ChatGPT answers, unedited

• Marcel Digital - 445 W Erie St #200, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Digital Authority Partners - 420 W Huron St Fl 1, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Comrade Digital Marketing Agency - 332 S Michigan Ave #900, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Sixth City Marketing - 620 N La Salle Dr Ste 415, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• RSXigital | B2B Lead Generation & Performance Marketing Agency in Chicago, USA - 71 S Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Alpha Digital Marketing - 4043 N Ravenswood Ave #316, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
• SWIDIA - Growth Marketing Agency - 2089 W Wabansia Ave, Chicago, IL 60647, United States
• YourPortal - 2211 N Elston Ave Ste 208, Chicago, IL 60614, United States
• EM Search Consulting, LLC. - 330 N Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• SEOLEVELUP Website Design SEO Company Chicago - 355 N Laflin St Ste 101C, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• SEOLEVELUP, LLC Website Design SEO Company - 1S183 Summit Ave, Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181, United States
• Flamingo Agency - 3752 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
• SEO Design Chicago - 2068 N Western Ave 1F - Front, Chicago, IL 60647, United States
• RedShark SEO - 65 W Erie St #1901, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Chicago Website Design SEO Company - 10 S Riverside Plaza #875, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Operation Technology - 211 W Wacker Dr 3rd Floor, Chicago, IL 60606

Yes. If the goal is startup growth rather than a beautiful brochure site, I’d prioritize agencies that can connect landing-page design to conversion rate, paid acquisition, analytics, and page speed.

My Chicago shortlist

1. Marcel Digital — strongest overall for B2B/SaaS

• River North, at 445 W Erie St.
• Particularly compelling if you're selling B2B/SaaS and expect the landing pages to become part of a broader acquisition system.
• Their capabilities span web development, landing pages, CRO, paid media, SEO and analytics. Tenet
• Best for: a startup that wants a technically strong growth partner rather than just a design shop.
• Digital Authority Partners — strong performance + landing-page orientation

• River North, at 420 W Huron St.
• They have an unusually relevant Chicago case study: they built an optimized landing page for Table XI and combined it with technical SEO and conversion improvements, producing a 20% increase in organic traffic and 10% lower site-wide exit rate. Digital Authority Partners
• Their newer CST Academy case study also demonstrates sophisticated tracking, CRO, paid-media optimization and landing-page work. Digital Authority Partners
• Best for: startups where SEO + paid acquisition + conversion optimization need to work together.
• Comrade Digital Marketing Agency — good Loop option for acquisition-focused work

• Downtown at 332 S Michigan Ave.
• More performance-marketing oriented than a pure web studio, with web design, SEO, PPC and conversion-focused marketing.
• Best for: startups already spending on acquisition and wanting landing pages tightly connected to campaigns.
• Sixth City Marketing — good fit for leaner performance marketing

• River North at 620 N La Salle Dr.
• Their offering combines PPC, SEO, CRO and web design/development, which is the right combination if landing pages are primarily acquisition assets.
• Best for: an early-stage company that wants measurable lead generation without hiring a large enterprise agency.
• RSXigital | B2B Lead Generation & Performance Marketing Agency in Chicago, USA — particularly interesting for B2B startups

• 71 S Wacker Dr.
• Their positioning is explicitly around B2B pipeline, with landing-page messaging, proof, CTAs, forms, attribution and paid/organic acquisition working together.
• Best for: B2B startups where the objective is qualified pipeline, not merely form submissions.
• Alpha Digital Marketing — strongest website/CRO specialist

• Chicago-based and particularly strong if you want the landing pages to evolve into a larger, high-quality marketing site.
• Their CRO practice specifically covers landing pages, A/B testing, UX analysis, form optimization, speed/performance audits and continuous iteration. Orbit Media Studios
• A recent case study showed a 141% increase in organic traffic and a 65% increase in key events after a conversion-oriented redesign. Orbit Media Studios
• Best for: startups where the website itself is becoming a major growth channel.

One wildcard I'd interview

SWIDIA - Growth Marketing Agency is worth talking to if you're genuinely early-stage. Their positioning is specifically around startups/high-growth companies, with growth strategy, paid acquisition, landing pages, CRO, SEO/ASO and full-funnel optimization. The tradeoff is that they're more of a growth-marketing partner than a dedicated landing-page studio.

How I'd narrow it down

For a typical Seed–Series A startup, I'd probably interview:

The key question I'd ask each one isn't “Can you build a landing page?” Every agency will say yes.

I'd ask:

“Show me three landing pages you've optimized for paid traffic, including the starting conversion rate, what you changed, what you tested, and the resulting conversion rate/CAC.”

Then ask for Core Web Vitals/mobile performance, the testing methodology, ownership of the code/design files, and whether they can instrument GA4/GTM + CRM/offline conversion feedback. That will quickly separate a genuine growth partner from a conventional web-design agency.

If you tell me what the startup sells (B2B SaaS, consumer app, marketplace, fintech, etc.), approximate monthly acquisition budget, and whether you need one landing page or a whole site, I can narrow this to the 3 Chicago agencies I'd actually send an RFP to.

• Marcel Digital - 20 N Wacker Dr Ste 1285, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Alpha Digital Marketing - 4043 N Ravenswood Ave #316, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
• Digital Authority Partners - 420 W Huron St Fl 1, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Comrade Digital Marketing Agency - 332 S Michigan Ave #900, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• 1o8 - 231 S LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Alpha Efficiency - Web Design Chicago Agency - 875 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• SWIDIA - Growth Marketing Agency - 2089 W Wabansia Ave, Chicago, IL 60647, United States
• Marcel Digital - 445 W Erie St #200, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Chicago Website Design SEO Company - 10 S Riverside Plaza #875, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Accelerated Digital Media - 159 N Sangamon St, Ste 200, Chicago, IL 60607
• Sixth City Marketing - 620 N La Salle Dr Ste 415, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Digital Third Coast - 2540 W North Ave, Chicago, IL 60647, United States
• SEO Design Chicago - 2068 N Western Ave 1F - Front, Chicago, IL 60647, United States
• OneIMS - 110 N Wacker Dr Suite 2500A, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• M2 Digital Media Group - 401 N Michigan Ave #1200, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Lift Conversions - 3033 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60657, United States

If the goal is specifically performance-optimized landing pages for an early-stage startup, I’d prioritize agencies that understand CRO, analytics, page speed, and acquisition—not just agencies that make attractive websites.

