ChatGPT answers, unedited

For a nonprofit with an aging site, I’d prioritize an agency that understands information architecture, accessibility, program-page SEO, and mission-driven user journeys (finding services, applying, donating, volunteering). In Fulton Market/downtown Chicago, these are the ones I’d put on a shortlist:

Best fits for a nonprofit website redesign + program search SEO

Orbit Media Studios

Best overall fit for many nonprofits

• Strong nonprofit portfolio and specifically discusses SEO-driven redesigns, including keyword research, technical SEO, content structure, and preserving/improving rankings during redesigns. Orbit Media Studios
• Good choice if your biggest issue is: “People can’t find our programs/services through Google.”
• They tend to be strategy-heavy: sitemap planning, content organization, CMS training, analytics, and conversion paths. Orbit Media Studios

Dialogue Theory

Best for complex nonprofit/civic organizations

• Chicago studio focused on mission-driven organizations, including nonprofits and civic agencies. Their work emphasizes UX strategy, digital experiences, CMS builds, and usability.
• Consider them if you have many programs, audiences, locations, eligibility rules, or resource libraries that need a better structure.

Idea Marketing Group

Best if you need WordPress + SEO improvements

• Has nonprofit-specific case work, including a redesign for BPI Chicago focused on clearer navigation, easier content management, mobile performance, and SEO improvements. Idea Marketing Group Idea Marketing Group
• A good fit if your current site is a WordPress site that has become difficult to maintain.

The Loop Marketing Inc

Best downtown option for smaller nonprofits needing ongoing SEO support

• Located in the West Loop area and offers web design plus SEO services, including keyword research, competitor analysis, and ongoing optimization.
• Worth considering if you need a partner after launch rather than just a redesign.

Pilot Digital Marketing

Best if SEO growth is the primary goal

• Offers SEO, paid search, WordPress development, and analytics, and highlights a nonprofit support initiative. Pilot Digital
• Better fit if you already have decent branding but need more program pages ranking and more measurable traffic growth.

What I’d ask agencies during interviews

For your specific goal (“improve SEO for program searches”), I’d ask:

1. “How will you map our existing pages before redesigning?”

You want redirects, preservation of ranking pages, and a content migration plan.

2. “How will you structure program pages for search?”

Look for answers involving:

• individual program landing pages
• audience/location/topic keywords
• FAQ content
• internal linking
• schema markup where appropriate
• “Can you show nonprofit sites where organic traffic or program inquiries improved after launch?”
• “Who owns the SEO work after launch?”

Some agencies build a beautiful site but leave ongoing search growth entirely to the nonprofit.

If I were narrowing this to three initial conversations, I’d start with Orbit Media Studios, Dialogue Theory, and Idea Marketing Group based on the nonprofit fit and likely alignment with a program-search SEO challenge. Orbit Media Studios Idea Marketing Group

• Windy City Web Solutions - 801 S Wells St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• The Loop Marketing - 222 W Merchandise Mart Plz, Ste 24, Chicago, IL 60654
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Orbit Media Studios - 4043 N Ravenswood Ave #316, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
• Dialogue Theory - 1932 S Halsted St #509, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• Sandstorm Design - 4422 N Ravenswood Ave #50, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• The Loop Marketing Inc - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• EDUCO Web Design - 128 Chicago Ave, Oak Park, IL 60302, United States
• Chicago Website Design SEO Company - 10 S Riverside Plaza #875, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• SEOLEVELUP Website Design SEO Company Chicago - 355 N Laflin St Ste 101C, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Paul Gregory Media - 200 E 5th Ave, Ste 105, Naperville, IL 60563
• Paul Gregory Media - 50 S Main St Suit 200, Naperville, IL 60540, United States
• TLO Web Designs - 9109 S Paxton Ave, Chicago, IL 60617, United States
• Operation Technology - 211 W Wacker Dr 3rd Floor, Chicago, IL 60606

Yes. For a nonprofit whose main goal is a modern redesign plus better discovery of programs in Google, I’d shortlist these three:

1. Windy City Web Solutions — best practical fit

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 847-801-9482)

They’re at 801 S Wells St in the South Loop, so not Fulton Market proper, but very close to downtown. They specifically work with nonprofits, build/support WordPress sites, and offer SEO. A recent verified nonprofit project involved redesigning navigation, creating pages, and implementing redirects, with the client praising their flexibility and on-time delivery. Clutch

Why I'd call them: If you want a hands-on, reasonably sized Chicago shop rather than a big agency, this looks like a strong fit.

2. The Loop Marketing — best location + marketing combination

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+13125699449)

Their Chicago office is at 159 N Sangamon St, right in Fulton Market/West Loop. They combine WordPress web design with SEO, content, UX, and broader digital marketing rather than treating SEO as an afterthought. Clutch

Why I'd call them: Particularly attractive if your redesign needs to reorganize the site's content around the searches people actually use to find your programs.

3. Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding — best downtown option

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-741-0303)

They're at 30 N Michigan Ave and combine web design, branding, and SEO. Their positioning is particularly oriented toward making sites easy to navigate and conversion-focused, with reviewers specifically mentioning their combination of web design and SEO.

Why I'd call them: Good option if the aging site has both a visual/brand problem and an organic-search problem.

One agency I'd add even though it's not in Fulton Market

Orbit Media Studios is worth putting on the RFP list. They're unusually well aligned with your specific objective: their nonprofit practice explicitly combines keyword research, content strategy, on-page/semantic SEO, structured data, technical SEO, performance, and Search Console/Analytics. They also have a Chicago nonprofit redesign case study where the redesigned site increased conversions by 15%. Orbit Media Studios

For your particular brief, Orbit would probably be my first call, followed by Windy City and The Loop Marketing.

