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Today is the final day to enter the Web Marketing Association's 2009 WebAwards. All entries must be completed by the end of day today so that we can get he entries to the judges beginning on Monday June 15th.
It's now or never, so if you have not yet submitted your site go to www.WebAward.org and get it entered now!
Tomorrow will be too late!
The Web Marketing Association has extended the deadline for entering its 13th annual WebAward Competition until June 12th to allow final entries to be submitted and existing entries to be edited if needed. The WebAwards are the Internet's premier award competition that judges website development against an ever increasing Internet standard of excellence and against peer sites within an industry.
If you have already entered, you have an additional two weeks to review and finalize your entries. All editing must be complete before the entries are sent to the judges.
The 13th Annual WebAward competition final deadline for entry is now June 12th and you can submit your site for review at www.WebAward.org.
All participants will receive a updated copy of the Internet Standards Assessment Report personalized to include your website's judges scores for each of the seven criteria of an effective Web site compared to your industry and the overall web development standard. No other award program give provides you this level of comprehensive feedback for your Web development efforts.
If you are like most Internet professionals, you have already entered the 2009 WebAward competition for website development. If you have not done so yet, what are you waiting for? There is less than one week - 5 days - less than 120 hours - to earn the recognition that will get you noticed.
You don't want your CEO coming to you in September and asking why your competitor won a WebAward and have to tell him or her that missed the deadline! With 96 industries participating, of course there is a category for you.
Don't wait any longer - enter the 2009 WebAwards today before it is too late!
Go to www.WebAward.org and enter right now.
If you have already submitted your site, please make sure the entry is complete, the URL is active and any entries fees due have been paid before the deadline so the enry can be submitted to the judges.
Time is running out to enter the Web Marketing Association's 2009 WebAward competition for Website development. The deadline is May 29th and the order form and complete information can be found at www.WebAward.org.
If you have not yet entered, this is your chance to be recognized as having the bet Website in your industry. And with 96 industries you choose from, you're sure to find the right one to meet your needs.
Imagine the look on your bosses and your clients face when you tell them your online work has earned the company a prestigious WebAward! Think of the marketing opportunities you could create - but you need to enter to win!
A Website says "you're here".
An award winning Website says "You've arrived"
With only two weeks left, now is the time to go to the online entry form and get the recognition you deserve.
Enter today!
WebmasterRadio.FM, the premier free, 24/7 Internet business radio network focused on the B2B marketplace is pleased to present a half hour interview with the president of the Web Marketing Association, Bill Rice and two judges of the annual WebAward, David Clarke and Steve Plunkett
Click here to listen to the interview.
WebmasterRadio.FM, the premier free, 24/7 Internet business radio network focused on the B2B marketplace is pleased to present a half hour interview with the president of the Web Marketing Association, Bill Rice and two judges of the annual WebAward, David Clarke and Steve Plunkett The interview provides the inside scoop on the 2009 WebAwards, its judges and scoring system with three experienced participants in the annual award competition, Bill Rice, David Clarke and Steve Plunkett. During the interview, Rice, Clarke and Plunkett outline what judges are looking for, how scoring of competing sites takes place and the benefits of participation for both competitors and judges.
The show will initially air on www.WebmasterRadio.fm on Wednesday May 13th at 5:00 pm EST and then be available online in the Specials channel.
10) If you wait until after the May 31st deadline, you'll have to pay a late fee.
9) Your mom will be so proud of you when you win.
8) You will receive important benchmark data for your entire industry and where your site ranks in each of the seven judging criteria.
7) Think of the PR opportunities - industry publications, blogs, websites, by-lined articles, podcasts, press releases, interviews - the sky is the limit.
6) A best of industry plaque containing your award winning site will look great on the wall in your office.
5) The WebAward logo on your site is like receiving the "Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval" for Web development. Your clients and prospects will be impressed at your independent industry recognition.
4) If you don't win, we won't tell anyone - and you still get the feedback.
3) An inbound link from webaward.org will help your site's search engine rankings because you will surrounded by other top sites in your industry - something you just can't buy!
2) A WebAward looks impressive on your resume - just in case...
1) Winning a WebAward will help you keep more of your budget from the bean counters in Finance. They like measurable results and nothing demonstrates excellence better than winning a WebAward!
Winning accolades in the 2009 WebAwards - the Internet's premier award recognition program, is a great way to stand out from others in your industry. But you won't get anything if you don't enter! Time is running out so enter today!
Entering is easy. Simply create a nominator account or log into an existing account from past years. This password protected area will allow you to enter multiple sites, edit the information up to when the judging begins and receive updates, results and feedback on your entries throughout the competition.
We need your help in spreading the news about our WebAward call for entry to other Internet Professionals. The Web Marketing Association is a volunteer organization and our greatest marketing asset is you, our newsletter readers.
You can help by:
Emailing other professionals or site owners and ask them to participate in the WebAwards.
Blog about the WebAwards. Either on your blog or industry blogs, write about our call for entry or your experiences with the WebAwards. You can point them to our blog posting for the Call for Entry.
Post our link on your Facebook Wall and/or LinkedIn profile. It let's your friends and colleagues know you're a leader in the online marketing community. When you see a post, let everyone one know you like it.
Tell others within your organization. It is difficult to maintain contact with past participants via email. People change responsibilities, email addresses change and companies merge. Make sure the correct people within your organization, including offices in other cities know about the WebAwards. The more awards your organization wins, the more recognition you will receive.
There are only a few weeks left to enter, but with your help we can have the most successful WebAward competition ever!
Winning accolades in the 2009 WebAwards - the Internet's premier award recognition program, is a great way to stand out from others in your industry. But you can't compete if you don't enter!
The 13th Annual WebAward competition deadline for entry is May 29th, less than a month away. Entering is easy. Simply create a nominator account or log into an existing account from past years. Avoid a late fee by completing your Web sites entries before the deadline.
All participants will receive a updated copy of the Internet Standards Assessment Report personalized to include your website's judges scores for each of the seven criteria of an effective Web site compared to your industry and the overall web development standard. No other award program give provides you this level of comprehensive feedback for your Web development efforts.
This year The Web Marketing Association is adding several industries to the competition based on participant feedback. They are Environmental, Gay/Lesbian, Mobile, Science and Social Networks. To make room for these new categories Auction, Brokerage, Computer Retailer, Institutional Services and ISP categories have been eliminated.
Please help us make the WebAwards a success and share this posting or email to the person responsible for marketing or website promotion in your organization and ask them to learn more about these awards. We are a volunteer driven organization and need your help at spreading the news about the WebAwards.
WebAward - The award that makes an award-winning Web site.
The Web Marketing Association announces that mobile websites will be added to its 13th annual international WebAward competition as a separate category this year. The WebAwards is the standards-defining competition that sets industry benchmarks based on the seven criteria of a successful Web site. It recognizes the individual and team achievements of Web professionals who create and maintain outstanding Web sites. The deadline for entry in the 2009 WebAwards is May 29, 2008. Complete information and this year’s entry form can be found at www.webaward.org.
“An entire parallel Web universe exists just for phone and PDA users and that universe is expanding rapidly,” said William Rice, President of the Web Marketing Association. “We wanted to recognize that mobile websites have come of age and need to be evaluated not against other sites in their industry, but against other mobile sites. Mobile sites have always been welcomed in the WebAwards, but now they can be adjudicated more effectively.”
Some 40% of Web site operators have launched mobile sites and another 22% plan to do so in the next year, according to a new JupiterResearch study. Driving the growth of mobile sites are factors such as the expansion of 3G networks and smartphones and improving prospects for deriving revenue from mobile advertising. Jupiter estimates that increasing page views and usage will push annual mobile display and search advertising revenue to $825 million by 2012.
Web sites are judged on seven criteria, including design, innovation, content, technology, interactivity, copy writing and ease of use and receive a numeric score. The Web Marketing Association is building an addition to their robust judging system that will allow these sites to be reviewed by a specific set of WebAward judges enabled for the mobile Web. Winners will be announced in September, 2009.
The Web Marketing Association is expecting a record number of participants in its 13th annual international WebAward competition, the standards-defining competition that sets industry benchmarks based on the seven criteria of a successful Web site. They are looking for experienced Internet professionals who can help judge the Website that are entered. Interested individuals can submit their names for consideration using the Judges Nomination Form.
“The WebAwards is different from other Web site award programs because we’re not just a beauty pageant focused on name recognition and design,” said William Rice, president of the Web Marketing Association. “Our judges are handed picked experts who have hands on experience either leading or developing some of today’s top Websites. These individuals understand that participating as a judge in the WebAwards is one excellent way to give back to the online marketing community and help it to grow and evolve.”
