Answers that mention Solid Digital

• Solid Digital - 100 N LaSalle St #1400, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Ice Nine Online - 444 W Lake St Ste 1700, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Marcel Digital - 20 N Wacker Dr Ste 1285, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• VisualFizz - 875 N Michigan Ave 31st floor, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• 10com Web Development - 205 N Michigan Ave Suit 810, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• SEO Design Chicago - 2068 N Western Ave 1F - Front, Chicago, IL 60647, United States
• Marcel Digital - 445 W Erie St #200, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• SEOLEVELUP Website Design SEO Company Chicago - 355 N Laflin St Ste 101C, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Artversion - 205 N Michigan Ave 8th Floor, Chicago, IL 60601
• SITE IT NOW - 1016 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Glantz Design - 1881 Oak Ave, Evanston, IL 60201, United States
• Windy City Web Solutions - 801 S Wells St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Sandstorm Design - 4422 N Ravenswood Ave #50, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• The Loop Marketing Inc - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Millennial Web Development - 329 W 18th St Ste 413, Chicago, IL 60616, United States

For a small B2B consulting firm, I’d prioritize agencies that understand positioning, buyer journeys, lead generation, and professional-services credibility—not agencies that mainly make attractive brochure sites.

My Chicago shortlist would be:

1. Solid Digital — best overall fit

• Downtown at 100 N LaSalle.
• Explicitly focused on B2B website design and digital growth.
• Their process starts with brand discovery, personas, information architecture and conversion-oriented strategy rather than jumping straight into visual design. Solid Digital
• I'd put them first on your list if you want a polished, sophisticated B2B site that also functions as a sales tool.
• Ice Nine Online — best for B2B lead generation

• Downtown at 444 W Lake St.
• Founder-led and specifically oriented toward B2B companies, with WordPress, conversion tracking, analytics and website development.
• Particularly interesting if you want the website tied closely to lead attribution and marketing rather than treated as a one-time redesign.
• Marcel Digital — best for measurement/CRO

• Downtown at 20 N Wacker.
• Strong combination of web development, SEO, paid media, analytics and conversion-rate optimization. Swarm Digital Marketing
• I'd consider them if your consulting firm already has meaningful traffic and you want to systematically turn more of it into qualified opportunities.
• VisualFizz — best for brand + B2B positioning

• 875 N Michigan Ave.
• B2B-oriented agency combining branding, strategy, web and marketing.
• Good candidate if your bigger problem is “we're excellent at what we do, but our website doesn't communicate our level of expertise” rather than simply needing a better-looking site.
• 10com Web Development — worth considering for a more budget-conscious build

• 205 N Michigan Ave.
• Custom website design/development plus branding and marketing.
• I'd put them behind the first four for a sophisticated B2B consulting positioning project, but they're worth getting a proposal from if budget is important.

One non-downtown option I'd seriously consider

Sway Rise Creative is actually unusually well matched to your situation, even though it's not strictly a downtown office. They explicitly specialize in consultants, coaches, authors and professional service firms, and their approach combines positioning, conversion copy, design and custom development. Their projects start at $5,500, with most builds taking 4–8 weeks. Sway Rise Creative

For a small consulting firm, that specialization could matter more than having a Michigan Avenue address.

How I'd narrow it down

I'd interview Solid Digital, Ice Nine, VisualFizz, and Sway Rise.

In the calls, don't ask “Can you build us a nice website?” Instead ask:

“How would you structure our website to turn a skeptical B2B executive who doesn't know us into a qualified sales conversation?”

Then see whether they talk about:

• positioning and differentiation
• ICP/personas and buying committees
• proof/case studies
• messaging and copy
• objection handling
• conversion paths and CTAs
• lead qualification
• analytics/CRM attribution
• SEO/content strategy
• testing after launch

If an agency mostly talks about colors, animations, WordPress, pages and making the site “modern,” I'd keep looking.

My ranking for your specific use case: Solid Digital → Sway Rise → Ice Nine → VisualFizz → Marcel Digital.

If you tell me roughly your consulting niche, target client size, current website, and budget ($5–10k / $10–25k / $25k+), I can narrow this to the 2–3 agencies I'd actually hire and explain why.

Then see whether they talk about:

• positioning and differentiation
• ICP/personas and buying committees
• proof/case studies
• messaging and copy
• objection handling
• conversion paths and CTAs
• lead qualification
• analytics/CRM attribution
• SEO/content strategy
• testing after launch

If an agency mostly talks about colors, animations, WordPress, pages and making the site “modern,” I'd keep looking.

My ranking for your specific use case: Solid Digital → Sway Rise → Ice Nine → VisualFizz → Marcel Digital.

If you tell me roughly your consulting niche, target client size, current website, and budget ($5–10k / $10–25k / $25k+), I can narrow this to the 2–3 agencies I'd actually hire and explain why.

If I were the marketing director of a Chicago engineering firm, I’d narrow the field pretty aggressively. You don’t just need a good-looking site—you need an agency that can translate technical services into buyer-oriented messaging, support long B2B sales cycles, and build a measurable lead-generation engine.

My shortlist

1. Orbit Media Studios — my first call for a lead-gen-focused website

Orbit is particularly compelling if the primary objective is more qualified inbound leads from the website. Its approach connects strategy, UX, content, SEO and development, and it explicitly positions websites as lead-generation assets rather than brochures. www.orbitmedia.com

Why I'd call them: Strong fit for an engineering firm with complicated services that needs to improve organic search, content, conversion paths and overall site architecture.

Orbit Media Studios

2. VisualFizz — especially interesting for industrial/technical B2B

This one jumped out because VisualFizz specifically describes its web-development work as B2B and industrial, including complex products/services, CRM/ERP integrations and qualified-lead generation. It also has broader B2B positioning and demand-generation capabilities. www.visualfizz.com

Why I'd call them: If your engineering firm sells into manufacturing, industrial, infrastructure, technology or other technical markets, their experience is unusually relevant.