My Chicago shortlist

1. Marcel Digital — strongest B2B/growth fit

• Downtown at 20 N Wacker.
• Particularly interesting if you're a B2B/SaaS startup: they combine landing pages/web development with CRO, paid media, SEO, and analytics.
• Their CRO work explicitly addresses friction such as CTAs, forms, navigation, and site speed. Blacksmith
• Best for: SaaS/B2B startups that want the landing page connected to a measurable acquisition funnel.
• Alpha Digital Marketing — best overall for conversion + SEO

• Chicago-based and very established.
• Orbit has built 1,000+ websites and combines UX, content, SEO, development, analytics, landing-page optimization, and A/B testing. Orbit Media Studios Orbit Media Studios
• Best for: A startup that wants the landing page to become the foundation of a larger organic-growth engine, not merely a campaign page.
• Caveat: I'd ask about minimum project size; they may be more agency than an early startup needs.
• Digital Authority Partners — strong startup/growth strategy option

• Located in River North.
• Their model spans go-to-market strategy, messaging, website/design, SEO, paid media, analytics, attribution, and CRO. Blacksmith
• Best for: Founders who need help figuring out what the landing page should say and sell, not just building it.
• Comrade Digital Marketing Agency — good paid-acquisition pairing

• In the Loop at 332 S Michigan.
• Particularly relevant if traffic will come from Google/paid campaigns: they describe landing pages designed around speed, clarity, relevance, and ad intent, plus A/B testing and CRO. Comrade Digital Marketing Agency
• Best for: Startup + paid acquisition where you want the agency accountable for CPL/conversion performance.
• 1o8 — worth considering for consumer/e-commerce

• Downtown on LaSalle.
• More performance-marketing oriented, with a particular emphasis on consumer brands/CPG and e-commerce.
• Best for: Consumer startup where landing pages need to work alongside paid social, creative, and e-commerce acquisition.
• Alpha Efficiency - Web Design Chicago Agency — good smaller-agency alternative

• At 875 N Michigan.
• Combines web design/development with SEO, paid advertising, analytics, landing pages, CRO, and copywriting.
• Best for: A startup wanting a smaller, more hands-on team rather than a large agency.

If I were a startup founder

I'd probably interview Marcel Digital, Orbit, and Digital Authority Partners first.

The deciding question wouldn't be "Who builds the nicest landing page?" I'd ask each agency to walk through:

• How they research the ICP and value proposition before designing.
• How they structure a landing page for one specific acquisition channel.
• Their approach to Core Web Vitals/page speed.
• What analytics and event tracking they install.
• How they run A/B tests after launch.
• Whether copywriting is included.
• How quickly they can launch the first version.
• What happens in the 30–90 days after launch.
• Whether they can show actual before/after conversion data from comparable startup work.

For an early startup, I'd favor "launch a strong V1 in 3–6 weeks, instrument everything, then iterate weekly" over a six-month brand/website redesign.

One other option I'd put on the radar is SWIDIA - Growth Marketing Agency. It's not downtown, but its positioning is unusually close to your use case: startup/modern-consumer growth, performance marketing, creative, UI/UX, landing pages, and CRO.

If you tell me B2B SaaS vs. consumer, approximate budget ($5k / $15k / $30k+), and whether you're buying paid traffic, I can narrow this to the 3 agencies I'd actually send an RFP to, including what I'd ask each one to quote.

If the goal is startup growth—not just a pretty landing page—I’d shortlist agencies that combine landing-page development with CRO, analytics, paid acquisition, and fast iteration.

My Chicago shortlist

1. Marcel Digital — strongest all-around performance/CRO option
   • Downtown at 20 N Wacker.
   • Combines web development, landing pages, CRO, paid media, SEO, and analytics.
   • Particularly compelling if you’re building a B2B/SaaS funnel where tracking and conversion optimization matter as much as design.
   • Best for: SaaS, B2B, startups with meaningful acquisition traffic.

2. RSXigital — strong startup/B2B growth fit
   • Located at 71 S Wacker.
   • Explicitly connects demand generation → landing pages/conversion → sales follow-up, rather than treating the landing page as an isolated design project.
   • Best for: B2B startups where the real KPI is qualified pipeline, not form-fill volume.

3. Digital Authority Partners — good integrated growth partner
   • Located at 420 W Huron.
   • Covers go-to-market strategy, messaging, web/design, paid acquisition, analytics, and CRO.
   • Best for: startups that need help figuring out what to say and who to target in addition to building the page.

4. NEWMEDIA.COM — design + performance balance
   • Downtown at 444 W Lake.
   • Positions itself around website design plus performance marketing, with UX, development, acquisition, and optimization under one roof.
   • Best for: startups where brand credibility and conversion performance both matter.

5. 1o8 — interesting if you're consumer/CPG
   • Downtown at 231 S LaSalle.
   • More performance-marketing/creative oriented, with website work and consumer research alongside paid acquisition.
   • Best for: consumer startups rather than technical B2B SaaS.

6. Sixth City Marketing — solid CRO/performance option
   • River North at 620 N La Salle.
   • Combines SEO, PPC, CRO, and website design/development, with a stated ROI orientation.
   • Best for: startups wanting acquisition + landing-page optimization rather than a pure design shop.

One non-downtown agency I'd also interview

SWIDIA - Growth Marketing Agency is in Logan Square, but it's unusually relevant to your question: its positioning is specifically around performance-driven growth for startups and modern consumer brands, including landing pages, CRO, paid acquisition, and startup scaling.

If I were hiring

I'd start conversations with Marcel Digital, RSXigital, and SWIDIA.

The distinction I'd make:

One important caveat: don't hire based on “landing page design” portfolios alone. For an early-stage startup, I'd ask each agency to show a page where they can demonstrate the chain traffic source → landing-page hypothesis → implementation → experiment → conversion-rate change → CAC/pipeline impact. Agencies such as Running Start explicitly describe this kind of CRO work—including landing-page audits, testing, behavioral analytics, and SaaS trial/signup optimization. runningstart.digital

If you tell me what kind of startup you have (B2B SaaS, consumer, fintech, healthtech, marketplace, etc.), approximate monthly traffic, and whether you're buying Google/Meta/LinkedIn traffic, I can narrow this to the 3 agencies I'd actually interview and what I'd expect each to charge.

