ChatGPT answers, unedited

• Orbit Media Studios - 4043 N Ravenswood Ave #316, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
• Marcel Digital - 20 N Wacker Dr Ste 1285, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Invesp - 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Marcel Digital - 445 W Erie St #200, Chicago, IL 60654, 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
• Comrade Digital Marketing Agency - 332 S Michigan Ave #900, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• SEO Design Chicago - 2068 N Western Ave 1F - Front, Chicago, IL 60647, United States
• Digital Third Coast - 2540 W North Ave, Chicago, IL 60647, United States
• Digital Authority Partners - 420 W Huron St Fl 1, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Digital Marketers Chicago - 2835 N Sheffield Ave #209, Chicago, IL 60657, United States
• Pilot Digital Marketing - 4753 N Broadway Ste T110, Chicago, IL 60640, United States

If your priority is a marketing-site redesign that becomes a growth-experiment platform—not just a prettier website—I’d shortlist three Chicago agencies, with one clear first choice.

My pick: Orbit Media Studios

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 773-348-4581)

Why I’d start with Orbit: they unusually well match the combination you described: strategy + UX/design + development + analytics + CRO/experimentation. Their own materials specifically describe Google Analytics/GTM setup, funnels and goals, A/B and multivariate testing, user-behavior analysis, and ongoing optimization. Orbit Media Studios Orbit Media Studios

They also have substantial experience redesigning sites around measurable outcomes rather than treating launch as the finish line. Their published case studies include conversion and qualified-lead improvements, and a recent verified review describes a redesign that included Google Analytics configuration. Orbit Media Studios Clutch

orbitmedia.com

Best fit: B2B SaaS/startup where the site needs to generate demos, trials, signups, or qualified pipeline and you want one team accountable for design and measurement.

Strong alternative: Marcel Digital

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-255-8044)

I'd put Marcel on the RFP if your growth team is particularly analytics-heavy. They're positioned around integrated CRO + analytics/measurement + web development + SEO/paid acquisition, with an emphasis on connecting marketing activity to revenue. Their strength may be more on the measurement/performance side than pure brand/design.

Best fit: a startup that already has meaningful traffic/data and wants the redesign tightly connected to acquisition, attribution, CRO, and revenue analytics.

marceldigital.com

Best if experimentation is the centerpiece: Invesp

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 248-626-2129)

Invesp is worth talking to if by “growth experiments” you mean a serious ongoing experimentation program. Their Chicago practice is centered on CRO, funnel research, hypotheses, A/B testing, and implementation. Pilot Digital

I'd be more inclined to use them as the experimentation/CRO specialist alongside a design-focused shop rather than automatically making them the sole website redesign vendor.

How I'd choose

One other Chicago option worth a look is VA Designs: they explicitly offer Webflow development alongside event/conversion tracking, dashboards, A/B testing, and behavioral analysis, and they work with SaaS/AI companies. VA Designs

One thing I'd insist on in the RFP

Don't ask agencies merely for “GA4 implementation.” Ask them to deliver an experimentation-ready measurement architecture:

• Defined north-star and secondary conversion events
• GA4 + GTM implementation
• Product/CRM integration where appropriate
• Clean event taxonomy and naming conventions
• Funnel and cohort reporting
• Session/behavioral analytics
• Experiment framework and hypothesis backlog
• Ability to distinguish experiment variants in analytics
• Baseline conversion rates before redesign
• Post-launch testing roadmap
• Documentation so your growth team owns the data

That distinction matters. Otherwise you can end up with a gorgeous new site and a pile of dashboards that can't actually tell you which changes caused growth.

If I were hiring for a venture-backed SaaS startup, I'd interview Orbit and Marcel first, then bring Invesp in if experimentation is strategically important enough to warrant a specialist.

Invesp is worth talking to if by “growth experiments” you mean a serious ongoing experimentation program. Their Chicago practice is centered on CRO, funnel research, hypotheses, A/B testing, and implementation. Pilot Digital

I'd be more inclined to use them as the experimentation/CRO specialist alongside a design-focused shop rather than automatically making them the sole website redesign vendor.

