Answers that do not mention Solid Digital

• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Web Action LLC - 350 N Orleans St #9000n, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Americaneagle.com, Inc. - 200 W Jackson Blvd Fl 22, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Alpha Efficiency - Web Design Chicago Agency - 875 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Alebrije Agency - 233 S Wacker Dr Ste 4400, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• SITE IT NOW - 1016 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Chicago Website Design SEO Company - 10 S Riverside Plaza #875, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Menus and Photos - 5122 N Natoma Ave, Chicago, IL 60656, United States

For a Loop restaurant, I’d look for an agency that understands hospitality conversion, not just pretty websites: a fast mobile menu, reservation flow (OpenTable/Resy/Tock/SevenRooms), strong food photography, and an easy way for your staff to update specials. Here are Chicago-area agencies I’d put on your shortlist:

Best fits for a restaurant redesign

Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding

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

Good option if you want a brand refresh + website redesign together. They’re downtown-based and focus on branding, web design, and digital marketing.
Ask them about:

• Restaurant-focused case studies
• Menu redesign (digital + print)
• Food photography partners
• Reservation/ordering integrations

ArtVersion® Creative Agency

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-837-7466)

A strong choice if your restaurant has a distinctive identity and you want a more premium, design-led experience. They handle brand strategy, UX, and web development.
Best for: chef-driven concepts, upscale dining, restaurants where atmosphere matters as much as the menu.

Web Action LLC

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 855-468-6932)

Worth contacting if you want a more restaurant-specific package. They advertise restaurant website work that includes menu design, photography/video, branding, and marketing. Web Action
Best for: a small independent restaurant wanting one vendor to handle many pieces.

Americaneagle.com, Inc.

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-291-5970)

A larger downtown agency with deeper development resources.
Best for: restaurants planning loyalty programs, multiple locations, custom integrations, or more complex systems.

Alpha Efficiency - Web Design Chicago Agency

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-300-6746)

Not technically in the Loop, but close (West Loop/Fulton Market) and worth considering for a full creative package. They combine branding, web, marketing, and content production.
Best for: a restaurant that needs photography, storytelling, and a stronger overall brand presence.

Restaurant-specialist options (even if not strictly downtown)

The Object Group Restaurant Website Design

They specifically market restaurant websites with reservation/order flows and include restaurant photography/video work in their process. the object group
Best for: restaurants where the visual experience is the priority.

Orbit Media Restaurant Website Design

They have restaurant-specific experience with reservation integrations, CMS setup, UX, and SEO. Orbit Media Studios
Best for: a restaurant that wants the site to generate more reservations, not just look good.

Striped Horse Restaurant Website Design

They focus specifically on restaurant branding, menus, reservation flows, and photography-driven design. Striped Horse
Best for: modern neighborhood restaurants, bars, and hospitality brands.

When you contact them, ask these 8 questions

1. “Can you replace our PDF menu with a mobile-friendly editable menu?”
2. “Which reservation platforms have you integrated with?”
3. “Do you handle food photography in-house or coordinate a photographer?”
4. “Can staff update menu items, hours, and specials without calling you?”
5. “Can you optimize Google Search/Maps visibility for the Loop area?”
6. “Can you integrate Toast, Square, OpenTable, Resy, or Tock if needed?”
7. “Can you show 3 restaurant websites you’ve launched?”
8. “What is the ongoing monthly cost after launch?”

For a small Loop restaurant, I’d probably start by interviewing The Object Group, Web Action, Orbit Media, and ArtVersion—they cover the range from restaurant-specialist execution to higher-end branding. the object group Orbit Media Studios

If you tell me your restaurant style (fine dining, casual, bar, fast casual, cuisine type) and approximate budget, I can narrow this to the 3 agencies most likely to be a fit.

• Orbit Media Studios - 4043 N Ravenswood Ave #316, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
• Praella - eCommerce Agency - 203 N LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• Elevate Studios: A Digital Design Firm - 5416 N Wayne Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, 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
• Alpha Efficiency - Web Design Chicago Agency - 875 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• SITE IT NOW - 1016 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Lift Conversions - 3033 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60657, United States
• Flamingo Agency - 3752 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
• Millennial Web Development - 329 W 18th St Ste 413, Chicago, IL 60616, United States
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Americaneagle.com, Inc. - 200 W Jackson Blvd Fl 22, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• WPrime Agency - 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza #1212, Chicago, IL 60654, United States

Absolutely. Since you’re in Fulton Market and selling fashion/boutique products, I’d prioritize studios that can combine editorial visual design + Shopify/ecommerce UX + measurable CRO, rather than a general-purpose web design shop.

My Chicago shortlist

• Orbit Media Studios — Strong if you want a sophisticated, strategy-led redesign with conversion optimization, SEO, content, and analytics baked in. They’re more of a full-service digital agency than a boutique Shopify specialist.
• Praella - eCommerce Agency — My pick if you want a serious Shopify/Shopify Plus ecommerce partner. They specialize in ecommerce builds, migrations, UX/UI, and optimization, with a Chicago office downtown.
• Elevate Studios: A Digital Design Firm — Particularly interesting for a fashion/lifestyle boutique. Their positioning centers on premium beauty, fashion, and DTC brands, with brand identity, UX/UI, ecommerce experience design, and digital creative.
• Design In Chicago — A West Loop option, which makes them especially convenient from Fulton Market. They handle strategy, wireframes, high-fidelity design, development, integrations, testing, and launch rather than just handing you pretty Figma screens.
• The Chicago Web Co. — Probably the most directly aligned with your brief. They're Shopify-focused, explicitly offer conversion optimization and UX audits, and have fashion experience including work for Naked Cashmere, LoveShackFancy, A3 Performance, and Sophia Forero. Their portfolio also emphasizes mobile-first design and conversion improvements. The Chicago Web Co Shopify
• Forix — Worth getting a proposal from if conversion performance is the priority. Their Chicago Shopify practice combines UX, CRO, performance optimization, and redesign, and they specifically position themselves around conversion-focused Shopify stores. Forix

Who I'd interview first

For a modern, fashion-forward Fulton Market boutique, I'd narrow it to:

1. The Chicago Web Co. — best combination of fashion/ecommerce aesthetics + Shopify + CRO.
2. Elevate Studios — strongest candidate if brand image and premium visual identity are especially important.
3. Praella — strongest if you're expecting substantial ecommerce complexity, Shopify Plus, integrations, or future scaling.
4. Design In Chicago — attractive if you want a local West Loop/Fulton Market-adjacent partner that can handle the whole digital project.

One useful distinction: don't let “conversion-focused” mean simply adding bigger Buy buttons. For a boutique, I'd ask each studio to show how they'd improve mobile product discovery, collection filtering, PDP photography/storytelling, sizing confidence, sticky add-to-cart, checkout friction, email capture, and post-purchase retention—and ask what metrics they'll establish as the baseline before redesigning.

If you tell me your approximate budget (e.g. $10–25k, $25–50k, $50k+) and whether you're already on Shopify, I can narrow this to 3 firms and compare them on likely fit, portfolio, pricing level, and what I'd ask each in the pitch.

• Builden Partners - 150 S Wacker Dr #2400, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• AttorneySync - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 300, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Market JD, Inc. - 20 N Wacker Dr Ste 1200, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Pattern 6 - 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• OVC Lawyer Marketing - 750 Warrenville Rd Ste 203, Lisle, IL 60532, United States
• dNOVO Group | Law Firm Marketing Agency - 545 N McClurg Ct Ste 1808, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Forward Lawyer Marketing - 460 N Main St Unit 209, Glen Ellyn, IL 60137, United States
• BSPE Legal Marketing - Chicago - 875 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60610, United States
• Forward Lawyer Marketing - 3553 W Peterson Ave Ste 30, Chicago, IL 60659, United States
• Market JD, Inc. - 3400 Dundee Rd Ste 210, Northbrook, IL 60062, United States
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Attorney Web Design | Chicago - 233 S Wacker Dr Ste 4400, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Alpha Efficiency - Web Design Chicago Agency - 875 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, United States

Yes. For a downtown Chicago law firm, I’d strongly favor a specialist that understands legal marketing, attorney advertising constraints, practice-area architecture, accessibility, SEO, and—especially for a sophisticated firm—how to present attorneys and matters without making the site feel like a consumer lead-gen operation.