• Marcel Digital - 445 W Erie St #200, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Comrade Digital Marketing Agency - 332 S Michigan Ave #900, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• 1o8 - 231 S LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Alpha Efficiency - Web Design Chicago Agency - 875 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• EM Search Consulting, LLC. - 330 N Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Sixth City Marketing - 620 N La Salle Dr Ste 415, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• SEO Design Chicago - 2068 N Western Ave 1F - Front, Chicago, IL 60647, United States
• Lift Conversions - 3033 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60657, United States
• Digital Authority Partners - 420 W Huron St Fl 1, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Chicago Website Design SEO Company - 10 S Riverside Plaza #875, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• YourPortal - 2211 N Elston Ave Ste 208, Chicago, IL 60614, United States
• Pilot Digital Marketing - 4753 N Broadway Ste T110, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• SWIDIA - Growth Marketing Agency - 2089 W Wabansia Ave, Chicago, IL 60647, United States
• Digital Marketers Chicago - 2835 N Sheffield Ave #209, Chicago, IL 60657, United States

If your goal is early-stage startup growth, I’d prioritize agencies that can do more than make a pretty landing page: they should understand messaging, paid acquisition, analytics, CRO, page speed, and rapid experimentation.

My Chicago shortlist:

1. Marcel Digital — best overall for B2B/SaaS - Downtown at 20 N Wacker.
2. Strong combination of web development, CRO, paid media, SEO and analytics.
3. Particularly compelling if your landing page will be fed by Google/LinkedIn traffic and you want rigorous measurement. Orbit Media Studios
4. My pick: startups with an existing product and some traffic who want a serious growth partner.

1. Comrade Digital Marketing Agency — best for paid traffic + landing pages - In the Loop at 332 S Michigan.
2. Explicitly offers conversion-focused landing pages, A/B testing, CRO and PPC, which is very close to the brief you're describing. Comrade Digital Marketing Agency
3. My pick: startups planning to put meaningful Google/Meta spend behind the page.

1. Marcel Digital — strong technical/performance option - Its Chicago operation combines CRO, analytics, paid media and development; its CRO work specifically addresses issues such as CTAs, forms, navigation and speed.
2. My pick: B2B companies where technical performance and conversion tracking matter as much as visual design.

1. 1o8 — interesting for consumer/DTC startups - Downtown at 231 S LaSalle.
2. More performance-marketing oriented, with particular experience in consumer brands/e-commerce.
3. My pick: consumer startup where the landing page needs to work alongside paid social and creative.

1. Alpha Efficiency - Web Design Chicago Agency — good design + growth hybrid - At 875 N Michigan.
2. Combines web design/development with landing pages, analytics, paid advertising, SEO and CRO.
3. My pick: if you need a polished startup-facing page but don't want to sacrifice measurement and acquisition.

One non-downtown agency I'd seriously consider

BRIX Agency is worth putting on the shortlist even though it's not a downtown Chicago shop. They explicitly say they've worked with 50+ Chicago tech startups, and their positioning is unusually close to your requirement: responsive/fast websites designed around conversion. They also publish client results including a reported 2.1× conversion-rate increase and 67% improvement in website speed. Brix Agency

How I'd narrow it down

For an early-growth startup, I'd rank the fit roughly:

One important caveat: don't hire based on "conversion-optimized" language alone. In the sales call, ask them to show you 3 landing pages they've actually optimized, the original conversion rate, what they changed, how traffic was segmented, and what happened after the change.

For your use case, I'd also insist that the scope includes Core Web Vitals/page-speed work, analytics + event tracking, mobile-first UX, copy/messaging, CTA/form optimization, and an A/B-testing plan—not just Figma designs and a Webflow build.

If you tell me your startup type (B2B SaaS, consumer, marketplace, fintech, etc.), approximate budget, and whether you're buying one landing page or an ongoing growth/CRO engagement, I can narrow this to the best 3 and give you a recommended RFP/budget range.

Yes. For startup landing pages where speed, conversion rate, analytics, and iteration matter more than a flashy brochure site, I’d shortlist these Chicago agencies:

My top 3 for your specific use case

1. Marcel Digital — strongest technical/performance fit.
I'd put them first if you're building a SaaS/B2B startup and expect the landing page to become part of a broader acquisition funnel. They combine development, CRO, analytics, SEO and paid media rather than treating the landing page as a standalone design project.

2. Digital Authority Partners — strongest growth-partner option.
I'd talk to them if you're still figuring out positioning, acquisition channels, and measurement—not just looking for someone to turn a Figma file into a webpage.

3. NEWMEDIA — strongest design/performance hybrid.
Worth a conversation if the startup needs a landing page that feels exceptionally polished while still being built around conversion and marketing performance.

One I'd also investigate outside the strict downtown boundary

SWIDIA - Growth Marketing Agency is particularly relevant to your wording: it positions itself around startups and modern consumer brands, and its services include landing pages, CRO and SEO. It's not downtown, but I'd include it in the RFP because startup specialization can matter more than the office address.

What I'd ask them before hiring

Don't just ask, "Can you build a fast landing page?" Ask for a concrete process around:

• Core Web Vitals: LCP, INP, CLS and mobile performance targets.
• Conversion architecture: messaging hierarchy, CTA strategy, objection handling, social proof and forms.
• Experimentation: how they run A/B tests and decide what to test.
• Analytics: GA4 + GTM + ad-platform conversion tracking, with events tied to actual business outcomes.
• Paid-traffic alignment: whether they create variants for Google/Meta/LinkedIn campaigns rather than one generic page.
• Ownership: you retain the domain, source code, analytics accounts, ad accounts and design files.
• Iteration: whether optimization continues after launch or the engagement ends when the page goes live.