How I'd choose

One other Chicago option worth a look is VA Designs: they explicitly offer Webflow development alongside event/conversion tracking, dashboards, A/B testing, and behavioral analysis, and they work with SaaS/AI companies. VA Designs

One thing I'd insist on in the RFP

Don't ask agencies merely for “GA4 implementation.” Ask them to deliver an experimentation-ready measurement architecture:

• Defined north-star and secondary conversion events
• GA4 + GTM implementation
• Product/CRM integration where appropriate
• Clean event taxonomy and naming conventions
• Funnel and cohort reporting
• Session/behavioral analytics
• Experiment framework and hypothesis backlog
• Ability to distinguish experiment variants in analytics
• Baseline conversion rates before redesign
• Post-launch testing roadmap
• Documentation so your growth team owns the data

That distinction matters. Otherwise you can end up with a gorgeous new site and a pile of dashboards that can't actually tell you which changes caused growth.

• Orbit Media Studios - 4043 N Ravenswood Ave #316, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
• Marcel Digital - 20 N Wacker Dr Ste 1285, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Pilot Digital Marketing - 4753 N Broadway Ste T110, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• SEO Design Chicago - 2068 N Western Ave 1F - Front, Chicago, IL 60647, United States
• Marcel Digital - 445 W Erie St #200, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• YourPortal - 2211 N Elston Ave Ste 208, Chicago, IL 60614, United States
• Chicago Website Design SEO Company - 10 S Riverside Plaza #875, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Sixth City Marketing - 620 N La Salle Dr Ste 415, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Digital Authority Partners - 420 W Huron St Fl 1, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• SEOLEVELUP, LLC Website Design SEO Company - 1S183 Summit Ave, Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181, United States
• Allevi8 Marketing - 6127 S University Ave Ste 110K, Chicago, IL 60653, United States
• Digital Marketers Chicago - 2835 N Sheffield Ave #209, Chicago, IL 60657, United States
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States

For a startup marketing-site redesign where the site itself needs to become an experimentation/growth engine, I’d shortlist these three:

1. Orbit Media Studios — my overall pick

• Strongest fit if the redesign is primarily about positioning, UX, conversion, and ongoing optimization, not just making the site prettier.
• Orbit explicitly combines web strategy/design/development with CRO and analytics, including funnels, goals, Google Tag Manager, and post-launch optimization. Orbit Media Studios
• They’ve designed 1,000+ sites and emphasize research before design. Orbit Media Studios
• Best for: B2B/SaaS startups that want a sophisticated, conversion-oriented site and a partner capable of continuing after launch.
• Marcel Digital — best if analytics/measurement is equally important

• Particularly compelling if you want analytics architecture + CRO + web development rather than treating analytics as a GA4 installation at the end.
• Their offering spans web development, CRO, analytics/measurement, SEO and paid media, with an explicitly measurement-oriented approach. OuterBox
• Best for: a startup with a reasonably sophisticated growth team that wants a more technical, data-heavy partner.
• Pilot Digital Marketing — best pragmatic/value option

• They combine WordPress web development, analytics, SEO and CRO, and specifically describe A/B testing based on quantitative and qualitative analytics. Pilot Digital Pilot Digital
• Best for: a startup that wants competent execution without hiring a large agency for a relatively contained redesign.

Who I'd hire

I'd start with Orbit Media. The important distinction is that you're not really buying a "website redesign." You're buying a measurement-ready acquisition surface that you can repeatedly improve. Orbit appears to have the best overlap between strategic website work, implementation, CRO, and analytics.

I'd make the RFP deliberately test that capability. Ask each agency to show you:

• A recent startup/SaaS redesign where they can quantify the before/after conversion impact.
• Their proposed event taxonomy and data layer before development starts.
• How they'd instrument GA4/GTM, CRM attribution, form/demo conversions, and key funnel events.
• How they'd identify and prioritize experiments after launch.
• What constitutes an "experiment" versus simply shipping a UX improvement.
• Whether they actually implement and analyze A/B tests, rather than handing you a list of recommendations.
• Who owns the analytics accounts, data, GTM container, experimentation platform, and site code when the engagement ends.

One especially useful question: "Show us the experiment backlog you'd create from our current site, and walk us through how you'd decide which three tests to run first." That will separate genuine growth-oriented agencies from web-design shops that merely advertise CRO.

If you tell me your startup's industry, approximate monthly traffic, CMS (Webflow/WordPress/etc.), and rough redesign budget, I can narrow this to one agency and give you a recommended RFP/selection scorecard.