One other interesting data point: Arch Web Design recently completed a nonprofit redesign/SEO project for the Pritzker Pucker Family Foundation, including SEO/AI-search optimization and donation-system improvements; the reported results were substantial. Clutch

What I'd put in your RFP

Don't simply ask agencies for "a new website with SEO." I'd ask them to demonstrate how they'd handle:

• Program-search architecture: What pages should exist for each program/service, audience, geography, eligibility, etc.?
• Keyword research: Which searches currently drive people to competitors or other nonprofits?
• Migration: A complete URL/redirect strategy so the redesign doesn't wipe out existing rankings.
• Technical SEO: Core Web Vitals, crawlability, indexing, schema/structured data, accessibility and mobile performance.
• Content: Whether they will actually rewrite/restructure program pages rather than merely redesign them.
• Measurement: Baselines and targets for organic program-page traffic, rankings, conversions and inquiries.
• CMS: Whether your staff can easily add/update programs without an agency.

The program-page architecture is especially important. If someone searches something like "Chicago [program type] for [population]" or "free [service] near me," you want Google to find a highly relevant, authoritative program page—not your generic homepage.

If you tell me your nonprofit's name/site and roughly what your programs are, I can do a quick SEO-oriented assessment of the current site and narrow this to 2–3 agencies I'd actually invite to bid.

Orbit Media Studios is worth putting on the RFP list. They're unusually well aligned with your specific objective: their nonprofit practice explicitly combines keyword research, content strategy, on-page/semantic SEO, structured data, technical SEO, performance, and Search Console/Analytics. They also have a Chicago nonprofit redesign case study where the redesigned site increased conversions by 15%. Orbit Media Studios

For your particular brief, Orbit would probably be my first call, followed by Windy City and The Loop Marketing.

One other interesting data point: Arch Web Design recently completed a nonprofit redesign/SEO project for the Pritzker Pucker Family Foundation, including SEO/AI-search optimization and donation-system improvements; the reported results were substantial. Clutch

What I'd put in your RFP

Don't simply ask agencies for "a new website with SEO." I'd ask them to demonstrate how they'd handle:

• Program-search architecture: What pages should exist for each program/service, audience, geography, eligibility, etc.?
• Keyword research: Which searches currently drive people to competitors or other nonprofits?
• Migration: A complete URL/redirect strategy so the redesign doesn't wipe out existing rankings.
• Technical SEO: Core Web Vitals, crawlability, indexing, schema/structured data, accessibility and mobile performance.
• Content: Whether they will actually rewrite/restructure program pages rather than merely redesign them.
• Measurement: Baselines and targets for organic program-page traffic, rankings, conversions and inquiries.
• CMS: Whether your staff can easily add/update programs without an agency.

The program-page architecture is especially important. If someone searches something like "Chicago [program type] for [population]" or "free [service] near me," you want Google to find a highly relevant, authoritative program page—not your generic homepage.

• Windy City Web Solutions - 801 S Wells St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• The Loop Marketing Inc - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Cybernautic Web Design - 515 N State St #14-126, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Dialogue Theory - 1932 S Halsted St #509, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• Sandstorm Design - 4422 N Ravenswood Ave #50, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Chicago Website Design SEO Company - 10 S Riverside Plaza #875, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Paul Gregory Media - 200 E 5th Ave, Ste 105, Naperville, IL 60563
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• EDUCO Web Design - 128 Chicago Ave, Oak Park, IL 60302, United States
• TLO Web Designs - 9109 S Paxton Ave, Chicago, IL 60617, United States
• SEOLEVELUP Website Design SEO Company Chicago - 355 N Laflin St Ste 101C, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Paul Gregory Media - 50 S Main St Suit 200, Naperville, IL 60540, United States
• Nonprofit Megaphone - 1230 W 34th St, Chicago, IL 60608, United States

For your specific brief—nonprofit website redesign + better SEO for people searching for programs—I’d put Orbit Media Studios at the top of the list, even though it’s not specifically in Fulton Market.

My shortlist

1. Orbit Media Studios — best overall fit - Strong nonprofit specialization and a substantial Chicago nonprofit portfolio.
2. Explicitly combines redesign, information architecture, keyword research, technical SEO, structured data, Search Console/Analytics, and search-optimized content.
3. Particularly relevant: they cite a redesign for Off The Street Club that increased the donation key-event rate 15%, and they have nonprofit work with organizations including the Greater Chicago Food Depository and Goodman Theatre. Orbit Media Studios
4. My pick if program discovery/search traffic is a major goal.
5. orbitmedia.com

1. Windy City Web Solutions — best smaller/local option - Based in the South Loop and specifically works with nonprofits, along with schools, healthcare organizations and professional services.
2. Focuses on WordPress, accessibility, SEO, maintenance and hands-on support. This could be a good fit if you want a less-agency-heavy relationship and an easier-to-maintain site.

1. The Loop Marketing Inc — best Fulton Market/West Loop-area option - Chicago office at 159 N Sangamon St, right in the Fulton Market/West Loop area.
2. Offers WordPress web design plus SEO, content, conversion strategy and ongoing marketing; its positioning explicitly includes nonprofits.
3. I’d interview them alongside Orbit if being physically close to Fulton Market matters.

1. Cybernautic Web Design — good if custom functionality is important - Has Chicago/Fulton Market-specific web-design work and explicitly serves nonprofits.
2. Their work combines custom web development, SEO, schema markup and ongoing optimization. Cybernautic Website Design
3. More compelling if your nonprofit needs things like program finders, directories, custom forms or integrations rather than primarily a content/marketing site.