I'd be especially wary of an agency whose definition of "performance optimized" is simply a fast Lighthouse score. For an early-stage startup, the real objective is closer to:

traffic → qualified visitor → CTA → signup/demo → activated user → revenue

The best partner should be willing to optimize the entire chain, not just make the page look good.

If you give me your startup type (SaaS, marketplace, consumer, fintech, etc.), approximate budget, and whether you're driving traffic via paid ads or SEO, I can narrow this to 3 agencies and tell you which one I'd hire first.

If your priority is fast, high-converting landing pages for an early-stage startup—not just a pretty website—I’d shortlist these Chicago agencies:

1. Marcel Digital — best overall for B2B/SaaS growth
   • Downtown Loop presence.
   • Strong combination of landing pages, CRO, paid media, analytics, and web development.
   • Particularly compelling if you want the agency to measure conversion performance and iterate rather than simply hand over a page.
   • My take: probably the safest choice if you're a B2B startup with meaningful traffic/acquisition already.

2. SWIDIA - Growth Marketing Agency — best startup/growth fit
   • Explicitly positions itself around startups and modern consumer brands, with performance marketing, testing, creative iteration, landing pages and CRO.
   • Their work with acquisition funnels makes them particularly interesting if the landing page is part of a broader paid-growth experiment.
   • My take: I'd put them near the top for a seed-stage startup where speed of experimentation matters more than enterprise process.

3. Sixth City Marketing — best performance/CRO combination
   • River North office.
   • Combines PPC, SEO, CRO and web development, rather than treating the landing page as an isolated design project.
   • My take: good option if you're buying traffic and need the agency accountable for what happens after the click.

4. Digital Authority Partners — best for a more sophisticated growth partner
   • Downtown Chicago.
   • Offers strategy, performance marketing, web/design, analytics and CRO, with experience across B2B and B2C.
   • My take: worth considering if your startup has a complicated product, funnel or go-to-market problem—not just a landing-page problem.

5. Solid Digital — best for technical/performance-heavy web work
   • Downtown at 100 N LaSalle.
   • Strong web design/development capability, including performance/security-oriented development and scalable builds.
   • My take: particularly attractive if Core Web Vitals, page speed, technical architecture and maintainability are major requirements.

6. Marcel Digital — worth emphasizing for B2B
   • Their Chicago Loop operation combines paid media, CRO, analytics and web development, with CRO specifically addressing issues such as CTAs, forms, navigation and speed.

One non-downtown option I'd seriously consider

SWIDIA - Growth Marketing Agency is actually the one I'd interview first if you're pre-Series A / seed-stage. The startup orientation is more relevant to your use case than simply being physically downtown.

What I'd ask each agency

Don't ask, "Can you build us a landing page?" Ask:

"Can you build a fast landing page, instrument the funnel, launch it against paid traffic, and run experiments against CAC/CVR rather than just delivering the design?"

Then require them to show you:

• 3 startup landing pages they've actually shipped
• Before/after conversion-rate data
• Their typical LCP/Core Web Vitals targets
• How quickly they can go from brief → live page
• Whether copywriting is included
• Whether they handle GA4/GTM, pixels, events and attribution
• Their A/B-testing methodology
• Who actually does the work—not just who sells the project
• Whether you retain ownership of the code, analytics, ad accounts and experimentation data

For early growth, I'd favor SWIDIA or Marcel Digital over a traditional branding/web-design agency. The important distinction is that you want someone who treats the landing page as growth infrastructure, not as a one-time creative deliverable.

If you tell me your startup type (B2B SaaS, consumer, marketplace, fintech, etc.) and approximate budget (e.g. $5k, $10k, $25k+), I can narrow this to the 3 best-fit agencies and compare their likely strengths, pricing level, and startup experience.

If the goal is startup growth rather than just a prettier website, I’d shortlist agencies that combine landing-page UX, CRO, analytics, speed, and ideally paid acquisition. Based on their current positioning and Chicago presence, these stand out:

My top 3 for your specific use case

1. Marcel Digital — best overall growth-oriented choice.
I'd put them first if you're a B2B/SaaS startup where the landing page needs to connect to CRM, analytics, paid search, SEO and actual pipeline. Their Chicago operation combines CRO, web development, paid media and analytics rather than treating landing-page design as an isolated creative exercise.

2. Solid Digital — best if the landing page/site itself is the priority.
Their downtown Chicago office is at 100 N LaSalle, and their offering emphasizes performance/security, scalable development and marketing-team-friendly sites. Solid Digital

3. Digital Authority Partners — best if you want landing pages plus an ongoing growth team.
DAP is particularly compelling if you don't just need a page built—you need SEO, content, analytics, lead generation and ongoing optimization around it. Its Chicago practice reports that 92% of its developed landing pages rank in the top three search results, though I'd ask them to show the underlying case studies rather than taking that aggregate claim at face value. www.digitalauthority.me

One wildcard worth interviewing

Orbit Media isn't actually downtown—it’s in Ravenswood—but I'd include them if geography isn't absolute. They have unusually deep landing-page/CRO expertise: A/B testing, UX analysis, form optimization, speed/performance audits, SEO and analytics are all part of their offering. They report 20+ years of experience and 1,000+ websites designed. www.orbitmedia.com

For a startup, that's potentially more valuable than hiring a downtown agency that's primarily a branding/web-design shop.

What I'd ask every agency before hiring

Give each agency the same brief and ask:

1. Show me 3 startup landing pages you've built where conversion rate improved measurably.
2. What was the baseline conversion rate and what did it become?
3. How do you optimize Core Web Vitals / page speed?
4. Who writes the copy—your team or us?
5. How do you structure A/B tests with low traffic?
6. Can you instrument GA4, GTM, pixels, CRM attribution and session recording?
7. Can we launch a first version in 2–4 weeks rather than doing a 3-month website project?
8. Do we own the code, analytics accounts, design files and experimentation data?
9. Can you optimize the page after launch rather than declaring the project finished?
10. What would you change about our current landing page before we hire you?

That last question is particularly revealing. A good growth agency should be able to look at your existing funnel and identify specific hypotheses, not just talk about "modern design."