• Marcel Digital - 445 W Erie St #200, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Orbit Media Studios - 4043 N Ravenswood Ave #316, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
• Pilot Digital Marketing - 4753 N Broadway Ste T110, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• YourPortal - 2211 N Elston Ave Ste 208, Chicago, IL 60614, United States
• Digital Authority Partners - 420 W Huron St Fl 1, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• SEO Design Chicago - 2068 N Western Ave 1F - Front, Chicago, IL 60647, United States
• Chicago Website Design SEO Company - 10 S Riverside Plaza #875, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• 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
• SWIDIA - Growth Marketing Agency - 2089 W Wabansia Ave, Chicago, IL 60647, United States
• Sixth City Marketing - 620 N La Salle Dr Ste 415, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Allevi8 Marketing - 6127 S University Ave Ste 110K, Chicago, IL 60653, United States
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States

For a startup marketing site redesign + analytics foundation for growth experiments, I’d shortlist three Chicago agencies, with one clear first choice.

My pick: Marcel Digital

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-255-8044)

Why: Marcel is unusually aligned with the combination you’re asking for: web development, UX/CRO, analytics/measurement, and growth marketing under one roof. Their positioning is much more performance-oriented than a typical “make us a beautiful new website” agency. Pilot Digital

I’d hire them if you want the new site to become an experimentation platform, not a one-time redesign.

Strong alternative: Orbit Media Studios

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 773-348-4581)

Orbit would be my choice if the website itself is the biggest priority. They have deep Chicago web-design experience, have designed 1,000+ sites, and explicitly combine UX, SEO, analytics, conversion optimization, and ongoing measurement. Orbit Media Studios

Their approach is particularly good if you need help with positioning, information architecture, messaging, UX and content, not just implementation.

Best if experimentation/analytics is the centerpiece: Pilot Digital Marketing

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 773-809-5002)

Pilot has a particularly explicit CRO/experimentation methodology: analytics → identify funnel opportunities → formulate hypotheses → A/B test → measure → iterate. They also handle website development and GA/GTM implementation. Pilot Digital Pilot Digital

That makes them compelling if your primary objective is “launch the new site and immediately start learning what increases demos/signups.”

How I'd rank them

One other interesting option is View Marketing & Creative if you want a smaller boutique team with stronger brand/creative involvement; they describe themselves as an outsourced marketing department and do Webflow/site work alongside strategy and design.

What I'd put in the RFP

Don't ask agencies simply for a “website redesign.” Ask for these deliverables:

• Positioning + conversion strategy before visual design
• New sitemap, UX and high-fidelity designs
• Development in your preferred CMS/framework
• GA4 + GTM instrumentation
• A documented event taxonomy and conversion hierarchy
• CRM integration and attribution where applicable
• Baseline funnel/dashboard before launch
• Experiment backlog with hypotheses and prioritization
• A/B testing infrastructure
• Post-launch optimization for at least 90 days

The key interview question I'd ask each agency is:

“Show me a website you've redesigned where you also owned the measurement architecture and then ran experiments against the new site. What did you test, what did you learn, and what changed?”

That will separate genuine growth partners from agencies that happen to offer both web design and analytics.

If I were choosing today: I'd interview Marcel, Orbit, and Pilot, and make Marcel the first call.

One other interesting option is View Marketing & Creative if you want a smaller boutique team with stronger brand/creative involvement; they describe themselves as an outsourced marketing department and do Webflow/site work alongside strategy and design.

What I'd put in the RFP

Don't ask agencies simply for a “website redesign.” Ask for these deliverables:

For a startup marketing site + analytics foundation for growth experiments, I’d shortlist these three:

1. Solid Digital — best overall fit
   • Strongest match if you want a polished B2B/startup site and a team that can stay involved after launch.
   • They cover strategy → UX/UI → development, with conversion and ongoing optimization in the mix.
   • I’d make them the first agency I interview.

2. Marcel Digital — best if measurement/growth is equally important as design
   • Particularly compelling for a data-driven startup: their offering spans web development, CRO, analytics/measurement, SEO and paid acquisition.
   • Their site process explicitly incorporates data collection and measurement rather than treating analytics as a post-launch add-on.
   • I'd favor them if your experiments will involve funnel analysis, SEO, acquisition, and conversion optimization.

3. Nansen LLC — best analytics/optimization-heavy option
   • Their Chicago practice combines UX/UI, digital experience work, analytics, CRO and SEO.
   • Good choice if you already have decent brand/design direction but need a sophisticated measurement and optimization layer.

One wildcard

Invesp is worth considering if experimentation is the core requirement. They're much more CRO/experimentation-oriented than a conventional web agency, with conversion research, A/B testing, UX research and analytics. I wouldn't necessarily hire them alone for a brand-heavy redesign, but they'd be an excellent partner if experimentation is central to your growth strategy.