I’d put these firms on your shortlist:

• Builden Partners — 150 S Wacker Dr. Builden is particularly interesting if you’re a midsize or larger firm with an established marketing department. They work exclusively with law firms and explicitly handle website redesign/rebranding project leadership, so they can function as a strategic partner rather than simply a web-development vendor. Builden Partners
• AttorneySync — 211 W Wacker Dr. A very relevant option if you want a Chicago-based agency that focuses exclusively on law firms. Their work includes website design/development, content, and broader legal marketing, with an emphasis on firms retaining ownership of their digital assets.
• Market JD, Inc. — 20 N Wacker Dr. Another downtown option focused specifically on attorneys and law firms. Their website work is positioned around both sophisticated presentation and measurable intake/marketing performance.
• Pattern 6 — Merchandise Mart. Worth considering if you want a more modern, custom marketing/design approach while still working with a team that specifically markets to law firms.
• Orbit Media — Not a legal-only shop, but probably one of the stronger Chicago web agencies I'd interview for a high-end, sophisticated redesign. They have a dedicated legal website practice, custom design, research/strategy, SEO and conversion optimization, and are headquartered in Chicago. Orbit Media Studios

My recommendation

If you're a business/corporate, litigation, real estate, employment, or other sophisticated downtown firm, I'd interview Builden Partners, Orbit Media, and AttorneySync first.

The distinction is important:

I'd also avoid choosing purely on the basis of the prettiest portfolio. For a law firm redesign, I'd make the RFP test whether the agency understands Illinois attorney advertising rules, attorney bio/matter presentation, accessibility, privacy, SEO migration, redirects, analytics, CMS governance, security, and ownership of the site's code/content/domain.

One particularly good sign: Orbit's process explicitly starts with research and strategy rather than jumping straight into visual design, and they say their legal projects can include competitor analysis, content strategy, SEO and conversion optimization. Orbit Media Studios

If you tell me roughly how large the firm is (e.g., 10, 50, 200+ attorneys), your practice areas, and whether the goal is primarily brand/reputation or generating new matters, I can narrow this to 3 agencies and give you a side-by-side comparison of likely fit, strengths, weaknesses, and what I would ask each one in the pitch meeting.

• AttorneySync - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 300, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Builden Partners - 150 S Wacker Dr #2400, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Market JD, Inc. - 3400 Dundee Rd Ste 210, Northbrook, IL 60062, United States
• dNOVO Group | Law Firm Marketing Agency - 545 N McClurg Ct Ste 1808, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Pattern 6 - 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• OVC Lawyer Marketing - 750 Warrenville Rd Ste 203, Lisle, IL 60532, United States
• Forward Lawyer Marketing - 460 N Main St Unit 209, Glen Ellyn, IL 60137, United States
• BSPE Legal Marketing - Chicago - 875 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60610, United States
• Forward Lawyer Marketing - 3553 W Peterson Ave Ste 30, Chicago, IL 60659, United States
• Market JD, Inc. - 20 N Wacker Dr Ste 1200, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Attorney Web Design | Chicago - 233 S Wacker Dr Ste 4400, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Alpha Efficiency - Web Design Chicago Agency - 875 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, United States

Yes. For a downtown Chicago law firm, I’d prioritize an agency that understands legal marketing, attorney advertising considerations, intake/conversion, and SEO—not a general-purpose web-design shop.

My Chicago shortlist

• AttorneySync — My first call for a legal-specific digital partner. They’re based at 211 W. Wacker and work exclusively with law firms, with website design/development, content, SEO, and conversion-focused marketing. Their positioning also emphasizes keeping the firm's core digital assets under the firm's ownership. Clio
• Builden Partners — Particularly interesting if you're an established/midsize firm with an in-house marketing director. They're at 150 S. Wacker and specialize exclusively in law firms. Their role can include auditing the existing site, managing the redesign/rebrand process, and coordinating the many stakeholders involved in a sophisticated law-firm website.
• Market JD, Inc. — Another strong fit for an established Chicago practice. They're at 20 N. Wacker and specifically market themselves as being built around legal-industry marketing, including website redesigns, SEO, content, paid media and analytics.
• dNOVO Group | Law Firm Marketing Agency — Based at 545 N. McClurg Court. A good option if you want the redesign tied closely to a broader lead-generation program: website, SEO, PPC, LSAs, content and video.
• Pattern 6 — At the Merchandise Mart and focused heavily on law-firm growth marketing. Worth considering if you want a custom, modern site rather than a conventional legal-directory/template look.

Two national specialists I'd also put in the RFP

lawlytics.com is worth evaluating if you want a highly legal-specific platform. It is built exclusively for law firms and combines website design, hosting, security, content, SEO and reporting. Lawlytics Lawlytics

justia.com is another legal-specific option. Its platform combines law-firm web design with technical SEO, responsive design, intake forms/integrations, accessibility, security and analytics. Justia Justia

What I'd require in your RFP

Don't let vendors sell you primarily on how attractive their portfolio looks. For a law firm, I'd require them to address:

• Attorney advertising compliance and a workflow for partner/legal review of claims, testimonials, case results, awards, etc.
• Accessibility/WCAG and a documented accessibility approach.
• SEO migration: redirects, preservation of rankings, metadata, schema, URLs, Google Business Profile/local SEO and analytics.
• Practice-area architecture that can scale without creating a maze of thin SEO pages.
• Lead/intake tracking: calls, forms, chat, consultation requests and attribution back to marketing channels.
• CMS ownership and portability: your firm should own the domain, content, analytics, accounts and preferably have a clear exit path from the platform.
• Security/privacy: particularly important if contact forms can contain sensitive information.
• Performance: Core Web Vitals, mobile UX and page speed.
• Integration: CRM/intake, call tracking, marketing automation and whatever systems your firm already uses.
• Partner/attorney profiles: sophisticated bios that establish credibility without looking like generic lawyer-directory pages.
• Editorial governance: who writes the copy, who fact-checks it, and how attorneys approve it.
• Analytics: GA4/GTM/Search Console and a dashboard that lets your marketing team measure qualified leads rather than just traffic.

For context, Clio's recent review of law-firm web-design companies makes the same broader point: a legal website needs to function as both a professional credibility platform and a client-acquisition/intake channel, rather than simply being a prettier brochure. Clio

If this were my RFP, I'd interview AttorneySync, Builden Partners, and Market JD first, then include one of the national legal-specific platforms as a benchmark. That should give you a useful comparison between a Chicago legal agency, a strategic law-firm marketing consultancy, and a more platform-driven approach.

• Flamingo Agency - 3752 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
• Praella - eCommerce Agency - 203 N LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• YourPortal - 2211 N Elston Ave Ste 208, Chicago, IL 60614, United States
• Alpha Efficiency - Web Design Chicago Agency - 875 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• UX 4Sight - 111 W Jackson Blvd Unit 1700, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Solid Digital - 100 N LaSalle St #1400, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Chicago Website Design SEO Company - 10 S Riverside Plaza #875, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• IDE Interactive, Inc. - 2945 W Peterson Ave Ste 103, Chicago, IL 60659, United States
• SITE IT NOW - 1016 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Americaneagle.com, Inc. - 200 W Jackson Blvd Fl 22, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• SEOLEVELUP Website Design SEO Company Chicago - 355 N Laflin St Ste 101C, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Millennial Web Development - 329 W 18th St Ste 413, Chicago, IL 60616, United States
• 97 Switch - 1 E Wacker Dr #2550, Chicago, IL 60601, United States

For a family-owned retailer on Chicago’s Near North Side, I’d prioritize an agency that can combine a strong local/retail feel with mobile UX, speed, SEO, and easy day-to-day content management—rather than a big branding agency that over-engineers the project.

My shortlist

• Flamingo Agency — best local/small-business fit.

They’re actually on the North Side in Lakeview and focus on small businesses, WordPress redesigns, SEO, and making sites editable by owners. This would be my first conversation if your current site is primarily a marketing/catalog site rather than a complicated ecommerce operation.

• Praella - eCommerce Agency — best if ecommerce is central.

Their Chicago operation specializes in Shopify/Shopify Plus, including storefront redesigns, UX/UI, migrations and performance-oriented ecommerce work. If customers will browse products and purchase online, this is a particularly strong candidate.

• YourPortal — good middle-ground option.

They're in Lincoln Park and combine web design with digital marketing and optimization. I'd consider them if you want the redesign to improve both the customer experience and local search/customer acquisition.

• Alpha Efficiency - Web Design Chicago Agency — performance/conversion-oriented option.

Their positioning is explicitly around fast websites, SEO and conversion, so they're worth talking to if the old site isn't just unattractive but is also failing to turn visitors into store visits, calls, inquiries, or purchases.