Judges will consist of a select group of Internet professionals who have direct experience designing and managing Web sites,–including members of the media, interactive creative directors, site designers, content providers and webmasters – with an in-depth understanding of the current state-of-the-art in Web site development and technology. Past judges have included top executives from leading organizations such as A&E Television Networks, Agency.com, Blattner Brunner, Bridge Worldwide, The Cincinnati Enquirer, Comedy Central, Disney, Euro RSCG, Ion Global, J. Walter Thompson , John Deere Company, New York Post Interactive, Organic, Inc., Refinery, R/GA, Saatchi & Saatchi, SAP, Starwood Hotels , Sun Microsystems, Warner Bros. Online, Xerox and Zugara.
If you or someone some one in your organization would make a good judge, they can learn more and enter their name for consideration on the WebAward Judges Nomination Form.
“The vast majority of our judges return each year to participate again as a WebAward judge, but some need to take time off from judging and because of the popularity of the WebAwards there is a constant need for new judges”, said Rice. “Prior to the beginning of the judging, we spend several weeks discussing the current state of Web development and how it should be recognized through the WebAwards. Being a WebAward judge is a valuable experience that helps the individual better understand overall Web development and of course looks impressive on a resume or corporate bio”.
About the WebAwards
The 13th annual international WebAwards competition sets the standard of excellence in 96 industry categories by evaluating Web sites and defining benchmarks based on the seven essential criteria of successful Web site development. The goal of the Web Marketing Association, sponsor of the WebAwards, is to provide a forum to recognize the people and organizations responsible for developing some of the most effective Web sites on the Internet today. Entrants benefit from a Web site assessment by a professional judging panel and the marketing opportunities presented to an award-winning Web site. For more information or to enter a site into the 2009 WebAwards, visit www.webaward.org.
The Web Marketing Association is pleased to announce the call for entries for its 13th annual international WebAward competition. The WebAwards is the standards-defining competition that sets industry benchmarks based on the seven criteria of a successful Web site. It recognizes the individual and team achievements of Web professionals who create and maintain outstanding Web sites. The deadline for entry in the 2009 WebAwards is May 29, 2009. A complete list of past winners and this year’s entry form can be found at www.webaward.org.
Web sites are judged on seven criteria, including design, innovation, content, technology, interactivity, copy writing and ease of use and receive a numeric score. Each WebAward entry is judged against other entries in its industry category and then against an overall standard of excellence. Entrants also benefit from receiving valuable feedback from the WebAwards professional judging panel on their Web site development efforts.
This year The Web Marketing Association is adding several industries to the competition based on participant feedback. They are Environmental, Gay/Lesbian, Mobile, Science and Social Networks. To make room for these new categories, several industries are being eliminated. They are Auction, Brokerage, Computer Retailer, Institutional Services and ISP.
This year’s top awards will include:
• A “Best of Industry” WebAward, a handsome plaque with the image of the winning site embossed, will be given in each of the 96 industry categories, including financial services, medical, small business, travel, advertising, transportation and government.
• The competition’s highest honor, the 2009 WebAward “Best of Show,” will be given to the one site that the judges believe represents the pinnacle of outstanding achievement in Web development. Last year’s Best of Show winner was Trailer Park Interactive for its outstanding work on " "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix website", which also won Best Movie Website.
• The Web Marketing Association will also recognize the interactive agency winning the most awards in the competition with the “Top Interactive Agency” WebAward. The 2007 Top Agency award was Risdall Advertising Agency taking home 29 WebAwards – the most ever by a single agency in a WebAward competition Risdall, headquartered in New Brighton, Minnesota, took home Best B2B Website, 4 Outstanding WebAwards and 24 Standard of Excellence WebAwards.
Judging for the 2009 WebAwards will take place in June through August and winners will be announced in September. Judges will consist of a select group of Internet professionals who have direct experience designing and managing Web sites,–including members of the media, interactive creative directors, site designers, content providers and webmasters – with an in-depth understanding of the current state-of-the-art in Web site development and technology. Past judges have included top executives from leading organizations such as A&E Television Networks, Agency.com, Blattner Brunner, Bridge Worldwide, The Cincinnati Enquirer, Comedy Central, Disney, Euro RSCG, Ion Global, J. Walter Thompson, John Deere Company, New York Post Interactive, Organic, Inc., Refinery, R/GA, Saatchi & Saatchi, SAP, Starwood Hotels, Sun Microsystems, Warner Bros. Online, Xerox and Zugara.
The Web Marketing Association is pleased to announce the winners of its twelfth annual WebAward Competition for Web site development. More than 2,400 sites from 45 countries were adjudicated in 96 industry categories during this year's competition. Entries were judged on design, copy writing, innovation, content, interactivity, navigation, and use of technology.
A complete list of the winning sites can be found at the WebAward Web site at www.webaward.org.
Best of Show
The 2008 Best of Show WebAward is presented to Trailer Park for their exceptional work on Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix website. The site was also awarded Best Movie WebAward.
Trailer Park created a fast loading website as mystical, magical and visually stunning as the movie itself. Aesthetically, the all-Flash site transports users into a dark, smoldering world of wizards and monsters via brilliant images, ominous music, and crisp, clean layouts. Three engaging games, Duel with the Death Eaters, Room of Requirement,and Thestrial Flight, immerse users in interactive challenges based on elements from the film. Downloads like, wallpapers, MySpace skins, banners, and buddy icons give fans a way to express their Harry Potter enthusiasm.
Top Agency
Risdall Advertising Agency was named Top Agency at the 2008 WebAward Competition, taking home 29 awards – the most ever by a single agency in a WebAward competition. The Top Agency Award is given to recognize the consistently outstanding development going on at interactive firms. Risdall, headquartered in New Brighton, Minnesota, took home Best B2B Website, 4 Outstanding WebAwards and 24 Standard of Excellence WebAwards.
Agencies or companies winning five or more WebAwards in 2008 include:
Agency - # of awards
Risdall Advertising Agency 29
Biggs|Gilmore 20
Avenue A | Razorfish 16
Walt Disney 16
TravelCLICK, Inc. 16
VML 14
Hubbard One 12
TMP Worldwide 12
AGENDA (H.K.) Limited 11
Arc Worldwide 11
Tribal DDB Worldwide 11
Bridge Worldwide 10
JWT INSIDE 10
Digitas Health 9
Disney Channel 9
Euro RSCG 4D 9
Zugara 9
BrowserMedia 8
E-site Marketing 8
Blenderbox Inc 7
Cendyn 7
Ektron 7
Hitchcock Fleming & Associates Inc. 7
Sapient 7
USA Network 7
Weber Shandwick 7
WSI 7
Acsys 6
Azavar Technologies 6
bbdigital (Blattner Brunner) 6
Boston Interactive 6
Greater Than One 6
MRM Worldwide 6
RED Interactive Agency 6
RFI Studios 6
Starwood Hotels & Resorts 6
180 Interactive 5
Airfoil Public Relations 5
Aristotle Interactive 5
Atmosphere BBDO 5
BGT Partners 5
Brulant, Inc. 5
Cartoon Network 5
Cheil Communications America 5
Emakina 5
Extractable 5
G2 Interactive 5
Hunt & Gather 5
Larsen 5
Milestone 5
Thomson-FindLaw 5
TIG Global 5
usdm.net(R) 5
Valassis 5
Web Associates 5
Competition format
The competition was judged by a team of independent Internet professionals representing a variety of relevant disciplines of Web site development. Judges included members of the media, advertising executives, site designers, creative directors, corporate marketing executives, content providers and webmasters.
The WebAward competition format allows Web sites to compete head to head with other sites within their industry to win the Best of Industry award. Entries also compete against a standard of excellence to win Outstanding Website and Standard of Excellence WebAwards. Each site is judged on seven different criteria and earns a score between 0 and 70 points. The highest score in a given category wins Best of Industry for that category. If the remaining entries receive a score of 60 or greater, they receive the Outstanding Web site award. Entries that score higher than their industry average and below 59.9 receive the Standard of Excellence.
The 2008 WebAwards are sponsored by the following leading organizations: Burst Media, PRWeb, Misukanis & Odden, B2B Magazine, AllBusiness, Small Army, ExactTarget, ad:tech conferences, eComXpo, MediaPost’s OMMA conference, , Microsoft Silverlight, Snap.com, Internet World UK, Search Engine Strategies, Webmaster Radio, Rovion and Website Magazine. The Web Marketing Association thanks all of its sponsors for helping to make this annual competition possible.
About the Web Marketing Association
The Web Marketing Association is working to create a high standard of excellence for Web site development and marketing on the Internet. Staffed by volunteers, it is made up of Internet marketing, advertising, PR and design professionals who share an interest in improving the quality of Website development and marketing on the Internet. Since 1997, the Web Marketing Association’s annual WebAward Competition has been helping interactive professionals promote themselves, their companies, and their best work to the outside world. Now in its 12th year, the WebAward Competition has become the premier award event for Web developers and marketers worldwide.
If you are a nominator in the Web Marketing Association's 2008 WebAwards, we would like you to know that the results have been posted in your nominator account for your review. The results will be released to the general public on September 16th - one week from today.