VisualFizz

3. Solid Digital — strong B2B website specialist

Solid Digital has been doing Chicago B2B web work since 2007 and explicitly frames its offering around B2B growth. Its published results include increased target-account engagement and significant traffic improvements. www.soliddigital.com

Why I'd call them: Good choice if you want a polished, sophisticated corporate site while still keeping marketing performance front and center.

Solid Digital

4. LoSasso Integrated Marketing — one I'd investigate for engineering/manufacturing

LoSasso is particularly interesting because its Chicago practice focuses on complex B2B, industrial, manufacturing and technology businesses, with website/UX work explicitly tied to lead generation.

Why I'd call them: If your firm has a highly technical offering and the bigger challenge is positioning + messaging + demand generation, not simply redesigning the website.

5. Walker Sands — the bigger strategic option

Walker Sands is a Chicago-headquartered B2B agency with capabilities spanning brand/messaging, content, digital marketing, demand generation and RevOps/GTM engineering.

Why I'd call them: If you're looking beyond a website redesign toward a broader B2B demand-generation transformation. I'd expect this to be a larger engagement than a typical web-design project.

Walker Sands

If it were my RFP

I'd probably invite Orbit, VisualFizz, Solid Digital and LoSasso to pitch.

I'd give them the same brief and make them answer five questions:

1. Show us an engineering, industrial or similarly technical B2B site you've built.
2. How do you turn technical capabilities into buyer-oriented messaging?
3. How will the new site generate qualified opportunities—not just traffic and form fills?
4. How will you connect website activity to our CRM and ultimately pipeline/revenue?
5. What would you change about our current site after looking at it for 30 minutes?

That last question is particularly revealing. A good B2B agency should be able to identify ICP, positioning, conversion and information-architecture problems before talking about colors and animations.

One other option worth putting on the radar is Webtage: its published portfolio includes a specific B2B brand, web and marketing project for an engineering firm (Merkur Innovation), which is unusually close to your situation. www.webtage.com

Webtage

My ranking for your particular use case:
Orbit → VisualFizz → LoSasso → Solid Digital → Walker Sands

If you tell me roughly firm size/revenue, engineering specialty (civil, MEP, environmental, industrial, consulting, etc.), current website, and whether your priority is SEO/inbound vs. ABM/outbound, I can narrow this to the 2–3 agencies I'd actually take meetings with and tell you what I'd ask each one.

If I were in your seat as marketing director at a Chicago engineering firm, I’d avoid agencies that are primarily “pretty website” shops. You want a partner that understands technical B2B buyers, long sales cycles, SEO, conversion paths, and ultimately qualified opportunities—not just form fills.

My Chicago shortlist:

1. Orbit Media Studios — probably my first call
   • Very strong B2B lead-gen orientation.
   • Their model explicitly connects strategy → UX → content → development → lead generation. www.orbitmedia.com
   • Particularly attractive if your engineering firm has lots of technical services/content that needs to be organized into a site that actually drives inquiries.
   • They have substantial experience with complex B2B buying journeys.

2. Ice Nine Online — especially interesting for an engineering/industrial firm
   • Chicago-based, founder-led B2B agency.
   • Website design + SEO + lead generation are integrated rather than treated as separate projects.
   • Their published work includes a B2B chemicals manufacturer, where a new SEO-driven site reportedly produced a 390% increase in search visibility and significant attributed lead value. agencies.semrush.com
   • I'd put them high on the list if your business is technical/industrial and organic search is important.

3. VisualFizz — good if positioning/messaging is part of the problem
   • Chicago B2B agency with experience in manufacturing, industrial/construction and other technical markets.
   • Combines brand positioning, web, SEO/content and paid media. www.visualfizz.com
   • Worth considering if the current site doesn't adequately communicate why an engineering buyer should choose you.

4. Solid Digital — strong B2B website specialist
   • Chicago-based and explicitly focused on B2B website design and development.
   • Their process includes brand discovery, digital strategy, personas, sitemaps and wireframes—not simply jumping into visual design. www.soliddigital.com
   • I'd consider them if the website itself is the primary project and you want a sophisticated B2B digital experience.

5. LoSasso Integrated Marketing — worth a serious look for engineering/manufacturing
   • This one jumps out because its positioning is around complex B2B categories including industrial, manufacturing, automation and technology.
   • They also do website development/UX specifically for lead generation.
   • Potentially one of the best industry-fit conversations.

If I were narrowing it to three

I'd ask Orbit, Ice Nine, and LoSasso to pitch.

I'd structure the RFP around one question:

“Show us how you would turn our website into a qualified-pipeline engine for engineers, technical buyers, procurement, and executives.”

And I'd make them demonstrate:

• How they'd map your ICP and buying committee
• How they'd structure service/industry pages for SEO
• How they'd turn technical expertise into content that attracts prospects
• What conversion paths they'd use besides “Contact Us”
• How they'd distinguish an RFQ from a genuinely qualified opportunity
• How they'd connect forms to your CRM
• How they'd measure MQL → SQL → opportunity → revenue, rather than just traffic and leads
• What they'd change about your existing site before showing you a single design

That last point is important. A good B2B agency should be able to diagnose your commercial problem before trying to sell you a visual redesign.

If you give me your engineering firm's website URL, I can also do a quick competitive-style assessment and tell you which 3 Chicago agencies I'd actually invite to pitch—and why, based on your services, target buyers, SEO opportunity and current conversion strategy.

