genuinely runs experimentation, not one that calls redesigns "CRO."

If you tell me roughly annual online revenue, Shopify vs. Shopify Plus, and whether you have an in-house dev team, I can narrow this to the best 2–3 agencies and give you a likely budget range for the build + monthly CRO retainer.

If by “downtown” you mean the Loop/River North area, I’d put Praella, Atwix, BlueBolt, and 1o8 at the top of the initial shortlist. I’d weight Shopify depth + ability to own an ongoing experimentation roadmap more heavily than generic “digital agency” capabilities.

My shortlist

1. Praella — best overall fit
   • Downtown at 203 N LaSalle St.
   • Shopify Platinum Partner with explicit capabilities in Shopify Plus, UX/design, integrations, CRO, analytics, and ongoing optimization. www.shopify.com
   • This is probably my first call for a retailer that wants the same partner responsible for theme development and continuous conversion improvement.
   • Particularly attractive if you're running a meaningful Shopify Plus operation rather than a relatively simple DTC store.

2. BlueBolt Solutions — strong experimentation/optimization angle
   • 415 N LaSalle Dr., River North.
   • Shopify/Shopify Plus work plus custom development, integrations, maintenance, and optimization; they also have broader experimentation/personalization experience.
   • I'd interview them if your CRO program is going to involve more than button/color A/B tests—e.g. personalization, UX experimentation, merchandising, and funnel optimization.

3. Atwix — best for complex retail infrastructure
   • 20 N Wacker Dr., right in the Loop.
   • Shopify Plus Partner with a strong emphasis on complex ecommerce, integrations, and ongoing Shopify management. www.shopify.comcode2commerce.com
   • I'd favor them if your retailer has ERP/PIM/OMS/loyalty/inventory complexity alongside the theme work. They may be more engineering-heavy than you need if CRO is the primary mandate.

4. 1DIGITAL AGENCY — worth a competitive bid
   • 205 N Michigan Ave, Loop.
   • Ecommerce-focused and works across Shopify/Shopify Plus, migrations, integrations, SEO/PPC, design and development.
   • I'd use them as a comparison point against Praella if you want an agency with a broader performance-marketing capability.

One I'd consider despite not being downtown

Code2Commerce is interesting enough that I'd include them in the RFP. They're Chicago-headquartered, Shopify-focused, and explicitly offer theme customization, custom development, CRO/SEO, and ongoing maintenance/retainers. Their current positioning is particularly focused on senior people doing the actual work rather than a large agency team. code2commerce.com

Their Chicago HQ is at 1440 W Taylor St., so they're not downtown, but for this particular brief I'd prioritize capability over a Loop address.

How I'd rank them for your specific brief

One important distinction: don't let agencies sell you “CRO” as simply ongoing design tweaks. For a retailer, I'd require the proposal to spell out the experimentation engine: analytics audit → hypothesis backlog → prioritization → design/dev → QA → A/B testing → statistical readout → learnings → next test. I'd also ask how many experiments they realistically expect to ship per month and whether development is included in the retainer.

If you tell me roughly annual ecommerce revenue, Shopify vs. Shopify Plus, and whether you have an in-house developer/analytics person, I can narrow this to the 3 agencies I'd actually invite to an RFP, including likely pricing tier and what I'd ask each one.

Yes. For a Chicago retailer looking for one partner to own both Shopify theme development and an ongoing CRO/testing program, I’d narrow the field considerably rather than choosing a generic web agency.

My Chicago shortlist

1. Praella — strongest overall fit
   • Downtown office at 203 N LaSalle St.
   • Shopify/Shopify Plus specialist with explicit CRO and performance optimization capabilities.
   • Particularly compelling if you have a sophisticated retail stack, integrations, personalization, or a meaningful testing roadmap.
   • I’d put them at the top of the RFP list. www.shopify.com

2. BlueBolt Solutions — strong experimentation + technology option
   • 415 N LaSalle Dr., right in River North.
   • Shopify Plus, custom development, integrations and ongoing maintenance, with broader experience around experimentation/personalization.
   • Worth interviewing if CRO is going to be a serious part of the engagement rather than an occasional design tweak.