If you have won a WebAward this year, you may edit your entry information prior to public release of the results. The deadline for making these changes, if any, is September 15th at 5:00pm EST.
Thank you for your participation in this industry standards setting event.
You can sign in to your nominator account at http://www.webaward.org/nominator_default.asp
The winners of the 2008 WebAward Competition for Website Development will be announced September 16th on this website and to the media.
As in past years, nominators will receive results on September 9th in their nominator account and can begin to prepare their marketing efforts.
Just a quick update to let everyone know that the judging of the 2008 WebAwards is now complete and we are tabulating the winners in 96 categories. We will announce the winners in September.
The Call for Entries has been completed and the Judging of the Web Marketing Association's WebAwards are well underway. Winners will be notified in September a week before the public announcement of winners.
Good luck to all who entered.
The Web Marketing Association has announced that the deadline for entering its 12th annual WebAward Competition has been extended until June 13th to allow final entries to be submitted and existing entries to be edited if needed.
While all entries submitted after the original May 31st deadline are subject to a late fee, you still have the opportunity to have you best Websites judged by the Web Marketing Association panel of experts and win glory and recognition for yourself, your company and the award-winning Website.
The final deadline is Friday, June 13th and this deadline will not be extended as the judging phase of the competition begins June 16th.
The WebAwards are the premier internet award competition that judges website development against an ever increasing Internet standard of excellence and against peer sites within an industry.
Today is the deadline for entering for 2008.
Entering is easy. If you have not already done so, you can create a Nominator Account or log in to an existing Nominator Account. Complete the entry form information and you site will be judged by our panel of Internet experts and be on its way to win the recognition you deserve.
Good luck to everyone who enters.
Some international participants of the WebAwards may find it easier to pay for their entry fees by sending a direct wire from their bank to the Web Marketing Association bank. If this is the case, please contact us for wire instructions.
It is important that you submit your entry prior to sending the wire and also emailing us your entry number when you have confirmed the wire has been sent. We have no way of matching the wired funds received by our bank with any entry until we receive your email notification.
Also note that there is a $25 USD wire fee to cover the fees we are charged by our bank.
Web sites that are not currently available online may be submitted via CD-ROM. Please complete the Online Entry Form available in a nominator account and in the URL field, enter "CD-ROM".
Submit three copies of the site on CD-ROM with the entry number assigned by the online entry submission process on each disk. Send your CD-ROMs to:
Web Marketing Association
WebAwards Entry#
P.O. Box 249
W. Simsbury, CT 06092
Overnight packages can be sent to:
Web Marketing Association
WebAwards Entry#
7 Cedar Glen Road
W. Simsbury, CT 06092
We have received several emails from people who have nominated Websites for the WebAward competition and paid their entry fee, but the system reported that the payment was not showing up in the system.
This is caused when the final button is not clicked during the payment process. The Web Marketing Association uses a leading third party credit card processing gateway in order to protect the financial information of our award participants. If the final button is not clicked, the information is not passed from the card processor's servers to our servers which results in our database not being updated.
If this happens to you, please email us a copy of your credit card receipt and we will use the information from that email to update your entry or entries.
The Web Marketing Association is accepting entries into the 2008 WebAward competition until May 31st. Just remember to complete the payment process by clicking the final button which takes you back to the WebAward Website.
There are many that think you need to break the bank in order to create an effective Website that will win awards. Well, this is just not true.
Using data from the participants of the 2007 WebAward competition, the Web Marketing Association has determined that more than half (51%) of websites which won a WebAward were reportedly created on a budget of less than $50,000. Only 5% of the sites which won a WebAward last year had a budget of more than $1 million.
The Web Marketing Association is accepting entries into the 2008 WebAward competition until May 31st, so both small sites and big budget sites will be well represented. While you need to be a huge brand to win some Website award programs, that is not true for the WebAwards.
Using data from the participants of the 2007 WebAward competition, the Web Marketing Association has determined that 51% of websites which won a WebAward were designed by an in-house team while the other half were developed with the input of an agency or agencies. In fact, 23% of the winning entries reported that they were developed solely by an agency, 4% were a team effort of multiple agencies and 22% a combination of an in-house team with the expertise of an agency.
The Web Marketing Association is accepting entries into the 2008 WebAward competition until May 31st, so both in-house development departments and agencies have an opportunity to get their best work entered.
Using data from the participants of the 2007 WebAward competition, the Web Marketing Association has determined that 58% of websites which won a WebAward were designed on a Windows-based PC compared to 42% of award-winning sites which used a Macintosh-based computer.
When you look at which computer was used in the programming of the award-winning Websites, PC were used in 81% of the winning entries verses only 19% that used Macs.
The Web Marketing Association is accepting entries into the 2008 WebAward competition until May 31st, so we will soon see if this trend of Microsoft supremacy in Web design will hold true for another year.
With less than one month to go until the deadline for entering the 12th annual international WebAward competition, we hope to provide a series of hints on how to increase your changes of winning this prestigious Website award. Be sure to check our WMA blog regularly or subscribe to its RSS feed for greater insight into putting your best foot forward and winning a WebAward.
5 Tips to Impress the WebAward Judges
1) Provide a Direct URL to the entry – One mistake agencies that submit multiple entries make is to create a page that shows all of the entries and uses the same URL for all of the entries. It is much better to provide a direct URL for each entry, the judges do not need a landing page to be impressed with your entry, they just want to review the site and multiple sites on the same page increases the chances that they might review the wrong site.
2) Make sure the URL works – The last thing you want is to find out that your entry was not judged because the URL was invalid or the changed before the site was reviewed. If the judges can’t see the site, they can’t score it and it will be disqualified. One thing that causes a URL to fail is nominators that include instructions in the URL like “www.webaward.org - click on the big button”. Instructions belong in the instructions field, not the URL.
3) Be brief and to the point - The Audience and mission statement helps the judges understand the goals of the site before the review. Their advice is to keep the narrative short and sweet. Who is the site’s audience? What are you trying to accomplish with the site – direct sales, branding, information, etc? What are some of the features that might not be apparent? These are what the judges are looking for.
4) List the requirements necessary to view the site – Some sites using the latest technologies require specific versions of products (Shockwave 11.0 or Adobe Flash version 9.0 for example) or the download of plug ins or executable programs to review an entry. They will be more willing to comply if they know what is expected when they review the entry form. Also, let the judges know if your site only works on Internet Explorer because they may be using other browsers.
5) Make sure the password works - If the site is password protected, please make sure the user name and password are active until August 15th. This point mirrors Tip #2 - . If the judges can’t see the site, they can’t score it and it will be disqualified. Passwords that change during the competition can be updated by email
The Web Marketing Association's 2008 WebAward competition Call for Entries deadline is less than one month away. Now is the time to enter! All entries received after the deadline of May 31, 2008 are subject to a late fee.
The WebAwards are the premier internet award competition that judges website development against an ever increasing Internet standard of excellence and against peer sites within an industry.
A Best of Industry WebAward, a handsome plaque with the image of the winning site embossed, will be given in each of the 96 industry categories, including financial services, blog, medical, small business, travel, advertising, transportation, and government.
It's easy to enter and you can't win if your not entered, so go to the WebAward Website and create a nominator account and submit your entry today.
With only one month to go until the entrty deadline, we though we would give you our 10 reasons you should enter the Web Marketing Association's 12th annual WebAward Competition for Website development.
10) If you wait until after the May 31st deadline, you'll have to pay a late fee.
9) Your mom would be proud of you.
8) You will receive important benchmark data for your entire industry and where your site ranks in each of the seven judging criteria.
7) Think of the PR opportunities - industry publications, blogs, websites, by-lined articles, podcasts, press releases, interviews - the sky is the limit.
6) A best of industry plaque containing your award winning site will look great in your office.
5) The WebAward logo on your site is like receiving the "Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval" for Web development.
4) Your clients and customers will be impressed at your industry recognition and so will your potential clients.
3) A link to webaward.org will help your site's search engine rankings because you will be linked to an 12-year old .org authoritative site with a high Google PageRank.
2) A Best of Industry award means you're the best and you can prove it!
1) If you don't win, we won't tell anyone - and you still get the feedback.
Recognition and feedback, that is what you will receive when you enter the 2008 WebAward Competition for Website development. Winning accolades in the 2008 WebAwards - the Internet's premier award recognition program, is a great way to stand out from others in your industry. You will also receive valuable feedback from our judges and benchmarks for your industry. But you won't get anything if you don't enter!
The 12th Annual WebAward competition deadline for entry is May 31st, only a month away, and you can submit your site for review at www.webaward.org. Avoid a late fee by completing your Web site entries before the deadline.
Enter the 2008 WebAwards today and receive the recognition you deserve!
When the Web Marketing Association begin the WebAwards back in 1997, there were plenty of advertising award programs, and some even included a category for online media, but none were devoted to recognizing and improving overall Web development. We changed that!
