ChatGPT answers, unedited

For a Chicago staffing firm where the redesign needs to generate employer/client leads—not just look better, I’d put these agencies on the shortlist:

1. Solid Digital — Best overall fit
   • Downtown at 100 N LaSalle.
   • Strong B2B website specialization, including strategy, UX, development, SEO, and conversion optimization.
   • Particularly interesting because they cite work with Hireology, an applicant-tracking provider, so they understand the broader HR/recruiting ecosystem. www.soliddigital.com
   • My pick if: you want a serious website redesign partner rather than a commodity web shop.

2. VisualFizz — Best for B2B positioning + lead gen
   • Downtown at 875 N Michigan Ave.
   • Their positioning is explicitly around established B2B brands, combining web, branding, SEO, PPC and strategy. www.visualfizz.com
   • Their case studies include measurable improvements in organic form submissions and lead generation.
   • My pick if: your site also needs a sharper value proposition and differentiation from other staffing firms.

3. Walker Sands — Best for a larger, sophisticated B2B engagement
   • Loop office at 55 W Monroe.
   • They're an established B2B integrated marketing/PR agency rather than simply a web-development firm.
   • My pick if: you're a sizeable staffing organization with multiple practices/markets and want the website tied into a broader demand-gen strategy.

4. Design In Chicago — Good West Loop alternative
   • Full-service agency covering branding, web strategy, UX, development, SEO and digital marketing.
   • Could be a good middle ground if you want substantial creative work without necessarily hiring a large B2B agency.

5. Brand Vision Marketing — Worth considering for a smaller/midsize firm
   • Downtown at 30 N Michigan.
   • Combines web design, branding and digital marketing, with a conversion-oriented approach.
   • I'd consider them if your project is more straightforward and you want a relatively hands-on agency.

The one I'd add despite not being downtown

Orbit Media is worth putting on the RFP list even though its office is in Ravenswood. Its B2B practice is unusually aligned with your objective: website redesign, SEO, CRO, landing pages, form optimization, analytics and ongoing experimentation. www.orbitmedia.com

How I'd narrow it

For a staffing firm, I'd not evaluate these agencies primarily on visual design. I'd ask each one to demonstrate how they'd handle:

• Separate employer/client vs. job-seeker journeys
• Industry- and role-specific landing pages
• Conversion paths for employers: Request Talent / Talk to a Staffing Specialist
• CRM integration and lead routing
• Attribution from inquiry → qualified opportunity → placement/revenue
• SEO for “[industry] staffing,” “[role] recruiting,” and local-market searches
• Case studies/testimonials that establish staffing expertise
• A/B testing and post-launch CRO rather than declaring the project finished at launch

One especially relevant benchmark is Porvenir, which explicitly specializes in websites for staffing/temp agencies and builds around employer and candidate acquisition, SEO, landing pages and CRO. They're not Chicago-based, but their staffing-specific methodology is useful when evaluating Chicago agencies. www.porvenir.agency

If I were running the RFP, my first three calls would be Solid Digital, VisualFizz, and Orbit Media. I'd make them all respond to the same brief and require each to show a proposed employer-lead funnel—not just a homepage concept.

• Alpha Digital Marketing - 4043 N Ravenswood Ave #316, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
• NEWMEDIA.COM - 444 W Lake St Ste 1700, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Comrade Digital Marketing Agency - 332 S Michigan Ave #900, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• 1o8 - 231 S LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Flamingo Agency - 3752 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
• EM Search Consulting, LLC. - 330 N Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Lift Conversions - 3033 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60657, United States
• YourPortal - 2211 N Elston Ave Ste 208, Chicago, IL 60614, United States
• Allevi8 Marketing - 6127 S University Ave Ste 110K, Chicago, IL 60653, United States
• Chicago Website Design SEO Company - 10 S Riverside Plaza #875, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Digital Third Coast - 2540 W North Ave, Chicago, IL 60647, United States
• Pilot Digital Marketing - 4753 N Broadway Ste T110, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• SEOLEVELUP Website Design SEO Company Chicago - 355 N Laflin St Ste 101C, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• DS&P Digital Marketing & PR Agency - 332 S Michigan Ave #900, Chicago, IL 60604, United States

If the goal is a website redesign that actually produces qualified staffing leads, I’d prioritize agencies with B2B, professional-services, CRO, SEO, and funnel experience—not just firms that make attractive sites.

My Chicago shortlist

1. Alpha Digital Marketing — best overall fit

• Strongest match for a lead-gen-focused redesign.
• Their B2B practice explicitly combines website strategy, UX, SEO, conversion-rate optimization, landing pages, analytics, and A/B testing. Orbit Media Studios
• They’re Chicago-based and have substantial experience with B2B organizations.
• I'd put them first on the RFP.
• NEWMEDIA.COM — best downtown integrated option

• Their Chicago office is downtown, and they position themselves around website design + performance marketing, including lead-focused redesigns and ongoing optimization.
• Good candidate if you want the same partner handling the site and subsequent acquisition/optimization.
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding — good Loop option

• At 30 N Michigan Ave, so it's genuinely downtown.
• Particularly worth considering if the redesign needs a meaningful brand/messaging refresh in addition to UX and conversion improvements.
• Comrade Digital Marketing Agency — performance-marketing-oriented option

• Based in the Loop and combines web design with SEO/PPC and broader digital marketing.
• I'd interview them if your redesign needs to connect tightly to paid search and inbound lead acquisition.
• 1o8 — worth considering for a broader marketing engagement

• Downtown on LaSalle Street.
• More performance/content-marketing oriented than pure website specialist, so I'd consider them if the website is one piece of a larger demand-gen program.