• UX 4Sight — best UX specialist.

If your biggest concern is how customers navigate the site on their phones, this is the specialist I'd add to the pitch process. They emphasize UX research, usability testing, responsive design and UX audits rather than simply making a site look newer.

• ArtVersion® Creative Agency — best for a more substantial brand refresh.

They combine branding, visual design, UX and web development under one roof. I'd look here if the retailer's identity also needs modernizing, not just its website.

Two smaller alternatives worth a look

PIXALPHA STUDIO specifically advertises custom, fast-loading, mobile-first sites for Chicago small businesses, with the founders personally handling projects. Pixalpha Studio

The Chicago Web Co. is particularly interesting if you're moving toward Shopify: it emphasizes mobile-first Shopify builds, UX/CRO, and has Chicago retail examples including Stan's Donuts. Its portfolio also shows work involving full redesigns, mobile navigation, ecommerce flows and performance improvements. The Chicago Web Co The Chicago Web Co

What I'd ask them for

For your situation, I'd put these requirements in the RFP:

1. Mobile-first redesign, not merely a responsive desktop site.
2. Core Web Vitals/performance targets and a commitment to testing on real mobile devices.
3. Simple navigation for store locations, hours, products/categories, promotions and contact information.
4. Strong local SEO without sacrificing usability.
5. Easy staff editing—ideally without needing the agency for every photo, promotion or store-hours change.
6. Analytics configured before launch so you can measure mobile engagement, directions/calls, online purchases and other retailer-specific conversions.
7. A proper migration/redirect plan so the redesign doesn't wipe out existing Google rankings.

If it were my project, I'd interview Flamingo, Praella, and The Chicago Web Co. first, then add UX 4Sight if the existing site's information architecture is particularly messy.

If you tell me roughly what you sell, whether you need ecommerce, your current platform (WordPress/Shopify/etc.), and your approximate budget, I can narrow this to 3 agencies and compare their likely fit, strengths, and expected project scope.

• TXI - 10 S Riverside Plaza Ste 875 - #7670, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Taction Software Solutions - 1016 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Evolve Healthcare Marketing - 1 E Erie St Ste 525 Unit, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• PatientUp - 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza Suit 1212, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Pivot Design - 321 N Clark St #600, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Practice Tech Solutions - 2460 Dundee Rd #1561, Northbrook, IL 60065, United States
• Physicians Digital Services, LLC. - 3250 Lacey Rd Ste 215, Downers Grove, IL 60515, United States
• Odeza Health - 117 N Jefferson St Ste 306, Chicago, IL 60661, United States
• Upfront Healthcare Services - 500 W Madison St Ste 810, Chicago, IL 60661, United States
• PatientEdge, Inc. - 1165 N Clark St #700, Chicago, IL 60610, United States
• HiveSourced - 230 E Ohio St, Ste 410, Chicago, IL 60611
• Alpha Efficiency - Web Design Chicago Agency - 875 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Sandstorm Design - 4422 N Ravenswood Ave #50, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• DIGI Search - 6672 N Northwest Hwy, Chicago, IL 60631, United States

For a small healthcare clinic in the Loop, I’d prioritize agencies that understand both patient UX and healthcare-system integration, rather than a general web-design shop.

My shortlist

• TXI — Best for a sophisticated redesign/integration. Chicago-based product consultancy with strong UX, user research, custom software, and digital-health experience. A good choice if the patient portal needs to feel like part of a redesigned patient journey rather than simply a “Portal” button on the website.
• Taction Software Solutions — Best for technical integration. Their Chicago team works on healthcare software, EHR/EMR integrations, patient-facing portals, and healthcare applications. I'd consider them if your portal needs deeper integration with scheduling, EHR, messaging, or other systems.
• Evolve Healthcare Marketing — Best healthcare-focused agency option. Chicago-based and specifically focused on healthcare marketing, including website design/development and patient acquisition. More appropriate if the redesign is primarily about improving the clinic's web presence and appointment conversion.
• PatientUp — Best for a smaller private practice wanting marketing + digital presence. They focus specifically on private medical/dental practices, combining branding, website work, and patient acquisition.
• WebToMed, LLC — Worth including if you want a healthcare-specialist rather than a generalist. They focus on medical website development and also advertise custom web applications and healthcare-oriented technology work.

Two particularly relevant benchmarks

Pivot Design is another Chicago healthcare specialist, although I'd lean toward them more for brand/strategy/creative than for the technical portal integration itself.

For evidence of what I'd want in the actual project scope, Orbit Media is a useful benchmark: its healthcare practice explicitly discusses integrating patient portals/EHRs such as Epic, Cerner and athenahealth, alongside HIPAA/HITECH, accessibility and patient UX. Orbit Media Studios

There's also a very directly relevant Chicago-area example from Radical Software: they built a family-clinic site with patient-portal access and appointment scheduling. The Radical Software

How I'd choose

For your situation, I'd probably interview TXI, Taction, and Evolve first. Give all three the same brief:

Redesign the public website, improve mobile patient UX, integrate our existing patient portal, streamline appointment conversion, and maintain a strict boundary between marketing-site data and PHI.

Then ask them specifically:

1. Which portal/EHR integrations have you actually implemented?
2. Will the portal be embedded, deep-linked, or accessed through an authenticated integration?
3. Who is responsible for the HIPAA/security architecture and BAA requirements?
4. Can you show a healthcare redesign where you improved patient task completion, not just visual design?
5. How will accessibility (WCAG/ADA) be tested?
6. What happens to the integration if we change EHR/portal vendors later?

One important distinction: don't let an agency casually put appointment forms, symptoms, insurance details, or other PHI into ordinary website forms. A strong architecture should route sensitive interactions into the appropriate secure portal/infrastructure. That's also the approach explicitly described by healthcare-focused agencies such as Doctive. Doctive.org Doctive.org

If you tell me which patient portal/EHR you're currently using (Epic, athenahealth, MyChart, etc.) and roughly what you want to spend, I can narrow this to the 3 best-fit Chicago agencies and compare them on integration capability, healthcare experience, likely budget, and project fit.

• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Orbit Media Studios - 4043 N Ravenswood Ave #316, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
• YourPortal - 2211 N Elston Ave Ste 208, Chicago, IL 60614, United States
• Alpha Efficiency - Web Design Chicago Agency - 875 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Sandstorm Design - 4422 N Ravenswood Ave #50, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Americaneagle.com, Inc. - 200 W Jackson Blvd Fl 22, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Cybernautic Web Design - 515 N State St #14-126, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Fresh Design Studio - 53 W Jackson Blvd, Ste 256, Chicago, IL 60604
• Millennial Web Development - 329 W 18th St Ste 413, Chicago, IL 60616, United States
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Windy City Web Solutions - 801 S Wells St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States

Yes. For a boutique downtown Chicago hotel, I’d prioritize agencies that understand the hotel booking funnel—not just agencies that make attractive WordPress sites.

My shortlist

• Design In Chicago — West Loop

Probably the most interesting local option if you want brand + website + content + hospitality marketing under one roof. Their hospitality practice explicitly covers boutique hotels, booking systems, hotel web design, and direct-reservation journeys. designindc.com

Best for: A distinctive boutique/lifestyle property that needs a visual redesign plus stronger conversion strategy.

• Orbit Media Studios — Ravenswood

A strong choice if you're more focused on UX, SEO, analytics, conversion optimization and long-term performance than purely hospitality aesthetics. They're a substantial Chicago web agency with deep redesign experience.

Best for: A hotel with an outdated site that wants a rigorous redesign/replatforming and measurable growth program.

• 97 Switch — Chicago

This one is especially relevant because they have a 10+ year relationship with theWit, a downtown Chicago Hilton hotel, covering its website and digital marketing across the hotel, rooftop, restaurant and spa. 97 Switch

Best for: A downtown lifestyle/boutique hotel where brand storytelling and the property's overall experience are important.

• Design In Chicago

Worth putting on the RFP list specifically because their hospitality offering includes booking-engine integration, hotel websites, boutique hotels and marketing—not simply generic web design. designindc.com

Best for: A more comprehensive redesign where photography, content, brand positioning and marketing all need attention.