• Solid Digital - 100 N LaSalle St #1400, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• TXI - 10 S Riverside Plaza Ste 875 - #7670, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Sandstorm Design - 4422 N Ravenswood Ave #50, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• cre8 - Chicago, IL 60607
• Highland - 125 S Clark St Ste 670, Chicago, IL 60603, United States
• Marcel Digital - 445 W Erie St #200, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Ice Nine Online - 444 W Lake St Ste 1700, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Dom & Tom - 625 N Michigan Ave, Ste 1800, Chicago, IL 60611
• Uncap - 8770 W Bryn Mawr Ave, Ste 1300, Chicago, IL 60631
• LaunchPad Lab - 220 W Huron St, Ste 2001, Chicago, IL 60654
• The Office of Experience, LLC - 980 N Michigan Ave Ste 1090, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• VisualFizz - 875 N Michigan Ave 31st floor, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• BIT Studios - Chicago Web Design - 318 W Adams St, Fl 17, Chicago, IL 60606
• Nansen LLC - 300 W Hubbard St Ste 301, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• WHQ - 24 E Washington St Ste 875, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States

If the brief is “complex B2B product + sophisticated marketing site,” I’d bias toward studios that can understand product architecture, buyer journeys, and technical constraints—not just make a polished brochure site.

My Chicago interview shortlist

• Solid Digital — Probably the strongest first call for a B2B SaaS/technology marketing site. They combine strategy, UX/UI, web design and development, with a Chicago office downtown. Good fit if the site needs to become a serious demand-gen asset rather than just a rebrand.
• TXI — Interview them if the “website” is really intertwined with the product, data model, workflows, or application experience. TXI is much more of a product strategy/design/engineering partner than a conventional web agency, and their Chicago office is in the Loop. ParallelHQ
• Sandstorm Design — Strong option when your complexity is primarily UX, information architecture, research, and communicating complicated offerings. They're particularly research-oriented rather than jumping straight into visual design. ParallelHQ
• cre8 — Interesting smaller-studio option. Their positioning is explicitly around complex B2B organizations, including finance, insurance and manufacturing, with UX strategy through development. They're also right in/near West Loop.
• Highland — Worth interviewing if you're looking for product strategy + UX + engineering, especially if the website is part of a larger digital-product transformation. They're Chicago-based and located in the Loop. ParallelHQ
• Marcel Digital — More growth/marketing-oriented than the others. I'd include them if SEO, analytics, CRO and lead generation are major requirements alongside the redesign. They explicitly work on B2B/enterprise websites and CRO.

One non-Chicago studio I'd still interview

WANDR has unusually relevant evidence for your particular brief: they describe a decade of B2B web work across SaaS, fintech, enterprise software and healthcare, including complex platforms with multiple buyer types. Their Sticky.io case is especially relevant if your product has complicated workflows. Wandr Studio

How I'd narrow it

For a startup founder, I'd probably take 4 first meetings:

1. Solid Digital — best all-around B2B website candidate
2. TXI — best if product complexity is the heart of the challenge
3. cre8 — smaller, potentially more hands-on studio
4. WANDR — strongest “complex B2B product storytelling” benchmark

Then ask each to show 2–3 projects where the product was genuinely difficult to explain, not merely attractive websites.

The key interview question I'd use is:

“Show me a project where you had to turn a complicated product, multiple personas, or a technical workflow into a website that helped someone actually understand and buy it. Walk me through what you changed and why.”

That will separate the studios that actually understand B2B product complexity from agencies that mainly produce nice-looking marketing sites.

That will separate the studios that actually understand B2B product complexity from agencies that mainly produce nice-looking marketing sites.

If the brief is “complex B2B product site” rather than a pretty marketing site, I’d interview a short list of specialists and make them prove they can handle product complexity, messaging, IA, integrations, and conversion—not just visual design.

My Chicago shortlist

1. Solid Digital — strongest overall fit
   • Downtown Chicago and explicitly focused on B2B SaaS, healthcare tech, and revenue-oriented websites.
   • They handle strategy → UX/UI → development and have a documented B2B SaaS portfolio. www.soliddigital.com
   • Interview if: you need a sophisticated marketing site that has to support sales and demand gen, not just brand.

2. TXI — best for genuinely complicated products
   • More of a product strategy/design/engineering consultancy than a conventional web agency.
   • Good candidate if the website needs to connect tightly to the actual product, data, workflows, or a broader digital experience.
   • Interview if: your “website” is becoming part marketing site, part product experience.

3. Orbit Media Studios — best B2B marketing/conversion option
   • Chicago-based and heavily oriented toward B2B websites, UX, content and conversion. www.parallelhq.com
   • Interview if: pipeline generation, SEO/content, and making a complicated offering understandable are major priorities.

4. Dom & Tom — best if there's substantial engineering
   • Their Chicago team works across product strategy, UX/UI and full-stack development for complex web products.
   • Interview if: your site has configurators, authenticated experiences, integrations, sophisticated data, or could evolve toward a web application.

5. Grand Studio — best UX/research-heavy choice
   • Chicago product-design consultancy focused on research, UX/UI, service design and complex enterprise problems.
   • Interview if: your challenge is fundamentally “how do we explain and organize a complicated product for multiple audiences?”

6. VisualFizz — good B2B growth-oriented alternative
   • Chicago B2B agency combining web development with SEO, PPC and broader marketing. Its technology/SaaS practice specifically discusses scalable marketing sites and product integrations. www.visualfizz.com
   • Interview if: you want the agency to own both the site and the acquisition engine around it.

One wildcard worth considering

The Office of Experience is interesting for a company with enterprise-style complexity—research, strategy, design and engineering, with B2B experience across technology, manufacturing, healthcare and financial services.

Who I'd actually put in the first round

I'd narrow it to Solid Digital + TXI + Orbit Media + Grand Studio.

They give you four meaningfully different approaches:

For a startup founder, I'd give all four the exact same 60-minute briefing and ask them to spend 10 minutes explaining how they'd restructure your site. You'll learn far more from how they think about your product than from their portfolio screenshots.