We think we the WebAwards is the Best Website award competition for many reasons:
We have a transparent process. We tell you what the seven criteria for a successful Website are and let the judges determine how to apply them each year.
Our judges are Internet Experts from around the world that volunteer their time because they are leaders in their industry and understand the value of the WebAwards to Internet community.
All of our sites get sent to the judges – not just a handful of “finalists”. In fact, each site is reviewed by 3-6 judges and the final score is an average of the top two scores.
The awards are industry specific with 96 categories that you can enter. You are judged against your peers, not each industry has a different standard of excellence – just like in real life.
The year we are introducing a new award image plaque with a modern look that will look great on your office wall or in your company’s trophy case.
Winning a WebAward is also a great marketing opportunity. Winners can use press releases to drive traffic to your site and will receive links from our site to help with SEO efforts.
Everyone who participates gets feedback. Some will get specific comments from the judges reviewing your site, but everyone will receive their scores on each of the seven criteria and benchmark those scores against your industry averages.
Everyone who participates will also receive a copy of the 2009 Internet Standards Assessment Report which provides more than a decade of benchmarking data for your industry.
It is simple to enter and last years sites can be reentered with a single click from your nominator account.
If you have not entered theWebAwards yet, now is the time to give it a try. It’s effortless to enter. Simply go to the WebAward Website, create a nominator account and enter information about your site. The Web Marketing Association will send their independent expert judges to visit the site using seven criteria for an effective Website. If your Website has the highest score in your industry, you will receive a Best of Industry WebAward and a beautiful plaque for your trophy case. Other sites will be recognized with an Outstanding WebAward or a Standard of Excellence WebAward. All entries will receive their scores in each of the criteria benchmarked against their industry and overall Web development.
But you can't win if you don't enter, so don't delay, enter the 2008 WebAwards today.
The deadline for entry is May 31, 2008. A complete list of past winners and this year’s entry form can be found at www.WebAward.org.
I have ambition. I have drive. My entire life – from when I was a wee pop-up trying to gain everyone’s attention to the grown-up full-fledged, content rich homepage that I am – I have always wanted to be the best. Get the best visitors. Shout out the best content. Have the newest, most innovative design around. My goal has always been to be the best.
So I wake up extra early in the morning – earlier than some of those other sites, whom we wont mention – spiff myself up quite a bit, and head into work. I put on my best content, shine up my title tag and even do a little dance for Google every once in a while to let her know I’m still around.
But maybe Google is upset with me lately. I mean, I did sort of break her heart a couple months ago, but that is a really long story and I’d rather not get into it at the moment. Or maybe somehow my site isn’t being promoted enough. Because lately there haven’t been any good visitors!
And that really aggravates me to my metadata. Come on you guys! I am a great site! And you don’t even seem to care. Well, if I can’t get your attention in a good way, here is a warning on how I am going to get your attention MY way!
1. You know that horrible feeling when your alarm goes off in the morning, and you just want to go back to bed, and you will do anything to make sure that happens? You hit the snooze button for five more minutes of bliss? Yeah, that is how I have felt every day lately. Not wanting to do any work, not caring if I get up out of my server in the morning. You know what I’m going to do to get some attention? CRASH! Haha, that’s what you get for ignoring me.
2. When I’m feeling particularly vengeful and angry that no one is recognizing me, I like to play a little game like not giving visitors the content they need to help them find the product/service that is right for them. This game is called “move around content so no one knows where to find anything!” It’s so fun! Take the company mission statement and move it onto the “Contact Us” page. Take the contact information and hide it under the “Locations” page. And maybe just get rid of the “Customer Testimonials” altogether. I mean, why show that people have said positive things about you in the past when now, in the present I’m being completely ignored?
3. I also like to incorporate some poor grammar into my content. So I’ll go through the work a diligent copywriter spent hours optimizing and I get rid of the keywords altogether and just insert the word “stuff” or “things”. That is always a good time. Then no one knows what you are offering, and my ex-friend Google won’t be poking around my site so much, trying to see what I’m offering.
4. These days, I don’t like having to run too many applications. And I definitely don’t like having visitors stay around and bother me all afternoon. You know those fun interactive bits that are on some websites? Yeah, not on mine anymore! No more visitor polls, no more exciting flash videos, no more “leave your comment here” forms. And while I’m at it, why not get rid of the color and formatting as well? This way, I use less of my very valuable energy to be “flashy” and “exciting” for visitors, and they take one look at my site, see its boring black-and-white format, and leave. I love it!
5. And remember when I said I haven’t been getting any “good” visitors? Well, that is correct. I mean, I have had some visitors, but they are of the rival gang. The kids-from-the-other-side-of-the-tracks. The Spammers! So what’s a guy to do? He’s starved of attention and boom, here comes someone so fantastic, so tempting, so nice-looking. And I just let him right in. But hey, negative attention is still attention right? And I might be a little insecure at times, so I just let Mr. Spam hang around. At least it’s company.
This is the life for me these days. My ambition and drive have gone out the window. Do you really want your site to get as annoyed as me? I don’t think so. That would be bad for your business and your reputation as a website developer.
If you want to boost your site’s recognition and keep it happy, enter it in the WebAward competition by May 31st, 2008. Being judged by internet gods is just the thing that will perk up your site and make sure he knows he is appreciated. And trust me, attention from a WebAwards judge is the greatest honor for a website. Your site might just be working up to his full potential soon to make sure he wins!
Our WebAward judges have a lot of experience reviewing Websites. Not only are they all experienced Internet professionals that create and maintain Websites themselves, but as a group they have submitted more than 18,000 site evaluations over the past decade as part of the annual WebAward Competition.
With this in mind, the Web Marketing Association asked past WebAward judges to review both www.hillaryclinton.com and www.barackobama.com using the same criteria used in the annual WebAwards program. The sites were judged side by side on seven criteria of a successful Website. More than 100 Judges responded on short notice (111 to be exact) with additional judges just missing the deadline.
The 2008 Democratic Presidential nomination process is being fiercely contested by Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Both candidates are using the Internet to help their campaigns woo volunteers and campaign contributions. But who has the better Website?
Here are the results:
Design - Asked “which Website has the most pleasing design?” WebAward judges selected the Obama site 3 to 1 over the Clinton Website.74.8% of them voted for Senator Obama’s Website and 25.2% selected Senator Clinton’s Website as better looking.
Innovation - Website innovation also went in favor of Barack Obama. By the same margin as design, the vast majority of WebAward judges (74.8%) thought the Obama Website seems more innovative, while only 25.2% favored Clinton’s.
Content - In terms of having the most appealing content, judges again selected the Obama Website over Hillary Clinton’s Website, although by a narrower margin than the first two criteria. 65.7% of the WebAward judges felt barackobama.com has more appealing content for visitors compared to 34.3% for hillaryclinton.com. WebAward judges also found that the Obama Website is more effective for telling the candidate's story and attracting contributions and voters to its cause (68.5% Obama vs 31.5% Clinton).
Ease of use – Senator Obama’s Website was seen as easier to use by the WebAward judges than Senator Clinton’s. 57.5% selected barackobama.com as easier to use compared to 42.5% of WebAward judges who felt hillaryclinton.com was easier.
Copywriting– It is obvious that both campaigns have excellent writers on staff. Neither Websites have any of the editing issues some large organizations can experience. However, the WebAward judges gave a slight advantage to the Obama site (60.8% over the Clinton site 39.2%).
Interactivity – Interactivity makes a Website more than just an online billboard and both candidates were effective in giving visitors to their Websites plenty to see and do. Nevertheless, once again the WebAward judges gave the edge regarding interactivity to the Obama Website (64.8%) over the Clinton Website (35.2%).
Technology – Use of technology is evident in both candidates’ Websites, however, the clear favorite for the WebAward judges was barackobama.com winning 73.8% of the votes compared to hillaryclinton.com with only 26.2% of the votes.
Regardless of who you will be voting for in the next presidential election, Websites are going to play an ever increasingly important role in how candidates get their messages across to the American voters. Based on the findings of this survey by some of the top Internet professionals available today, the Web Marketing Association names barackobama.com the winner of the Clinton vs Obama Website Challenge. We wish both candidates the best of luck in their efforts to become the Democratic Presidential candidate in the November election.
To see the actual results of the survey please go to the Clinton Obama Survey Results page on our website or view a short video of the results. We also have posted survey comments from some of our judges in another posting on this blog.
The 12th annual international WebAwards competition sets the standard of excellence in 96 industry categories by evaluating Web sites and defining benchmarks based on the seven essential criteria of successful Web site development. The goal of the Web Marketing Association, sponsor of the WebAwards, is to provide a forum to recognize the people and organizations responsible for developing some of the most effective Web sites on the Internet today. Entrants benefit from a Web site assessment by a professional judging panel and the marketing opportunities presented to an award-winning Web site.
Websites in 96 industries can now be entered in the 2008 WebAwards at the award program Website. The 2008 Call for Entry deadline is May 31, 2008. For more information, visit www.webaward.org.