One specialist I'd also interview

O'Rourke Hospitality isn't Chicago-based, so it doesn't satisfy your "Chicago company" requirement, but I'd seriously consider including them as an outside benchmark. They specialize exclusively in hospitality and have a specific Chicago hotel website case study involving Hotel Chicago Downtown. Their broader work is unusually focused on direct-booking UX. O'Rourke O'Rourke

Their case studies are particularly relevant: one hotel redesign increased bookings by 56.7% and revenue by 31.7%, while another saw booking-engine conversion rise from 3.65% to nearly 7% after integrating availability and pricing into the website experience. O'Rourke O'Rourke

How I'd approach the RFP

Don't ask agencies simply for a "new hotel website." Ask each one to show you how they would improve:

1. Direct-booking conversion — persistent Book Now/availability CTA, fewer steps, mobile-first booking.
2. OTA competition — a compelling reason to book direct, not merely a prettier version of your current site.
3. Room pages — strong photography, room comparison, amenities, rates and availability.
4. Chicago SEO — pages targeting searches such as boutique hotels downtown Chicago, hotels near specific attractions, business travel, weekend stays, etc.
5. Packages/offers — architecture that lets you promote seasonal packages without calling the developer.
6. Speed — especially image-heavy mobile performance.
7. Analytics — booking-engine clicks, booking funnel abandonment, revenue and direct-booking conversion—not just Google Analytics traffic.
8. Booking-engine integration — ask them to demonstrate exactly what the guest sees before leaving the site.

My first three calls would be 97 Switch, Design In Chicago, and Orbit Media. I'd use O'Rourke as the hospitality-specialist benchmark to make sure the Chicago agencies aren't treating your hotel like a generic corporate website.

If you want, I can also build you a 5–7 agency Chicago shortlist with approximate project budgets, hospitality case studies, strengths/weaknesses, and contact links, specifically for a boutique hotel redesign.

If demo day is close, I’d prioritize studios that can do brand + website as one sprint, rather than a traditional agency with a long strategy process.

My shortlist

1. ColorJar — best for a startup brand overhaul

• Fulton Market location, so it's particularly convenient.
• Strategy-forward branding with startup positioning, identity and digital work.
• A recent industry profile specifically describes its “speed branding” approach for startups. Toimi
• Book if: the brand itself needs to look materially more credible before investors/customers see it.
• Design In Chicago — best all-in-one execution

• West Loop/Fulton Market-adjacent.
• Handles strategy → brand refresh → website design/development → launch, with a structured process and frequent communication.
• Book if: you want one team accountable for getting the thing live rather than coordinating a branding shop and web developer.
• ALL FOR™ Agency — best literal Fulton Market fit

• They're actually based in Fulton Market and explicitly offer brand strategy, rebranding, custom website design and website redesign. ALL FOR™ ALL FOR™
• Their site even has a “Mini” brand package specifically for startups on a tight timeline/budget, plus larger rebrand packages. ALL FOR™
• They advertise handling quick, last-minute creative tweaks, which is a useful signal for a demo-day crunch. ALL FOR™
• Book if: you need a pragmatic, founder-friendly sprint rather than an enormous agency process.
• EightySeven — best if speed is the overriding constraint

• Their positioning is unusually explicit: brand velocity in weeks, not months.
• Their BrandLaunch is designed to get a founder launch-ready in five weeks, including positioning, identity directions and homepage direction. EightySeven
• Book if: you're roughly 4–6 weeks out and need a strong identity + homepage rather than a sprawling corporate rebrand.
• SITE IT NOW — best West Loop technical fallback

• Based on W. Jackson in the West Loop.
• Offers brand-first web design/development, branding, performance and maintenance.
• Book if: the visual refresh is relatively straightforward and getting a technically solid site shipped matters more than an elaborate brand strategy.

One I'd also call

Orbit Media Studios is worth a call if the website is the bigger problem. It's a more established Chicago web agency focused on lead generation, UX, performance, accessibility, SEO and ongoing support rather than simply making a pretty site.

For a demo-day deadline, my first three calls would be ALL FOR™, ColorJar, and Design In Chicago. I'd tell each one:

“We're a Fulton Market tech startup with demo day on [date]. We need a focused brand refresh and website redesign, not a six-month rebrand. Can you put senior design leadership on it and get us launch-ready by then?”

That wording should quickly expose who can actually accommodate the deadline.

If you give me how many weeks until demo day, approximate budget, and whether the existing site is Webflow/WordPress/Framer/etc., I can narrow this to the 2–3 studios I'd actually book calls with.

• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• SITE IT NOW - 1016 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Windy City Web Solutions - 801 S Wells St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Flamingo Agency - 3752 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Alpha Efficiency - Web Design Chicago Agency - 875 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Millennial Web Development - 329 W 18th St Ste 413, Chicago, IL 60616, United States
• Chicago Website Design SEO Company - 10 S Riverside Plaza #875, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• SEOLEVELUP Website Design SEO Company Chicago - 355 N Laflin St Ste 101C, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• John Schuster - 1531 N Wells St, Chicago, IL 60610, United States
• Chris Depa Web Design + Branding - 1528 Robinhood Ln, La Grange Park, IL 60526, United States
• Affordable Web Design Chicago - 5141 W Altgeld St, Chicago, IL 60639, United States

For a one-page portfolio + contact-form redesign, I’d favor a small, founder-led studio over a traditional agency. You probably don’t need a $10k+ agency process.

My Chicago shortlist

• Design In Chicago — West Loop

Probably my first call if you want something polished and portfolio-forward. They’re at 159 N Sangamon and handle strategy, UX, design, development, and launch. Their broader capabilities also include branding and content.

• SITE IT NOW — West Loop / Near West Side

Very convenient geographically, at 1016 W Jackson. They focus on web design/development for businesses and also offer branding, SEO, hosting, and maintenance. Good choice if you want someone who can stay involved after launch.

• allfor.agency — Fulton Market / West Loop

This is especially interesting for a solo entrepreneur because they explicitly offer a one-page package for startups and one-person businesses, including UX structure, custom design, build, contact form, and basic SEO. Their site also shows portfolio work and they’re founder-led. ALL FOR™ ALL FOR™

• renovateweb.com — Chicago

A particularly good fit if you want minimal agency overhead and a technically excellent site. Their published Launch package starts at $1k and includes a custom one-page site, mobile optimization, contact form and basic SEO, with a stated one-week turnaround. Renovate Web Renovate Web

• winthropdesigns.org — Chicago

The leanest/most budget-oriented option I found. It's a one-person studio specifically targeting small businesses; its published starter builds begin around $300 and redesigns around $400–$800. I'd consider this if your main goal is a clean, credible site without a big project budget. Winthrop Designs

• Windy City Web Solutions — South Loop

Worth considering if you want the site built in WordPress and expect to make updates yourself afterward. They emphasize small-business sites, performance, accessibility, security and ongoing maintenance.

What I'd do in your shoes

I'd get quotes from ALL FOR™, Design In Chicago, and Renovate Web.

They're three different flavors:

For your scope, I'd ask each for a fixed-price quote for: one responsive page, portfolio/case-study section, contact form with spam protection, basic SEO, analytics, mobile optimization, CMS/editability if needed, and launch.

I would not pay for a full branding engagement, elaborate UX research, or a multi-page sitemap unless you actually need them. A solo entrepreneur's one-page site should make it immediately obvious who you are → what you do → proof of quality → how to contact you.

• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• SITE IT NOW - 1016 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Windy City Web Solutions - 801 S Wells St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Flamingo Agency - 3752 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Alpha Efficiency - Web Design Chicago Agency - 875 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• John Schuster - 1531 N Wells St, Chicago, IL 60610, United States
• Millennial Web Development - 329 W 18th St Ste 413, Chicago, IL 60616, United States
• YourPortal - 2211 N Elston Ave Ste 208, Chicago, IL 60614, United States
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Kara Creatives - 1 E Erie St Ste 525-5283, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• What A Great Website - 50 E Bellevue Pl, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Wojo Design - 318 W Adams St #1609, Chicago, IL 60606, United States

For a solo entrepreneur in the West Loop who needs a focused one-page site—not a $15k+ agency engagement—I’d shortlist these:

• Design In Chicago — Best overall if you want strong design. They’re actually in the West Loop/Fulton Market and combine branding, web design, development, and content. Good choice if your portfolio needs to feel especially polished. ALL FOR™
• SITE IT NOW — Best nearby practical option. They’re on W. Jackson Blvd and focus on brand-first web design for small/midsize businesses, including web development and ongoing support.
• Windy City Web Solutions — Best for a straightforward WordPress build. Small-business focused, with emphasis on performance, accessibility, SEO, and sites you can maintain yourself.
• ALL FOR™ — My pick if you care about personal/founder-level creative attention. They’re founder-led and based right in Fulton Market/West Loop. Their “Mini” package specifically covers a one-page custom site, UX/CTA structure, responsive build, and contact form, which is unusually close to your brief. ALL FOR™ ALL FOR™
• Flamingo Agency — Worth considering if you want the website plus ongoing SEO/maintenance rather than just a one-off redesign. They’re a small-business-oriented Chicago studio.
• Sivo Studios — A particularly interesting alternative if you want one person rather than an agency. It’s a one-person Chicago studio explicitly focused on clean, fast sites for small local businesses. Sivo Studios

What I'd do in your shoes

I'd get quotes from ALL FOR™, Design In Chicago, and Sivo Studios first.