One other Chicago option worth knowing about is Invesp. It's CRO-first rather than a conventional web agency and explicitly offers landing-page optimization, experimentation, SaaS CRO and startup CRO programs. It also advertises a performance-oriented pricing model. www.invespcro.com

If you tell me your startup type (B2B SaaS, consumer, fintech, healthcare, marketplace, etc.), approximate budget ($5k, $15k, $30k+), and whether you're starting from zero or improving an existing landing page, I can narrow this to 3 agencies and compare their likely fit.

Yes. For startup-focused, performance-oriented landing pages, I’d narrow the Chicago field considerably rather than choosing a general “web design” shop.

My shortlist

1. SWIDIA - Growth Marketing Agency — best startup/growth fit
   • Chicago-based and explicitly positioned around startups and modern consumer brands.
   • Particularly interesting if you want the agency to think beyond the page itself: acquisition, experimentation, CRO, SEO/ASO, and funnel strategy.
   • Their work for a fintech/subscription business included full-funnel strategy and ongoing user-acquisition optimization.
   • Best for: an early-stage company where landing pages are part of a broader growth experiment.

2. Marcel Digital — best for technical/performance rigor
   • Downtown/Loop presence and a strong combination of web development, CRO, analytics, SEO and paid media.
   • Their CRO work specifically addresses things like CTAs, forms, navigation and site speed, rather than treating conversion as purely a visual-design problem.
   • Best for: B2B/SaaS startups where analytics, technical implementation and measurable conversion improvements matter.

3. Solid Digital — best design + engineering balance
   • Downtown at 100 N LaSalle.
   • Stronger choice if you need a polished startup brand/site while still caring about engineering, UX and ongoing optimization.
   • Their positioning combines design, development and ongoing “digital growth” support.
   • Best for: startups that need a credible, high-end digital presence rather than a bare-bones lead-gen page.

4. Digital Authority Partners — best integrated growth option
   • River North, with capabilities spanning performance marketing, creative, analytics and CRO.
   • Their Chicago operation emphasizes measurable growth and landing-page performance; they report substantial work around analytics and conversion optimization. www.digitalauthority.me
   • Best for: startups that want one partner handling acquisition + landing pages + measurement.

5. Sixth City Marketing — best SEO/PPC/CRO combination
   • River North office.
   • Particularly relevant if your landing pages will be fed by Google Ads or SEO, because their offering combines paid search, SEO, CRO and web development.
   • Best for: startups with an acquisition strategy already forming around search.

6. Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding — best pure downtown option for design
   • Right on Michigan Avenue.
   • Stronger emphasis on UX, web design, branding and conversion-oriented digital experiences.
   • Best for: a startup where positioning/brand credibility is as important as raw funnel performance.

One agency I'd also interview despite not being downtown

Marcel Digital is actually the one I'd put highest on the interview list if by “performance-optimized” you mean Core Web Vitals + analytics + experimentation + conversion, rather than simply “a nice-looking landing page.”

And Orbit Media is worth considering if you're comfortable going outside the downtown requirement: its CRO offering explicitly includes A/B testing, user-behavior analysis, landing pages, form optimization and website-speed audits. www.orbitmedia.com

How I'd choose

For an early-stage startup, I'd score agencies on these five things—not their portfolio aesthetics:

My top 3 to interview: SWIDIA, Marcel Digital, and Solid Digital.

If this is specifically for a seed/Series A SaaS startup, I'd lean SWIDIA or Marcel. If it's a consumer startup/product launch, I'd lean SWIDIA or Solid Digital.

One caution: don't let an agency sell you a “conversion-optimized landing page” based solely on its design portfolio. Ask them to show you before/after conversion data, experiment methodology, page-speed metrics, and how they attribute leads to revenue. That's the difference between a landing-page designer and a growth partner.

If the goal is startup growth—not just a prettier website—I’d shortlist agencies that combine landing-page design/development with CRO, analytics, paid acquisition, and fast experimentation.

My Chicago shortlist

1. Marcel Digital — strongest overall for B2B/SaaS
   • Downtown at 20 N Wacker.
   • Particularly compelling if you need landing pages + CRO + analytics + paid media rather than a one-off design project.
   • Their CRO work focuses on friction in CTAs, forms, navigation, speed, and other conversion factors.
   • Best for: SaaS, B2B, funded startups with meaningful traffic/acquisition budgets.

2. Solid Digital — best for a high-quality growth site
   • Downtown at 100 N LaSalle.
   • Strong combination of web design, development, UX, WordPress/custom development, and performance-oriented implementation.
   • Best for: startups that need a polished marketing site and scalable landing-page infrastructure.

3. Sixth City Marketing — best performance-marketing orientation
   • River North, at 620 N LaSalle.
   • Combines SEO, PPC, CRO, and website development, which makes it more attractive if landing pages are part of a broader acquisition funnel.
   • Best for: startups already buying search traffic and wanting to improve CAC/conversion rates.

4. Comrade Digital Marketing Agency — good for paid-traffic landing pages
   • Loop, at 332 S Michigan.
   • Their Chicago PPC offering specifically includes fast, conversion-focused landing pages, A/B testing, CRO audits, and UX optimization. comradeweb.com
   • Best for: Google/Meta acquisition where the landing page needs to be tightly connected to the ad campaign.

5. Digital Authority Partners — good for analytics-heavy growth
   • River North, at 420 W Huron.
   • Offers performance marketing, analytics/reporting and CRO, with a stronger strategic/measurement orientation.
   • Best for: startups where attribution, experimentation, and measurable funnel performance matter.

6. EM Search Consulting — smaller, performance-focused option
   • West Loop, at 330 N Ashland.
   • Their offering includes landing pages, conversion infrastructure, tracking, remarketing and site-speed work.
   • Best for: a startup wanting a more hands-on/smaller-agency relationship.

One non-downtown agency I'd seriously consider

SWIDIA - Growth Marketing Agency isn't downtown, but its positioning is unusually relevant to your use case: it's explicitly focused on startups and modern consumer brands, with landing pages, CRO, testing, acquisition optimization, and full-funnel growth work.

Also worth a look: Orbit

Orbit Media Studios is not downtown, but I'd put it on the serious-consideration list if you're building a larger marketing site. Orbit specifically offers landing-page CRO, A/B testing, form optimization, UX analysis, website speed/performance audits, and analytics. www.orbitmedia.com

How I'd choose

My top 3 for an early-stage startup would be Marcel Digital, SWIDIA, and Comrade, depending on whether you're more B2B/SaaS, startup-growth focused, or paid-acquisition driven.