My recommendation

If I were running the selection process, I'd invite Solid Digital, Marcel Digital, and Invesp to pitch.

The key is not to ask, “Can you implement Google Analytics?” Almost any competent agency can. Ask them to show you how they'd build an experimentation-ready measurement architecture:

• GA4 + GTM/event taxonomy
• product/CRM integration where appropriate
• defined funnel and north-star metrics
• clean conversion attribution
• dashboards your growth team actually uses
• A/B-testing infrastructure
• experiment backlog + hypothesis framework
• statistical/decision methodology
• ability to launch new landing pages without engineering bottlenecks

For comparison, Orbit Media is another strong Chicago option if website strategy, SEO and conversion-focused redesign are the priority; they explicitly describe analytics, funnels, GTM and post-launch optimization as part of their web process. www.orbitmedia.com

If you tell me your startup type (B2B SaaS, consumer, fintech, marketplace, etc.), approximate site size, and budget ($25k / $50k / $100k+), I can narrow this to the 2–3 agencies I'd actually put into an RFP.

For a startup marketing site redesign where analytics and experimentation are part of the brief, I’d shortlist these three:

1. Pilot Digital Marketing — best fit for experimentation + measurement

Pilot Digital Marketing
Web
Address: 4753 N Broadway Ste T110, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
Phone: +1 773-809-5002

This would be my first call. Pilot explicitly combines website work, analytics/GA4/Tag Manager, and CRO. More importantly, its CRO process is built around gathering behavioral analytics → forming hypotheses → running A/B/split tests → iterating. pilotdigital.com

Why I like them for a startup: you aren't just buying a prettier site; you're setting up a site that can become a growth-testing surface.

Pilot Digital

2. Orbit Media Studios — best for a substantial strategic redesign

Orbit Media Studios
Web
Address: 4043 N Ravenswood Ave #316, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
Phone: +1 773-348-4581

Orbit is particularly strong if the site needs messaging/positioning + UX + technical rebuild + measurement rather than simply a visual refresh. They describe a research-heavy process involving stakeholder/audience interviews, analytics, heat maps, SEO, UX and conversion strategy, followed by ongoing measurement and optimization. www.orbitmedia.com

I'd favor Orbit if your startup has reached the point where the website needs to become a serious demand-generation asset, not just a marketing facelift.

Orbit Media

3. Marcel Digital — best for analytics-heavy B2B

Marcel Digital
Web
Address: 20 N Wacker Dr Ste 1285, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
Phone: +1 312-255-8044

Marcel is worth talking to if your startup is B2B/SaaS and cares deeply about connecting website behavior to pipeline/revenue. Their offering combines web development, CRO, analytics/measurement, SEO and paid acquisition, with an emphasis on revenue-aligned measurement.

My ranking

If it were my money, I'd ask Pilot and Orbit for proposals first. I'd give them the same brief and make them compete specifically on the post-launch experimentation system, not just design quality.

One important requirement I'd put in the RFP: you retain ownership/admin access to GA4, GTM, the CMS, experimentation platform, dashboards, and all underlying data. The deliverable should include an event taxonomy, conversion definitions, baseline funnel, experiment backlog, and a measurement plan—not merely "Google Analytics installed."

If you tell me what your startup sells (B2B/B2C, SaaS/marketplace/etc.), approximate site size, and rough redesign budget, I can narrow this to one agency and give you a specific RFP/scoring rubric.

If the brief is “redesign the marketing site + instrument analytics so we can run growth experiments,” I’d shortlist three Chicago agencies, with Orbit Media as my default pick.

My shortlist

1. Orbit Media Studios — best overall
   • Strongest combination of marketing-site strategy, UX/content, development, analytics and CRO.
   • They explicitly use analytics, heatmaps, user research and conversion analysis to inform redesigns, and support A/B testing and ongoing optimization. www.orbitmedia.com
   • Particularly compelling if you're B2B SaaS/startup and the site needs to generate qualified pipeline rather than just look better.
   • Chicago HQ: Ravenswood.

Orbit Media

2. Marcel Digital — best if analytics/measurement is the hard part
   • More performance/measurement-oriented than a traditional creative web shop.
   • Their offering spans web development, UX, CRO, analytics and digital marketing, which is useful if you want the site rebuild tied directly to acquisition and conversion data.
   • I'd put them ahead of Orbit if your existing tracking is messy, attribution matters, or you want the agency involved beyond launch.