The Web Marketing Association asked past WebAward judges to review both www.hillaryclinton.com and www.barackobama.com using the same criteria used in the annual WebAwards program. The sites were judged side by side on seven criteria of a successful Website. More than 100 Judges responded on short notice and named Senator Obama's Website as the Best Websites in head to head competition against Senator Clinton's Website.
One of the main benefits of participating in the annual WebAward competition is the feedback participants receive regarding their Websites. Below are some of the comments from the WebAward judges regarding the two sites being evaluated. They are the personal opinions of the specific judge who made them and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Web Marketing Association. Attribution is given where available.
For compete information on the Clinton Obama Website Challange, please visit our Website at www.TheWebAwards.org.
I think both designs and architectures were well planned. But on the user experience side, both the Clinton and Obama sites initially forced a sign up page, requesting my email and contact info on my first visit. When I landed on Hilary’s site, I thought I had received a link in error to some landing page see http://hillaryclinton.com/splash/. Both sites request this ahead being allowed in the main area but it went away on a browser refresh, so while I did not study the code, I assumed it was a basic use of a cookie. Overall, I thought this was a poor treatment of the first time visitor by forcing the desire of the campaign to gather information without having served the user. Both sites did offer a “skip this” choice to proceed to the main site but it took some review time to even find that. I tested this with others on my staff and got the same reaction about the treatment of the 1st time visitor. For the record I also checked and McCain’s site did not currently use the same information gathering tactic which may only relate to where he is in the primary cycle. With so many undecided voters, I thought this was a clear cut example of not putting the user first and designing the experience for them rather than forcing them into a model that worked for the campaigns.
Bo Simmons, President, Cool Blue Interactive
Barack's website has a more calming effect and eases you into the different topics on the site. Hillary's feels more clutters and pushy. As far as web design goes Barack's website has a more current web 2.0 look and feel. Both websites are very impressive and the technology used is equally so.
Jon Harrison, Webavt.com
The navigation of the site appear the same -- even the DONATE NOW/CONTRIBUTE button is the same color and placement. Even the language of video (candidateTV) is the same! In the end, Barack seems to be doing a better job visually. There is much more use of white space, which results in homepage scrolling, but this works better than cramming all the content into the homepage like the Hillary site. Content-wise the websites appear similiar just with a different candidate. Obama does seem to make more use of social media, but one has to wonder if it a case of name-dropping ("hey, I represent on MyBatanga!"). Interestingly, Hillary's "bilingual" page keeps navigation and a lot of the call to actions in English. No bueno.
David Felfoldi, Sherpa! Web Studios
I found the design of Barack Obama's site to be lively, consistent and professional and the messaging to be positive and engaging. Every element was handled with finesse and the flow of information invited exploration. The site definitely conveyed "possibilities." If I lived in bubble and this was the only exposure I had to the candidate and his campaign, I would be very impressed. On the other hand, I found Hillary Clinton's site to be uninspiring in both its design and its tone. The site appeared overly conventional and cluttered, the messaging came across as harsh and needy, and the overall experience felt stale. I think the site might actually do the candidate some disservice because it lacked warmth, vision and personality. If I were to vote for a candidate based solely on the merits of his or her Website, Barack Obama would win by a landslide.
Sherry Bastion, ARCHESITE.
Both sites are almost complete copies of the other. The differences are so minor that I believe they are very evenly matched with Hillary's site being more compact and Obama's site is more iconic. The Hillary site is more pure CSS than Obama's but both function nicely. One cool thing that the Obama site has is ring-tones and more focus on the mobile user. Also his layout of the video channel is nicer although her's loads much faster.
Bruce Baughman, President, Design Monkey Artists Domain Inc.
Overall, it was tough to determine a clear winner because both sites were very similar. What made BarackObama.com stand out for me was that through the use of color and his photography, it made the experience more inviting and personable. HillaryClinton.com felt a bit stale and cold, not engaging enough. I did prefer Hillary's story though with the timeline and photography. Another great element was 'The Hillary I Know' microsite that featured video of those closest to her - nice touch.
Jeannie Metz-Fratoni, Creative Director, Red Door Interactive
While both candidate web sites are superb on their own, when judging them side by side, Barack Obama's web site has the edge on every available metric -- from the initial look and feel of the splash page to the way the interior of the site is structured and dressed to communicate effectively. As one example, the Barack Obama web site is much more effective in its use of white space to make each area of the page stand out whereas the Hillary Clinton web site feels more crammed -- with lots of bold colors competing for attention.
Raymond Pirouz raymondpirouz.com/
It is very hard for me to distinguish between the 2 of these sites. if you took the name and photos off, they would look almost exactly the same- color palette, font, layout, menu headings, they have nearly the same content in the same order.
In this campaign Hillary Clinton appears to be trailing in every aspect, including online campaigning. While her campaign has made an effort to include references and connections to most social networking tools, they clearly lack the commitment and resources to make the most of their online opportunities. As a result her Website presents Hillary Clinton as a fairly scattershot candidate. Barack Obama's campaign, on the other hand, clearly started with a strong commitment to using design and online campaigning to engage the public in their campaign story. As with his speeches and other communications, every element of Obama's Website is meticulously crafted. Typography is impeccable, graphics are gorgeous, and his message of hope, community, and vision for a positive future are unmissable.
As an objective judge for the WebAwards for the last 4 years, as well as dealing with web design and communication issues daily in my business, the Clinton site was by far more professional and intuitive than the Obama site. As an Obama supporter I felt quite disappointed in the disparity. Perhaps the answer lies in the financial resource that Clinton has over Obama in hiring the right web and communication managers.
Brian Bickford, President, Strategic Productions
I think Obama's site is much more contemporary, and will appeal to more technically savvy viewers, while Clinton's is not as innovative in structure, technology, etc. As a designer I'd rather be taking credit for Obama's site, although I'm a Clinton supporter.
Both candidates have loaded their sites with the latest media tools and are nearly identical in form and function. They have nailed the technology, but they are missing the human element. Neither Clinton nor Obama have a personal blog where they could connect with voters in their own words and share their daily experiences. Everyone from Moms to CEOs are blogging today, why not the candidates? It's a real chance to make a competitive difference on the web and build a personal connection with voters.
Bob Gilbreath, Chief Marketing Strategist, Bridge Worldwide
Most annoying on both sites was seeing a sign up form very prominent on the page. I almost thought that's all there was until I saw the "Enter site" button. This would turn off a lot of people I think and is almost the same as the annoying "Skip Intro" Flash sites. Clinton's site was more straightforward HTML so it was a little easier to use and the contribution form looked and worked cleaner. However overall Obama's site was better especially in the copywriting it was clearer where he stood on positions or at least was able to find his positions better. Probably the biggest piece of cheese on his site was the "Powered by Hope" emblem on the bottom. It almost felt jokey and if it wasn't, it's taking the "hope" theme too far and making it meaningless. (I hope his t-shirts aren't "built by hope") Overall there's not much differentiation between the sites, it's almost like they bought the same template and went from there. Especially when they aren't going for politics as usual, their sites certainly are.
"The websites of the 3 leading U.S. Presidential contenders reflect, not surprisingly, their various personalities and agendas. The design, contents and use of technologies vary from conservative to very progressive. A look at all three websites gives insight into how modern media planners can integrate technology tools to promote their message and their brand strategy.
Ric Shreves, http://RicShreves.net
While many of the details of their platforms are informed by similar values and proposals, the vitality of Obama's site is inspiring and engaging (even the backgrounds of the Obama site have a vitality lacking in the Hillary site's drab gradients). Will a site change the minds of visitors? I found that it effectively drew me closer to the candidate; in fact I might just go back and volunteer.
Jamie Leo, Creative Director, The Monday Campaigns
In the battle for popularity, the ability to use the Web and Social Media effectively can be a critical determinant of success. The Hillary Clinton campaign has put together a cogent, persuasive website with sophisticated use of technology, including social media. The Barack Obama website however has an earthy appeal to it, and perfectly reinforces the message that the Obama campaign has consistently sought to convey. The Obama site thus strongly resonates with it's target audience.
Dr. V P Kochikar, Assc Vice President and Principal Consultant, Infosys Technologies
It's clear that the Obama website has embraced all that is new about the web. An indication of what he stands for and what he's aiming to achieve. It is clear, concise and beautifully designed. Although not a poor site in many ways, the first impression of Clinton's is of desperation. It is loaded with colours and content that can confuse the user. Being from the UK, I can judge these sites with little affiliation to a candidate, and I would say Obama's site is by far the most appealing.
Nic Sheppard, eBusiness Manager, iShares Europe
Barack Obama needs to make it clear to the user that visitors do not have to provide their name and email information in order to view the site. Currently, you can only use the logo to access the site. Hillary Clinton clearly states it on the home page.