One I would not overlook

Idea Marketing Group has a particularly relevant nonprofit case study involving BPI Chicago/Impact for Equity. They rebuilt the site in WordPress specifically to improve usability, mobile performance and search rankings, addressing both technical and non-technical SEO. Idea Marketing Group Idea Marketing Group

What I'd ask each agency

Don't just ask, “Can you improve our SEO?” Ask them to show you how they'd make program searches work. Specifically:

• How would you restructure our navigation and URLs around individual programs?
• How would you research the actual phrases people use when looking for our services?
• Would every major program get its own indexable landing page?
• How will you preserve/improve rankings during the redesign and URL migration?
• How will you handle redirects, schema, internal linking and Core Web Vitals?
• Can you show before/after organic-search results for another nonprofit?
• Who actually writes/optimizes the program-page copy?
• How will we measure program-search traffic and conversions, rather than just overall traffic?

If it were my RFP, I'd invite Orbit, The Loop Marketing, and Windy City Web Solutions to pitch. Orbit looks strongest on nonprofit + SEO strategy; The Loop wins on Fulton Market proximity; Windy City looks attractive if you want a smaller, hands-on partner.

If you tell me your nonprofit's mission/program area and approximate budget (e.g. <$25k, $25–50k, $50–100k), I can narrow this to 2–3 agencies and compare their likely fit.

If you tell me your nonprofit's mission/program area and approximate budget (e.g. <$25k, $25–50k, $50–100k), I can narrow this to 2–3 agencies and compare their likely fit.

For a nonprofit with two goals—modernize an aging site and get more people finding specific programs through Google—I’d shortlist these Chicago agencies:

1. The Loop Marketing Inc — best location + practical fit

The Loop Marketing Inc
Web
Address: 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
Phone: +1 312-569-9449
159 N Sangamon St., right in Fulton Market. They explicitly serve nonprofits and combine WordPress web design with ongoing SEO, including keyword research, competitor analysis, on-page and off-page optimization.

Why I'd talk to them: They look like a good fit if you want a relatively hands-on Chicago agency rather than a huge national shop.

2. Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding — best downtown option

Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding
Web
Address: 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
Phone: +1 312-741-0303
30 N Michigan Ave in the Loop. Their focus includes UX-oriented web design, information architecture, CMS builds and SEO.

Why I'd consider them: Stronger choice if the redesign also needs a significant brand/visual refresh.

3. Windy City Web Solutions — good smaller-shop alternative

Windy City Web Solutions
Web
Address: 801 S Wells St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
Phone: +1 847-801-9482
801 S Wells St. They specifically work with nonprofits and build/support WordPress sites, with an emphasis on accessibility, performance and SEO.

Why I'd consider them: Potentially a better fit if your nonprofit wants a close relationship with the people actually building and maintaining the site.

4. Chicago Website Design SEO Company — SEO-heavy option

Chicago Website Design SEO Company
Web
Address: 10 S Riverside Plaza #875, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
Phone: +1 312-448-8310
10 S Riverside Plaza downtown. Their offering combines web development with SEO, search visibility, analytics and ongoing optimization.

Why I'd consider them: If Google visibility is the primary reason you're redesigning rather than aesthetics alone.

One agency I'd put on the RFP anyway: Orbit Media

Orbit Media's nonprofit web design work is especially relevant even though it isn't in Fulton Market. They have substantial nonprofit experience and explicitly integrate keyword research, technical SEO, information architecture, structured data and Search Console/Analytics into redesigns. Their Chicago nonprofit work includes Off the Street Club, where they report a 15% increase in the donation key-event rate, plus projects for organizations including the Greater Chicago Food Depository and Goodman Theatre. www.orbitmedia.com

For your particular objective, Orbit would probably be my first call, with The Loop Marketing and Windy City Web Solutions as the two local alternatives.

One other interesting possibility is Idea Marketing Group. They have a particularly relevant Chicago nonprofit case study: they redesigned BPI Chicago's WordPress site specifically because poor navigation and SEO were limiting awareness, then combined information architecture, content/keyword work and technical SEO. www.ideamktg.com

What I'd require in the RFP

Don't just ask agencies for "SEO." Ask them to show exactly how they'll make your programs discoverable:

• Keyword research around each program/service and the audiences searching for it
• A new information architecture where each major program has a dedicated, indexable landing page
• Search-optimized page titles, headings, copy and internal linking
• Migration plan that preserves existing rankings and redirects old URLs
• Technical SEO, Core Web Vitals and accessibility
• Google Search Console + GA4 setup
• Schema/structured data where appropriate
• Content strategy for questions people search before they know your organization
• Baseline rankings/organic traffic and 6–12 month SEO KPIs
• Training so your staff can create new program pages without breaking the SEO structure

I'd also ask each agency for 2–3 nonprofit references where the project involved both a website redesign and measurable organic-search growth, not just a pretty new site.

For a nonprofit redesign where program-search SEO is a major goal, I’d shortlist these three:

1. The Loop Marketing Inc — Fulton Market
   • 159 N Sangamon St., Suite 200.
   • Especially relevant because they explicitly serve nonprofits, offer WordPress/web design, and combine it with advanced/local SEO, keyword research, competitor analysis, and content strategy.
   • My pick if you want a local, mid-sized partner rather than a large agency.