3. Pilot Digital Marketing — best smaller/more pragmatic option
   • Offers WordPress web development, Google Analytics/Tag Manager, CRO and ongoing experimentation.
   • Their CRO methodology explicitly covers analytics, funnel/form drop-offs, hypothesis development and A/B testing. pilotdigital.com
   • Likely worth considering if you want a more hands-on agency without the scope/overhead of a larger shop.

One wildcard

Invesp is worth talking to if experimentation is the centerpiece, rather than simply a feature of the redesign. They're much more CRO/experimentation-specialized: research → hypotheses → A/B testing → analytics → iteration. I wouldn't necessarily choose them to own a complete brand/marketing-site redesign, but they could be excellent if your growth team already knows what the site should say and needs a rigorous experimentation engine.

What I'd do

I'd send the same brief to Orbit, Marcel and Invesp and make them compete on the measurement/experimentation architecture, not portfolio aesthetics.

Specifically, ask each to show you:

• How they'll define the North Star + site conversion events
• GA4/GTM architecture and event taxonomy
• How they'll connect website events to your CRM
• How they'll handle identity, attribution and consent
• What experimentation platform they'd recommend (e.g. GrowthBook, PostHog, VWO, Optimizely)
• Their proposed first 5 experiments
• How they'll distinguish a redesign from an experiment
• What they will actually own after launch
• A concrete example where their redesign produced a measurable business outcome, not merely a prettier site

One important point: don't let the agency sell you a giant “website redesign” before establishing the measurement baseline. For an experimentation-oriented startup, I'd want the sequence to be instrument → diagnose → redesign highest-impact surfaces → test → iterate, rather than “design the new site and then add GA4.” That philosophy is consistent with the stronger CRO shops' current approach. pilotdigital.com

If you give me your startup's stage, B2B/B2C, current CMS (Webflow/WordPress/Next.js/etc.), approximate budget, and whether your primary conversion is demo/signup/purchase, I can narrow this to the best 2 and give you a recommended RFP structure.

For a startup, I’d prioritize an agency that can do conversion-focused redesign + measurement infrastructure + experimentation, not just a prettier site. Based on that criteria, these Chicago firms are worth shortlisting:

My shortlist for a typical startup would be:

1. Orbit Media — if your goal is “rebuild the site and create a growth engine.” www.orbitmedia.com
2. Marcel Digital — if analytics maturity, attribution, and marketing performance are the priority.
3. Digital Authority Partners — if you want a partner explicitly thinking about experimentation and testing frameworks. www.digitalauthority.me

When interviewing them, I’d ask for specifics:

• Can you define our event taxonomy before launch (CTA clicks, signup starts, demo requests, activation events)?
• Who owns Google Tag Manager, GA4, product analytics, dashboards, and data QA?
• What experimentation stack do you recommend (e.g., Optimizely, VWO, GrowthBook, custom tooling)?
• How do you prioritize experiments after launch?
• Can you show 2–3 examples where a redesign improved conversion metrics, not just aesthetics?

If you share your startup type (B2B SaaS, consumer app, marketplace, fintech, etc.), current traffic volume, CMS (Webflow/WordPress/custom), and budget range, I can narrow this to the best 2–3.

For a startup marketing site redesign where analytics and experimentation are first-class requirements, I’d shortlist these three:

1. Marcel Digital — best overall fit
   • Strongest combination of website development + analytics/measurement + CRO + growth marketing.
   • They explicitly position themselves around measurable business growth and have deep analytics/Google Tag Manager experience. www.marceldigital.com
   • Best if you want one partner to own the site and the measurement infrastructure rather than bolting analytics on at the end.
   • My pick if your startup is B2B/SaaS and expects the site to become a serious acquisition channel.

2. Invesp — best for experimentation rigor
   • Particularly compelling if your priority is A/B testing, conversion research, funnel optimization, and experimentation rather than just making the site look better.
   • Their Chicago operation focuses specifically on CRO, experimentation, UX research, and analytics-driven prioritization.
   • I'd choose them if you already have decent traffic and want the redesign to be the beginning of a systematic experimentation program.

3. Marcel Digital / Orbit Media — best design/content + measurement option
   • Orbit has a particularly mature website strategy practice: research, UX, SEO, analytics, conversion optimization, and post-launch measurement. www.orbitmedia.com
   • They're a good choice if the redesign involves positioning, messaging, information architecture and content, not merely UI.
   • I'd favor Orbit over a pure design studio if organic acquisition matters.