One important distinction: I would not hire based primarily on Core Web Vitals or visual portfolio quality. Ask each agency to show you a landing page where they can demonstrate traffic source → landing experience → conversion event → experiment → measurable lift. That's much closer to what will actually move early-stage growth.

If you tell me your startup type (SaaS/B2B, consumer, marketplace, fintech, etc.), approximate monthly traffic/ad spend, and whether you need one landing page or a whole site, I can narrow this to the 3 best-fit agencies and what I’d expect each to charge.

For an early-stage startup, I’d prioritize agencies that can do more than “make a nice landing page.” The best partners understand offer positioning, funnel strategy, analytics, paid traffic feedback loops, A/B testing, and speed performance.

Here are Chicago agencies worth considering (especially in/near the Loop, River North, West Loop, and downtown areas):

A few I’d shortlist depending on your stage:

Pre-seed / MVP validation

• Digital4Startups
• SWIDIA
• A boutique landing-page specialist (for speed + iteration)

Seed stage with paid acquisition

• Accelerated Digital Media
• Sixth City Marketing
• Marcel Digital

B2B SaaS / enterprise sales motion

• Marcel Digital
• Orbit Media
• Digital Authority Partners

When interviewing agencies, I’d ask for:

1. 3 landing pages they built where conversion rate improved
2. Their typical Core Web Vitals / page-speed scores
3. Whether they write conversion copy or only design/develop
4. Their testing process (A/B tests, heatmaps, analytics)
5. How they connect landing-page performance to CAC, pipeline, or revenue

For a startup, I’d generally avoid agencies that only show awards and visual portfolios; you want evidence that they can move a metric like signup rate, demo conversion rate, or cost per qualified lead. brdmediallc.org

I can also narrow this down to the best 5 under ~$10k, best for SaaS startups, or agencies that actually specialize in landing-page experiments rather than full websites.

If your goal is startup growth—not just a prettier website—I’d shortlist agencies that can combine landing-page UX, speed, analytics, CRO, and acquisition.

My Chicago shortlist

1. SWIDIA - Growth Marketing Agency — best startup/growth fit
   • Explicitly works with startups and modern consumer brands.
   • Offers landing pages, CRO, SEO/ASO and user-acquisition optimization.
   • Particularly interesting if you want the agency involved in the whole funnel, rather than handing you a landing page and walking away.
   • Their work with Found is positioned around full-funnel strategy and ongoing acquisition optimization.

2. RSXigital | B2B Performance Marketing Agency in Chicago, USA — best for B2B startups
   • Downtown at 71 S Wacker.
   • Strong emphasis on qualified pipeline rather than vanity metrics.
   • Their approach explicitly connects landing pages, offers, proof, forms, paid/organic acquisition and attribution.
   • I'd put them high on the list for SaaS, B2B services or enterprise-oriented startups.

3. Marcel Digital — best technical/performance option
   • Downtown at 20 N Wacker.
   • Combines web development with CRO, SEO, paid media and analytics.
   • Particularly attractive if Core Web Vitals, technical SEO, analytics instrumentation and experimentation matter as much as visual design.
   • Their CRO work specifically addresses things like CTAs, forms, navigation and site speed.

4. Digital Authority Partners — best for strategy + execution
   • Chicago-based at 420 W Huron.
   • Offers strategy, website/design, paid media, analytics and CRO rather than treating the landing page as an isolated design project.
   • Their Table XI case study is relevant: they built and optimized a landing page alongside technical SEO and site improvements, reporting 20% organic-traffic growth and a 10% reduction in site-wide exit rate. www.digitalauthority.me
   • Good candidate if you need help figuring out positioning + funnel + page, not merely implementation.

5. Comrade Digital Marketing Agency — good all-around downtown option
   • In the Loop at 332 S Michigan.
   • Web design plus SEO/PPC and broader digital marketing.
   • I'd consider them if you want landing pages integrated with acquisition, but I'd ask specifically for startup/SaaS landing-page case studies before selecting them.

6. NEWMEDIA.COM — good hands-on web + performance option
   • Downtown at 444 W Lake.
   • Positions itself around website design plus performance marketing, and its public profile specifically mentions startups/small businesses and conversion-oriented web work.
   • Worth considering if you want a relatively hands-on partner rather than a huge agency.

One non-downtown agency I'd still interview

Sixth City Marketing is in River North rather than the Loop, but it is worth including because CRO, PPC, SEO and web design/development are all part of its offering. If "downtown" means Chicago proper rather than strictly the Loop, I'd include it.

Also worth a look: Orbit Media

Orbit Media Studios is one of the stronger Chicago choices if site performance + UX + conversion optimization are your priorities. Clutch currently lists Orbit as a Chicago firm specializing in conversion optimization and website performance optimization, with landing-page optimization, conversion audits and performance reporting among its focus areas. clutch.co

Their Downtown Apartment Collective case study is a useful example of the type of work I'd want to see: redesign, conversion-path improvements, SEO and performance improvements rather than design for design's sake. www.orbitmedia.com

How I'd rank them for your specific brief

One caution: I wouldn't hire based on claims like "we increase conversions X%." Ask each agency to show you the original page, traffic source, conversion definition, test/design changes, page-speed metrics, and before/after results. CRO results are otherwise very easy to make sound more impressive than they are.

For an early-stage startup, I'd also insist that the engagement includes GA4/event tracking, CRM attribution, mobile performance, A/B testing or a testing roadmap, and ownership of the landing-page code/data. That makes the page a growth asset rather than a one-off agency deliverable.

Yes. For startup-focused landing pages where speed, conversion rate, analytics, and early customer acquisition matter, I’d shortlist these Chicago agencies rather than choosing purely on visual design.

My top picks

1. Marcel Digital — best overall for B2B/SaaS
   • Downtown at 20 N Wacker.
   • Strong combination of web development + CRO + paid media + analytics.
   • Particularly interesting if the landing page needs to connect to a broader acquisition funnel rather than exist as a one-off marketing page. Their CRO work explicitly addresses CTAs, forms, navigation and page speed.
   • Best for: B2B SaaS, tech startups, companies already buying traffic.

