LBI is like a second home to me. I love this town. I am always online looking for information, photos, videos, etc. Suddenly it hit me … I’ve been maintaining this website / blog for several years now, and I’ve never shared my list of best (or worst) LBI websites that I’ve come across.
I thought it might be fun and hopefully you’ll find a few “gems” that you didn’t know about.
What Qualifies as a “Best Website In LBI”?
There is no official criteria to be included in this list. I certainly did not prepare a score sheet. That being said, I do own one of the top-rated website design and digital marketing agencies in New Jersey – so I am a pretty tough critic. If you are a frequent reader of this blog, you probably didn’t know that. I do not use this blog to promote our business. For the past 5(ish) years, I have maintained this website simply to share the awesomeness of LBI with the world.
Basically, what I am looking for in a great LBI website is:
- The website must be useful in some way.
It is amazing how incredibly outdated and crappy (that’s an official designation) many of the LBI websites are. Poorly maintained websites with outdated information have no chance of making my list of Best Websites in LBI. - The website must be reasonably attractive / professional
Apparently, there is a lack of talent in the area when it comes to design. I had to toss a large percentage of the LBI websites onto the trash heap – simply because they looked like a high school kid made it (which is a total insult to high school kids, actually). - Bonus Points for Special Features
There are so many “extras” that websites can have these days. Videos, real-time chat, online booking that actually works, and a slew of other interactive features. I didn’t find much of this on LBI websites … but there are a few very good examples.
A General Overiew of LBI Websites
It has to be said … LBI is a great place to vacation, it is an amazing place to spend a weekend in the summer … it is a horrible place for websites! I’m going to keep things positive here but, wow, with only a few exceptions – this town is way behind the times when it comes to websites and social media.
Thankfully, I was able to pick out a small selection of good ones for this article.
It’s going to be a lot of fun when I write a “Worst of” article. That’s going to be a VERY long list. If you have any websites you’d like me to consider in the “Worst of LBI” list – send them to me.
Top 10 BEST LBI Websites
Without further ado, here is my list of the Top 10 Websites in LBI
- LBI Chamber of Commerce
It’s a reasonably attractive website. They did a good job using video to make it more interesting. Most importantly, they maintain a directory of local businesses, upcoming events, and a regularly updated blog (which is one of our sources for some of our articles we write). If you haven’t visited their website and you are a fan of LBI, you really should check it out. I have about a thousand suggestions to make this site even better … but it’s a solid job. - LBI Vacation Rentals
If you are looking for a house to rent in LBI, this is a helpful resource / website. It has a large inventory and the tools are solid. Interestingly, even this site has some display issues and a bit of quirky behavior on different screen sizes but that’s just my inner web designer coming out. It’s nothing you need to worry about. It is, by far, the best website in LBI for finding vacation rentals. - The Sand Paper
This is one of the most “active” sites in LBI. They post news stories, community information, events, etc. If you want to stay on top of what is happening in LBI, this is a must-visit website. - LBIF Arts + Science
If you are not familiar with this organization – it’s worth a look to see what they are up to. Clean website, easy to use. - Spray Beach Hotel
Excellent photos and a surprising amount of information hidden in some of their sections. Their various ROOMS pages and RATES page are probably the best in LBI (for hotels). Easy to use, easy to book a room, lots of photos. Very solid LBI hotel website. - Hotel LBI
One of the newest businesses on the island has one of the top websites. Welcome to the neighborhood! Great photos, professional design. The information is a bit “thin” but I will cut them some slack because they are pretty new. In another year or two, perhaps they will beef up the community and event information on their website. In the meantime, if you are looking for a great hotel website in LBI, this is definitely one of the best. - The Local Market
They did a great job getting some terrific photos. The site is professionally designed and clean. Most importantly, it is easy to find the info you care about (if you are looking for their menu, prices, events, etc.) Solid job. Under normal circumstances, I’m not sure a website like this would make a “best of” list for an entire town … but as I said previously, LBI is a bit rough when it comes to website design. - Wallys LBI
Maybe I’m just hungry as I am writing this article … but their photos look amazing! The website is fine (very simple) … it’s really all about the photos. In any other town in America this would NOT make a “best of” list … but hey, this is LBI.
Hmm, the title of this section was the 10 best websites in LBI. Honestly there are probably only 8 websites I would recommend. Do you have any suggestions? Did I miss any?
LBI on Instagram
There are a few pretty solid Instagram profiles of LBI businesses or organizations that you may be interested in following also. Here are a few of them:
- @spray_beach_hotel
- https://www.instagram.com/karijanak/
- https://www.instagram.com/_daveruiz/
- https://www.instagram.com/thesandpaperlbi/
- https://www.instagram.com/howyoubrewin/
- https://www.instagram.com/vrlbi_/
- https://www.instagram.com/locallovelbi/
How’d I Do?
Questions? Comments? Did I miss anything?
What are your favorite LBI websites or social media profiles? Send me feedback and I will update my list later this year.
If you happen to be a business owner in LBI and would like to talk about improving your website or your digital marketing, give me a shout or check out my website to learn more about my agency and how we can help.
If you happen to be a website design or digital marketing agency located in LBI or serving LBI businesses, I am going to recommend you “up your game”.