Best Economic Development Websites for 2022

Best Economic Development Websites for 2022 Main Photo

4 Jan 2022


News, Website Development

We present to you the Best Economic Development Websites for 2022. Each year, backed by research, conferences, and the latest trends, the Golden Shovel Agency team puts together a list of what we consider to be the best economic development websites. This is always difficult, as there are many deserving organizations, but we try to keep it to our top 10 list. Note: there is no particular order to this list.

Best Economic Development Website for 2022

Take some time to appreciate the work these economic development organizations have accomplished and be sure to take notes of your favorite elements for when you’re ready to redesign your own economic development website.


Best Economic Development Websites for 2022 - Heart of TX COG

#1 Heart of Texas Council of Governments

The HOTCOG website has many notable features including a user-friendly way to view the organization’s CEDS document, Esri data, and detailed demographics. It also does a phenomenal job of recognizing each of its local counties through both a unique mapping feature and landing pages. This is the best economic development website for how to incorporate CEDs documents in a way that is easy to read and understand. These text and data-heavy documents can be difficult to share with the community. Now, there’s an easy model for others to follow.


Best Economic Development Websites for 2022 - Four Corners Economic Development

#2 Four Corners Economic Development

The 4CED website does a great job of integrating professional photography (that showcases the region) with a comforting color palette. The contemporary design of the website and unique buttons make for a user-friendly and memorable experience. This is the best economic development website for people looking to find ways to promote tourism and quality of life as highly as traditional business and development opportunities. The dynamic images and layout do an incredible job of showcasing that the Four Corners Region has a lot to offer residents and businesses alike.


Best Economic Development Websites for 2022 - Gage Area Growth Enterprise

#3 Gage Area Growth Enterprise (NGage)

The NGage website utilizes video in a variety of creative ways that make visitors feel like they’re a part of the community. It also has strong branding with a fun color palette and easy-to-use tools.


Best Economic Development Websites for 2022 - Great River Energy

#4 Great River Energy

The Great River Energy website does a phenomenal job of showcasing its individual cooperatives. It also has a creative mapping tool with important information, featured available sites, and many modern elements strategically placed throughout the website.


Best Economic Development Websites for 2022 - Consider Clark County

#5 Consider Clark County

Consider Clark County is an initiative of the Community Improvement Corp. of Clark County & the Greater Springfield Partnership. The website has a very contemporary design and playful branding. This website is also a product of both a national and local marketing firm working together.


Best Economic Development Websites for 2022 - International Economic Development Council (IEDC)

#6 International Economic Development Council

IEDC, the largest economic development organization of its kind, recently underwent a large redesign project. The site includes new branding and a contemporary design, interactive graphics, and user-friendly navigation.


Best Economic Development Websites for 2022 - Maple Valley Black Diamond Chamber of Commerce

#7 Maple Valley Black Diamond Chamber of Commerce

The Maple Valley Black Diamond Chamber of Commerce website is user-friendly and guides visitors on a simple path to what they’re looking for. The website has a welcoming design that makes you want to pack up the family and visit and utilizes video in an efficient way.


Best Economic Development Websites for 2022 - Columbus Region

#8 Columbus Region

The Greater Columbus Region is a great example of a metropolitan area that has really taken off. The website has contemporary branding and design that makes visitors’ experiences enjoyable. It also does a great job of communicating that the website is not for any one target audience, but speaks to site selectors, community members, business owners, and the workforce.


Best Economic Development Websites for 2022 - Greater Lafayette Commerce

#9 Greater Lafayette Commerce

The first thing that grabs your attention when visiting the Greater Lafayette Commerce website is the fun video banner. You’ll also see a professional brand and color palette that’s consistent throughout the website. In addition, the website is visually pleasing and visitors have simple menu options to choose from.


Best Economic Development Websites for 2022 - Cincinnati Experience

#10 Cincinnati Experience

The Cincinnati Experience website highlights the fact that they are the Soccer City of the US through multiple elements ranging from a soccer ball “cracking the screen” to links for more information about the FIFA World Cup in the community. The website also shares stories from community members and businesses and has tools to compare the cost of living with other large cities.


Best Economic Development Websites for 2022 Based on Your Needs

If none of the above websites speak to your needs or the vision you have for your community, that’s okay. Each economic development website should be different on purpose. Your website needs to showcase how you are different and unique, what you have to offer, and how it helps your target audience. For more examples or to brainstorm how your website can be a tool for recruitment and growth, contact Golden Shovel Agency. Ultimately, the best economic development website of 2022 will be the new website you create for your community.

We've updated our list! Check out the Best Economic Development Websites for 2023!