One important filter: ask each agency to show you 2–3 B2B sites with genuinely complicated products, not generic corporate sites. Then ask what they personally did—strategy, messaging, UX, design, development, content—and what changed in measurable business terms. That's where the weaker agencies tend to get exposed.

If you tell me your product category, stage/ARR, approximate website scope, and whether you need Webflow/WordPress/custom React/etc., I can narrow this to the 3 agencies I'd interview first and give you a founder-level interview scorecard.

• Solid Digital - 100 N LaSalle St #1400, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Chicago Website Design SEO Company - 10 S Riverside Plaza #875, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Wheeler Kearns Architects - 343 S Dearborn St Ste 200, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Millennial Web Development - 329 W 18th St Ste 413, Chicago, IL 60616, United States
• Chris Depa Web Design + Branding - 1528 Robinhood Ln, La Grange Park, IL 60526, United States
• KTGY | Chicago - 225 W Randolph St #1700, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Design Henge - 2259 W Rosemont Ave, Chicago, IL 60659, United States
• Bldg Projects Architecture Design Firm - 4468 N Elston Ave, Chicago, IL 60630, United States
• Wojo Design - 318 W Adams St #1609, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Glantz Design - 808 Roslyn Terrace, Evanston, IL 60201, United States

If you’re a Chicago architecture firm and the site needs to sell the quality of your work—not just function as an online brochure—I’d shortlist agencies with actual architecture/design experience. A few stand out:

• Solid Digital — Downtown at 100 N LaSalle. Strong choice if you want a polished, strategic site with serious UX, content structure, and development behind it. Their process covers strategy, information architecture, visual direction, and build.
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency — Downtown on Wacker. More brand/creative-led, with web design, UX, and development under one roof. I'd consider them if you want the website to feel like an extension of the firm's design identity.
• Orbit Media Studios — Probably the most obvious fit for an architecture firm based on specialization. They explicitly have an architecture/engineering practice, build portfolio-heavy sites, and handle strategy, design, development, SEO, and conversion. They're on Ravenswood rather than downtown. Orbit Media Studios
• Portico — A particularly interesting option if the priority is beautiful project storytelling. Their architecture-specific system supports anything from image-led project pages to deep narratives, filtering, team profiles, awards, diagrams, and project metadata. Portico
• CyberOptik — Another architecture-specific option. They emphasize large visual portfolios, case studies, responsive presentation, and lead generation, and they have a Chicago architecture practice. CyberOptik
• Fairbuilt — Worth talking to if you want the site to function as a business-development tool as well as a portfolio. Their architecture offering focuses on positioning, detailed project case studies, brand, and web design/development. Fairbuilt

Who I'd call first

For your particular brief—projects + awards/wins + a high-end architecture aesthetic—I'd get proposals from:

1. Orbit — strongest architecture-specific strategy/marketing depth.
2. Portico — strongest specialist option for sophisticated portfolio storytelling.
3. ArtVersion — strongest downtown creative/brand-oriented option.
4. Solid Digital — strongest if you want a more substantial, scalable digital platform.

One thing I'd insist on in the pitch: don't ask them to simply redesign your homepage. Ask for a project-page system that can handle photography, drawings/renderings, project narrative, scope, collaborators, awards, publications, and related work—and lets your staff add projects without calling the developer. Portico and Orbit explicitly describe this kind of architecture-specific approach. Orbit Media Studios Portico

If you tell me roughly your firm's size, project types (commercial/residential/institutional/etc.), and budget range, I can narrow this to the best 3 Chicago firms and compare likely cost, style, strengths, and fit.

For a Chicago staffing firm whose primary goal is qualified lead generation, I’d shortlist agencies that understand B2B buying journeys—not just agencies that make attractive websites.

My top 5 to interview

1. Solid Digital — best overall fit
   • Downtown at 100 N LaSalle.
   • Explicitly B2B-focused and specializes in website redesign, UX, strategy and ongoing digital growth.
   • Particularly interesting for staffing because it has worked with Hireology, an applicant-tracking provider, which gives it some exposure to the recruiting/HR technology ecosystem. www.soliddigital.com
   • Why I'd call them: strong combination of positioning + website strategy + lead generation rather than treating the redesign as a visual refresh.

2. VisualFizz — best for B2B positioning + demand gen
   • Downtown/Mag Mile at 875 N Michigan.
   • Their core offering combines B2B strategy, web development, SEO/PPC and branding. www.visualfizz.com
   • Their case studies include measurable improvements in organic form submissions, demo conversions and qualified leads. www.visualfizz.com
   • Why I'd call them: staffing firms often need sharper differentiation by vertical, talent category and buyer persona; VisualFizz looks well suited to that problem.

3. Marcel Digital — best for measurement/CRO
   • Loop office at 20 N Wacker.
   • Strong emphasis on SEO, paid media, analytics, CRO and web development, with an integrated approach to measuring revenue outcomes.
   • Why I'd call them: if you already have traffic but aren't converting enough visitors into employer inquiries, candidate submissions, or sales conversations, their measurement/CRO orientation is attractive.

4. RSXigital — best if pipeline attribution is the priority
   • 71 S Wacker.
   • Specifically positions itself around B2B lead generation, paid search, LinkedIn, SEO, landing pages, qualification and CRM/pipeline reporting. rsxigital.com
   • Why I'd call them: potentially very good if your marketing team wants to connect website activity all the way through MQL → SQL → opportunity, rather than reporting on form fills.

5. Marcel Digital / Comrade Digital Marketing Agency — worth comparing for a more full-service approach
   • Comrade is right in the Loop at 332 S Michigan and combines web design with SEO/PPC and broader digital marketing.
   • I'd put it in the competitive bid primarily to see how its proposed strategy compares on lead quality, conversion architecture and ongoing optimization, rather than selecting based on aesthetics alone.