2. Windy City Web Solutions — South Loop
   • 801 S Wells St.
   • Very strong nonprofit fit: they specifically build WordPress sites for nonprofits and have a Chicago nonprofit case study involving improving visibility for food assistance, volunteer registration, and community programs. Their approach also emphasizes accessibility and performance. windycitywebsolutions.com
   • My pick if program discovery/accessibility and budget are priorities.

3. Marcel Digital — downtown/West Loop
   • Chicago office at 20 N Wacker Dr.; their local listing also shows 445 W Erie St.
   • More SEO/analytics-heavy, with technical SEO, content, web development, site migrations, redirects, Search Console and performance work.
   • My pick if organic search growth is the #1 objective and you have a somewhat larger budget.

One agency I'd definitely add to the RFP

Orbit Media Studios — nonprofit web design isn't in Fulton Market, but I'd make an exception for them. They're unusually well matched to your brief: they specialize in nonprofit redesigns and SEO, and their published work includes a Chicago nonprofit whose redesign produced a 15% increase in a key donation conversion rate. They explicitly address keyword research, search-optimized navigation, technical SEO, structured data, analytics, and—crucially—preserving rankings during a redesign. www.orbitmedia.com

What I'd ask them to solve

Don't frame the project simply as "modernize our website." For a nonprofit, I'd make the core requirement:

Make it dramatically easier for someone searching for a specific program or service to find the right page, understand eligibility, and take the next step.

I'd ask each agency for a proposed program-search architecture, including:

• keyword research around your actual programs/services and the language constituents use
• dedicated, indexable pages for major programs rather than burying them in PDFs or generic "Services" pages
• SEO-friendly URLs, titles, headings, internal linking and schema
• migration/redirect strategy so the redesign doesn't destroy existing rankings
• Google Search Console + analytics baseline and post-launch measurement
• accessibility and mobile performance
• a plan for ongoing content updates, not just launch-day SEO

If I were choosing three to interview: Orbit Media, The Loop Marketing, and Windy City Web Solutions. I'd use the proposals to compare SEO methodology and information architecture, not just visual portfolios.

The Loop Marketing Inc
Windy City Web Solutions
Orbit Media Studios

If you tell me roughly how many program pages you have and your redesign budget (e.g. <$15k, $15–30k, $30k+), I can narrow this to the best 2–3 and compare likely fit.

For a nonprofit website redesign where SEO for program/service searches is a major goal, I’d put Orbit Media Studios at the top of the list, even though they’re in Ravenswood rather than Fulton Market. They have unusually strong nonprofit-specific experience and explicitly combine redesign, information architecture, keyword research, technical SEO, content, and conversion strategy. Their nonprofit portfolio includes Off the Street Club, where they report a 15% increase in the donation key-event rate, and they specifically discuss preserving rankings during redesigns. www.orbitmedia.com

My shortlist

1. Orbit Media Studios — Best overall fit
   • Strongest evidence of nonprofit + SEO + redesign expertise.
   • Their process includes keyword research, search-optimized navigation/content, technical SEO, redirects, structured data, Search Console, and analytics. www.orbitmedia.com
   • Particularly good if people search for things like “housing assistance Chicago,” “youth programs near me,” “food assistance,” “domestic violence services,” etc., and you want the site architecture built around those searches.
   • Likely the premium option, so I'd ask for a phased proposal if budget is constrained.

2. The Loop Marketing Inc — Best Fulton Market option
   • At 159 N Sangamon St, right in Fulton Market.
   • Works with nonprofits and combines WordPress web design with ongoing SEO, including keyword research and competitor analysis.
   • I'd consider them if you want a somewhat smaller/local partner and regular in-person collaboration.

3. ePageCity Inc. — Best downtown/value-oriented option
   • Located at 111 N Wabash Ave in the Loop.
   • Their work spans website redesign, digital marketing, SEO, and legacy-site cleanup, including nonprofit clients.
   • Worth getting a proposal if Orbit's scope comes back too expensive.

4. Idea Marketing Group — Worth interviewing specifically because of their nonprofit case study
   • They redesigned the website for BPI Chicago (now Impact for Equity) and tackled essentially the same combination you're describing: aging nonprofit site, better UX, WordPress, mobile performance, technical SEO, keyword research, and improved search visibility. www.ideamktg.comwww.ideamktg.com
   • Their published case study reports a 60% increase in average time on page and a 100 SEO score in Google PageSpeed Insights. www.ideamktg.comwww.ideamktg.com
   • They aren't in Fulton Market/downtown, but I'd absolutely include them in the RFP.

What I'd emphasize in the RFP

Don't simply ask agencies for “a new website with SEO.” For a program-focused nonprofit, I'd ask them to demonstrate how they'd handle:

• Program/service keyword research based on what people actually search for.
• A new information architecture organized around users' needs rather than your internal departments.
• Dedicated, indexable pages for each major program/service.
• Google Search Console + GA4 baseline analysis before the redesign.
• URL mapping and 301 redirects so existing rankings aren't lost.
• Technical SEO: Core Web Vitals, schema, accessibility, crawlability, canonicals, XML sitemap, etc.
• Content strategy for high-intent searches—not just blog posts.
• Internal linking between programs, eligibility, locations, FAQs and resources.
• Search analytics after launch, with a plan for improving pages that aren't ranking.
• A CMS your staff can actually maintain without a developer.

If I were choosing three to interview: Orbit Media, Idea Marketing Group, and The Loop Marketing. That gives you a particularly useful comparison between a highly specialized nonprofit/SEO shop, a Chicago agency with a directly comparable nonprofit case study, and a Fulton Market local option.

