Each year, we meet with both local and regional economic development organizations about their websites and digital marketing, and this question inevitably comes up: “Who are your competitors?”
Rather than make you hunt for the answers, we reviewed the firms in this original article and updated the list to reflect companies that still show current economic development website work as of September 2026.
There is no single best firm for every economic development organization. Qualified firms will have relevant economic development experience. It is easy to hire a firm that can make a website look good but does not understand how site selectors, business executives, entrepreneurs, and community stakeholders use it. The right choice depends on the audiences you serve, the information and tools they need, your staff's ability to maintain the site, and how you will measure whether the investment is working.
How should an EDO choose a website design firm?
Economic development experience should be the first criterion. Ask each firm to show current EDO work and explain how its process accounts for business attraction, existing-industry support, available properties, workforce information, target industries, community data, and local stakeholder needs.
The biggest red flag is a portfolio of attractive websites with little evidence that the firm understands economic development. A polished design is not enough if prospects cannot find current data, staff cannot keep the site updated, or the organization cannot tell whether the site is producing useful inquiries.
Use these questions to compare firms consistently:
- Relevant experience: How many local, regional, or state economic development organizations has the firm served, and can it provide current examples and references?
- Research and content: Does the team understand what site selectors, prospects, existing businesses, talent, and other audiences need from the site?
- Economic development tools: Can the firm integrate property databases, GIS tools, workforce data, dashboards, CRM systems, and other platforms your organization relies on?
- Accessibility and performance: How will accessibility, mobile use, page speed, security, and quality assurance be handled?
- Content management: Will staff be able to add pages, update data, and publish news without waiting for a developer? Is the content management system proprietary, meaning that it cannot be transferred to another provider?
- Search and measurement: How will the firm protect existing search visibility, support SEO and AI-search discovery, track meaningful actions, and connect inquiries to your follow-up process?
- Long-term support: What happens after launch, and who owns the website, content, data, accounts, and source files?
SelectUSA's website guidance for economic developers also emphasizes useful community information, clear services and contacts, strong visuals, current data, and a website that helps potential investors understand the locality.
Five economic development website design firms to consider
This is a starting point, not a ranking or an exhaustive directory. We reviewed the firms' current public websites and portfolios in September 2026. Service descriptions below are based on what each firm publishes about its work. Most firms use custom cost quotes, so we do not compare pricing that we cannot verify. We do, however, include our current typical ranges in the Whittington Consulting section because we can speak directly to them.
| Firm | Current public emphasis | What to explore |
|---|---|---|
| Place marketing, economic development, talent attraction, tourism, research, and website services | Research-informed strategy, WordPress, content, SEO/AEO, accessibility, integrations, training, and maintenance | |
| Economic-development-specific websites, branding, strategy, and digital marketing | Built-in tools for properties, employers, incentives, documents, news, agendas, and other common EDO information | |
| Economic development strategy, website design, marketing, branding, content, and video | Its Economic Gateway platform, economic development modules, third-party integrations, content support, and ongoing services | |
| Custom website strategy, design, development, and digital marketing across economic development and other sectors | Custom content-managed websites, interactive tools, current EDO portfolio work, and ongoing digital marketing support | |
| Economic development website strategy, content, custom design and development, accessibility, SEO/AEO, analytics, and lead generation | Local and regional EDO experience, long-term client relationships, custom WordPress work, integrations, staff training, and measurable inquiry paths |
Development Counsellors International
Development Counsellors International, commonly known as DCI, is a place-marketing firm serving economic development, talent attraction, and tourism organizations. Its current website services include research and strategy, custom or templated design, content support, WordPress development, ADA/WCAG planning, CRM and GIS integrations, analytics, training, secure hosting, and ongoing maintenance.
DCI may deserve a closer look when an organization wants its website work connected to a broader place-marketing, research, public relations, talent, or lead generation program. Ask which parts of the work will be handled by the website team, how the project will be scoped, and what ongoing services are included after launch.
EDSuite
EDSuite focuses on websites and digital marketing for economic development organizations. Its website offering includes a content management system and tools for property listings, major employers, incentives, documents, news, agendas and minutes, staff and board information, forms, analytics, and other content EDO teams manage regularly.
EDSuite may fit an organization that prefers an economic development-specific platform with common tools already defined. During evaluation, ask how much the design and content structure can be customized, how integrations work, which services are included, and what happens to the site's content and data if the organization changes platforms later.
Golden Shovel Agency
Golden Shovel Agency is an economic development strategy and communications firm. Its services include website design and development, strategy, marketing, branding, content, and video. The company builds sites on its proprietary Economic Gateway content management system and publishes integrations with economic development property, CRM, analytics, and related tools.
Golden Shovel may be worth considering when an EDO wants a sector-specific platform and a firm that can also support broader communications. Ask for a demonstration of the editing experience, an explanation of platform and support costs, examples of the integrations your organization needs, and clear terms for content and data ownership.
New Media Campaigns
New Media Campaigns is a custom web design and development firm in Carrboro, North Carolina. It works across several sectors and maintains a current economic development portfolio that includes local and regional organizations. Its published services cover discovery research, information architecture, design, content-managed development, custom tools, and digital marketing.
New Media Campaigns may fit an EDO looking for a custom web partner rather than an economic development-specific platform. Review its current EDO case studies and ask how the team handles economic development content, property and data integrations, accessibility, staff training, and post-launch support.
Whittington Consulting
Whittington Consulting has worked with more than 50 economic development organizations across the United States. Some have hired us to create multiple websites, and some client relationships have continued for more than 15 years.
Our economic development work has received multiple awards from the International Economic Development Council and the Southern Economic Development Council. Recent projects for Virginia's New River Valley, Shenandoah Valley Partnership, and City of Staunton Economic Development have also received Web Excellence Awards.
Our process begins with the organization's audiences, goals, current data, stakeholder knowledge, and the questions prospects ask. The design follows that work. You can see the range of strategy, content, accessibility, integration, and measurement decisions in our website and economic development case studies, including the Greater Richmond Partnership website redesign.
As of September 2026, a Whittington Consulting website typically ranges from $20,000 to $30,000 for a locality and from $30,000 to $45,000 for a regional economic development organization. Final pricing depends on the amount of strategy and content work, the number of page types, data and software integrations, custom functionality, migration needs, and the level of ongoing support.
Build a shortlist around fit, not appearances
Begin with firms that can demonstrate real economic development experience, then compare their process, technology, accessibility work, content support, integrations, measurement, and long-term service. Ask the same questions of every firm and speak with current clients whose organizations are similar to yours.
A useful economic development website needs to look credible, but appearance is only the beginning. It should help the right audiences find current information, understand the community's advantages, take an appropriate next step, and give staff a practical way to keep the site useful after launch.
If your organization is planning a website redesign, review the things a modern economic development website needs to be successful.
Last updated: September 2026