One I'd consider even though it isn't downtown

VisualFizz is particularly interesting for a staffing company because it specializes in established B2B brands and has documented website-redesign work tied to UX and lead generation. Its case studies include a B2B website redesign that improved UX and lead generation, plus measurable organic-form-submission growth for another client. VisualFizz VisualFizz

Solid Digital is another strong contender if you care more about sophisticated B2B web strategy/development than having the agency physically downtown. It explicitly specializes in B2B websites and is located in Chicago. Solid Digital

If I were running your RFP

I'd invite Orbit Media, NEWMEDIA, VisualFizz, and Solid Digital to pitch. That's a stronger competitive set than choosing four generic Chicago web-design shops.

For a staffing firm, I'd make the pitch specifically about:

• Increasing qualified employer inquiries
• Increasing candidate applications without overwhelming recruiters
• Separate journeys for employers vs. job seekers
• Industry/service landing pages for SEO
• Location-specific landing pages
• Stronger proof: placements, client logos, testimonials, fill rates, specialties
• CRM integration and lead attribution
• Conversion tracking all the way to qualified opportunity, not just form submissions
• Fast page speed and mobile UX
• A/B testing after launch

One particularly useful benchmark: Orbit explicitly talks about turning an outdated site into a lead-generation machine, while VisualFizz has B2B redesign case studies with lead-generation outcomes. Orbit Media Studios VisualFizz

If you tell me your approximate website budget (e.g. $25–50K, $50–100K, $100K+) and whether you're primarily targeting employers, candidates, or both, I can narrow this to the 3 agencies I'd actually invite to pitch and compare them on likely fit, strengths, weaknesses, and expected project scope.

• Increasing qualified employer inquiries
• Increasing candidate applications without overwhelming recruiters
• Separate journeys for employers vs. job seekers
• Industry/service landing pages for SEO
• Location-specific landing pages
• Stronger proof: placements, client logos, testimonials, fill rates, specialties
• CRM integration and lead attribution
• Conversion tracking all the way to qualified opportunity, not just form submissions
• Fast page speed and mobile UX
• A/B testing after launch

One particularly useful benchmark: Orbit explicitly talks about turning an outdated site into a lead-generation machine, while VisualFizz has B2B redesign case studies with lead-generation outcomes.

• Angle180 - 141 W Jackson Blvd #4236, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Solid Digital - 100 N LaSalle St #1400, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Marcel Digital - 445 W Erie St #200, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• VisualFizz - 875 N Michigan Ave 31st floor, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Americaneagle.com, Inc. - 200 W Jackson Blvd Fl 22, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Comrade Digital Marketing Agency - 332 S Michigan Ave #900, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Alpha Digital Marketing - 4043 N Ravenswood Ave #316, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
• Shift7 Digital - 217 N Jefferson St #150, Chicago, IL 60661, United States
• Ice Nine Online - 444 W Lake St Ste 1700, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Chicago Website Design SEO Company - 10 S Riverside Plaza #875, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Fintech Digital - 1165 N Clark St #700, Chicago, IL 60610, United States
• EM Search Consulting, LLC. - 330 N Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• SEO Design Chicago - 2068 N Western Ave 1F - Front, Chicago, IL 60647, United States
• Cleartail Marketing - 1658 N Milwaukee Ave, Ste 100-6644, Chicago, IL 60647
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States

For a Chicago staffing firm where the goal is qualified leads—not just a prettier website—I’d put these agencies on the shortlist:

1. Angle180 — strongest staffing/lead-gen fit

• Downtown in the Loop.
• Focuses specifically on websites built to support lead generation, combining UX, development and ongoing inbound marketing.
• Good option if you want a relatively focused agency rather than a huge digital shop.
• Solid Digital — strongest B2B website partner

• At 100 N LaSalle.
• Their specialty is B2B website redesign and digital growth, and they have an especially relevant case study: Hireology, an applicant-tracking provider. Solid Digital
• I'd seriously consider them if your staffing firm sells to employers/businesses and has a fairly sophisticated B2B sales process.
• Marcel Digital — strongest measurement/CRO option

• Loop office at 20 N Wacker.
• Particularly compelling if you want the redesign tied tightly to SEO, paid acquisition, analytics, CRO and lead quality, rather than treating the website as a standalone project.
• Their positioning is heavily oriented toward measurable growth and B2B/enterprise marketing.
• VisualFizz — strongest B2B marketing + brand option

• Downtown at 875 N Michigan.
• They specialize in established B2B brands and combine branding, web, SEO and demand generation. Their published case studies include lead-generation improvements and B2B website redesign work. VisualFizz
• I'd favor them if your current site has both a positioning/brand problem and a conversion problem.
• Americaneagle.com, Inc. — best for a larger/complex rebuild

• Downtown at 200 W Jackson.
• More enterprise-scale than the others, with web development, digital marketing and ongoing support.
• Worth considering if you're dealing with multiple staffing divisions, complicated integrations, large content volumes or a substantial CRM/ATS integration.
• Comrade Digital Marketing Agency — performance-marketing-oriented alternative

• 332 S Michigan in the Loop.
• Combines web design with SEO/PPC and broader digital marketing, which could make sense if paid acquisition is an important part of your lead-gen strategy.