2. Comrade Digital Marketing Agency — best for paid-acquisition landing pages
   • In the Loop at 332 S Michigan.
   • Their Chicago offering specifically combines conversion-focused landing pages, PPC and A/B testing, with an emphasis on matching the landing experience to ad intent. comradeweb.com
   • Best for: startups planning to acquire early users through Google/Meta/paid search.

3. Digital Authority Partners — best for startup + growth strategy
   • River North at 420 W Huron.
   • Offers web development, performance marketing, analytics and CRO under one roof.
   • Best for: startups that need help deciding what the page should say and what funnel to build, not just someone to code a page.

4. Accelerated Digital Media — best if acquisition is the priority
   • West Loop.
   • More performance-marketing-oriented than traditional web agency. Its strength is paid acquisition and analytics, which can be valuable if the landing page is part of a measurable CAC experiment. comradeweb.com
   • Best for: startups with a defined acquisition budget and a need to optimize paid traffic.

5. Digital4Startups Inc. — worth considering specifically because of the startup orientation
   • Merchandise Mart.
   • Positions itself around data-driven performance marketing and explicitly works with startups as well as established businesses.
   • Best for: early-stage founders who want a smaller, more hands-on marketing partner.

One non-downtown agency I'd seriously consider

Orbit Media is probably the strongest landing-page/CRO specialist in the broader Chicago market, even though it's not downtown. It explicitly offers landing-page CRO, A/B testing, UX analysis, form optimization, SEO and website speed/performance audits. www.orbitmedia.com

That's a particularly good fit if by "performance-optimized" you mean Core Web Vitals + fast load times + conversion optimization + SEO, rather than simply "a nice-looking landing page."

How I'd narrow it down

One caution: I'd avoid hiring a conventional branding/web-design agency for this particular job unless they can demonstrate actual conversion experiments. For an early-stage startup, I'd want the agency contractually focused on metrics such as landing-page conversion rate, qualified signup/demo rate, CAC, page speed/Core Web Vitals, and experiment velocity—not just "modern design."

If you tell me what kind of startup you have (B2B SaaS, consumer, fintech, marketplace, etc.), your approximate budget, and whether you're driving traffic through paid ads or SEO, I can narrow this to the 3 agencies I'd actually interview, including likely pricing and relevant case studies.

Yes. For startup-focused, performance-oriented landing pages, I’d shortlist agencies that can do more than visual web design: messaging + UX + fast development + analytics + CRO/testing + paid acquisition.

My Chicago shortlist

1. SWIDIA - Growth Marketing Agency — best startup/growth fit
   • Particularly interesting if you're an early-stage startup rather than a traditional SMB.
   • Their positioning is explicitly around startups and modern consumer brands, with performance marketing, growth experimentation, and landing-page/CRO support.
   • They also describe work on fintech/subscription funnels, which is a good signal if you're building a product with a measurable acquisition funnel.

2. Marcel Digital — best technical/CRO combination
   • Downtown Loop office at 20 N Wacker.
   • Strong combination of web development, CRO, paid media, SEO, analytics and measurement. Their CRO work specifically addresses things like CTAs, forms, navigation and site speed. www.youtechagency.com
   • I'd consider them if the landing page needs to be technically excellent and integrated into a broader marketing stack.

3. Digital Authority Partners — best full-funnel option
   • River North, at 420 W Huron.
   • Good fit if you want someone to help with positioning/GTМ → landing page → paid acquisition → analytics/CRO, rather than simply handing you a finished page.
   • Their offering spans strategy, creative, performance marketing, web/design, analytics and CRO.

4. Digital4Startups Inc. — worth a serious look for an early-stage company
   • Based at the Merchandise Mart.
   • The name is pretty explicit about its target market, and its services include paid search, CRO, landing-page/UX analysis and testing-driven improvements.
   • I'd put them on the shortlist if you want a smaller, more specialized growth engagement rather than a large agency relationship.

5. Marcel Digital — especially good for B2B/SaaS
   • If your startup sells to businesses, this is one I'd interview.
   • Their model connects landing pages and CRO with paid acquisition, analytics and web development rather than treating the page as an isolated design project. www.youtechagency.com

6. Comrade Digital Marketing Agency — good Loop alternative
   • Located at 332 S Michigan Ave.
   • Broader digital-marketing capability, including web design, paid search and SEO, with an emphasis on tracking performance back to leads.

One non-downtown option I'd still consider

Accelerated Digital Media in the West Loop is worth knowing about if paid acquisition is going to be the primary growth engine. Its specialty is performance marketing and analytics rather than conventional web design, so it could be particularly useful if the landing page is being built specifically to support Google/Meta/LinkedIn campaigns.

My ranking for your exact use case

If I were a startup founder, I'd interview SWIDIA, Digital4Startups, and Marcel first. They represent three useful flavors: growth-first, startup-specialist, and technically rigorous/CRO-heavy.

One important caveat: don't hire based on a portfolio that merely looks good. Ask each agency to show you before/after conversion rates, page-speed/Core Web Vitals, experiment history, CAC/CPL changes, and how they instrument analytics. A startup landing page should be treated as a growth experiment, not a branding deliverable.

If you tell me your startup type (SaaS, consumer, fintech, marketplace, etc.), approximate monthly traffic/ad spend, and target conversion (demo, signup, purchase, waitlist), I can narrow this to the 3 agencies I'd actually contact and what I'd ask each one in the pitch call.

If your priority is performance-optimized landing pages for an early-stage startup, I’d shortlist agencies that can do more than make a page look good: messaging + UX + speed + analytics + CRO/testing + paid-traffic alignment.

My Chicago shortlist

1. Marcel Digital — best overall for B2B/startup growth
   • Downtown at 20 N Wacker.
   • Strong combination of landing pages/web development, CRO, paid media, SEO, and analytics.
   • Particularly attractive if your startup sells B2B or SaaS and you want the landing page connected to the broader acquisition funnel. www.singlegrain.com
   • My take: probably the first agency I'd interview for a serious growth-focused engagement.