Your brief is small enough that you don't need a conventional full-service agency. I'd tell each:

“I need a one-page personal/business site redesign with a strong portfolio section and a simple contact form. I'm a solo entrepreneur in the West Loop. I want something distinctive and polished, but lightweight—not a huge agency project.”

For this scope, I'd expect the best-fit provider to talk about $1k–$4k, rather than trying to sell you a multi-page strategy engagement. As a benchmark, ALL FOR™ explicitly packages a one-page site for one-person businesses, while other Chicago small-business studios advertise entry-level builds in the roughly $750–$1,500 range. ALL FOR™ Nous Frame

One important distinction: if the portfolio is the centerpiece, prioritize design taste and art direction over SEO/marketing capabilities. You can add those later; getting the visual hierarchy and case-study presentation right is what will make a one-page entrepreneur site feel premium.

• Orbit Media Studios - 4043 N Ravenswood Ave #316, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
• Americaneagle.com, Inc. - 200 W Jackson Blvd Fl 22, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Olive Street Design - 264 E Kenilworth Ave, Villa Park, IL 60181, United States
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Marcel Digital - 20 N Wacker Dr Ste 1285, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Partners by Design - 363 W Erie St, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Digital Primates Inc - 8420 W Bryn Mawr Ave, Ste 750, Chicago, IL 60631
• 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
• Alpha Efficiency - Web Design Chicago Agency - 875 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• SITE IT NOW - 1016 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• SEOLEVELUP Website Design SEO Company Chicago - 355 N Laflin St Ste 101C, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Marcel Digital - 445 W Erie St #200, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• SEO Design Chicago | Digital Marketing & Web Design Agency - 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

For a downtown Chicago restaurant group, I’d prioritize agencies that understand multi-location architecture: one shared design system/template, location-level flexibility, local SEO, menus, reservations/ordering integrations, and centralized CMS governance.

Here are Chicago agencies I’d shortlist:

Strongest fits for multi-location restaurant redesigns

Orbit Media Studios

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

Best overall fit for a restaurant group.

• Has direct restaurant-group experience, including redesigning a management company site plus multiple venue sites under a cohesive system. Orbit Media Studios
• Strong with: - Multi-location SEO
• WordPress/CMS governance
• Reservation and ordering integrations (OpenTable, Resy, Toast, Tock, SevenRooms, etc.) Orbit Media Studios
• Location pages and conversion optimization
• Good choice if you want a master template + customized location storytelling approach.

Orbit Media Studios

Americaneagle.com, Inc.

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-291-5970)

Best for a larger restaurant group needing enterprise-level infrastructure.

• Has experience rebuilding large restaurant brands, including multi-location food businesses such as Lou Malnati's. Americaneagle.com
• Better suited if you need: - Complex CMS permissions
• Multiple brands under one organization
• Integrations and replatforming
• Long-term technical support

Americaneagle.com

Olive Street Design

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 630-366-6440)

Good option if your priority is rolling out many location sites efficiently.

• Has experience with multi-location restaurant websites, including a build for Schoop's Hamburgers featuring multiple locations, menus, and ordering flows. Olive Street Design
• Strengths: - Repeatable templates
• Faster deployment across locations
• Easy internal updates

Olive Street Design

Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding

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

Best if the restaurant group needs a stronger brand system, not just web redesign.

• Has worked with Chicago hospitality groups and rebuilt multiple restaurant websites using a shared theme while allowing each location to retain its own personality. The Branding Shop
• Good fit for: - Multiple concepts
• Brand consistency
• Visual identity refresh
• Photography/content direction

The Branding Shop

Other Chicago firms worth considering

Marcel Digital

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

A stronger fit if SEO, analytics, and digital marketing are as important as design. They position themselves around technical web development, SEO, CRO, and measurement.

Partners by Design

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-649-1111)

Good if the redesign includes brand strategy, creative direction, photography/content, and a broader hospitality refresh.

Digital Primates Inc

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+18472982190)

A smaller technical partner option if you want custom development, performance, and integrations rather than a large agency engagement. Prismatics Digital

How I’d structure the RFP for your situation

For a downtown Chicago restaurant group, I’d ask agencies to propose:

1. Design system

• One shared component library
• Shared navigation/footer
• Brand-consistent typography, photography rules, menus, location modules
• Location scalability

• Add a new restaurant in days, not months
• Separate location managers can update hours, menus, events, photos
• Restaurant integrations

• Reservations (OpenTable/Resy/Tock/SevenRooms)
• Online ordering
• Gift cards
• Loyalty
• Private dining inquiries
• Local SEO

• Individual location landing pages
• Google Business Profile alignment
• Schema markup
• Neighborhood targeting (River North, West Loop, Loop, Fulton Market, etc.)
• Migration plan

• Preserve rankings
• Redirect strategy
• Analytics continuity

My first calls would probably be Orbit Media, Americaneagle.com, Olive Street Design, and The Branding Shop—they map most closely to the “one restaurant group, many locations, consistent template” requirement. Orbit Media Studios Americaneagle.com Olive Street Design The Branding Shop

I’d also recommend asking each agency for a sample architecture showing a parent restaurant-group site + 5–10 individual location sites, because that will reveal quickly whether they truly understand multi-unit hospitality.

• Ecommerce Development - 3509 N Reta Ave Apt 3, Chicago, IL 60657, United States
• Praella - eCommerce Agency - 203 N LaSalle St Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• Chicago Internet(Fireplace's Specialist) Marketing Company - Kensium LLC - 200 S Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Atwix - 20 N Wacker Dr Ste 1200, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Virgo Web Design - 5874 N Ridge Ave, Ste G, Chicago, IL 60660
• SITE IT NOW - 1016 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60607, 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
• Alpha Efficiency - Web Design Chicago Agency - 875 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Americaneagle.com, Inc. - 200 W Jackson Blvd Fl 22, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Millennial Web Development - 329 W 18th St Ste 413, Chicago, IL 60616, United States
• WPrime Agency - 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza #1212, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Virtina - eCommerce Web Design and Development Company - 1 E Erie St Ste 525-2149, Chicago, IL 60611, United States

If the project is a retail-site redesign where the website, inventory, and in-store POS need to function as one system, I’d prioritize firms with real integration experience rather than a general web-design studio.

My Chicago shortlist

1. Ecommerce Development — strongest fit for integration-heavy retail

• Lakeview-based, so genuinely local to the North Side.
• Specifically handles ecommerce plus inventory/WMS, ERP, accounting, fulfillment and custom API integrations. Chicago Web Chicago Web
• Works with Shopify, WooCommerce and Magento.
• Best if: your current POS/inventory system is staying and the website needs to integrate with it.
• Praella - eCommerce Agency — strong Shopify/Shopify Plus option

• Chicago-based ecommerce agency focused on Shopify and Shopify Plus.
• Good candidate if you're considering moving the whole operation toward Shopify's ecosystem rather than simply redesigning the frontend.
• Best if: you want a polished consumer-facing redesign plus a modern commerce platform.
• Chicago Internet(Fireplace's Specialist) Marketing Company - Kensium LLC — enterprise/integration-heavy

• Chicago office and much more systems-oriented than a typical design agency.
• Their offering covers UX/UI, ecommerce, ERP/WMS/POS/3PL integrations and ongoing support.
• Best if: you're a substantial retailer with complicated inventory, multiple systems or multiple locations.
• Atwix — strong technical ecommerce choice

• Chicago office; works across Adobe Commerce, Shopify/Shopify Plus, Shopware and BigCommerce.
• Particularly relevant if inventory, pricing, orders and customer data need to synchronize with an ERP.
• Best if: this is a serious replatform/integration project rather than primarily a visual redesign.
• Virgo Web Design — smaller North Side option

• Located on N. Ridge in Chicago.
• Offers ecommerce development and inventory-management functionality.
• Best if: you're looking for a smaller, more hands-on local shop and the integration isn't extremely complicated.