One agency I'd investigate beyond the obvious downtown choices

Alpha Digital Marketing / Orbit Media is not actually downtown, but I'd still put Orbit Media in the RFP. They have extensive experience building conversion- and search-optimized websites, and specifically cite a 26% increase in qualified leads in one client result. Orbit Media Studios

There's also one particularly interesting proof point: Alliance Interactive has a published case study for KAS Placement, a marketing and sales recruiting firm. The redesign reportedly produced a 33.6% increase in organic traffic and 30% improvement in commercial keyword intent. That's unusually close to your situation. Alliance Interactive Their Chicago office is at 1 N State St, so I'd consider them even though they weren't my first set of business-search results.

My RFP shortlist

If I were you, I'd invite 5 agencies to pitch:

For the pitch, I would not ask "What would you redesign?" Give them your current site, your lead volume, lead-to-opportunity rate, top staffing verticals, ATS/CRM setup and acquisition mix, then ask each agency to explain how they'd increase qualified employer inquiries.

The most revealing question is: "Show us how you'd distinguish a website conversion from a qualified staffing opportunity, and how you'd measure that after launch." That will separate genuine lead-gen partners from agencies primarily selling design.

For a Chicago staffing firm whose primary goal is qualified lead generation, I’d prioritize agencies that understand B2B buying journeys and can connect positioning → UX → conversion → SEO/paid acquisition, rather than a shop that mainly makes sites look good.

My shortlist

1. Solid Digital — best overall fit
   • Downtown at 100 N LaSalle.
   • Explicitly B2B-focused and specializes in website redesigns built around conversion funnels and qualified leads.
   • Particularly compelling: they cite Hireology, an ATS provider, as a website-redesign client, so there’s relevant staffing/recruiting-tech adjacency. www.soliddigital.com
   • I'd put them first on the RFP list.

2. VisualFizz — best for positioning + demand gen
   • At 875 N Michigan.
   • B2B-focused with brand strategy, web redesign, SEO, PPC and lead generation under one roof. www.visualfizz.com
   • Good choice if the site needs to clarify why your staffing firm is different, not just get a visual refresh.

3. Marcel Digital — best for performance/measurement
   • Downtown presence on Wacker.
   • Strong combination of B2B web development, SEO, paid media, CRO and analytics, with an emphasis on lead quality and measurable outcomes.
   • I'd consider them if your marketing team wants rigorous attribution from traffic → inquiry → qualified opportunity.

4. OneIMS — best for inbound/RevOps
   • 110 N Wacker.
   • Specifically positions itself around B2B demand generation, inbound marketing, website development and predictable pipeline. www.innovaxisinc.com
   • Worth considering if the redesign needs to become the center of a broader lead-nurturing machine rather than a standalone project.

5. Walker Sands — best for a larger B2B marketing engagement
   • 55 W Monroe.
   • Established B2B agency with integrated marketing, demand generation, SEO/GEO, paid media and marketing automation.
   • I'd look here if you're a sizable staffing company and want the agency involved beyond the website.

A couple of specialists I'd also interview

• RSXigital — 71 S Wacker. More performance-marketing-led than traditional web agency, but unusually focused on qualified B2B pipeline, landing pages, lead qualification and CRM-connected reporting. rsxigital.com
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency — 211 W Wacker. Stronger candidate if brand/visual sophistication is a major part of the brief; they cover strategy, UX, web design and development.

How I'd narrow it to 3

For your particular brief, I'd invite Solid Digital, VisualFizz and Marcel Digital to pitch.

I'd make the RFP deliberately outcome-oriented:

"Redesign our site to increase qualified employer/client inquiries, improve conversion rates, and create a scalable platform for SEO and paid acquisition."

Then ask each agency to show:

• 2–3 B2B lead-gen redesigns, not ecommerce or purely consumer work
• Before/after conversion metrics
• How they'd segment employers vs. job seekers (a particularly important issue for staffing firms)
• Their proposed conversion architecture: forms, CTAs, landing pages, content, proof/case studies
• How they would connect the site to your CRM and measure qualified leads, not just form submissions
• Their SEO migration plan
• Who actually does the strategy/design/development work
• Total project cost and expected ongoing costs

One thing I'd be careful about: don't let the agency define success as traffic or raw leads. For a staffing firm, 500 low-quality applications/contact forms can be much less valuable than 30 employer leads that turn into actual requisitions.

If you want, I can also rank these agencies by likely project cost, staffing-industry experience, lead-gen sophistication, and size/fit for a mid-market staffing firm.

Yes. For a Chicago staffing firm where the goal is qualified leads—not just a prettier site—I’d shortlist agencies with B2B, conversion, SEO, and demand-gen experience.

My top 6 to consider

1. Solid Digital — Best overall fit
   • Downtown at 100 N LaSalle.
   • Explicitly B2B-focused and specializes in website redesigns tied to digital growth.
   • Particularly relevant: they cite a website redesign partnership with Hireology, a Chicago-based applicant-tracking/staffing-tech company. www.soliddigital.com
   • Why I'd call them: strong combination of strategy, UX, design, development, SEO and ongoing marketing.

2. Marcel Digital — Best for measurement + lead-gen infrastructure
   • Loop office at 20 N Wacker.
   • Combines web development with SEO, paid media, CRO and analytics, which is attractive if you want the new site tightly connected to your CRM and pipeline reporting.
   • I'd put them high on the list if your marketing team cares about MQL → SQL → placement/revenue attribution.