One more agency I'd seriously consider

OneIMS, at 110 N Wacker, is particularly interesting if your staffing business has a sophisticated B2B sales operation. It positions itself around B2B demand generation, inbound marketing and RevOps—not simply web design.

How I'd run the selection

I'd invite Solid Digital, VisualFizz, RSXigital and OneIMS to pitch the same brief.

Ask each to show:

• How they'd restructure the site around employer/client acquisition
• How they'd segment pages by staffing vertical, geography and job category
• Their proposed conversion paths and CTAs
• How they'd integrate forms/leads with your CRM
• SEO strategy for high-intent searches
• How they'd distinguish qualified staffing opportunities from low-value inquiries
• What KPIs they'd own 90 and 180 days after launch
• Two or three comparable B2B redesigns with actual conversion/pipeline results

I would not select based primarily on portfolio aesthetics or promised traffic. For a staffing firm, the winning agency should be able to explain how a visitor goes from “I need staffing help” → “this firm understands my hiring problem” → qualified sales conversation.

If you want, I can also narrow this to 3 agencies with the strongest staffing/recruiting experience and give you a side-by-side comparison of estimated budget, strengths, weaknesses, and questions to ask each in the pitch.

For a Chicago staffing firm focused on lead generation, I’d prioritize agencies that understand B2B buyer journeys, conversion optimization, SEO/content, CRM integrations, and recruiting/staffing audiences—not just visual redesign. Here are downtown Chicago-area partners worth putting on your shortlist:

A few other Chicago agencies I’d put on a broader RFP list:

• Solid Digital — especially worth a look because they explicitly focus on B2B website strategy and growth-oriented builds. www.soliddigital.com
• Alliance Interactive — notable because they highlight B2B work and have experience with a staffing/recruiting-related website redesign case study. www.allianceinteractive.com
• Youtech — positions its B2B web design work around UX, user journeys, and conversion paths. www.youtechagency.com

For a staffing firm specifically, I’d ask each agency these questions before selecting:

1. Show me a B2B service website you redesigned where leads increased.
2. How will you structure pages for both employers and candidates?
3. What’s your plan for SEO around staffing searches (industry + geography + job category)?
4. How will forms, CRM, ATS, and marketing automation connect?
5. What conversion metrics will you own after launch (not just traffic)?

My initial shortlist for a staffing lead-gen redesign would probably be:

1. Alliance Interactive (staffing/recruiting relevance)
2. Solid Digital (B2B growth focus)
3. Comrade (marketing + web combination)
4. ArtVersion (brand-forward redesign)
5. Youtech (UX/conversion approach)

I’d also recommend getting proposals from 3 agencies max and giving them the same brief; the differences in strategy will become obvious quickly.

• 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
• One North, A TEKsystems Company - 227 W Monroe St #3500, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Solid Digital - 100 N LaSalle St #1400, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Marcel Digital - 445 W Erie St #200, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• YourPortal - 2211 N Elston Ave Ste 208, Chicago, IL 60614, United States
• 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
• SITE IT NOW - 1016 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Artversion - 205 N Michigan Ave 8th Floor, Chicago, IL 60601
• SEOLEVELUP Website Design SEO Company Chicago - 355 N Laflin St Ste 101C, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Sandstorm Design - 4422 N Ravenswood Ave #50, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Alpha Digital Marketing - 4043 N Ravenswood Ave #316, Chicago, IL 60613, United States

For a Chicago-based financial services firm, I would not optimize for a “pretty website agency.” I’d look for a partner that understands institutional credibility, regulatory review, security controls, executive stakeholder management, and long-term maintenance.

My shortlist would be:

1. Orbit Media Studios — best overall fit for many financial firms

Orbit Media Studios

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

Why I’d put them near the top:

• Chicago-based and experienced with financial services websites. Orbit Media Studios
• Strong reputation for strategy, information architecture, content, SEO, and ongoing site management—not just visual redesign. Orbit Media Studios
• Good fit if your website is primarily a corporate credibility platform (institutional investors, clients, prospects, recruiting) rather than a transactional portal.

Best for:

• Asset managers
• Private equity / investment firms
• Wealth managers
• Advisory firms
• B2B financial services

Watch for:

• If you need a highly customized authenticated client portal or complex fintech application layer, you may want a more engineering-heavy firm.

2. Americaneagle.com — best for enterprise complexity

Americaneagle.com, Inc.

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

Why consider them:

• Larger agency with Chicago presence and experience supporting enterprise websites, integrations, hosting, and ongoing support. Americaneagle.com
• Better suited if your site touches many systems: CRM, investor databases, document libraries, multilingual content, complex permissions, etc.

Best for:

• Larger financial institutions
• Firms with internal IT/security teams
• Complex CMS requirements

Watch for:

• Larger agencies can introduce more process overhead and higher budgets.

3. One North — best for premium institutional brand experience

One North, A TEKsystems Company

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-469-1740)

Why consider them:

• Strong Chicago enterprise digital experience background combining strategy, UX, design, and engineering.
• A good choice if your website is part of a broader brand repositioning or client experience initiative.

Best for:

• Institutional firms
• Complex stakeholder environments
• Firms competing for high-net-worth clients, talent, or institutional mandates

4. Solid Digital — strong corporate B2B option

Solid Digital

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 877-899-9981)

Why consider them:

• Chicago-based agency focused on corporate websites, design systems, development, and ongoing support.
• Good fit for a marketing team that wants a structured partner.

Best for:

• Financial services firms with a marketing-led website rebuild
• Companies needing ongoing optimization after launch

5. Clear Digital — strongest finance-specific positioning

Clear DigitalWhy consider them:

• Explicit financial services specialization.
• Focuses on security, compliance considerations, accessibility, and integrations common in regulated industries. Clear Digital

Best for:

• Firms where compliance and security review are major decision criteria.