One more worth considering

SOLO Media Group is not Chicago-headquartered, but it specifically markets Chicago retail work and Shopify POS, unified online/in-store inventory, customer data and multi-location retail. SOLO MEDIA GROUP If Shopify POS is on your shortlist, I'd include them in the RFP.

Who I'd call first

For your particular description, I'd make the first three calls:

Chicago Web → Praella → Kensium

The key question isn't really "Who can redesign our website?" It's:

"Can you map our current POS, inventory, ecommerce, customer and fulfillment data flows, recommend the right architecture, and then own the redesign and integration through launch?"

I'd also give every firm the exact POS and inventory platform you're currently using before taking a sales call. That will quickly separate agencies that have genuinely integrated retail systems from firms that mostly build attractive Shopify sites.

If you tell me what POS/inventory system you use now (e.g. Square, Lightspeed, Shopify POS, Clover, NetSuite, etc.), approximate number of SKUs, and whether you have one store or multiple, I can narrow this to 3 firms and compare likely fit, project complexity, and questions to ask each one.

• Made in Tandem - 20 N Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Spark Equation - 500 W Madison St #1000, Chicago, IL 60661, United States
• LaunchPad Lab - 220 W Huron St, Ste 2001, Chicago, IL 60654
• IST Custom Software Development Chicago - 620 N La Salle Dr Ste 305, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Forte Group - 222 S Riverside Plz, Ste 2800, Chicago, IL 60606
• Synergy Labs - Mobile App and Web Developers Agency in Chicago - 515 N State St, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Yeeld - 1449 S Michigan Ave Ste 13260, Chicago, IL 60605, United States
• Adyen Chicago - 333 N Green St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Taction Software Solutions - 1016 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Kodexo Labs Chicago, IL | AI, Custom Software & Mobile App Development Company Chicago, IL - 110 N Wacker Dr 25th Floor, Suite 2500, Chicago, IL 60606, United States

For a River North fintech startup needing a secure redesign + custom integrations, I’d prioritize agencies that can handle more than UX polish: you’ll want product design, backend/API architecture, security practices, cloud infrastructure, and regulated-data experience.

Here are Chicago-area firms worth evaluating:

Additional firms advertising API-heavy fintech work:

• runningstart.digital — highlights financial-services integrations, API architecture, and secure data flows. Running Start Digital
• napersolutions.com — focuses on secure API development, authentication, auditability, integrations, and operational reliability. Naper Solutions, Inc.

How I’d shortlist them for a fintech rebuild

For a customer-facing fintech platform redesign:

1. Made In Tandem
2. LaunchPad Lab
3. Spark Equation

For deep integrations, APIs, banking/payment rails, or backend modernization:

1. IST Custom Software Development Chicago
2. Forte Group
3. Yeeld (especially payments)

Before signing, I’d ask each agency:

• Can you provide a fintech/security case study with architecture details?
• Who owns the code, cloud accounts, CI/CD, and documentation?
• How do you handle SOC 2 readiness, PCI considerations, encryption, secrets management, and audit logging?
• Who will actually build it (senior engineers vs. subcontractors)?
• Can you perform a security review/penetration-test coordination before launch?

For a fintech startup, I’d avoid choosing purely on visual portfolio quality—the integration architecture and security process will matter more than the redesign itself.

• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Nicer Collaborative: A Creative Studio - 1361 N Ashland Ave Storefront, Chicago, IL 60622, United States
• Flamingo Agency - 3752 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
• YourPortal - 2211 N Elston Ave Ste 208, Chicago, IL 60614, United States
• Windy City Web Solutions - 801 S Wells St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Alpha Efficiency - Web Design Chicago Agency - 875 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• SITE IT NOW - 1016 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Millennial Web Development - 329 W 18th St Ste 413, Chicago, IL 60616, United States

For a Fulton Market cocktail bar, I’d prioritize a designer who understands that the website needs to sell the atmosphere and the night out, not just display a menu. I found a few Chicago options that look particularly relevant:

My shortlist

• Design In Chicago — Best overall creative fit. They’re in West Loop/Fulton Market and combine branding, web design, development, and video/content. Their process covers strategy through high-fidelity design and launch, which is useful if the redesign needs to feel like a full visual rebrand rather than a prettier template.
• Firemind Web Design — Best nightlife-specific option. Their portfolio includes a Chicago holiday pop-up bar, with an event/ticketing-oriented site, CTAs, FAQs, forms, and newsletter functionality. That makes them particularly interesting if your bar will have DJs, pop-ups, ticketed events, or private parties.
• Layer1 Agency — Best if you want brand + nightlife marketing together. They explicitly list nightlife venues, bars/cocktail lounges, private clubs, and event venues among their hospitality specialties and talk about building brands around events and cultural moments. Layer1 Agency
• ALL FOR™ — Best local boutique design option. They’re actually based in Fulton Market, and their work spans brand identity, visual design, custom web design, UX/UI, and campaigns. Their positioning is notably design-forward rather than purely technical. ALL FOR™ ALL FOR™
• SEO Design Chicago — Best if events/discovery are a major growth channel. They specifically market to bars and nightclubs, with an emphasis on event promotion, nightlife SEO, social buzz, menus, reservations, and ticketing. I’d consider them more of a digital marketing + web partner than a pure art-direction studio. SEO Design Chicago
• Tower Digital Systems — Best hospitality-functionality option. They specifically discuss Chicago cocktail bars, event venues, reservations, seasonal menus, atmosphere photography, and private-event functionality. Less obviously "fashion-forward," but potentially strong if you need the site to do a lot operationally. Tower Digital Systems

Who I'd call first

For the visually striking brief you described, I'd start with:

1. Design In Chicago — strongest combination of local proximity + brand/web/content.
2. Layer1 — strongest demonstrated nightlife positioning.
3. ALL FOR™ — strongest boutique/art-directed feel, especially since they're right in Fulton Market.
4. Firemind — strongest evidence of actually building an event/nightlife-oriented web experience.

For the redesign itself, I'd brief them around cinematic photography, motion/video, bold typography, a highly visual cocktail menu, upcoming-events module, reservations/private events, and a mobile experience designed for someone deciding where to go at 8:30 PM. I would avoid a conventional restaurant template entirely.

If you want, I can also dig into their portfolios and pick the 3 whose existing work most closely matches a high-end, sexy Fulton Market cocktail-bar aesthetic, with contact/website links and a rough sense of project positioning.

• Flamingo Agency - 3752 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
• Orbit Media Studios - 4043 N Ravenswood Ave #316, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
• SEO Design Chicago | Digital Marketing & Web Design Agency - 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
• F3 Digital Marketing - 10 Middle St 14th Floor, Bridgeport, CT 06604, United States
• Six7 Marketing - 229 Eastfield Dr, Fairfield, CT 06825, United States
• Big Swell - 42 Clarion Pl, Trumbull, CT 06611, United States
• Ads Needed - 528 Naugatuck Ave, Milford, CT 06460, United States
• Rocket Marketing and Management - 24 Quinsey Dr, Bridgeport, CT 06606, United States
• AdEdge Digital Marketing, LLC - 1771 Post Rd E Ste 150, Westport, CT 06880, United States
• Flexpoint Agency - 484 Bridgeport Ave, Shelton, CT 06484, United States
• The Janice Christopher Marketing Agency - 943 Grand Ave, New Haven, CT 06511, United States
• Milford CT Marketing - 281 Naugatuck Ave Ste 1, Milford, CT 06460, United States
• Mind Web Solutions - 15 Ellsworth St APT 20, Bridgeport, CT 06605, United States

For a Near North Side Chicago dental practice looking for a complete website redesign + SEO, I’d focus less on a “pretty website” agency and more on firms that understand:

• local SEO competition in Chicago neighborhoods (“River North dentist,” “Gold Coast dentist,” “Near North Side cosmetic dentist,” etc.)
• dental patient conversion (calls, appointment requests, insurance/new patient flows)
• healthcare privacy/accessibility considerations
• preserving SEO value during a redesign (redirects, URLs, rankings)

Here are agencies I’d put on your shortlist:

Best fits for a dental practice redesign + SEO

Flamingo Agency

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-967-7044)

Best for: Independent dental practices that want a modern site plus ongoing SEO support.