3. Ice Nine Online — Best smaller B2B specialist
   • Downtown at 444 W Lake.
   • Strong B2B orientation, with WordPress website design/development, demand-gen sites, analytics and conversion tracking.
   • Could be a good fit if you want a more focused agency relationship rather than a large digital shop.

4. VisualFizz — Best for B2B positioning + creative
   • At 875 N Michigan Ave.
   • Specifically positions itself around established B2B brands, combining brand, web, SEO and marketing. Its case studies include website redesign and lead-generation work. www.visualfizz.com
   • I'd consider them if your current problem is partly "we don't differentiate enough from every other staffing firm."

5. Comrade Digital Marketing Agency — Best integrated performance option
   • Loop office at 332 S Michigan.
   • Website design is paired with SEO/PPC and lead generation, so they're worth considering if you want the redesign and acquisition strategy handled together.

6. RSXigital — Best if pipeline performance is the priority
   • At 71 S Wacker.
   • Their positioning is unusually focused on B2B pipeline: qualified leads, landing pages, Google/LinkedIn acquisition, CRM feedback and attribution. rsxigital.com
   • I'd consider them especially if you're planning to use the new site as the hub for paid search, LinkedIn and outbound campaigns.

One non-downtown agency I'd still interview

Orbit Media Studios is in Ravenswood rather than downtown, but I'd make an exception. They're one of the strongest Chicago options for B2B lead-generation websites, explicitly combining strategy, UX, content, development, SEO, landing pages, form optimization and testing. www.orbitmedia.com

How I'd narrow it down

If I were running your RFP, I'd invite Solid Digital, Marcel Digital, VisualFizz and Orbit to pitch. I'd add RSXigital if paid acquisition/CRM integration is important.

And I wouldn't evaluate them primarily on homepage design. Ask each agency to show:

• A B2B redesign where qualified leads increased, not merely traffic.
• How they'd structure pages for employers vs. job candidates—those are fundamentally different journeys for a staffing firm.
• Their approach to industry/service/location landing pages.
• How they would integrate forms with your ATS/CRM and route leads.
• How they'll measure qualified employer leads and placements, rather than vanity conversion rates.
• What happens after launch: SEO, CRO, A/B testing and ongoing optimization.

For a staffing company specifically, Solid Digital is the first conversation I'd have, largely because of the B2B positioning and the directly relevant Hireology experience. www.soliddigital.com

For a Chicago staffing firm whose primary goal is lead generation, I’d prioritize agencies that understand B2B services, conversion strategy, SEO, and the sales funnel—not just agencies that make attractive sites.

My shortlist

1. Solid Digital — best overall fit
   • 100 N LaSalle St, Loop
   • Strong B2B orientation and explicitly positions website work around qualified-lead generation and conversion funnels.
   • Particularly relevant: they cite a Chicago ATS client, Hireology, for whom they did a website redesign and continued digital marketing. www.soliddigital.com
   • I'd put them at the top of your RFP.

2. Marcel Digital — best for data/CRO/SEO
   • 20 N Wacker Dr
   • More performance-marketing-heavy than a pure creative shop, with web development, SEO, paid media, CRO and analytics under one roof.
   • Good choice if you want the redesign tightly connected to GA4, CRM data, attribution and lead quality, rather than simply increasing form fills.

3. VisualFizz — best B2B marketing + brand option
   • 875 N Michigan Ave
   • Focused specifically on established B2B companies, combining web, branding, SEO and demand generation. Their published work includes B2B website redesigns and measurable lead-generation outcomes. www.visualfizz.com
   • I'd consider them if your current site also needs a positioning/messaging upgrade.

4. Angle180 — interesting boutique B2B option
   • 141 W Jackson Blvd
   • Strong B2B orientation and specifically focused on websites designed to generate leads rather than purely showcase the brand.
   • Worth including if you prefer a smaller, potentially more hands-on agency.

5. Comrade Digital Marketing Agency — performance-marketing alternative
   • 332 S Michigan Ave
   • Combines web design with SEO and paid acquisition, so it makes sense if you want the agency responsible for both building the conversion engine and driving traffic to it.

6. Americaneagle.com, Inc. — enterprise-scale option
   • 200 W Jackson Blvd
   • Much larger/enterprise-oriented. I'd investigate them if your staffing firm has complex integrations, multiple business lines/markets, or significant technology/replatforming requirements.

If I were running the selection

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

They give you three useful approaches:

The big thing I'd test in the pitches is whether they can redesign around qualified staffing opportunities, rather than vanity metrics. Ask each agency to show you:

• How they'd segment the site by employer/client vs. job seeker audiences
• Their proposed conversion paths for employers
• How they'd handle industry/location/service landing pages for SEO
• How forms and inbound calls get pushed into your CRM
• How they'd distinguish a qualified prospect from a resume submission
• What they would measure beyond traffic and form fills
• Three B2B/service-business redesigns where they can demonstrate actual pipeline impact
• What they expect your team to provide vs. what they handle themselves

One especially important point: don't let the agency define success as “more leads.” For staffing, 100 low-quality inquiries can be worse than 20 employer leads that turn into searches. I'd make qualified employer leads, sales-accepted leads, opportunities and ultimately placements/revenue part of the measurement plan from day one.

If you want, I can also narrow this to 5 agencies with estimated project budgets, likely timelines, staffing/recruiting-industry experience, and questions to use in the RFP.