Linda Girard, Pure Visibility
Both sites were slick, but I would have to give a narrow edge to Sen. Clinton. The design was denser, the content seemed richer and the video streaming was clearer on the Clinton page. Both sites reflected the personalities of the candidates -- Clinton's site had more detail (and threw more punches); Obama's site was more inspiring. Both candidates emphasized money raising, no surprise there.
Rob Wray, Rob Wray Marketing
The Clinton site whilst looking very basic on entering it is really full of technology but not in an "in your face" kind of way. Subtle, good copy, nice graphics.
Nic Carter-Jones, New Millennium Internet UK
Bill Rice, President of the Web Marketing Association was recently interviewed on PodcasterNews about the state of excellence in manufacturing Websites. The interview also discussed the seven criteria for a successful Website and what a Website needs to be successful in today's online environment.
Based in Colorado and across the US via Skype, the Better Process Podcast interviews small and mid-sized manufacturing companies, and the companies that service these companies. Shows are free to download from iTunes (search for Better Process Podcast in iTunes music store) and are available most business days. More information on the show can be found at http://www.BetterProcess.com. The Better Process Podcast is the voice of the small and mid-sized manufacturing firm.
The interview can be listened to online at PodCasterNews, or you can download the mp3 file here.
The Web Marketing Association is a volunteer organization that each year produces the WebAward program. We need your help in spreading the news about our call for entry to other Internet Professionals. Our greatest marketing asset is you our newsletter readers.
You can help by:
Emailing other professionals or site owners and ask them to participate in the WebAwards.
Blog about the WebAwards. Either on your blog or industry blogs, write about our call for entry or your experiences with the WebAwards. You can point them to our blog posting for the Call for Entry.
Tell others within your organization. It is difficult to maintain contact with past participants via email. People change responsibilities, email addresses change and companies get merged. Make sure the correct people within your organization, including offices in other cities know about the WebAwards. The more awards your organization wins, the more recognition you will receive.
With your help we can have the most successful WebAward competition ever!
Each year, we look to add experienced Internet professionals to the ranks of our WebAward Judging Panel. We select new judges based on the number of returning judges, the number of entries and the number of qualified applicants. Being a WebAward judge is a valuable experience that helps the individual better understand overall Web development and of course looks impressive on a resume or corporate bio.
"The WebAwards is different from other Web site award programs because we're not just a beauty pageant focused on name recognition and design," said William Rice, president of the Web Marketing Association. "Our judges are handed picked experts who have hands on experience either leading or developing some of today's top Websites. These individuals understand that participating as a judge in the WebAwards is one excellent way to give back to the online marketing community and help it to grow and evolve."
Judges will consist of a select group of Internet professionals who have direct experience designing and managing Web sites,–including members of the media, interactive creative directors, site designers, content providers and webmasters – with an in-depth understanding of the current state-of-the-art in Web site development and technology. Past judges have included top executives from leading organizations such as A&E Television Networks, Agency.com, Blattner Brunner, Bridge Worldwide, The Cincinnati Enquirer, Comedy Central, Disney, Euro RSCG, Ion Global, J. Walter Thompson, John Deere Company, New York Post Interactive, Organic, Inc., Refinery, R/GA, Saatchi & Saatchi, SAP, Starwood Hotels, Sun Microsystems, Warner Bros. Online, Xerox and Zugara.
If you or someone some one in your organization would make a good judge, they can learn more and enter their name for consideration on the WebAward Judges Nomination Form
The Web Marketing Association is pleased to announce the call for entries for its 12th annual international WebAward competition. The WebAwards is the standards-defining competition that sets industry benchmarks based on the seven criteria of a successful Web site. It recognizes the individual and team achievements of Web professionals who create and maintain outstanding Web sites. The deadline for entry in the 2008 WebAwards is May 31, 2008. A complete list of past winners and this year’s entry form can be found at www.webaward.org.
“The WebAwards is different from other Web site award programs because we’re not just a beauty pageant focused on name recognition and design,” said William Rice, president of the Web Marketing Association. “The goal of the WebAwards is to not only recognize the people and organizations responsible for developing some of the most effective Web sites on the Internet today, but also provide valuable feedback to entrants on how their sites stack up against their peers and industry standards of excellence. For that reason, we see ourselves more like the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval than the Academy Awards.”
Web sites are judged on seven criteria, including design, innovation, content, technology, interactivity, copy writing and ease of use and receive a numeric score. Each WebAward entry is judged against other entries in its industry category and then against an overall standard of excellence. Entrants also benefit from receiving valuable feedback from the WebAwards professional judging panel on their Web site development efforts.
Using the quantifiable data collected from nearly 18,000 Web site evaluations over the past decade, the WebAwards has defined and recognized industry-specific benchmarks for successful Web sites in each of these areas and release a the Internet Standards Assessment Report to communicate the findings of the study. A copy of the study is available at www.webaward.org.
This year’s top awards will include:
• A “Best of Industry” WebAward, a handsome plaque with the image of the winning site embossed, will be given in each of the 96 industry categories, including financial services, medical, small business, travel, advertising, transportation and government.
• The competition’s highest honor, the 2008 WebAward “Best of Show,” will be given to the one site that the judges believe represents the pinnacle of outstanding achievement in Web development. Last year’s Best of Show winner was Walt Disney Internet Group for its outstanding work on Disney XD web site, which also won Best Design Website. Best of show runner up submitted by Atlanta-based IQ Interactive is UPS Whiteboard.
• The Web Marketing Association will also recognize the interactive agency winning the most awards in the competition with the “Top Interactive Agency” WebAward. The 2007 Top Agency award was Biggs/Gilmore taking home 20 WebAwards. Biggs/Gilmore is headquartered in Kalamazoo, MI and took home Best Food Website, Best Pharmaceutical Website and 8 Outstanding WebAwards and 11 Standard of Excellence WebAwards.
Judging for the 2008 WebAwards will take place in June through August and winners will be announced in September. Judges will consist of a select group of Internet professionals who have direct experience designing and managing Web sites,–including members of the media, interactive creative directors, site designers, content providers and webmasters – with an in-depth understanding of the current state-of-the-art in Web site development and technology. Past judges have included top executives from leading organizations such as A&E Television Networks, Agency.com, Blattner Brunner, Bridge Worldwide, The Cincinnati Enquirer, Comedy Central, Disney, Euro RSCG, Ion Global, J. Walter Thompson, John Deere Company, New York Post Interactive, Organic, Inc., Refinery, R/GA, Saatchi & Saatchi, SAP, Starwood Hotels, Sun Microsystems, Warner Bros. Online, Xerox and Zugara.
About the WebAwards
The 12th annual international WebAwards competition sets the standard of excellence in 96 industry categories by evaluating Web sites and defining benchmarks based on the seven essential criteria of successful Web site development. The goal of the Web Marketing Association, sponsor of the WebAwards, is to provide a forum to recognize the people and organizations responsible for developing some of the most effective Web sites on the Internet today. Entrants benefit from a Web site assessment by a professional judging panel and the marketing opportunities presented to an award-winning Web site. For more information, visit www.webaward.org.
WebmasterRadio.FM, the premier free, 24/7 Internet business radio network focused on the B2B marketplace and the official radio network of the 12th Annual WebAwards is pleased to announce The Web Marketing Awards Special airing April 4, 2008 on WebmasterRadio.FM
On the WebmasterRadio.FM Web Marketing Awards Special, host William Rice from the Web Marketing Association will speak with Josh Webb, Associate Creative Director and Rocky Hunter, Account Supervisor from IQ Interactive, the Atlanta-based interactive firm that won Best of Show Runner Up in the 2007 WebAwards for their outstanding work on the UPS Whiteboard Website. “The whiteboard ad campaign has been used by UPS to successfully each its target audience across many media platforms, says William Rice, President of the Web Marketing Association. “Josh and Rocky will walk us through the concepts and technology that make the UPS Whiteboard Website so innovating and award winning”.
The show will also discuss how Web marketing professionals and Webmasters can win recognition for their own efforts by participating in the 2008 WebAward competition. Websites can be entered into 96 industries, including financial services, medical, small business, travel, advertising, transportation and government The Web Marketing Association’s independent expert judges will visit each site entered and evaluate it based on seven criteria of a successful Website. Sites earning the highest score in their industry will receive the Best of Industry WebAward. Sites not receiving the top award will be eligible to receive Outstanding Website and Standard of Excellence WebAwards.
The deadline for entering the 2008 WebAwards is May 31st and you can learn more and enter at www.webaward.org. WebmasterRadio.FM is the official radio network of The 12th annual WebAwards competition, the standards-defining competition that sets industry benchmarks based on the seven criteria of a successful Web site.
We just received our November 2007 issue of Website Magazine: The Magazine for Website Success. In the issue on page 9 is an article entitled “Bravo! Boost your recognition amongst your competitors by winning Web awards" by Mike Phillips.
The article features the Web Marketing Association’s WebAwards. It reports our scoring report is “a nice way to see how your site measures up, even if you don’t win.”