One wildcard: VA Designs

VA Designs is interesting for a smaller startup because it explicitly combines Webflow development, UX/product design, analytics implementation, event/conversion tracking, dashboards, and A/B testing. www.marceldigital.comwww.vadesigns.net If you're looking for a leaner boutique engagement rather than a larger agency, I'd put them on the RFP list.

What I'd actually ask them to sell you

Don't brief this as "redesign our website + install GA4." Ask for a growth-site engagement with these deliverables:

• Conversion-oriented UX/content strategy
• New information architecture and design system
• CMS implementation and development
• GA4 + GTM instrumentation
• Defined event taxonomy and conversion funnel
• CRM attribution / source-to-pipeline tracking
• Baseline conversion-rate and funnel analysis
• Experiment backlog with hypotheses and prioritization
• A/B testing infrastructure
• Post-launch experimentation cadence
• Dashboard tying traffic → activation/demo → pipeline/revenue

The key interview question is: "Show me a site you've redesigned where you can demonstrate what happened to conversion and pipeline after launch." That separates agencies that build attractive sites from ones that actually operate growth programs.

If I were running the RFP, I'd invite Marcel Digital, Invesp, and Orbit to pitch. For a smaller/leaner startup, I'd add VA Designs as the fourth bid.

For a startup that needs both a marketing-site redesign and a growth experimentation/analytics foundation, I’d prioritize agencies that treat the site as a measurable acquisition funnel—not just a branding project. A few Chicago-based options stand out:

My shortlist for a typical venture-backed startup would be:

1. Orbit Media — if the priority is a high-performing marketing site with strong UX, SEO, and conversion foundations. www.orbitmedia.com
2. Marcel Digital — if you already have meaningful traffic and want analytics, attribution, and growth operations built properly.
3. Pilot Digital — if you specifically want a culture of experimentation (A/B tests, funnel analysis, CRO). pilotdigital.com

When interviewing them, I’d ask for:

• A GA4 + Tag Manager implementation plan (events, conversions, naming conventions)
• How they define experiment hypotheses and prioritize tests
• Examples where a redesign improved pipeline/signups—not just engagement metrics
• Ownership of analytics accounts, dashboards, and experiment data after launch
• Their recommended testing cadence after the redesign ships

For a startup, I’d avoid hiring a pure branding/web design shop unless you already have an internal growth/analytics person. The ideal partner should leave you with a site that can answer: “What changed, why did it change, and did it improve growth?”

For your specific brief—startup marketing-site redesign + analytics foundation + ongoing growth experiments—I’d put Pilot Digital and Orbit Media at the top of the shortlist, with Marcel Digital as the more analytics-heavy option.

My ranking

1. Pilot Digital Marketing — best overall fit
   • Strong combination of web design/development, analytics, CRO, and experimentation.
   • Their CRO process explicitly goes from analytics → identifying opportunities → hypotheses → A/B testing → iteration. pilotdigital.compilotdigital.com
   • They specifically offer GA4/Google Tag Manager optimization, so analytics doesn't have to become an afterthought. pilotdigital.compilotdigital.com
   • Why I'd choose them: your project sounds like you need a growth partner, not merely a prettier website.

2. Orbit Media Studios — best for a sophisticated website redesign
   • Very strong on strategy, UX, content, development, SEO, CRO and measurement.
   • They say they've designed 1,000+ websites and explicitly describe post-launch optimization using analytics, funnels, GTM and ongoing testing. www.orbitmedia.com
   • Why I'd choose them: if the site itself is the biggest strategic asset and you want a highly polished, research-driven redesign.

3. Marcel Digital — best if measurement is unusually important
   • Integrated web development, CRO, analytics/measurement and digital marketing, with a particularly strong measurement orientation. www.marceldigital.com
   • Why I'd choose them: if you're serious about connecting website experiments to CRM/pipeline/revenue rather than just measuring form submissions.

4. Ice Nine Online — worth adding for a smaller B2B startup
   • Chicago-based and founder-led, with B2B web design, GA4/analytics, conversion tracking and attribution capabilities.
   • I'd consider them if you want a smaller team and more hands-on attention.

5. Solid Digital — good B2B website specialist
   • Particularly worth considering if you're building a substantial B2B marketing site and want strategy → UX/UI → development → ongoing growth support.