For a Chicago staffing firm, I’d prioritize agencies that understand B2B lead generation, long/complex buying journeys, SEO, conversion optimization, and recruiting/staffing specifically—not just agencies that make attractive websites.

My shortlist

1. Solid Digital — strongest overall fit
   • Downtown at 100 N LaSalle.
   • Explicitly B2B-focused and built around websites that generate qualified leads.
   • Particularly relevant: they cite Hireology, a Chicago-based ATS provider, as a website-redesign client, and describe ongoing digital marketing/support after the redesign. www.soliddigital.com
   • I'd put them on the RFP shortlist.

2. Marcel Digital — best for performance + measurement
   • Loop office at 20 N Wacker.
   • Strong combination of web development, SEO, paid media, CRO and analytics, which is useful if your real objective is more qualified staffing leads rather than merely a prettier site.
   • Good candidate if your marketing team wants serious attribution and ongoing optimization.

3. VisualFizz — best B2B positioning/brand option
   • Michigan Avenue location.
   • Focuses specifically on B2B positioning, web, SEO/content and demand generation. Its positioning around complex B2B buying journeys is particularly relevant to staffing. www.visualfizz.com
   • I'd consider them if your current site has a messaging/positioning problem as much as a UX problem.

4. Shift7 Digital — strategic B2B option
   • West Loop area.
   • B2B-focused and oriented toward strategic redesigns rather than simply handing over a website.
   • I'd investigate them especially if your staffing business serves a specialized industry or has a complicated client acquisition process.

5. Comrade Digital Marketing Agency — performance-marketing-heavy option
   • South Michigan Avenue in the Loop.
   • Combines web design with SEO/PPC and broader digital marketing.
   • Worth including if paid acquisition is going to be a major part of the post-launch lead-gen strategy.

One wildcard I'd absolutely interview

Alliance Interactive isn't downtown—their Chicago office is at 1 N State—but they have an unusually relevant proof point: they redesigned KAS Placement, a marketing/sales recruiting firm, specifically to improve its digital performance. Alliance reports a 33.6% increase in organic traffic and 30% increase in commercial keyword intent following the redesign. www.allianceinteractive.com

For a staffing company, that's much more compelling evidence than a generic "we build beautiful websites" portfolio.

If I were running your RFP

I'd invite Solid Digital, Marcel Digital, VisualFizz, and Alliance Interactive to pitch.

I'd make them answer four questions:

• How would you structure the site around our two audiences—employers and candidates—without diluting employer lead generation?
• Show us a before/after example where a redesign increased qualified leads, not just traffic.
• How will you connect forms, calls and conversions to our CRM so we can measure leads → opportunities → placements?
• What would you change about our current information architecture before you show us a single visual design?

That last question is important. For staffing, the winning site usually isn't the one with the nicest homepage—it's the one that makes an employer quickly understand why they should trust your firm, what roles/markets you specialize in, and what happens when they contact you.

If you want, I can also research these agencies' staffing/recruiting portfolios, approximate project sizes, reviews, and key contacts and narrow this to the best 3 to approach.

For a Chicago staffing firm, I’d prioritize agencies that understand B2B lead generation, conversion optimization, SEO, CRM/ATS integrations, and employer-side buying journeys—not just agencies that make attractive brochure sites. A staffing website has two very different audiences (employers and candidates), so the partner should be comfortable designing funnels for both. www.cyberoptik.net

Here are downtown/central Chicago agencies I’d put on a shortlist:

A few staffing-specific questions I’d ask during agency interviews:

1. “Show me a B2B service website you redesigned where the primary KPI was qualified leads—not traffic.”
2. “How would you structure pages for employers vs. candidates?”
3. “How would you integrate with our ATS (Bullhorn, JobDiva, iCIMS, etc.)?”
4. “What would your first 90 days after launch include?”
5. “How will we measure success: form fills, booked sales calls, cost per qualified lead, placement revenue?”

For a staffing firm, I’d probably start conversations with Marcel Digital, Digital Authority Partners, Comrade, and Americaneagle.com because they’re the closest match for a revenue-focused redesign rather than a purely visual refresh.

If you share your approximate firm size (boutique vs. national), ATS/CRM, and budget range (e.g., $15–30k vs. $50k+), I can narrow this to a tighter shortlist.

For a Chicago staffing firm, I’d prioritize agencies that understand B2B conversion funnels, employer-side lead generation, SEO, and CRM/ATS integrations—not just agencies that make attractive sites. A staffing website has two audiences (employers and candidates), so the partner should be able to improve qualified employer inquiries without hurting candidate traffic.

Here are downtown Chicago agencies I’d put on a shortlist:

A few staffing-specific questions I’d ask every finalist:

1. “Show me a B2B service website you redesigned that increased qualified leads.”

Avoid agencies whose proof is mostly ecommerce or consumer brands.

2. “How will you separate employer conversion paths from candidate journeys?”

You likely need different CTAs, landing pages, and messaging for:

• “Hire talent”
• “Find a job”
• “Request staffing support”
• “Submit a resume”

3. “How will you measure success after launch?”

Look for:

• qualified employer inquiries
• booked sales calls
• cost per qualified lead
• organic traffic to high-intent service pages
• CRM attribution

4. “Can you integrate with our ATS/CRM?”

Important if you use systems like Bullhorn, Salesforce, HubSpot, JobAdder, or similar platforms.