Orbit Media's nonprofit web design work Idea Marketing's nonprofit web design work

If you tell me your nonprofit's type of programs, approximate budget, and current website URL, I can narrow this to 2–3 agencies and assess which one is most likely to improve the specific program searches you care about.

For a nonprofit redesign where SEO for program searches is a major goal, I’d shortlist these three:

1. The Loop Marketing Inc — best location/fit combination
   • 159 N Sangamon St, Suite 200, right in Fulton Market.
   • Works with nonprofits and combines WordPress/web design with SEO, including keyword research, competitor analysis, on-page optimization, and ongoing SEO.
   • I’d put them on the RFP list if you want a relatively local, full-service partner rather than a pure design studio.

2. Cybernautic Web Design — worth considering for SEO + custom build
   • Their Chicago presence is close to downtown, and they explicitly work with nonprofits, including Habitat for Humanity.
   • Their nonprofit work emphasizes navigation, mobile performance, technical/nontechnical SEO, and custom WordPress development. www.cybernauticdesign.com
   • Good candidate if your site has a lot of programs/content that need a better information architecture.

3. Windy City Web Solutions — practical/possibly smaller-agency option
   • 801 S Wells St, South Loop.
   • Specifically markets WordPress redesign, maintenance, accessibility, and SEO to Chicago nonprofits. Their SEO approach includes keyword research, on-page optimization, and local visibility. windycitywebsolutions.com
   • I’d investigate this one if budget and hands-on support matter more than having a large creative agency.

One agency I'd add despite the location

Orbit Media Studios is actually my strongest recommendation for your particular brief, even though its office is in Ravenswood rather than Fulton Market/downtown.

They have unusually relevant nonprofit experience: their nonprofit practice includes SEO-driven information architecture, keyword research, technical SEO, structured data, redirects, Search Console/Analytics, and conversion strategy. They also have a Chicago nonprofit case study for Off The Street Club where the redesign included search-optimized copy/navigation and produced a 15% increase in the donation key-event rate. www.orbitmedia.com

For “people searching for our programs need to find the right page,” I'd prioritize Orbit over simply choosing the agency with the closest office.

What I'd ask all three to address

Don't frame the project as just a visual redesign. In the RFP, specifically ask for:

• Program-search keyword research — e.g. “food assistance Chicago,” “youth mentoring near me,” etc.
• A new information architecture based on how participants actually search for services.
• Dedicated, indexable pages for each major program/service and audience.
• Migration of existing SEO equity: URL mapping, 301 redirects, metadata, canonicalization, etc.
• Google Search Console baseline + post-launch monitoring.
• Technical SEO, Core Web Vitals, accessibility, schema/structured data.
• Internal linking between programs, locations, eligibility, resources and calls to action.
• A 6–12 month SEO plan after launch, rather than treating SEO as something completed when the new site goes live.
• Measurement of program discovery/conversion, not just rankings or traffic.

If I were choosing who to interview, I'd do Orbit + The Loop Marketing + Cybernautic and make them respond to the same 5–10 program-search examples. That will reveal very quickly who actually understands nonprofit SEO versus who is mainly selling a prettier website.

For a nonprofit website redesign where program-search SEO is a major goal, I’d put Orbit Media Studios at the top of the list—even though its office is in Ravenswood rather than Fulton Market/Loop. Its nonprofit specialization is unusually strong, and it has directly relevant Chicago case studies. www.orbitmedia.com

My shortlist

1. The Loop Marketing Inc — Fulton Market/West Loop
   • 159 N Sangamon St, right in the area you specified.
   • Offers web design plus advanced/local SEO, including keyword research, competitor analysis and ongoing optimization.
   • Specifically says it serves nonprofits as well as businesses.
   • Best if: you want a local, relatively hands-on agency rather than a large web shop.

2. Orbit Media Studios — Chicago
   • This would be my overall first choice.
   • Their nonprofit practice explicitly combines UX, content strategy and SEO. Their work for Off The Street Club involved rebuilding the site around search-optimized content/navigation and produced a 15% increase in the donation key-event rate. www.orbitmedia.com
   • They also have nonprofit work for organizations such as Awakenings, where the site needed to make programs and resources easier to discover. www.orbitmedia.com
   • Best if: program discovery/search is as important as visual redesign.

3. SEOLEVELUP Website Design SEO Company Chicago — West Loop
   • 355 N Laflin St, so geographically very close to Fulton Market.
   • Strong focus on combining web design with SEO and measurable search/traffic results.
   • Best if: SEO performance is the dominant concern and you want a smaller local shop.

4. Chicago Website Design SEO Company — Downtown/Loop
   • 10 S Riverside Plaza.
   • Combines web development, SEO, analytics and ongoing optimization.
   • Best if: you specifically want a downtown agency and a performance/SEO-oriented engagement.

5. Dialogue Theory — Chicago
   • More of a strategy/UX/digital-experience studio, with experience serving mission-driven organizations and nonprofits.
   • Best if: your site has complicated audiences/programs and the real problem is information architecture, not just outdated visual design.

One other agency I'd seriously interview

SEO Design Chicago has a particularly relevant nonprofit case study: a WordPress redesign that reportedly produced a 365% increase in organic search results and a 158% increase in online donations. seodesignchicago.com It's in Logan Square rather than downtown, but the work is close to what you're describing.