What I'd actually do

I'd send the same tightly scoped RFP to Pilot, Orbit and Marcel and make them compete on the growth system, not just the redesign.

Ask each agency to include:

• Current-site analytics/tracking audit
• Information architecture + positioning/messaging process
• UX research and conversion strategy
• Design + development
• GA4/GTM event taxonomy
• CRM integration and attribution
• Experimentation roadmap for the first 6 months
• A/B testing methodology and tooling
• Post-launch optimization cadence
• Specific definition of what they will own vs. what your team owns

The key interview question I'd ask is:

“Show us an example where you redesigned a marketing site, established the measurement infrastructure, and then used experiments to improve business outcomes after launch. What did you test, what did you learn, and what changed?”

That question will quickly separate a web-design agency that happens to offer analytics from a genuine growth/experimentation partner.

My pick: Pilot if experimentation is the priority; Orbit if the redesign/brand experience is the priority; Marcel if rigorous measurement and revenue attribution are the priority.

If the goal is a startup marketing-site redesign plus a measurement/experimentation foundation for growth, I’d shortlist these three:

1. Orbit Media Studios — best overall fit

Orbit Media Studios
Web
Address: 4043 N Ravenswood Ave #316, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
Phone: +1 773-348-4581

This would be my first call. Orbit is unusually strong at combining research, UX, web development, conversion optimization, and analytics rather than treating analytics as an afterthought. Their process explicitly incorporates quantitative/qualitative research, existing analytics, heatmaps, funnels, GTM, and post-launch optimization. www.orbitmedia.com

Why I'd pick them: You want a site that becomes an experimentation platform, not just a prettier brochure. Orbit's approach maps well to that.

2. Marcel Digital — best if measurement/growth is equally important as design

Marcel Digital
Web
Address: 445 W Erie St #200, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
Phone: +1 312-255-8044

Marcel is particularly compelling if your startup has a B2B/SaaS-style funnel and you care about tying the site to pipeline. Their capabilities span web development, CRO, analytics/measurement, SEO and paid acquisition, with an emphasis on revenue-oriented measurement.

I'd put them ahead of a pure design studio if you're expecting the agency to help answer questions like “Which landing page actually produces more qualified opportunities?”

3. Pilot Digital Marketing — best pragmatic/value-oriented option

Pilot Digital Marketing
Web
Address: 4753 N Broadway Ste T110, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
Phone: +1 773-809-5002

Pilot combines WordPress web development with analytics, SEO and CRO. More importantly, their CRO practice describes an actual experimentation loop: analytics → identify funnel opportunities → formulate hypotheses → A/B testing → measure the winner. pilotdigital.com

That's a good fit if you're a relatively lean startup and don't want a huge agency engagement.

One wildcard: VA Designs

VA Designs is worth considering if design quality and modern SaaS/startup aesthetics are weighted more heavily. They specifically work with AI startups and SaaS companies and offer analytics implementation, event/conversion tracking, A/B testing, and behavioral analysis. www.vadesigns.net

My ranking for your specific brief

One important caveat: I wouldn't hire anyone based solely on “GA4 implementation.” For a growth-oriented redesign, I'd make the agency responsible for an event taxonomy, funnel definitions, experiment framework, analytics QA, dashboards, and post-launch testing cadence. The redesign should be built around those measurement requirements from day one.

If you tell me what kind of startup you are (B2B SaaS, consumer, marketplace, fintech, etc.), approximate site traffic, and your rough redesign budget, I can narrow this to the 2 agencies I'd actually send an RFP to.

If your brief is specifically “redesign the marketing site + instrument analytics so we can run growth experiments,” I’d put Orbit Media Studios at the top of the shortlist.

My shortlist

1. Orbit Media Studios — best overall fit
Orbit is unusually aligned with the combination you're asking for: website strategy/design/development, analytics, CRO, A/B testing, and ongoing optimization are all part of its offering. Its redesign work explicitly connects the site to measurable outcomes, and it supports Google Analytics, Tag Manager, Looker Studio, user-behavior analysis and experimentation. www.orbitmedia.com

That makes them my first call if the website is intended to become a growth-experiment platform rather than simply a prettier marketing site.

Orbit Media Studios

2. Marcel Digital — best if analytics/measurement is especially important
Marcel has a strong measurement and performance-marketing orientation alongside web development, CRO and SEO. I'd consider them if your startup already has a sophisticated growth/marketing stack and wants the agency to integrate the site tightly with CRM, acquisition and analytics.