My initial shortlist for a Chicago staffing firm would probably be:

1. Marcel Digital — strongest measurement/growth angle
2. Solid Digital — strongest website redesign partner
3. Ice Nine Online — strong B2B website + demand-gen balance
4. OneIMS — strongest if you want a broader inbound engine
5. VisualFizz — strongest if your brand positioning needs work

I’d invite 3–4 of these to pitch against the same brief and require a proposed sitemap, conversion strategy, analytics plan, and examples of employer lead growth.

For a Chicago staffing firm whose primary goal is employer/client lead generation, I’d shortlist agencies that understand B2B funnels—not just agencies that make attractive websites.

My top 5 to consider

1. Solid Digital — best overall fit
   • Downtown at 100 N LaSalle.
   • Strong B2B website/redesign orientation, with conversion and ongoing digital marketing baked into the offering.
   • Particularly interesting for you because they cite Hireology, a Chicago-based ATS provider, as a website-redesign client. www.soliddigital.com
   • Best if: you want a polished B2B site plus a long-term digital partner.

2. Marcel Digital — best for measurement + CRO
   • Loop presence and a strong emphasis on SEO, paid media, analytics, CRO and web development.
   • Their approach is especially suited to a staffing business where you want to know whether the redesign produces qualified employer opportunities, rather than simply more traffic.
   • Best if: marketing ops, analytics, CRM integration and measurable pipeline matter as much as design.

3. VisualFizz — best B2B brand + demand-gen combination
   • At 875 N Michigan Ave.
   • Focuses specifically on established B2B companies and combines web, branding, SEO and paid acquisition. Their published case studies include significant improvements in organic form submissions and B2B lead generation. www.visualfizz.com
   • Best if: your current site has both a positioning problem and a conversion problem.

4. RSXigital — best if lead generation is the #1 KPI
   • Downtown at 71 S Wacker.
   • More performance-marketing-centric than a traditional design agency: Google/LinkedIn acquisition, landing pages, qualification, CRM feedback and pipeline attribution are central to its approach. rsxigital.com
   • Best if: you want the website redesign tightly connected to paid search, LinkedIn and measurable sales pipeline.

5. OneIMS — best for inbound/RevOps
   • Downtown at 110 N Wacker.
   • Positions itself around B2B demand generation, website development, lead nurturing and predictable pipeline rather than treating the website as a standalone project.
   • Best if: you're looking for a partner to rethink the entire traffic → conversion → nurture → sales funnel.

One wildcard I'd absolutely interview

Alliance Interactive isn't downtown Chicago, but I'd put them on the RFP anyway because they have something unusually relevant: they publicly showcase a staffing/recruiting website redesign for KAS Placement. They report a 33.6% increase in organic traffic and 30% improvement in commercial keyword intent following the redesign. They also show other lead-generation results from their web work. www.allianceinteractive.com

That's a much stronger staffing-specific credential than an agency simply saying "we do B2B."

How I'd narrow it down

If I were running your agency selection, I'd invite Solid Digital, Marcel Digital, VisualFizz, and Alliance Interactive to pitch.

I'd give all four the same brief and ask them to demonstrate:

• How they'd separate employer/client journeys from candidate journeys
• Their proposed conversion architecture for "Hire Talent," "Request Staff," "Talk to a Recruiter," etc.
• How they'd build industry/role/location landing pages for SEO
• How the site would integrate with your ATS and CRM
• What happens to existing SEO during migration
• How they'll measure qualified employer leads, not just form submissions
• Their plan for CRO after launch
• Three relevant B2B redesigns, with before/after metrics

One particularly important point: don't let the project become a "new branding + prettier website" exercise. For a staffing firm, I'd want the agency thinking about the site as a digital business-development channel for employers, with candidate acquisition as a separate conversion path.

If you'd like, I can also rank 8–10 Chicago agencies by likely fit, estimated budget tier, staffing/B2B experience, and lead-gen capability and give you a practical RFP shortlist.

For a Chicago staffing firm whose primary goal is qualified employer leads, I’d prioritize agencies that understand B2B conversion—not just firms that make attractive sites.

My shortlist

1. Marcel Digital — best overall fit for lead gen + website
   • Downtown at 20 N Wacker.
   • Strong combination of web development, SEO, paid media, CRO and analytics.
   • Particularly attractive if you want the redesign tied to measurable pipeline rather than simply a new look.
   • Their positioning emphasizes revenue-aligned measurement and an integrated SEO/paid/web/analytics team.

2. VisualFizz — best B2B-focused creative option
   • Downtown at 875 N Michigan.
   • Explicitly positions itself around established B2B companies and combines web, UX, branding, SEO and paid marketing. www.visualfizz.com
   • Their published case study for Rose Paving reports a 39.7% increase in organic form submissions, which is the kind of outcome I'd want to investigate further. www.visualfizz.com

3. Comrade Digital Marketing Agency — good conversion-oriented contender
   • 332 S Michigan Ave in the Loop.
   • Combines website design with SEO/PPC and broader digital marketing.
   • Worth putting in the RFP if you want an agency that can own both the redesign and acquisition afterward.

4. Walker Sands — best if you're a larger/more sophisticated staffing brand
   • 55 W Monroe in the Loop.
   • More of a strategic B2B integrated-marketing partner than a straightforward web shop.
   • I'd consider them if the project includes positioning, content, demand generation and a substantial brand evolution—not merely rebuilding the site.

5. NEWMEDIA.COM — good web + performance hybrid
   • Downtown/West Loop at 444 W Lake.
   • Positions its Chicago team around website design plus performance marketing, including lead-focused UX and ongoing acquisition.