3. Nansen LLC — best if analytics/optimization is central
   • 300 W Hubbard St. in River North.
   • Their offering combines ecommerce with analytics, CRO, personalization and UX/UI, which is attractive if you want the agency to establish an experimentation framework rather than simply build themes.
   • Smaller review footprint than Praella, so I'd diligence their Shopify-specific retail work carefully.

4. 1DIGITAL AGENCY | eCommerce Agency — practical Loop alternative
   • 205 N Michigan Ave.
   • Ecommerce-focused agency with Shopify/Shopify Plus design/development and marketing capabilities.
   • I'd consider them as a benchmark proposal, particularly if you want development plus broader acquisition marketing.

5. Americaneagle.com, Inc. — enterprise option
   • 200 W Jackson Blvd.
   • Much larger and more platform-agnostic than the Shopify specialists above. Their Chicago team covers ecommerce, development, analytics, digital marketing and post-launch support.
   • Makes more sense for a large retailer with complex integrations/governance than for a straightforward Shopify theme + CRO engagement.

One non-downtown agency I'd still put in the RFP

Uncap is at 8770 W Bryn Mawr, so it doesn't meet your downtown requirement, but I'd seriously consider making an exception. It's a Shopify Platinum Partner and specifically positions itself around unified commerce, retail/wholesale, theme customization and ongoing website management. www.shopify.com

There's also a very relevant Shopify-specific option, Colored Byte: Shopify's partner directory describes it as doing design/build/redesign plus long-term support and CRO, which is almost exactly your brief. It's Chicago-based, although I wouldn't classify it as a downtown agency from the information I found. www.shopify.com

How I'd structure the RFP

I'd make agencies prove four things rather than accepting generic "Shopify + CRO" claims:

My first three calls would be Praella, BlueBolt and Nansen. Praella looks like the best all-around match; BlueBolt is interesting if experimentation/personalization is particularly important; Nansen is attractive if you want a more analytics-led CRO relationship.

One caveat: several agencies market themselves as "Chicago" agencies without actually having a downtown office, so I've separated those from the genuinely downtown options above.

Yes. For your specific brief—Shopify theme development + an ongoing CRO/testing program—I’d narrow the downtown Chicago field considerably. I’d prioritize agencies that can own both the code and the experimentation rather than handing CRO off to a separate marketing team.

My shortlist

1. Praella - eCommerce Agency — 203 N LaSalle St
   • Best overall fit for a larger retailer.
   • Shopify Plus-focused, with custom storefront development, UX, integrations, CRO, analytics, and ongoing management.
   • Shopify's partner directory lists Praella as a Platinum Partner and specifically lists both conversion-rate optimization and ongoing website management. It also has verified reviews covering CRO and store redesigns. www.shopify.com
   • I'd put them at the top of the RFP if you need a sophisticated team rather than a small theme shop.

2. BlueBolt Solutions — 415 N LaSalle Dr
   • Best for technically complex retail/ecommerce.
   • Shopify Plus partner with custom development, integrations, optimization and ongoing support; Shopify's directory says they've worked with enterprise B2C, B2B, wholesale and POS merchants since 2005. www.shopify.com
   • Particularly attractive if your CRO roadmap will involve deeper technical changes—performance, personalization, integrations, checkout, etc.
   • I'd ask them specifically for recent examples of controlled experimentation, since their public positioning leans more toward engineering/optimization than pure CRO.

3. 1DIGITAL AGENCY | eCommerce Agency — 205 N Michigan Ave
   • Worth including if you want a broader ecommerce agency.
   • Downtown Loop location and experience across Shopify/Shopify Plus, migrations, integrations, SEO/PPC and ecommerce development.
   • Better fit if you want the Shopify work connected to acquisition/marketing rather than a narrowly technical partner.

4. 1o8 — 231 S LaSalle St
   • Interesting if the CRO program needs to sit alongside broader retail/CPG marketing.
   • They're a downtown Chicago digital marketing agency with ecommerce/retail capabilities.
   • I wouldn't make them my first call for Shopify engineering, but I'd consider them if your agency remit includes paid media, retail strategy, creative and ecommerce growth.

One agency I'd investigate despite the location caveat

Colored Byte is particularly interesting for your actual requirements. Shopify's own directory describes them as a Chicago Shopify agency built around data-driven experimentation, design, strategic development, long-term support and CRO. Their published case studies include conversion-rate and AOV improvements from CRO/theme optimization and personalization. www.shopify.com

That's much closer to the "build → test → learn → ship → repeat" model I'd want for an ongoing retailer relationship than a conventional web-development agency.