Marcel Digital

3. Solid Digital — strong alternative for a B2B startup
Solid Digital looks particularly relevant if you're looking for a polished B2B site redesign with a continuing growth/optimization relationship rather than a one-off design project.

Solid Digital

4. Digital Authority Partners — broader growth partner
Worth considering if you want the agency to extend beyond the website into acquisition, SEO, CRO, analytics and potentially product/software work. I'd favor the first three if the website itself is the central project.

What I'd ask them for

Don't simply ask for a “website redesign.” Give each agency essentially the same brief:

• Redesign + rebuild around your highest-value conversion paths.
• Measurement architecture before design: event taxonomy, funnel definitions, attribution, dashboards and data ownership.
• Experimentation infrastructure: ability to test messaging, CTAs, landing pages, forms and navigation without requiring a full engineering cycle.
• Baseline → hypotheses → tests → learning: establish a prioritized experimentation roadmap.
• Instrumentation QA: make analytics acceptance criteria part of the launch, not an afterthought.
• Post-launch optimization: ideally a 3–6 month testing engagement rather than disappearing after launch.

One particularly good sign with Orbit is that its stated CRO process starts with analytics/user-behavior analysis and then moves into test prioritization and A/B testing, rather than treating analytics as merely reporting. www.orbitmedia.comwww.orbitmedia.com

My recommendation: interview Orbit + Marcel + Solid Digital, and make them respond to the same hypothetical experiment during the pitch. For example: “We believe changing our homepage positioning could increase qualified demo requests. How would you instrument, design, launch, and evaluate that experiment?” Their answers will tell you much more than their portfolios.

If you tell me your startup's stage, B2B/B2C, approximate site size, tech stack, and rough redesign budget, I can narrow this to one agency and give you a concrete RFP/pitch-scorecard.

For a startup, I’d prioritize an agency that can do three things together: (1) reposition the site for conversion, (2) implement a reliable analytics foundation, and (3) run a repeatable experimentation loop (A/B tests, funnel analysis, iteration). A lot of web design shops can do #1; fewer are strong at #2 and #3.

Here are the Chicago agencies I’d shortlist:

My ranking for your specific brief (“redesign + analytics + growth experiments”):

1. Digital Authority Partners — strongest match if experimentation and measurement are core requirements. www.digitalauthority.me
2. Pilot Digital Marketing — strongest if you want a leaner CRO/testing partner after the redesign. pilotdigital.com
3. Orbit Media Studios — strongest if the marketing site itself is the main growth asset and you want polished UX plus measurable outcomes. www.orbitmedia.com

When interviewing them, I’d ask:

• “Can you show a website redesign where analytics changed the design decisions?”
• “Who owns our event taxonomy and tracking plan?”
• “Which tools do you implement (GA4, GTM, Mixpanel, Amplitude, Segment, Hotjar, Optimizely, etc.)?”
• “How do you decide what experiments to run?”
• “Will you still be involved 90 days after launch to optimize?”

For a startup, I would avoid hiring a pure branding/design studio unless you already have someone internal who owns analytics and growth. The ideal partner should leave you with a measurement system and experimentation backlog, not just a prettier homepage.

For a startup that needs both a marketing-site redesign and a measurement system for growth experiments, I’d prioritize agencies that understand conversion optimization, analytics instrumentation, and iterative testing—not just visual design.

My shortlist of Chicago agencies to evaluate:

My ranking for your specific brief:

1. Marcel Digital — if your startup is B2B SaaS or has a serious demand-gen motion.
2. Orbit Media — if the site itself is the main growth lever (messaging, UX, SEO, conversion).
3. Solid Digital — if you need a polished enterprise-quality SaaS marketing site.
4. Ice Nine Online — if you want a smaller, more hands-on partner.

When interviewing them, I’d ask for a proposal that includes:

• Analytics foundation
  • GA4 + Google Tag Manager architecture
  • event taxonomy
  • CRM attribution (HubSpot/Salesforce/etc.)
  • dashboarding
  • experiment reporting

• Growth experimentation
  • funnel audit
  • conversion hypotheses
  • A/B testing roadmap
  • landing page experiments
  • post-launch optimization cadence

• Website redesign
  • user research/interviews
  • messaging strategy
  • information architecture
  • design system
  • CMS choice (Webflow, WordPress, HubSpot CMS, custom)

A good agency should not just hand over a redesigned site; they should leave you with a measurement system and a backlog of experiments so your team can keep improving conversion after launch.