My recommended shortlist for a Chicago financial services partner

If I were running the RFP, I would invite:

1. Orbit Media Studios — balanced choice
2. One North — premium institutional experience
3. Americaneagle.com — enterprise capability
4. Clear Digital — finance/compliance focus

Before hiring, I’d ask each agency these questions:

• What security practices do you follow (SOC 2 vendors, penetration testing, vulnerability management)?
• Who owns the code, design files, hosting accounts, and CMS?
• How do you handle FINRA/SEC-related content review workflows?
• What CMS do you recommend and why?
• Can you provide references from asset managers, banks, PE firms, or investment companies?
• What is your post-launch support model?

For a Chicago financial services firm, I would probably start with Orbit and One North for discovery conversations, then compare them against Americaneagle if your requirements are more enterprise/technical. Orbit Media Studios Americaneagle.com

• Solid Digital - 100 N LaSalle St #1400, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• VisualFizz - 875 N Michigan Ave 31st floor, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Ice Nine Online - 444 W Lake St Ste 1700, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Marcel Digital - 445 W Erie St #200, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Agency EA - 311 W Walton St, Chicago, IL 60610, United States
• LoSasso Integrated Marketing - 4853 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Plan B - The Agency Alternative for the AI Economy® - 10 W Hubbard St #5w, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• The Motion Agency - 325 N La Salle Dr Ste 550, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Symmetri Marketing Group (Acquired by Yes&) - 40 E Huron St, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• ROOT3 Marketing & Business Development - 2035 W Wabansia Ave, Chicago, IL 60647, United States
• Main Event Digital - 117 Cary Ave, Highland Park, IL 60035, United States
• Celtic Chicago, Inc. - 250 S NW Hwy Ste 315, Park Ridge, IL 60068, United States
• C Change - 1052 W Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607
• Next/Now - 1200 W Lake St #2, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• The Office of Experience, LLC - 980 N Michigan Ave Ste 1090, Chicago, IL 60611, United States

For a training and corporate events company in downtown Chicago, I would not start with a generic “pretty website” agency. You want someone who understands:

• B2B buyer journeys (HR, L&D, executives, associations, corporate marketing)
• Event lead generation and registration funnels
• Thought leadership/content marketing
• Case studies, credibility, and enterprise trust signals
• CRM/email integration and conversion tracking

A few Chicago firms I’d put on your shortlist:

Best fits for B2B event + training businesses

Solid Digital

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 877-899-9981)

Strong option if your priority is a high-performing B2B website redesign. They focus heavily on B2B websites, UX, positioning, and growth-oriented digital experiences, and they have a downtown Chicago office. Solid Digital

Good fit if you need:

• A premium corporate image
• Better conversion from corporate buyers
• A site that supports sales conversations

VisualFizz

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 773-599-1829)

A good match if your challenge is not just the website, but also messaging and differentiation. They position themselves around B2B marketing, branding, web, and demand generation. VisualFizz

Good fit if you need:

• Clarifying your positioning (“why choose us?”)
• Better B2B storytelling
• A website tied to marketing campaigns

Ice Nine Online

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 773-980-9274)

Worth considering if you want a more hands-on boutique B2B partner. They specifically focus on B2B digital marketing and website projects.

Good fit if you need:

• WordPress expertise
• Lead-generation improvements
• Direct access to senior people

Marcel Digital

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

More performance-marketing oriented. They’re a fit if your website needs to connect tightly with analytics, SEO, paid campaigns, or marketing automation.

Good fit if you care about:

• Measuring leads from events
• SEO growth
• CRM/marketing tech integration

Agency EA

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-879-0186)

This is less of a traditional web agency and more relevant if your brand is heavily tied to experiences, meetings, and corporate events. They specialize in experiential marketing and event-related digital experiences.

Good fit if your website needs to sell the “experience” more than just list services.

My shortlist for your specific business

If I were choosing for a Chicago corporate training/events company, I’d probably interview:

1. Solid Digital — best overall B2B website partner
2. VisualFizz — best if your brand/message needs sharpening
3. Agency EA — best if your competitive advantage is the event experience itself
4. Marcel Digital — best if you want measurable demand generation

When you talk to agencies, I’d ask them:

• “Show me 3 B2B service companies where the website generates qualified leads.”
• “How would you structure a site for someone buying corporate training?”
• “How would you turn past events into sales assets?”
• “What would you do differently for HR buyers vs executive buyers?”
• “How will you measure whether the new site produces pipeline?”

A training/events company usually wins with a site built around trust + outcomes + proof, not a gallery of event photos. The agency should understand that distinction.

• Ice Nine Online - 444 W Lake St Ste 1700, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Solid Digital - 100 N LaSalle St #1400, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• VisualFizz - 875 N Michigan Ave 31st floor, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Next/Now - 1200 W Lake St #2, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Orbit Media Studios - 4043 N Ravenswood Ave #316, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
• Symmetri Marketing Group (Acquired by Yes&) - 40 E Huron St, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Agency EA - 311 W Walton St, Chicago, IL 60610, United States
• Brafton, Inc. - 1 N State St 15th floor, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Marcel Digital - 445 W Erie St #200, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• OneIMS - 110 N Wacker Dr Suite 2500A, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Kindle Communications - 600 W Fulton St Ste 410, Chicago, IL 60661, United States
• RSXigital | B2B Lead Generation & Performance Marketing Agency in Chicago, USA - 71 S Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Plan B - The Agency Alternative for the AI Economy® - 10 W Hubbard St #5w, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Walker Sands - 55 W Monroe St Ste 3925, Chicago, IL 60603, United States
• The Motion Agency - 325 N La Salle Dr Ste 550, Chicago, IL 60654, United States

Yes. Given that you’re a Chicago-based training + corporate events company, I’d avoid a generic “pretty website” agency. You want someone who understands B2B lead generation, event registration/conversion, corporate buyers, and the sales cycle around events.