2. Invesp — best if CRO/testing is the centerpiece
   • Based at the Merchandise Mart.
   • More experimentation/CRO-oriented than a conventional web-design agency: research, A/B testing, UX, analytics, and landing-page optimization.
   • My take: excellent choice if you already have traffic and want to systematically improve conversion rather than simply launch a prettier page.

3. Orbit Media Studios — best for a high-quality marketing site + landing-page system
   • Chicago-based, with a strong website-first orientation.
   • Its CRO offering specifically includes landing pages, A/B testing, user-behavior analysis, form optimization, and website speed/performance audits. www.orbitmedia.com
   • Its Downtown Apartment Collective case study, for example, reports a 141% YoY increase in organic search traffic and 65% growth in key events. www.orbitmedia.com
   • My take: particularly good if you need both the core startup site and an ongoing landing-page/CRO program.

4. Comrade Digital Marketing Agency — good for paid acquisition + landing pages
   • Located in the Loop at 332 S Michigan.
   • Their PPC offering explicitly combines conversion-focused landing pages, speed, relevance, A/B testing, CRO audits, UX, copy and offer optimization. comradeweb.com
   • My take: worth considering if your early growth strategy is heavily Google Ads/PPC driven.

5. Digital Authority Partners — good integrated option
   • Downtown at 420 W Huron.
   • Combines strategy, performance marketing, web development, analytics and CRO.
   • My take: potentially a good fit if the landing page is one piece of a larger acquisition/measurement system.

6. Digital4Startups Inc. — interesting early-stage specialist
   • At Merchandise Mart.
   • Specifically positions itself around startups and offers paid search + CRO + landing-page/UX analysis.
   • My take: I'd talk to them if you want a smaller/startup-oriented partner rather than a larger agency.

One wildcard

SWIDIA - Growth Marketing Agency isn't downtown—it’s in Logan Square—but it's unusually relevant to your use case. It describes itself as focused on startups and modern consumer brands, with landing pages, CRO, UI/UX, creative and user-acquisition work.

How I'd narrow it down

One caution: don't hire based on claims like "we build high-converting pages." Ask each agency to show you actual before/after conversion data, PageSpeed/Core Web Vitals results, examples of A/B tests, and how they attribute conversions back to campaigns. A fast page with excellent design isn't necessarily a growth asset if the agency isn't capable of testing the offer, positioning, copy, traffic intent, and funnel.

For a startup, I'd probably send the same brief to Marcel, Invesp, and Orbit and compare their proposed first 30–60 days. That should make the differences in approach—and pricing—pretty obvious.

Yes. If your priority is performance-optimized landing pages for an early-stage startup, I’d favor agencies that combine UX/design + development + CRO + analytics, rather than a traditional branding shop.

My Chicago shortlist

1. Solid Digital — best overall for a serious startup website
   • Downtown at 100 N LaSalle.
   • Strong combination of strategy, UX/UI, development, SEO and ongoing optimization.
   • Particularly attractive if the landing page may evolve into a broader marketing site. Their positioning emphasizes structured design + engineering and long-term optimization. www.designhenge.com
   • Best for: B2B SaaS/startups that want a high-quality foundation rather than a disposable campaign page.

2. Comrade Digital Marketing Agency — best if paid acquisition is part of the plan
   • Downtown on S. Michigan Ave.
   • Specifically offers conversion-focused landing pages, speed/relevance optimization and A/B testing alongside PPC. comradeweb.com
   • Best for: A startup expecting to put Google/Meta/LinkedIn spend behind the landing page.

3. Marcel Digital — best for measurement-heavy growth
   • Downtown at 20 N Wacker.
   • Combines CRO, paid media, analytics, SEO and web development; its CRO work explicitly addresses things like CTAs, forms, navigation and page speed.
   • Best for: B2B startups where attribution, lead quality and experimentation matter as much as aesthetics.

4. Alpha Efficiency — strong conversion/growth-oriented option
   • Downtown at 875 N Michigan.
   • Positions websites as revenue drivers and offers landing pages, copywriting, analytics, SEO, paid advertising and CRO.
   • Best for: A startup wanting one partner across landing-page production and growth marketing.

5. Digital Authority Partners — good integrated growth partner
   • River North at 420 W Huron.
   • Combines performance marketing, creative, analytics and CRO, with a strong emphasis on measurable outcomes.
   • Best for: Startups that expect the agency relationship to expand beyond the initial landing page.

6. SWIDIA - Growth Marketing Agency — interesting if you're very early-stage
   • Chicago-based and explicitly positioned around startups and modern consumer brands.
   • Their offering includes landing pages, CRO, SEO, paid acquisition and creative iteration.
   • Best for: Seed-stage teams where the landing page is one component of a broader acquisition experiment.

One non-downtown agency I'd seriously consider

EM Search Consulting, LLC. in the West Loop is worth a look if you care more about lead-generation performance than agency polish. Its services include landing pages, conversion infrastructure, tracking and site-speed work.

And Orbit Media deserves consideration if you're building something larger than a single landing page. It has designed 1,000+ websites and explicitly combines conversion optimization, UX, SEO, analytics and development. www.orbitmedia.com

How I'd choose for an early-growth startup

I'd interview Solid Digital, Comrade, Marcel Digital and SWIDIA first.

The key question I'd ask each:

“We're not looking for a pretty landing page. We need a page we can launch quickly, instrument properly, run paid traffic to, A/B test, and continuously improve based on CAC and qualified conversion rate. Can you show us 2–3 comparable examples and the actual optimization process?”

I'd also require them to specify Core Web Vitals/page-speed targets, analytics instrumentation, event tracking, copy/offer testing, A/B testing ownership, and post-launch optimization in the proposal.

One useful benchmark: BRIX, another Chicago agency with substantial startup experience, publicly reports a client example where a redesign increased website conversion from 2.3% to 5.1% while also improving site speed by 67%. That's the kind of evidence I'd want every finalist to provide—not just screenshots of attractive sites. brixagency.com

If you tell me your startup type (B2B SaaS, consumer, marketplace, fintech, etc.), approximate budget ($5–10k / $10–25k / $25k+), and whether you'll be buying paid traffic, I can narrow this to the 3 agencies I'd actually send an RFP to.