How I'd rank them for your brief

One important distinction: "CRO" can mean very different things. For your RFP, I'd require agencies to demonstrate that they actually run a testing program—not just perform UX audits. Ask each candidate for their proposed cadence for hypothesis generation, experiment design, statistical methodology, QA, implementation, and learning documentation.

If you give me your approximate annual ecommerce revenue, Shopify vs. Shopify Plus, and whether you have an internal developer, I can narrow this to the 3 agencies I'd actually invite to pitch, including likely engagement model and what I'd ask each one in the RFP.

Yes. For a Chicago retailer specifically looking for both Shopify theme development and an ongoing CRO/testing partner, I’d narrow the field considerably rather than choosing a generic web agency.

My shortlist

1. Praella - eCommerce Agency — best overall fit
   • Downtown office at 203 N LaSalle.
   • Shopify/Shopify Plus specialist with theme development, UX, integrations, and ongoing optimization.
   • Their positioning is particularly relevant if you want the same partner handling development + CRO rather than handing the site off after launch. weframetech.com
   • I'd put them first on your RFP list.

2. BlueBolt Solutions — strong technical/experimentation option
   • Near River North at 415 N LaSalle.
   • Shopify Plus development plus ongoing maintenance, and importantly, experience with Optimizely/expert experimentation and personalization.
   • Good candidate if your CRO program needs to be rigorous rather than simply UX recommendations.

3. Sixth City Marketing — best if CRO is the dominant requirement
   • River North, 620 N LaSalle.
   • Offers CRO alongside e-commerce/web development, SEO and paid media.
   • I'd consider them if you already have competent Shopify developers internally or want a more performance-marketing-led partner.

4. Realm Web Design — boutique Shopify option
   • Strong emphasis on Shopify redesigns, custom theme development, conversion-oriented UX and performance.
   • Potentially attractive if you want a smaller, more hands-on team rather than a larger agency structure.

5. The Indie Collab — interesting CRO-focused boutique
   • Shopify-specific, with custom development, theme customization, CRO and site-speed optimization.
   • Their positioning is unusually close to your requirement: build the storefront and continuously optimize it.

One I'd investigate even though it's not downtown

Uncap is worth including if your retailer has a complicated catalog, ERP/PIM integration, B2B component, or substantial Shopify Plus requirements. It's Chicago-based but not downtown. Its strength is more commerce architecture + Shopify Plus than pure experimentation.

How I'd rank them for your brief

My recommendation: send an RFP to Praella, BlueBolt and Sixth City, with Realm as the boutique alternative. The key thing I'd test in interviews is whether they actually run statistically disciplined experiments and ship the winning variants, versus calling UX audits and recommendations “CRO.”

For the RFP, I'd specifically ask each agency to show 3 Shopify clients where they both built/modified the theme and subsequently ran experiments, including baseline conversion rate, test hypothesis, traffic/sample size, result, and what they shipped afterward. That will separate the genuine CRO operators from Shopify development shops with a CRO page on their website.

For a Chicago retailer looking for Shopify theme development + an ongoing CRO/testing partner, I’d prioritize agencies that can do both hands-on Liquid/theme engineering and growth experimentation (analytics, hypotheses, A/B tests, UX iteration). A lot of Shopify shops can build themes; fewer can run a disciplined optimization program afterward. www.dtcpages.com

Here are the ones I’d put on a shortlist:

A few non-downtown / Chicago-serving Shopify specialists are also worth including if you care more about Shopify depth than office location:

• Makro — Shopify Plus design, development, integrations, and CRO services for scaling merchants. www.makroagency.com
• Digital Heroes — Shopify Plus builds plus ongoing optimization retainers. digitalheroesco.com
• RaymondMatthew — strong positioning around theme development, performance, and experimentation. www.raymondmatthew.com

For a marketing director at a retailer, I’d evaluate them with these questions:

1. Who owns CRO strategy?

Ask for their testing cadence (e.g., “How many experiments/month?”), not just “we improve conversions.”

2. Do they have a dedicated developer after launch?

Many agencies disappear after the redesign; you want a retainer model with sprint capacity.