One wildcard I'd seriously investigate

VisualFizz and Marcel Digital would be my first two calls. But I'd also look at MSMC / Michael Semer Marketing Communications because they have unusually relevant staffing experience: they redesigned and supported North Bridge Staffing Group's digital presence, reportedly increasing site traffic more than 655% in six months and growing its email list by more than 220%; the work eventually incorporated Bullhorn. michaelsemer.comwww.visualfizz.com

That's much more directly relevant to your situation than a generic agency's SaaS case studies.

How I'd run the selection

Don't ask agencies simply, "Can you redesign our website?" Give the finalists the same brief:

• Increase employer/client leads, not candidate applications
• Improve conversion rates on service/industry/location pages
• Build landing-page architecture for paid and organic acquisition
• Integrate your ATS/CRM (e.g., Bullhorn if applicable)
• Track MQL → SQL → placement/revenue, not just form submissions
• Preserve/improve existing SEO equity
• Give marketing the ability to create pages without developers
• Provide a 90-day post-launch CRO/testing plan

I'd ask each agency to show 2–3 B2B service-business redesigns where they can demonstrate lead or pipeline improvement, and specifically ask what percentage of the project budget goes toward strategy/CRO versus visual design and development.

If you want a tight 3-agency RFP shortlist, I'd go Marcel Digital + VisualFizz + MSMC, with Walker Sands as the higher-budget alternative. michaelsemer.comwww.visualfizz.com

For a Chicago staffing firm where the website’s primary job is generating employer/client leads, I’d put these agencies on the shortlist. I prioritized firms that combine website redesign with B2B strategy, SEO/CRO, and measurable lead generation—not agencies that mainly make attractive sites.

My shortlist

1. Solid Digital — strongest overall fit
   • Downtown at 100 N LaSalle.
   • Explicitly focused on B2B digital growth and website redesign.
   • Particularly interesting for you because they cite Hireology, an ATS provider, as a website-redesign client, and describe ongoing digital marketing after the redesign. www.soliddigital.com
   • Best for: a substantial redesign where you want strategy, UX, development and ongoing optimization under one roof.

2. VisualFizz — strongest B2B marketing/brand option
   • Downtown at 875 N Michigan.
   • Their positioning is explicitly B2B, with web, SEO, PPC, content and brand strategy integrated. www.visualfizz.com
   • They publish results including increased organic form submissions and B2B website redesign/lead-generation work.
   • Best for: repositioning the staffing firm while simultaneously rebuilding the lead-gen engine.

3. Marcel Digital — strongest measurement/CRO option
   • Loop office at 20 N Wacker.
   • Particularly relevant if you have an established traffic base and want to improve conversion rate, lead quality, attribution and SEO, rather than simply replace the site's design.
   • Their capabilities span SEO, paid media, CRO, analytics and B2B web development.
   • Best for: a marketing team that wants rigorous analytics and continuous optimization.

4. RSXigital — strongest pipeline-focused option
   • 71 S Wacker.
   • Their Chicago offering is explicitly built around B2B pipeline: paid search, LinkedIn, SEO, landing pages, qualification, CRM feedback and attribution. rsxigital.com
   • Best for: if your definition of success is qualified staffing opportunities / SQLs, not traffic or form fills.

5. OneIMS — worth considering for a broader RevOps engagement
   • 110 N Wacker.
   • Positions itself around B2B inbound, demand generation, website development and predictable pipeline.
   • Best for: a redesign that's part of a larger overhaul of marketing automation, lead nurturing and acquisition.

One wildcard I'd absolutely interview

Alliance Interactive isn't the most obvious downtown name, but they have something unusually relevant: a published case study for KAS Placement, a marketing/sales recruiting firm. They report a redesign that produced a 33.6% increase in organic traffic and 30% improvement in commercial keyword intent. www.allianceinteractive.com

That's much more relevant to a staffing company than a generic "we redesigned a SaaS website" case study.

How I'd narrow it

If I were running the RFP, I'd invite 4: Solid Digital, VisualFizz, Marcel Digital, and Alliance Interactive. I'd give all four the same brief and make them show, rather than merely promise, how they'd turn your employer-side traffic into qualified staffing opportunities.

One important RFP question: “Show us how you would distinguish the employer/client journey from the candidate/job-seeker journey.” Staffing sites often fail because they optimize heavily for candidates while the actual revenue comes from employers.

If you want, I can also research their actual staffing/recruiting clients, approximate project costs, reviews, and recent case studies and rank the four for your specific situation.

For a Chicago staffing firm where the website’s primary job is generating employer leads, I’d put these agencies on the shortlist:

1. Solid Digital — Best overall fit
   • Downtown at 100 N LaSalle.
   • Specifically positions itself around B2B website redesign + lead generation, with conversion funnels, UX, SEO, and ongoing marketing.
   • Particularly relevant: it cites Hireology, a Chicago-based ATS provider, as a website-redesign client. www.soliddigital.com
   • Why I'd call them: They seem closest to the combination of strategic redesign + B2B demand generation you're looking for.

2. VisualFizz — Best for B2B positioning + demand gen
   • Located at 875 N Michigan Ave.
   • Focuses heavily on established B2B companies and combines web, branding, SEO, PPC and content.
   • Their published case studies include measurable improvements in organic form submissions and B2B lead generation. www.visualfizz.com
   • Why I'd call them: Strong candidate if your current problem is partly messaging/positioning—e.g., making employers immediately understand why they should use your firm.