William Rice, President of the Web Marketing Association is also quoted, saying “By far the most overwhelming reason to participate is for the marketing benefits – for both you as an individual, the site itself and the company. Winning the award creates a newsworthy event in and of itself”.
The judges of the 2007 WebAward Competition for Website Development once again did an outstanding job at reviewing more than 2,500 web sites on seven criteria and helping to set the highest standards of excellence on the Internet. These Internet Professionals are leaders within their industries and take the time out of their busy schedules to participate in this worthwhile event. The Web Marketing Association and all of the WebAward participants thank you for your efforts.
For those who qualified, a Certificate of Appreciation is being sent to the address we have on record. You should be receiving them within the next week.
Due to an problem at our ISP Web.com, the database that drives our WebAward and IAC Award websites is currently down. We are working with Web.com to get the site up and running as soon as possible.
Due to a database error, we have send individuals who have ordered additional certificates awards with incorrect information. We have corrected this and new certificates are in production. This problem has also effected the trophy and image plaque orders as we have been double checking all of the information manually and this has slowed down the production process considerably.
All orders should be completed by the end of the month.
The Web Marketing Association is pleased to announce the winners of its tenth annual WebAward Competition for Web site development. More than 2,400 sites from 40 countries were adjudicated in 96 industry categories during this year's competition. Entries were judged on design, copy writing, innovation, content, interactivity, navigation, and use of technology.
A complete list of the winning sites can be found at the WebAward Web site at www.webaward.org
Best of Show
The 2007 Best of Show WebAward is presented to Walt Disney Internet Group, for their exceptional work on Disney XD. The site was also awarded Best Design WebAward. Disney XD is an online entertainment experience that’s designed for how kids want to use the Internet. It’s broadband entertainment taken to the next level and was created with safety in mind. Disney.com guests can register and publish their own channels, personalized with favorite Disney videos, music, games, trivia, avatars, and more. Disney XD gives Disney.com guests an enhanced, interactive entertainment experience with engaging video, music and games and chatting with friends, all at the same time in a uniquely immersive environment. The Disney organization took home a total of 14 sites recognized with WebAwards in the 2007 competition.
Best of Show runner Up
Best of show runner up submitted by Atlanta-based IQ Interactive is UPS Whiteboard. Seamlessly integrating with the TV campaign, visitors to the site are treated with the ability to interact with Andy Azula, the actor from the 'Whiteboard' commercials. Andy extends the same creative look and feel from the TV spots and walks the user through the experience helping to drill down the user’s needs matching UPS solutions to their specific business challenges. The site includes 3D animated, line art (matching the designs on the Whiteboard) Web shows that highlight UPS products and a -Create Your Own Whiteboard- viral component. IQ Interactive developed the robust technology that allows the user to send someone a personalized message that Andy himself writes on a whiteboard when the recipient opens the email.
Top Agency
Biggs/Gilmore was named Top Agency at the 2007 WebAward Competition, with 20 websites taking home awards. The Top Agency Award given to recognize the consistently outstanding development going on at interactive firms. Biggs/Gilmore is headquartered in Kalamazoo, MI and took home Best Food Website, Best Pharmaceutical Website and 8 Outstanding WebAwards and 11 Standard of Excellence WebAwards.
Agencies or companies winning five or more sites willing WebAwards in 2007 include:
Agency - # of award-winning sites
Biggs/Gilmore - 20
Avenue A / Razorfish - 17
Risdall Advertising - 17
VML - 14
Disney - 14
Arc Worldwide - 13
Arnold Worldwide - 13
Bridge Worldwide - 13
Ogilvy - 12
Aristotle Interactive - 11
E-site Marketing - 9
JWT - 9
TravelCLICK - 9
180 Interactive - 8
Summit Projects - 8
TribalDDB - 8
Agenda H.K. Limited - 7
Airfoil Public Relations - 7
bbdigital - 7
BrowserMedia - 7
Extractable - 7
Organic - 7
POP - 7
Slingshot - 7
Studiocom - 7
Agency.com - 6
BGT Partners - 6
Hitchcock Fleming & Assoc - 6
Hospitality eBusiness - 6
Rare Method - 6
Teehan+Lax - 6
Tellus - 6
Weber Shandwick - 6
Agence Braque - 5
Amer. Academy of Dermatology - 5
dotglu - 5
Fry, Inc. - 5
Hearst Digital Media - 5
Competition format
The competition was judged by a team of independent Internet professionals representing a variety of relevant disciplines of Web site development. Judges included members of the media, advertising executives, site designers, creative directors, corporate marketing executives, content providers and webmasters.
The WebAward competition format allows Web sites to compete head to head with other sites within their industry to win the Best of Industry awards. Entries also compete against a standard of excellence to win Outstanding Website and Standard of Excellence WebAwards. Each site is judged on seven different criteria and earns a score between 0 and 70 points. The highest score in a given category wins Best of Industry for that category. If the remaining entries received a score of 60 or greater, they received the Outstanding Web site award. Entries that scored higher than their industry average and below 59.9 receive the Standard of Excellence.
The 2007 WebAwards are sponsored by the following leading organizations: Burst Media, PRWeb, Misukanis & Odden, Small Army, SimpleFeed, ExactTarget, ad:tech conferences, NewsUSA, eComXpo, MediaPost’s OMMA conference, TopRank Online Marketing, Creative Chocolate Printing Company, OTOlabs, Internet World UK, Search Engine Strategies, Webmaster Radio, Rovion’s InPerson, AllBusiness.com and eMarketer. The Web Marketing Association thanks all of its sponsors for helping to make this annual competition possible.
About the Web Marketing Association
The Web Marketing Association is working to create a high standard of excellence for Web site development and marketing on the Internet. Staffed by volunteers, it is made up of Internet marketing, advertising, PR and design professionals who share an interest in improving the quality of Website development and marketing on the Internet. Since 1997, the Web Marketing Association’s annual WebAward Competition has been helping interactive professionals promote themselves, their companies, and their best work to the outside world. Now in its 11th year, the WebAward Competition has become the premier award event for Web developers and marketers worldwide.
The results of the 2007 WebAwards are now available to the entry's nominators. Particpants can log in to their nominator accounts to see the results for their entries.
The winners of the 2007 WebAwards will be announced publicly on September 18th.
We are in the final stages of the judging process and winners of the 2007 Web Marketing Association WebAwards will be notified September 11th and public announcement of the winners will be announced on September 18th.
At the recent Search Engine Strategies conference in Toronto Canada, Sage Lewis from Web Marketing Watch interviewed William Rice, President of the Web Marketing Association about the 2007 WebAwards.
Here is the video clip of the interview.
The Call for Entries for the Web Marketing Association's 2007 WebAward competition for Web site development is now officially closed and judging will being on Monday.
Good luck to all who entered and winners will be announced in Mid-September.
I guess the title says it all.
If you have entered the WebAwards this year, please check your nominator account before Friday to see if your entry fees have been paid and all of your edits are complete. After Friday, the sites are off to the judges and editing will be turned off.
If you did not enter yet, what are you waiting for? You only have a few more days submit your web site to be recognized and earn itself a great marketing opportunity (it won't hurt your reputation either!). To create a nominator account and enter for the first time, go to our new account form.
William Rice, President of the Web Marketing Association was asked to contribute an article to iMedia Connection,
His article Web Awards: More Than Just Fame and Glory appeared the June 13th issue. It discussed how web site awards, like the WebAwards, are newsworthy events that can parlay into website recognition as well as outstanding marketing opportunities.
The Web Marketing Association has extended the deadline for entering its 11th annual WebAward Competition until June 15th to allow final entries to be submitted and existing entries to be edited if needed. This will be the only extension as judging begins June 18th.
The WebAwards are the premier internet award competition that judges website development against an ever increasing Internet standard of excellence and against peer sites within an industry. Each WebAward entry is judged against other entries in its industry category and then against an overall standard of excellence. Web sites are judged on design, innovation, content, technology, interactivity, navigation and ease of use.
A Best of Industry WebAward, a handsome plaque with the image of the winning site embossed, will be given in each of the 96 industry categories, including financial services, health care, small business, travel, marketing, photography, education and government.
The competition’s highest honor, the 2007 WebAward Best of Show, will be given to the one site that the judges believe represents the pinnacle of outstanding achievement in Web development. Last year’s Best of Show winner was Big Spaceship for their outstanding work on TBS: Department of Humor Analysis.
The Web Marketing Association will also recognize the interactive agency winning the most awards in the competition with the Top Interactive Agency WebAward. The 2006 Top Agency award was presented R/GA, which also was recognized for winning more WebAwards in the past decade than any other organization.
To learn more about the 2007 WebAwards, visit www.webaward.org
Ten reasons why you should enter your website into the 2007 WebAwards
10) If you wait until after the May 31st deadline (next week), you'll have to pay a late fee.
9) Your mom would be proud of you.
8) You will receive important benchmark data for your entire industry and where your site ranks in each of the seven judging criteria.