3. What is their testing stack?

Look for GA4/analytics instrumentation, heatmaps/session recordings, Shopify analytics, experimentation tools, and a clear hypothesis process.

4. Can they show before/after metrics?

Request examples of:

• PDP improvements
• collection/navigation tests
• cart/checkout experiments
• site-speed improvements
• AOV or conversion lifts

My initial outreach list would probably be:

1. Praella
2. Ethercycle
3. Uncap
4. BlueBolt
5. Atwix

That mix gives you a range from Shopify-specialist retainers to enterprise commerce partners.

If you share your retailer’s revenue range, Shopify vs Shopify Plus status, SKU count, and whether you need in-person downtown meetings, I can narrow this to the 3–4 best fits.

Yes. For a Chicago retailer that needs both Shopify theme development and an ongoing CRO/testing program, I’d narrow the downtown/central-Chicago field to these four:

My ranking for your particular brief

1. Praella — I'd probably invite them first. Their Shopify specialization, CRO capability and downtown Chicago presence line up unusually well with the requirement. Shopify's own partner directory explicitly lists conversion rate optimization, analytics/tracking, store redesign and ongoing management. www.shopify.comwww.blueboltsolutions.comwww.shopify.comwww.1digitalagency.comwww.atwix.comwww.1digitalagency.com

2. BlueBolt — I'd put them in the RFP specifically because their CRO offering sounds much more like a genuine experimentation engine than generic "conversion optimization." They describe test hypotheses, A/B/multivariate testing, instrumentation, statistical analysis and ongoing retainers. www.blueboltsolutions.com

3. Atwix — compelling if the retailer has a sophisticated backend, ERP/PIM/POS integrations or a large catalog. Their Shopify offering explicitly combines custom theme work with CRO, A/B testing and ongoing optimization. www.shopify.comwww.atwix.com

4. 1Digital — worth including if your marketing organization wants the agency to extend beyond the storefront into SEO/PPC and broader acquisition. Their CRO practice is unusually developed, but they're a larger/more broad-based agency proposition. www.1digitalagency.comwww.1digitalagency.com

One caveat: "downtown" matters here. Praella is at 203 N LaSalle, Atwix at 20 N Wacker, and 1Digital at 205 N Michigan. BlueBolt is also downtown at 415 N LaSalle. So all four are genuinely central rather than merely "serves Chicago." www.shopify.com

If I were running the selection process, I'd ask each agency for the same 90-day CRO + development proposal and require: number of tests/month, who writes the hypotheses, statistical methodology, design/dev capacity, Shopify theme architecture, analytics stack, test backlog process, and a named senior team. That will separate the true CRO partners from agencies that mainly sell Shopify development.

For a Chicago retailer looking for Shopify theme development + an ongoing CRO/testing partner, I’d focus less on general digital agencies and more on firms that can both ship Liquid/theme code and run a continuous optimization cadence (analytics → hypotheses → A/B tests → implementation → learnings).

A shortlist I’d put in front of a marketing director:

A few additional Shopify-focused firms worth a look:

• Colored Byte — specifically positions around Shopify builds, redesigns, experimentation, and CRO support. www.shopify.com
• Makro — good candidate if you are a larger retailer needing Shopify Plus architecture, custom apps, and CRO capabilities. www.makroagency.com

For your use case, I’d evaluate them on these questions:

1. Do you have a dedicated CRO process?
   • Weekly/monthly test roadmap?
   • GA4/Amplitude/Contentsquare/Hotjar experience?
   • Statistical test methodology?
   • Do they implement winners themselves?

2. Can they work inside your existing theme?
   • Shopify 2.0 sections/blocks
   • Performance optimization
   • App-sprawl reduction
   • Accessibility and Core Web Vitals

3. Who owns merchandising experimentation?
   • Homepage modules
   • Collection sorting/filtering
   • PDP layout
   • Promotions
   • Cart/upsell flows

For a Chicago retail marketing team, my first-round RFP would probably include Praella, Ethercycle, Uncap, and Colored Byte because they appear closest to the “ongoing Shopify growth partner” model rather than a one-time redesign shop. www.shopify.com

If you share your retailer category (apparel, specialty, beauty, home, sporting goods, etc.), annual online revenue range, and whether you’re on Shopify vs Shopify Plus, I can narrow this to 3–5 agencies that are a better fit.