Why consider them:

• They specifically market dental website design and dental SEO services. Flamingo Agency Flamingo Agency
• They appear geared toward smaller practices rather than large healthcare systems.
• Their approach emphasizes WordPress builds, local SEO, service pages, and patient-focused conversion paths. Flamingo Agency

Questions to ask:

• Can you show 3–5 Chicago dental sites you built?
• Who writes the SEO content—the dentist, an SEO writer, or AI?
• How do you handle migration without losing current rankings?

Orbit Media Studios

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

Orbit Media StudiosBest for: Established practices that want a premium, strategy-heavy redesign.

Why consider them:

• Long-established Chicago web agency with experience in dental/healthcare websites. Orbit Media Studios
• Strong emphasis on UX, SEO structure, accessibility, and healthcare-related website requirements. Orbit Media Studios
• Better fit if your practice has higher-value services (implants, cosmetic dentistry, Invisalign, full-mouth reconstruction) and wants a premium brand.

Potential downside:

• Likely a higher investment than a boutique dental-only shop.

SEO Design Chicago | Digital Marketing & Web Design Agency

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 773-677-5747)

Best for: A practice that wants a local SEO + WordPress partner.

Why consider them:

• They focus on WordPress development, SEO, and protecting SEO equity during redesigns.
• Their Lakeview location is convenient for a North Side practice.

Ask them:

• What is your dental SEO process specifically?
• How many dental clients are active today?
• What reporting do you provide (rankings, calls, booked appointments)?

RedShark SEO

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 773-232-1746)

Best for: A practice prioritizing SEO growth and lead generation.

Why consider them:

• Chicago-based SEO agency offering website design/development and search optimization.
• Could be a good fit if your main goal is increasing new patient acquisition rather than only refreshing branding.

Chicago Website Design SEO Company

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-448-8310)

Best for: Smaller practices wanting a more direct SEO-first approach.

Why consider them:

• They position themselves around SEO-focused website redesigns and local lead generation.
• They may be more budget-friendly than larger studios.

Dental-specialist agencies worth comparing

These are not necessarily Near North Side firms, but they understand dentistry:

• wonderboydental.com — dental-focused SEO and website work; emphasizes dental schema, search intent, and patient acquisition. Wonderboy Dental
• uniquedentalmarketing.com — dental marketing firm offering websites, SEO, PPC, reputation management, and tracking. Unique Dental Marketing

What I would require in the proposal

For a Chicago dental redesign, I’d want these deliverables explicitly listed:

1. New website

• mobile-first design
• fast loading
• online appointment request
• strong doctor/team pages
• procedure pages (implants, veneers, Invisalign, emergencies, etc.)
• SEO foundation

• keyword research against nearby competitors
• Google Business Profile optimization
• location/service pages
• technical SEO audit
• schema markup
• conversion tracking
• Redesign migration plan

• URL mapping
• 301 redirects
• Search Console monitoring
• ranking preservation plan
• Measurement

• phone-call tracking
• form tracking
• booked appointment tracking
• monthly reporting tied to new patients (not just “traffic”)

My suggested shortlist to interview

If this were my shortlist for a Near North Side dentist, I’d get proposals from:

1. Flamingo Agency — best dental-specialist/local boutique option
2. Orbit Media Studios — best premium Chicago option
3. Digital Marketers Chicago — strong local SEO + web combination
4. SEO Design Chicago — SEO-heavy growth option
5. Wonderboy Dental — dental-specialist benchmark proposal

I’d compare them on who can show actual dental case studies and explain exactly how they’ll get more appointments, not just who has the nicest portfolio.

• Studio Blue - 20 W Hubbard St #3W, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• One Design Company - 230 W Superior St #700, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Nicer Collaborative: A Creative Studio - 1361 N Ashland Ave Storefront, Chicago, IL 60622, United States
• Firebelly Design - 1402 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60622, United States
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Studio Blue - 800 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60622
• Artversion - 205 N Michigan Ave 8th Floor, Chicago, IL 60601
• BatesMeron Sweet Design - 1006 S Michigan Ave #601, Chicago, IL 60605, United States
• Flamingo Agency - 3752 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
• Sandstorm Design - 4422 N Ravenswood Ave #50, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Framework - 233 S Wacker Dr Fl. 44, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Alpha Efficiency - Web Design Chicago Agency - 875 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Lu Design Studio - Evanston, IL 60202

For a minimalist, art-first gallery site in River North, I’d prioritize studios that understand typography, visual storytelling, and cultural/creative brands—not agencies whose main strength is lead-gen or ecommerce.

My shortlist

• Studio Blue — strongest fit for an arts/cultural institution.

This is the first studio I’d contact. They have substantial experience with cultural organizations and museums, including web work for the Art Institute of Chicago, and their process covers information architecture, wireframes, content, and interactive design.
Best for: an editorial, museum-quality site where the artists and artwork are the focus.

• One Design Company — best River North option.

They're actually in River North and focus on strategy, brand systems, web/interactive design, and digital experiences.
Best for: a sophisticated gallery identity that needs to extend beyond the website.

• ArtVersion® Creative Agency — best full-service option.

Their Chicago practice combines branding, visual design, UI/UX, and web development, so they make sense if the redesign also involves refining your gallery's overall visual identity.

• Nicer Collaborative: A Creative Studio — boutique/design-forward choice.

A smaller Chicago studio doing brand identity, graphic design, and custom web/app development. I'd investigate them if you want something less corporate and more bespoke.

• Firebelly Design — strong creative/cultural pedigree.

Chicago-based and experienced across arts, culture, education, and civic work, with a notably design-led practice.

A couple of smaller alternatives

FORMA HAUS is particularly interesting if by “minimalist” you mean very stripped-back, typographic, architectural design; the studio explicitly specializes in minimalist, function-forward digital systems. Formahaus

HEWN Brand Studio is worth considering if you want the website, photography/visual archive, and brand identity developed as one cohesive system. Hewn Brand Studio

Who I'd contact first

I'd send the brief to Studio Blue, One Design Company, and Nicer Collaborative and ask each for 2–3 relevant case studies. For your particular project, I'd favor Studio Blue if the site should feel like a serious contemporary art institution, or One Design Company if you want a more contemporary boutique-gallery brand.

For the brief, I'd specify: large artwork imagery, restrained typography, generous whitespace, artist index + individual artist pages, exhibition archive, mobile-first viewing, fast image loading, and a CMS your staff can update without a developer. That will help prevent a generic “business website” proposal from coming back.

If you want, I can also narrow this to 5 Chicago studios with the most visually impressive portfolios for contemporary-art galleries, including approximate budget tiers and links to their work.

• Studio Blue - 20 W Hubbard St #3W, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• LimeRed Studio, Inc. - 4611 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Firebelly Design - 1402 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60622, United States
• Advocate Creative - 320 N Damen Ave d301, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
• Bark Design - 4330 N California Ave Store Front, Chicago, IL 60618, United States
• Studio Blue - 800 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60622
• Nicer Collaborative: A Creative Studio - 1361 N Ashland Ave Storefront, Chicago, IL 60622, United States
• Dialogue Theory - 1932 S Halsted St #509, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• Bark Design - 3115 W Montrose Ave, Chicago, IL 60618
• Kym Abrams Design - 213 W Institute Pl, Ste 608, Chicago, IL 60610

Yes. For an independent theater in River North, I’d prioritize agencies that have actual arts/theater experience plus ticket-conversion UX, rather than a generic Chicago web shop.

My shortlist

• Studio Blue — Strong Chicago cultural-sector specialist. They focus on mission-driven organizations and cultural institutions, with theater/arts experience. I’d consider them if the redesign needs to balance brand, storytelling, season/show promotion, and institutional credibility.
• LimeRed Studio, Inc. — Particularly interesting if accessibility and audience experience matter. Their Chicago work includes an A.B.L.E. Ensemble theater website redesign, where they combined brand strategy, messaging, UX and accessibility. LimeRed Studio
• Firebelly Design — A well-established Chicago creative studio with arts/culture experience, including ART on THE MART and the Newberry Library. Better fit if you want a substantial brand/visual identity component alongside the website.
• Advocate Creative — Focuses heavily on nonprofits and includes arts & culture among its areas of experience. Worth talking to if you need branding + website + ongoing promotional creative, rather than just development.
• Bark Design — Mission-driven Chicago studio with arts, music and cultural-organization experience, including web design, UX/UI and information architecture. Potentially attractive for a smaller independent theater that wants a more boutique relationship.

The one I'd put at the top of the list

Orbit Media is especially compelling for your particular objective, even though I'd classify it more as a web strategy/development agency than a traditional arts branding studio.