What I'd ask for in the RFP

Don't let agencies treat "SEO" as simply adding metadata after the redesign. For a nonprofit with program searches, I'd specifically require:

• Search-intent/keyword research around each program and audience
• A new information architecture and program taxonomy
• Dedicated, indexable program landing pages
• Migration of existing rankings, including 301 redirect mapping
• Technical SEO, Core Web Vitals and accessibility
• Search Console/GA4 setup and conversion tracking
• Content recommendations or copywriting—not just design
• Internal linking between programs, locations, eligibility, resources and related content
• A baseline ranking/organic-traffic report and 6–12 month SEO targets
• CMS training so your staff can maintain program pages without a developer

I'd interview Orbit + The Loop Marketing + SEOLEVELUP first. That gives you three quite different options: nonprofit/SEO depth, a local Fulton Market generalist, and an SEO-heavy West Loop shop.

If you tell me your approximate budget (e.g. $25k, $50k, $100k+) and what your nonprofit does, I can narrow this to 2–3 agencies and compare their likely fit, relevant nonprofit work, location, and pricing level.

For a nonprofit redesign where program-related search visibility is a major goal, I’d shortlist these three:

1. Idea Marketing Group — best fit if being downtown is important.

They’re at 332 S. Michigan Ave. and have unusually relevant nonprofit experience: they redesigned BPI Chicago’s site specifically to improve navigation, mobile performance, and search rankings. Their work included keyword research, SEO-focused page structure and technical SEO. www.ideamktg.com
Idea Marketing Group

2. Orbit Media Studios — my overall pick for your project.

They aren't in Fulton Market/downtown—they're on Ravenswood—but I'd make the exception for them. Their nonprofit practice is substantial, and they explicitly combine keyword research, content architecture, technical SEO, structured data, UX and redesign. Their Off the Street Club redesign produced a reported 15% increase in donation conversion rate, and they have worked with organizations including the Greater Chicago Food Depository and Goodman Theatre. www.orbitmedia.com
Orbit Media Studios

3. SEO Design Chicago — worth getting a competitive bid from.

They're Chicago-based and combine WordPress redesigns with SEO and content. Their nonprofit case studies report substantial organic-traffic improvements, including a 317% increase in organic traffic in one nonprofit engagement. seodesignchicago.com
SEO Design Chicago

What I'd ask them to solve

Don't frame this simply as "redesign our website." For a nonprofit, I'd make the core brief:

• Program search strategy: identify the actual searches people use to find each program, service, eligibility requirement and location.
• Program landing pages: one strong, indexable page for each major program rather than burying programs in PDFs or generic "Services" pages.
• Information architecture: organize the site around how constituents search—not how the organization is internally structured.
• Migration SEO: preserve existing rankings, map old URLs to new ones, implement redirects and check indexing after launch.
• Local/programmatic SEO: location-specific pages where you genuinely serve different communities.
• Accessible, fast WordPress/CMS: staff should be able to update programs without a developer.
• Measurement: Search Console + GA4, with reporting on program-page impressions, rankings, organic entrances and completed inquiries/applications, not just overall traffic.

If I were choosing: I'd invite Idea, Orbit and SEO Design Chicago to pitch against the same one-page brief. I'd give Orbit a slight edge on strategic SEO/nonprofit depth, while Idea gets the edge if a downtown Chicago location and in-person relationship are important.

One important caveat: I wouldn't choose an agency merely because it's physically in Fulton Market. For this particular project, demonstrated nonprofit information architecture + SEO experience is much more valuable than neighborhood proximity.

For a nonprofit redesign where program-related search visibility is a major goal, I’d prioritize agencies that understand information architecture, SEO, content strategy, and nonprofit user journeys—not just visual redesign.

My shortlist

1. The Loop Marketing — West Loop/Fulton Market
   • Best fit if you want a local, full-service partner.
   • Their Chicago office is at 159 N Sangamon, and they specifically serve nonprofits with WordPress, web design, and SEO. Their SEO offering includes keyword research, competitor analysis, on-page/off-page strategy, and ongoing optimization.
   • I'd ask them specifically for examples of program/service pages that gained organic traffic after a redesign.

2. SEOLEVELUP Website Design SEO Company Chicago — West Loop
   • Best if SEO is the primary objective.
   • They're at 355 N Laflin and combine website redesign with SEO. Their reviews and positioning emphasize ranking/traffic improvements, though their nonprofit specialization appears less pronounced than Orbit or Idea.
   • Worth interviewing if you already know which program searches you need to win.

3. ePageCity Inc. — Downtown
   • Best downtown option.
   • Located at 111 N Wabash, they work with nonprofits and offer custom web development plus SEO/legacy-site cleanup. They also provide training so nontechnical staff can maintain the site.
   • Their published starting point for custom websites is around $10K, so this could be useful if you're looking for a more established agency rather than a boutique.

4. Windy City Web Solutions — South Loop
   • Best smaller-agency alternative.
   • They specifically market WordPress design and SEO for Chicago nonprofits, including keyword research, on-page optimization, and local/community search visibility. Their office is at 801 S Wells. windycitywebsolutions.com

One I'd interview even though it's not in Fulton Market/downtown

Orbit Media's nonprofit web design practice is probably the strongest specialist fit for your particular brief. They're Chicago-based and have substantial nonprofit experience, including the Greater Chicago Food Depository, Goodman Theatre, and Off The Street Club. Their nonprofit work explicitly combines redesign, information architecture, keyword research, technical SEO, structured data, Search Console/Analytics, and search-optimized content. www.orbitmedia.com

They also have a particularly relevant case study: Off The Street Club came to them with low organic traffic and conversion problems, and the resulting redesign incorporated search-focused copy, navigation, and conversion improvements. www.orbitmedia.com

Another strong specialist is Idea Marketing Group. Their BPI Chicago nonprofit case study is unusually close to what you're describing: an aging site with poor navigation and search rankings was rebuilt in WordPress, with technical SEO, keyword research, optimized page structure, mobile performance, and easier internal content management. www.ideamktg.com