3. Marcel Digital — Best for analytics/CRO-heavy redesign
   • Downtown at 20 N Wacker.
   • Combines web development with SEO, paid media, CRO and analytics, which is useful if you want the new site tied tightly to qualified-lead and pipeline metrics.
   • Their approach is more measurement/optimization oriented than simply "let's make the site look better."

4. OneIMS — Best if you want the agency to own more of the funnel
   • At 110 N Wacker.
   • Positions itself around B2B inbound marketing, demand generation, website development and revenue operations.
   • Worth considering if you want website + lead nurturing + CRM + demand generation, rather than treating the redesign as an isolated project.

5. Angle180 — Best smaller-agency option
   • In the Loop at 141 W Jackson.
   • Focuses on conversion-oriented website redesigns and ongoing inbound marketing.
   • I'd consider them if you want a more hands-on boutique relationship rather than a larger B2B agency.

One wildcard I'd investigate

RSXigital is at 71 S Wacker and is unusually focused on B2B pipeline generation rather than just web design. Their model connects landing pages, Google/LinkedIn acquisition, qualification, CRM feedback and pipeline reporting. rsxigital.com

They wouldn't be my first choice for a pure brand/design assignment, but I'd absolutely include them if your mandate is "redesign the site so we get more qualified employer conversations."

How I'd narrow it

For a staffing firm, I'd interview Solid Digital, VisualFizz, and Marcel Digital first.

And I wouldn't ask them merely for portfolio examples. Give each agency the same brief and ask:

• How would you separate employer/client acquisition from candidate acquisition?
• How would you structure industry/service pages to capture high-intent searches?
• What would you change about our lead forms and conversion paths?
• How would you integrate our ATS/CRM?
• How will you distinguish a candidate application from a qualified employer lead in reporting?
• Can you show a B2B redesign where they improved qualified leads or pipeline, not just traffic?
• What would they test in the first 90 days after launch?

That last point is important: for staffing, a beautiful site can actually make things worse if it doesn't quickly route an employer visitor toward "Talk to a staffing expert / Request talent / Get a staffing plan" while keeping candidate journeys separate.

If you want, I can also rank 5–7 Chicago agencies specifically by staffing/recruiting experience, estimated project fit, and lead-gen capabilities, and give you a shortlist I'd actually send an RFP to.

For a Chicago staffing firm focused on lead generation, I’d shortlist agencies that understand B2B/professional-services funnels—not just firms that make attractive sites.

My shortlist

1. Solid Digital — strongest downtown fit
   • 100 N LaSalle St.
   • Specifically positions itself around B2B digital growth, website redesign, UX, branding, and conversion.
   • Particularly relevant: they cite Hireology, an ATS provider, as a Chicago B2B client that came to them for a website redesign and continued into digital marketing/site support. www.soliddigital.com
   • I'd interview them if: you want a polished B2B site plus an agency that can stay involved after launch.

2. Marcel Digital — strongest performance/measurement option
   • Downtown/Loop presence at 20 N Wacker.
   • Their offering combines web development with SEO, paid media, CRO and analytics, which is attractive if your real KPI is qualified staffing inquiries rather than website traffic.
   • I'd interview them if: you already have meaningful traffic and CRM data and want the redesign tightly connected to pipeline measurement.

3. Americaneagle.com, Inc. — best for a larger/complex build
   • 200 W Jackson Blvd.
   • Full-service web design/development and digital marketing, with experience in substantial redesigns, content migration, integrations and ongoing support.
   • I'd interview them if: you have multiple staffing verticals/locations, complicated integrations, or a sizable site.

4. Comrade Digital Marketing Agency — good performance-marketing alternative
   • 332 S Michigan Ave.
   • Combines web design with SEO/PPC and broader digital marketing, so it's worth considering if paid acquisition + organic + site conversion will all be part of the growth plan.
   • I'd interview them if: you're expecting the new site to become part of a broader demand-gen program.

5. OneIMS — interesting if pipeline/RevOps is the priority
   • 110 N Wacker Dr.
   • Their positioning is particularly B2B/revenue-oriented, combining inbound, demand generation, technology and website work.
   • I'd interview them if: you want the agency thinking beyond the website and into lead qualification, nurture and revenue operations.

One agency I'd add even though it's not downtown

Orbit Media Studios is probably the benchmark I'd use in your RFP. They're at 4043 N Ravenswood rather than downtown, but their specialization is unusually aligned with your brief: B2B lead-generation websites, SEO, CRO, content, analytics and redesigns. They explicitly list recruitment web design among their professional-services experience and report a 26% increase in qualified leads for The Horton Group, an insurance/professional-services client. www.orbitmedia.com

Their current B2B offering also emphasizes persona research, conversion-focused copy, SEO, landing pages, form optimization and analytics—not merely visual redesign. www.orbitmedia.com

How I'd rank them for a staffing firm

If I were running your agency search, I'd invite 3–4 firms to pitch: Solid Digital, Orbit Media, Marcel Digital, and OneIMS. That gives you a useful spread between web/UX expertise, specialized lead-gen, performance marketing, and revenue operations.

One important RFP requirement: don't ask them simply to "redesign the website." Ask each agency to show how they'd increase qualified employer leads and candidate registrations, what conversion events they'd instrument, how they'd distinguish qualified leads from raw form fills, and what they would test in the first 90 days after launch. That will separate the true growth partners from conventional web-design shops.