My shortlist would be:

1. Ice Nine Online — probably one of the best fits if you want a B2B-focused website + lead generation partner. They’re in the Loop and specifically work with B2B companies, including WordPress corporate sites and demand-generation websites.
2. Solid Digital — my pick if the project is primarily a serious B2B website redesign. They’re downtown at 100 N LaSalle and explicitly specialize in B2B web design, UX and digital growth. Their site emphasizes connecting the website to business/revenue goals rather than simply making it look good. Solid Digital
3. VisualFizz — especially interesting for you because they combine B2B marketing, web design and event marketing. Their event practice specifically includes registration pages, custom event websites, email campaigns, paid promotion and post-event marketing. VisualFizz
4. Next/Now — worth considering if your events are highly experiential and the website needs to feel more like an experience/brand showcase than a conventional corporate site. They're particularly focused on experiential marketing, live/virtual events and interactive experiences.
5. Orbit Media Studios — a strong choice if SEO + content + conversion are major priorities. They're a Chicago B2B-oriented web agency with a strategy/UX/content/development approach rather than simply a design shop.

One wildcard I'd seriously investigate

RethinkInfo looks unusually aligned with your exact business model. They're a Chicago digital agency combining website strategy, demand generation and live events, and specifically describe their event work around trade shows, executive dinners, conferences, pre-event ABM/meeting generation and post-event ROI. RethinkInfo

That's much closer to “I need my website to sell corporate training and fill events” than “I need a new website.”

Who I'd call first

I'd probably have 3 conversations:

• RethinkInfo — best potential fit for events + B2B demand generation.
• VisualFizz — best potential fit for B2B marketing + event marketing + web.
• Solid Digital — best potential fit for high-quality B2B website strategy/design.

And I'd give all three the same brief:

“We sell corporate training and events to B2B buyers. We don't just need a redesigned website—we need the site to generate qualified conversations, registrations and event inquiries. We want someone who understands the journey from LinkedIn/email/search → event landing page → registration/inquiry → sales.”

Then ask them to show you 2–3 websites they've built where the website was responsible for generating B2B leads or event registrations, rather than just showing you their prettiest portfolio work.

If you tell me roughly your annual revenue, typical event price/contract value, who buys from you (HR, L&D, marketing, associations, etc.), and whether you want leads or direct online registration, I can narrow this down to the 3 Chicago agencies I'd actually interview, including likely budget ranges and what I'd ask each one.

“We sell corporate training and events to B2B buyers. We don't just need a redesigned website—we need the site to generate qualified conversations, registrations and event inquiries. We want someone who understands the journey from LinkedIn/email/search → event landing page → registration/inquiry → sales.”

Then ask them to show you 2–3 websites they've built where the website was responsible for generating B2B leads or event registrations, rather than just showing you their prettiest portfolio work.

• Solid Digital - 100 N LaSalle St #1400, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• VisualFizz - 875 N Michigan Ave 31st floor, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Americaneagle.com, Inc. - 200 W Jackson Blvd Fl 22, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• The Office of Experience, LLC - 980 N Michigan Ave Ste 1090, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Operation Technology - 211 W Wacker Dr 3rd Floor, Chicago, IL 60606
• Orbit Media Studios - 4043 N Ravenswood Ave #316, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
• Chicago Website Design SEO Company - 10 S Riverside Plaza #875, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Flamingo Agency - 3752 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
• 10com Web Development - 205 N Michigan Ave Suit 810, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• Comrade Digital Marketing Agency - 332 S Michigan Ave #900, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Artversion - 205 N Michigan Ave 8th Floor, Chicago, IL 60601
• Millennial Web Development - 329 W 18th St Ste 413, Chicago, IL 60616, United States
• SEOLEVELUP Website Design SEO Company Chicago - 355 N Laflin St Ste 101C, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Digital Authority Partners - 420 W Huron St Fl 1, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• SITE IT NOW - 1016 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60607, United States

Yes. For an IT services company, I’d bias toward agencies that understand B2B buying journeys, technical services, lead generation, and positioning—not just agencies that make attractive brochure sites.

Here’s the Chicago shortlist I’d start with:

1. Solid Digital — Best overall fit

• 100 N LaSalle St, downtown
• Particularly strong match for B2B/technology companies. They specialize in B2B website strategy, UX, WordPress development, SEO, and ongoing optimization. Their portfolio includes B2B SaaS and healthcare technology. Solid Digital
• My pick if: you want the overhaul to improve positioning and lead generation, not just modernize the visual design.
• soliddigital.com
• VisualFizz — Strong B2B branding + website option

• 875 N Michigan Ave
• Their positioning is particularly B2B-focused, combining brand strategy, creative, web, and marketing. That's useful if your current site also needs a messaging/positioning overhaul.
• My pick if: your biggest problem is that the website doesn't communicate why your IT firm is different.
• visualfizz.com
• Americaneagle.com, Inc. — Best for a larger/complex project

• 200 W Jackson Blvd
• A much larger full-service digital organization covering strategy, UX, development, marketing, analytics, hosting, and support.
• My pick if: you have a substantial existing site, integrations, multiple service lines/locations, or enterprise-level requirements.
• americaneagle.com
• The Office of Experience, LLC — Best for sophisticated UX

• 980 N Michigan Ave
• More of a digital-experience/consulting shop than a conventional web-design agency, with UX, technology, web/mobile development, and digital transformation capabilities.
• My pick if: you're contemplating a genuinely substantial digital experience rather than simply replacing your existing website.
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding — Good downtown boutique option

• 30 N Michigan Ave
• Combines branding, website design/development, SEO, and marketing.
• My pick if: you're a smaller/midsize IT services firm and want brand + website + acquisition handled together.
• Operation Technology — Worth a conversation for lead generation

• 211 W Wacker Dr
• Their focus is heavily oriented toward website performance, SEO, and generating leads rather than design for its own sake.
• My pick if: the current site looks okay but isn't generating enough qualified opportunities.