What I'd put in the RFP

Don't simply ask agencies to "improve SEO." Ask them to demonstrate how they would:

• Map your programs/services → actual search queries → dedicated landing pages
• Redesign navigation around how constituents search for programs
• Preserve existing rankings through URL mapping and 301 redirects
• Identify pages that currently rank and protect their equity
• Research competitors and search demand before designing the sitemap
• Build fast, accessible, mobile-first program pages
• Create reusable program-page templates your staff can update
• Handle title tags, headings, schema/structured data, internal linking and technical SEO
• Establish GA4 + Google Search Console measurement
• Report on program-search impressions, rankings, organic visits and conversions, rather than generic "SEO traffic"

If I were choosing three introductory calls, I'd do Orbit Media + The Loop Marketing + Idea Marketing Group. That gives you a strong nonprofit/SEO specialist, a conveniently located West Loop agency, and a Chicago agency with a particularly relevant nonprofit redesign case study.

For your specific combination—nonprofit website redesign + better visibility for people searching for programs—I’d put these Chicago agencies at the top of the list:

1. The Loop Marketing Inc — best location match

The Loop Marketing Inc
Web
Address: 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
Phone: +1 312-569-9449
159 N Sangamon St, West Loop/Fulton Market area

They explicitly serve nonprofits, do WordPress web design, and offer SEO including keyword research, competitor analysis, on-page/off-page optimization, and ongoing work. That makes them a particularly practical fit if you want one local partner rather than coordinating a designer and SEO firm.

Why I'd interview them: They're right in the neighborhood you're targeting and appear oriented toward smaller/midsize organizations rather than only large enterprise projects.

2. Orbit Media Studios — best overall fit if SEO is critical

Orbit Media Studios
Web
Address: 4043 N Ravenswood Ave #316, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
Phone: +1 773-348-4581
Orbit is not in Fulton Market—it’s in Ravenswood—but I'd absolutely include them in your RFP.

They have a dedicated nonprofit website practice, and their approach specifically combines redesign with keyword research, information architecture, technical SEO, structured data, Search Console/Analytics, and search-optimized content. They also have a Chicago nonprofit case study where their redesign produced a 15% increase in the donation key-event rate. www.orbitmedia.com

This is the one I'd favor if your goal is more than "make the old site look modern." You want the new site's architecture to rank for searches such as "[program] Chicago," "free [service] Chicago," "[service] for families," etc.

Caveat: Orbit is likely the more expensive option, so I'd ask for a phased proposal if your nonprofit has a constrained budget.

3. Solid Digital — best downtown/Loop option

Solid Digital
Web
Address: 100 N LaSalle St #1400, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
Phone: +1 877-899-9981
100 N LaSalle St

Solid Digital does full website strategy, UX, WordPress development, content strategy, SEO, and ongoing optimization. Their process explicitly incorporates sitemap/information architecture and SEO before development rather than bolting SEO on afterward.

I'd consider them if your organization has a fairly complex site with lots of programs, audiences, resources, or integrations and wants a sophisticated long-term web partner.

A particularly relevant specialist: Idea Marketing Group

Not Fulton Market, but worth getting a proposal from. Their BPI Chicago nonprofit project is remarkably close to what you're describing: an outdated nonprofit site, poor search rankings, navigation problems, need for an easily managed WordPress site, mobile/performance improvements, and SEO. They handled the redesign and SEO together, including keyword research, technical SEO, page titles/descriptions, headers and alt text. www.ideamktg.com

That's a much stronger relevant case study than an agency simply saying "we do SEO."

Idea Marketing Group — nonprofit web design

My shortlist

One thing I'd emphasize in the RFP: don't ask merely for "SEO improvements." Ask the agencies to show how they would restructure your program content around actual search intent—keyword research, program landing pages, URL architecture, internal linking, redirects, schema, metadata, and a plan for creating/refreshing content after launch. Orbit's nonprofit methodology is a good benchmark for what that should look like. www.orbitmedia.com

If you tell me roughly what your nonprofit does, how many program pages you have, and your approximate redesign budget (e.g. <$25k, $25–50k, $50k+), I can narrow this to the 2–3 agencies I'd actually contact and explain why.

For a nonprofit with an aging site and a goal of helping people find programs through search, I’d prioritize agencies that understand information architecture, accessibility, content strategy, and SEO—not just visual redesign. A few Chicago options that look like good fits:

Best matches for a nonprofit program-search redesign

1. Orbit Media Studios — strong nonprofit + SEO fit
Orbit Media Studios

• Probably the first agency I’d talk to for this project.
• Deep nonprofit experience and specifically positions itself around nonprofit website redesigns, SEO, content strategy, and improving how people find services/programs. www.orbitmedia.com
• Good fit if your challenge is: “People don’t know what programs we offer,” “our navigation is confusing,” or “our pages don’t rank for service searches.”
• Note: their office is in Chicago but not Fulton Market/downtown. www.orbitmedia.com

2. Idea Marketing Group — good nonprofit case-study match
Idea Marketing Group

• Has nonprofit website redesign experience, including work focused on clearer navigation, mobile performance, and SEO improvements. www.ideamktg.com
• Worth considering if you want a more traditional agency partner handling design, development, and marketing together.

3. Point B Communications Inc — closest to Fulton Market/West Loop

• Located in the Fulton Market/West Loop area. www.orbitmedia.com
• Offers branding, web design/development, content, and SEO services. www.orbitmedia.com
• A strong option if the redesign also involves messaging, campaigns, or donor-facing storytelling.