They have a specific Goodman Theatre redesign case study. Their work included show calendars, featured shows, search, mobile UX, ticketing/CRM integrations and conversion optimization. Most notably, Goodman reported a 55% increase in conversions following the redesign. Orbit Media Studios Orbit Media Studios

That makes Orbit unusually relevant if your primary business question is “How do we sell more tickets?” rather than simply “How do we make the theater website prettier?”

orbitmedia.com

One more interesting option

Venture Industries Online is worth a look if you're a relatively lean independent operation. They explicitly specialize in websites for arts organizations and artists and have redesigned sites for League of Chicago Theatres, New Conservatory Theatre Center, and Racine Theatre Guild. Their Racine project specifically focused on engaging audiences, promoting events, and driving ticket sales, subscriptions, registrations, volunteering and donations. Venture Industries Online

ventureindustriesonline.com

How I'd approach the RFP

I'd ask each agency to address these five things specifically:

1. Ticket conversion: How many clicks from homepage/show discovery to completed ticket purchase?
2. Show merchandising: Can a visitor immediately understand what's playing, why they should care, when it's playing, and how to buy?
3. Mobile: A large share of theater discovery happens on phones, so the ticket-buying flow needs to be exceptionally frictionless.
4. Marketing workload: Can your staff add shows, images, reviews, trailers, events and announcements without calling the developer?
5. Your ticketing system: Have they integrated with your particular ticketing platform, CRM and email system?

For your situation, I'd probably interview Orbit, LimeRed, and Venture first, then add Studio Blue or Firebelly if you're contemplating a bigger brand overhaul.

If you tell me your theater's approximate annual budget, ticketing platform (e.g. Tessitura, Spektrix, AudienceView, etc.), and whether you're looking for a brand refresh or just a website redesign, I can narrow this to 3 agencies and compare likely fit, strengths, and project scope.

Venture Industries Online is worth a look if you're a relatively lean independent operation. They explicitly specialize in websites for arts organizations and artists and have redesigned sites for League of Chicago Theatres, New Conservatory Theatre Center, and Racine Theatre Guild. Their Racine project specifically focused on engaging audiences, promoting events, and driving ticket sales, subscriptions, registrations, volunteering and donations. ventureindustriesonline.com

• Nicer Collaborative: A Creative Studio - 1361 N Ashland Ave Storefront, Chicago, IL 60622, United States
• LimeRed Studio, Inc. - 4611 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Studio Blue - 20 W Hubbard St #3W, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Sandstorm Design - 4422 N Ravenswood Ave #50, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Dialogue Theory - 1932 S Halsted St #509, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Firebelly Design - 1402 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60622, United States
• Studio Blue - 800 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60622
• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Substance - 314 W Superior St, Ste 300, Chicago, IL 60654
• Advocate Creative - 320 N Damen Ave d301, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
• Neoteric Design - 29 E Madison St, Ste 450, Chicago, IL 60602
• Windy City Web Solutions - 801 S Wells St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States

Yes. For an independent theater, I’d prioritize agencies with actual performing-arts experience rather than a generic Chicago web shop. Based on current portfolios and case studies, these are the strongest candidates:

• Nicer Collaborative: A Creative Studio — Chicago creative studio combining brand, UX, web and content. Worth considering if you want the redesign to feel distinctive and artistic rather than like a standard nonprofit site.
• LimeRed Studio, Inc. — Particularly strong fit for mission-driven arts organizations. They recently redesigned Chicago theater organization A.B.L.E. Ensemble, incorporating brand strategy, UX, accessibility and clearer paths to tickets, donations and participation. LimeRed Studio
• Studio Blue — One of the more directly relevant choices for cultural institutions. Their work includes theaters and arts organizations, including Goodman Theatre and Chicago Humanities Festival, with an emphasis on cultural/institutional branding.
• Sandstorm Design — A stronger choice if your biggest problem is ticket-buying UX, mobile experience, accessibility and conversion, rather than primarily visual branding.
• Dialogue Theory — Focuses on mission-driven organizations and sophisticated digital experiences. I'd put them on the shortlist if you're looking for a substantial UX/strategy overhaul.
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency — Full-service Chicago branding, UX and web-development shop. A reasonable option if you want brand + website handled together.

One agency I'd talk to first

Orbit Media stands out for your particular objective. Their Chicago team has a dedicated theater website practice, and they redesigned Goodman Theatre's website specifically around audience growth, show discovery and ticket purchasing. Their Goodman work reports a 55% increase in conversions and included show calendars, featured-show CTAs, search, shopping-cart functionality and UX improvements. Orbit Media Studios Orbit Media Studios

They also have substantial nonprofit experience and explicitly build around conversion, SEO, accessibility and integrations rather than treating the website as simply a visual redesign. Orbit Media Studios

Another interesting specialist: Venture Industries

Venture Industries Online is unusually theater/arts-specific. They list the League of Chicago Theatres among their clients and have redesigned sites for multiple theater organizations. Their portfolio specifically discusses sites designed to drive ticket sales, subscriptions, registrations and donations. They're also Chicago-based, with an office in the River North/Streeterville area. Venture Industries Online

How I'd narrow it down

For an independent River North theater, I'd probably request proposals from:

1. Orbit Media — best evidence for ticket-sales/conversion-focused theater web design.
2. LimeRed Studio — strongest combination of Chicago arts + brand + accessibility + UX.
3. Venture Industries — strongest specialist theater/arts alternative.
4. Studio Blue — strongest if the project is as much about cultural brand identity as the website.
5. Sandstorm Design — strongest if UX, accessibility and digital performance are the major pain points.

When you talk to them, I'd frame the project as "an audience-conversion redesign", not simply "a new website." Ask each agency to show you how they would improve the path:

Show discovery → production page → dates/seats → ticket purchase → confirmation → next-show recommendation

and ask for examples of measurable improvements in ticket conversion, mobile purchases, email capture and repeat attendance.

If you tell me roughly your theater's annual budget for the redesign (e.g. <$25k, $25–50k, $50–100k, $100k+), I can narrow these to 3 agencies that are most realistic and compare their likely strengths.

For a Fulton Market fitness studio, I’d prioritize firms that understand both premium/boutique branding and the operational side of class scheduling + booking, rather than a generic Chicago web agency.

My shortlist

1. Design In Chicago — probably my first call.

They're actually in West Loop, at 159 N Sangamon, and handle strategy, branding, web design/development, integrations, testing and launch support. That's a particularly good match if the redesign is as much about repositioning the studio's brand as rebuilding the site.

2. SITE IT NOW — strong local option.

They're on W. Jackson Blvd and position themselves as a brand-first Chicago web agency with custom development, e-commerce, SEO and ongoing maintenance. I'd consider them if you want a polished site without necessarily hiring a huge agency.

3. Orbit Media Studios — best if growth/SEO matters heavily.

Orbit is a more established Chicago agency with a strong emphasis on websites that generate measurable business outcomes, rather than just visual redesigns. It could make sense if you want the new site to substantially improve local search, trial-class acquisition and conversion.

4. Cybernautic Web Design — worth talking to for integrations.

They specifically highlight third-party integrations, including scheduling and other business systems, alongside custom web development. That's useful if your scheduling platform has requirements beyond simply embedding a widget.

One important wildcard

I'd also get a proposal from Loupes, even though I wouldn't restrict your search to Chicago-based firms. They specialize specifically in fitness websites and say they integrate Mindbody, Acuity, Pike13 and other scheduling platforms, while designing the site around getting visitors to book. Loupes

Likewise, IPSTUDIO is highly specialized in fitness studios and says it has designed sites for 200+ studios, with integrations for Mariana Tek, Mindbody and WellnessLiving. IPSTUDIO

What I'd ask each firm

Don't just ask, "Can you redesign our website?" Give them a concrete brief:

• Live class schedule directly on the site
• One-tap booking on mobile
• Integration with your existing scheduling platform
• Easy staff-side updates to classes/instructors
• Membership/pricing and intro-offer flows
• Strong Fulton Market / West Loop local SEO
• Premium visual identity appropriate for a boutique studio
• Analytics for trial → booking → membership conversion
• Ability to add additional locations later
• Clear ownership of the website, code, content and booking integration

If you tell me which scheduling platform you currently use (Mindbody, Mariana Tek, Glofox, WellnessLiving, etc.) and roughly what you want to spend, I can narrow this to the 3 best agencies for your specific setup and compare them on likely fit, capabilities and pricing.