One non-downtown firm I'd make an exception for

Orbit Media Studios is in Ravenswood rather than downtown, but I'd still put them on the RFP list. They're specifically focused on B2B website redesign, conversion-focused UX, development, and measurable business outcomes.

My recommended RFP shortlist

If I were running your selection process, I'd invite four firms to pitch:

• Solid Digital — strongest overall B2B/IT fit
• VisualFizz — strongest brand/positioning alternative
• Americaneagle.com — enterprise/technical benchmark
• Orbit Media — excellent benchmark outside the downtown constraint

That gives you four substantially different approaches rather than getting four agencies that all propose essentially the same WordPress redesign.

For an IT services company, I'd also make the RFP explicitly test whether they can turn technical services into compelling buyer-facing messaging. Ask each agency to show how they'd restructure something like Managed IT / Cybersecurity / Cloud / vCIO into a journey that gets a qualified prospect from "I'm researching providers" to "I want a consultation." That's likely to matter more to your ROI than the visual redesign itself.

That gives you four substantially different approaches rather than getting four agencies that all propose essentially the same WordPress redesign.

• Solid Digital - 100 N LaSalle St #1400, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Clique Studios - 20 N Wacker Dr Ste 1075, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Marcel Digital - 20 N Wacker Dr Ste 1285, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Americaneagle.com, Inc. - 200 W Jackson Blvd Fl 22, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Doejo - 444 N Wabash Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Operation Technology - 211 W Wacker Dr 3rd Floor, Chicago, IL 60606
• NEWMEDIA.COM - 444 W Lake St Ste 1700, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Alpha Efficiency - Web Design Chicago Agency - 875 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Chicago Website Design SEO Company - 10 S Riverside Plaza #875, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• 10com Web Development - 205 N Michigan Ave Suit 810, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• SEOLEVELUP Website Design SEO Company Chicago - 355 N Laflin St Ste 101C, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• SITE IT NOW - 1016 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Wojo Design - 318 W Adams St #1609, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States

For an IT services company, I’d prioritize agencies that understand B2B positioning, lead generation, technical credibility, and complex service offerings—not just firms that make attractive brochure sites. A strong IT-services website usually needs to sell trust (security, uptime, expertise, certifications, case studies), clarify services, and convert visitors into discovery calls.

Here are downtown Chicago firms I’d put on your outreach list:

Best-fit shortlist

Solid Digital

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 877-899-9981)

100 N LaSalle St, Chicago, IL 60602
Best fit if you want a polished B2B website overhaul with strategy behind it. They focus heavily on B2B website design, WordPress development, UX, SEO, and ongoing optimization. Solid Digital

Why consider them:

• Strong B2B/SaaS/technology positioning experience
• Good match for an IT company selling higher-value services
• Likely comfortable with complex service architectures

Clique Studios

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-379-9329)

20 N Wacker Dr Ste 1075, Chicago, IL 60606
A good choice if your overhaul needs deeper UX strategy, brand refinement, and a more modern digital experience.

Why consider them:

• Strong discovery/strategy approach
• Good for companies that have outgrown a basic marketing site
• Could help reposition your company beyond “IT support provider”

Marcel Digital

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

20 N Wacker Dr Ste 1285, Chicago, IL 60606
Worth considering if SEO, inbound leads, analytics, and measurable pipeline growth are major goals.

Why consider them:

• Strong digital marketing + development combination
• Good if the new site needs to generate sales opportunities, not just look better

Americaneagle.com, Inc.

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

200 W Jackson Blvd Fl 22, Chicago, IL 60606
A larger agency option with experience across web design, development, integrations, and enterprise-style projects. Americaneagle.com

Why consider them:

• Good if you have a larger site, multiple audiences, portals, integrations, or complex CMS needs
• More “agency infrastructure” than boutique studio

Doejo

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-888-6473)

444 N Wabash Ave, Chicago, IL 60611
A River North option with a reputation around digital products, UX, and custom builds.

Why consider them:

• Good if you want something more custom than a typical marketing website
• Useful if you have client portals, tools, or software-adjacent ideas

Also worth reaching out to

• ArtVersion® Creative Agency — 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130; stronger emphasis on branding, UX, and creative direction.
• Operation Technology — 211 W Wacker Dr 3rd Floor; combines web design, SEO, and digital marketing from downtown Chicago. Operation Technology
• NEWMEDIA.COM — 444 W Lake St Ste 1700; a broader web + performance marketing partner.
• Alpha Efficiency - Web Design Chicago Agency — 875 N Michigan Ave; focuses on website design plus SEO/marketing.

My suggested outreach order for an IT services company

1. Solid Digital — strongest likely fit for B2B IT positioning
2. Clique Studios — best if you need brand + UX transformation
3. Marcel Digital — best if lead generation and SEO are priorities
4. Americaneagle.com — best for enterprise complexity
5. Doejo — best for custom digital experiences

When you send the RFP, I’d ask each agency specifically:

• “Show us 3 B2B technology/service company redesigns.”
• “How would you restructure our services so buyers understand what we do in under 30 seconds?”
• “What conversion improvements would you target?”
• “Who exactly will be doing strategy, design, and development?”
• “What CMS do you recommend and why?”

For an IT services firm, I’d avoid choosing purely on visual portfolio—the winning agency should understand how to turn technical expertise into a sales story.