The Ventnor Local Directory was born out of frustration.
We’re Richard and Vikki, and we live in Ventnor. We created the Ventnor Local Directory because we found it surprisingly difficult to get reliable, up-to-date information about local businesses — even as residents.
Too many businesses rely on Facebook, which is great if you already know that business exists. But some businesses have no idea how bad Facebook is for anyone wanting to discover what a town has to offer.
What started as a simple guide aimed at tourists, Ventnor Local quickly grew into something more useful and was launched in March 2024.
Fun, colourful and anything but a boring directory, Ventnor Local helps locals and visitors easily find shops, restaurants, services and places to go — all in one place, with the details that actually matter.
We both love Ventnor and want our town and our community to prosper. If visitors and locals spend their money here, then the town benefits.
For a directory to be truly useful, it has to be comprehensive and include the vast majority of Ventnor's businesses. We could not ask anyone for money, as many businesses would probably say no, so we decided this would have to be an altruistic project. So the Ventnor Local directory is "free forever" for everyone listed.
Ventnor Local C.I.C. was incorporated on 9 April 2024 as a not-for-profit community interest company with Companies House. We don’t take any income from it — the time, effort and ongoing costs have been funded personally by us.
Keeping listings "free forever" is central to what we’re doing. The running costs of the site are modest - about £250 per year - and are covered by a mix of donations, sponsorship and income from our web design business, Ventnor Web Design.
If the project ever generates surplus funds, they will be donated to Ventnor-based charities and good causes, which is also one of our aims as a C.I.C.
By May 2025, Ventnor Local had grown to include over 800 listings, expanding beyond businesses to also feature community groups and things to do in and around the town.
On average, the website gets 2,000 unique page views each week, from locals in and around Ventnor, elsewhere on the Isle of Wight, on the mainland, plus a few from abroad.
Due to how comprehensive the directory has become, it now ranks highly with Google for Ventnor-related searches. In general, any search that includes the word Ventnor, puts a Ventnor Local listing on Page 1 of Google, and often in AI search results too.
We began by listing the businesses we already knew about, but strong local support helped the directory grow quickly. Ventnor Local now covers Ventnor itself as well as nearby villages including Niton, Whitwell and Wroxall. This will be as far as we go, geographically. Much further out, and people in those areas tend to go to Newport.
We’ll continue to expand and refine the site based on feedback and the needs of the community.
Being in our late 50s / early 60s, we naturally can't continue this forever. Looking ahead, we’re keen to ensure Ventnor Local has a future beyond us.
Our long-term aim is to mentor someone younger to eventually take over the running of Ventnor Local (and Ventnor Web Design), so the project can continue to benefit the town for years to come. This will give that person a kick start to building and running their own business, but on the condition that Ventnor Local is maintained.
These are our thoughts, ambitions - dreams even - but we put them here so you can understand us.
Our goal is to support and promote local businesses, not to act as judge or jury. However, listings may be removed if there is clear and widely-accepted evidence of behaviour that is considered seriously undesirable.
Religious, political or cultural beliefs are not considered grounds for removal.