4. The Loop Marketing Inc — downtown/Fulton Market-adjacent option

• Chicago office near Fulton Market. www.orbitmedia.com
• Works with nonprofits and offers WordPress web design plus SEO/local search services. www.orbitmedia.com
• Could be a fit for a mid-sized nonprofit needing a manageable CMS and ongoing support.

5. Windy City Web Solutions — practical WordPress + SEO partner

• Located downtown in the South Loop area. windycitywebsolutions.com
• Focuses on WordPress builds, maintenance, and SEO for nonprofits and organizations. windycitywebsolutions.com
• More of a hands-on implementation partner than a large strategy agency.

What I’d ask them in the first call

For your specific goal (“program searches”), I’d ask:

1. “How would you restructure our site so someone searching for a service can find the right program in 30 seconds?”
2. “Will you do keyword research around our programs before redesigning pages?”
3. “How will you preserve our current SEO rankings during migration?”
4. “Can you create program landing pages designed for Google searches?”
5. “Will staff be able to update programs, eligibility, locations, and resources without a developer?”

A good nonprofit redesign should usually include:

• program taxonomy (services → audiences → locations → eligibility)
• improved internal search/filtering
• SEO-focused program pages
• redirect strategy from the old site
• accessibility improvements (WCAG)
• analytics tied to program discovery and conversions

If I were making a short list to interview, I’d start with Orbit Media, Point B, and Idea Marketing Group. www.orbitmedia.com

Yes. Based on your criteria—nonprofit experience + full redesign capability + SEO for program/service searches + Fulton Market/downtown proximity—I’d put these on the shortlist:

1. The Loop Marketing Inc — best overall fit

The Loop Marketing Inc
Web
Address: 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
Phone: +1 312-569-9449
159 N. Sangamon St., West Loop/Fulton Market

This is probably where I’d start. They explicitly work with nonprofits, offer WordPress redesign, advanced SEO, content strategy, and ongoing optimization. Their content program specifically uses ranking data and keyword research to improve existing pages and create new SEO-driven content. theloopmarketing.com

The Loop Marketing

Why I'd shortlist them: Your goal isn't simply a prettier site—you need people searching for programs/services to actually find the right pages. Their combination of web + SEO + content is aligned with that.

2. Point B Communications — strong Fulton Market option

Point B Communications Inc
Web
Address: 600 W Fulton St #710, Chicago, IL 60661, United States
Phone: +1 312-867-7750
600 W. Fulton St.

Point B is a full-service agency with website design/development and ongoing SEO programs. They do the site structure, UX, content development and development work in-house, which could be useful for a substantial redesign. www.pointbcommunications.com

Point B Communications

Caveat: They look more like a broad branding/advertising agency than a nonprofit-specialist web shop, so I'd specifically ask for 2–3 nonprofit redesign examples where organic program/service traffic increased.

3. Windy City Web Solutions — potentially better for a smaller nonprofit

Windy City Web Solutions
Web
Address: 801 S Wells St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
Phone: +1 847-801-9482
801 S. Wells St., South Loop

They specialize in WordPress websites for nonprofits and explicitly combine redesign, accessibility, maintenance and SEO. Their nonprofit SEO offering includes keyword research, on-page optimization and local visibility. windycitywebsolutions.com

Windy City Web Solutions

I'd consider them if you want a hands-on, less-agency-heavy relationship and don't need a huge branding campaign.

One I'd interview even though it's outside your requested area

Orbit Media Studios is not in Fulton Market/downtown, but they're unusually well matched to your actual problem. They have a dedicated nonprofit practice and specifically describe search-driven redesigns, keyword research, information architecture, technical SEO, redirects and preservation of existing rankings. Their nonprofit portfolio includes Chicago organizations, and they report a 15% increase in donation conversion rate for Off the Street Club after its redesign. www.orbitmedia.com

Orbit Media's nonprofit web design practice

My ranking for your project

One important thing I'd put in the RFP: don't ask agencies merely to "improve SEO." Ask them to demonstrate how they'll turn your programs into search-intent landing pages—e.g., identifying what prospective participants actually search for, mapping those queries to pages, restructuring navigation/URLs, rewriting content, handling redirects, and measuring organic entrances and conversions after launch.

If you tell me what your nonprofit does/programs you want people to find, I can also identify the 2–3 agencies I'd actually invite to bid and give you a suggested RFP scope.

For a nonprofit with an aging website that needs both a redesign and better SEO for program/service searches, I’d prioritize agencies that understand information architecture, accessibility, content strategy, and mission-driven search behavior—not just visual design.

Here are the Chicago-area agencies I’d shortlist:

My first calls would be:

1. Orbit Media — if your biggest problem is “people can’t find our programs on Google” or your site structure is outdated. www.orbitmedia.com
2. Idea Marketing Group — if you want a Chicago agency with nonprofit redesign examples and WordPress/SEO experience. www.ideamktg.com
3. The Loop Marketing or Point B — if being close to Fulton Market and having a local relationship matters.

When interviewing agencies, I’d ask specifically:

• “How will you redesign our program pages so they rank for searches like ‘[service] near me’ or ‘help for [population] in Chicago’?”
• “Will you do keyword research before designing the navigation?”
• “How will you preserve or improve existing Google rankings during migration?”
• “Will you train staff to update program pages without a developer?”
• “What accessibility standard will the new site meet (ideally WCAG 2.1 AA)?”

If you share your nonprofit’s mission area (housing, youth, health, food access, arts, etc.) and approximate budget range, I can narrow this to the 2–3 agencies most likely to be a fit.