7) Think of the PR opportunities - industry publications, blogs, websites, by-lined articles, podcasts, press releases, interviews - the sky is the limit.
6) A best of industry plaque containing your award winning site will look great in your office.
5) The WebAward logo on your site is like receiving the "Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval" for Web development.
4) Your clients and customers will be impressed at your industry recognition and so will your potential clients.
3) A link to webaward.org will help your site's search engine rankings because you will be linked to an 11-year old .org authoritative site with a high Google PageRank.
2) A Best of Industry award means you're the best and you can prove it!
1) If you don't win, we won't tell anyone - and you still get the feedback.
Recognition and feedback, that is what you will receive when you enter the 2007 WebAward Competition for Website development. Winning accolades in the 2007 WebAwards - the Internet's premier award recognition program, is a great way to stand out from others in your industry. You will also receive valuable feedback from our judges and benchmarks for your industry. But you won't get anything if you don't enter!
The 11th Annual WebAward competition deadline for entry is May 31st, only on week away, and you can submit your site for review at www.webaward.org. Avoid a late fee by completing your Web site entries before the deadline.
Even the most amazing sites are all but invisible without the proper recognition. Enter the 2007 WebAwards and receive the recognition you deserve!
We all tend to wait until the last minute to enter award programs - well the clock is ticking and only two weeks remain for you to ensure you receive accolades in the 2007 WebAwards - the Internet's premier award recognition program.
The 11th Annual WebAward competition deadline for entry is May 31st, only two weeks from Thursday, and you can submit your site for review at www.webaward.org. Avoid a late fee by completing your Web sites entries before the deadline.
Everyone knows the winning a WebAward is a great marketing opportunity. Did you know that all participants will receive a updated copy of the Internet Standards Assessment Report and your website's judges scores for each of the seven criteria of an effective Web site compared to your industry and the overall web development standard. No other award program give provides you this level of comprehensive feedback for your Web development efforts.
WebAward - The award that makes an award-winning Web site.
At the recent Search Engine Strategies conference in New York, I discussed one of the hidden benefits of participating in Web site award programs – search engine optimization or SEO.
Most people recognize award programs, such as the Web Marketing Association WebAwards, are a great way to receive third party credibility for your Web development efforts and demonstrate to clients and senior management your high level of expertise. Participants also receive valuable feedback in the form of judges comments and benchmark data comparing their site to their industry average.
However, some overlook the real benefits winning awards can have on search engine rankings. Much of successful SEO focuses on gaining links from authoritive sites in “good neighborhoods”. Search engines believe that if a site is linked to from trusted Web sites, then it is more likely to have valuable contact and deserves a higher ranking.
WebAward.org has a Google PageRank of 8 out of 10, recognizing that it is a very authorative site. And talk about a good neighborhood, the only way for a site to receive a link from WebAward.org is to have been recognized as an award winning Web site!
Another important SEO tactic that award winners can use is the press release. Winning a Web site award, such as a WebAward, is a newsworthy event. Many award winners will distribute press releases over Internet-savvy wire services, such as PR Web, in order to have the releases picked up in the search engines. These releases provide additional links to the site as well as are indexed by the search engines and show up in search results.
Releases are also popular fodder for social media sites such as Digg, Technorati and many industry bloggers and poscasters. But as Lee Odden from Top Rank Marketing reminds me, never just post the release - It’s the kiss of death in social media. Instead, write a blog post with the information and link to the release for more information.
If you would like to have your Web site considered for the best web site award in one of the 96 industries covered by the 2007 WebAwards, you have until May 31st to enter your site at www.webaward.org. Remember – you can’t win if you don’t enter and even the most amazing Web sites remain invisible without the proper recognition.
We are often asked how the winners are selected for the Web Marketing Association’s WebAward program. So here is an overview of how it works.
First all of the sites that have nominated (2007 Nomination deadline is May 31st at www.WebAward.org) are randomly assigned to multiple expert WebAward judges. The judges review the sites and score them on seven criteria critical for a successful Web site. Each criteria is scores on a maximum 10 points for a total possible score of 70 points.
The average of the highest two scores are used as the final score. This score is compaired to other sites entered within the industry and the highest score wins Best of Industry for that category. If the remaining entries received a score of 60 or greater, they received the Outstanding Website award. If the site score is below 60, but equal to or higher than the average score for the industry, then that entry will receive the Standard of Excellence WebAward.
Winning a WebAward is truly an honor, as a large number of sites do not win any award. More importantly, the WebAwards sets the standard for Web development and provides helpful feedback to all of the participants.
The Web Marketing Association will be on hand at ad:tech San Francisco, April 25&26 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco to promote the 2007 WebAward Call for Entries.
ad:tech is an interactive advertising and technology conference dedicated to connecting all sides of today’s brand marketing landscape. Worldwide shows blend keynote speakers, topic driven panels and interactive workshops to provide attendees with the tools and techniques they need to compete in a changing world.
The Web Marketing Assocaition is a big fan of both the ad:tech conference and the ad:tech Award program. They do a great job of identifying current trends and recognizing best of class advertising.
Bill Rice, President of the Web Marketing Assocaition, will be manning booth 5007 in the exhibit hall. Stop by and say hello between the great sessions.
The Web Marketing Association is a volunteer organization that each year produces the WebAward program. We need your help in spreading the news about our call for entry to other Internet Professionals. Our greatest marketing asset is you our newsletter readers.
You can help by:
Emailing other professionals or site owners and ask them to participate in the WebAwards
Blog about the WebAwards. Either on your blog or industry blogs, write about our call for entry or your experiences with the WebAwards. The trackback link to our call for entry blog posting is http://www.webmarketingassociation.org/mt/mt-tb.cgi/124
Tell others within your organization. It is difficult to maintain contact with past participants via email. People change responsibilities, email addresses change and companies get merged. Make sure the correct people within your organization, including offices in other cities know about the WebAwards. The more awards your organization wins, the more recognition you will receive.
The Web Marketing Association announces the call for judges for its 11th annual international WebAward competition. The WebAwards is the standards-defining competition that sets industry benchmarks based on the seven criteria of a successful Web site. Judges will consist of a select group of Internet professionals who have direct experience designing and managing Web sites, including members of the media, interactive creative directors, site designers, content providers and webmasters – with an in-depth understanding of the current state-of-the-art in Web site development and technology.
To nominate yourself or another Internet Professional, please use our Judges Nomination Form.
“The WebAwards is different from other Web site award programs because we’re not just a beauty pageant focused on name recognition and design,” said William Rice, president of the Web Marketing Association. “For 11 years, industry professionals have provided the backbone of our award program and helped thousands of Web sites get the recognition they deserve. As a WebAward judge, you are helping to set the standard of excellence for all web site development. Judging challenges you by having you visit and review web sites that you normally would not visit. Being a judge helps develop a critical eye to the many facets of leading-edge web development.”
Web sites are judged on seven criteria, including design, innovation, content, technology, interactivity, copy writing and ease of use and receive a numeric score. Each WebAward entry is judged against other entries in its industry category and then against an overall standard of excellence. Entrants also benefit from receiving valuable feedback from the WebAwards professional judging panel on their Web site development efforts.
Judging for the 2007 WebAwards will take place in June through August, with winners announced in September. Past judges have included top executives from leading organizations such as Ogilvy Interactive, Saatchi & Saatchi, Blattner Brunner, Comedy Central, Sun Microsystems, Refinery, Euro RSCG, EPB Interactive, New York Post Interactive, The Cincinnati Enquirer, J. Walter Thompson, Xerox, Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Modem Media, and Answerthink.
2007 Call For Entry Still Underway
The Web Marketing Association is now accepting entries for the 11th annual WebAward competition. The WebAwards evaluate Web sites in 96 industries and defines benchmarks based on the seven essential criteria of successful Website development. The deadline for entry is May 31, 2007.
Your Web site will be judged on seven criteria: design, innovation, content, technology, interactivity, copy writing and ease of use. Each WebAward entry is judged against other entries in its industry category and then against an overall standard of excellence. WebAward Judges consist of a select group of Internet professionals with an in-depth understanding of the current state-of-the-art in Website development and technology.
All entrants receive valuable feedback from the judging panel as well as a report detailing their performance compared to their industry average. If you win a WebAward, you also have an outstanding marketing opportunity to publicize and drive traffic to your site.
A complete list of past winners and this year’s entry form can be found at www.webaward.org.
One great feature that has been added to the Web Marketing Association’s WebAward program this year is the ability of last year’s participants to enter their Websites into the 2007 WebAwards with a single click.
When participants log in to their nominator account, they will see an option to enter selected sites into this year’s WebAward program. They then can update the information as needed, but save a lot of time and effort not entering what has not changed.
It’s just one more way the Web Marketing Assocaition is trying to make your life a little easier.
The 1to1 Blog recently wrote an posting "Is Web Innovation Dead?" by Mila D'Antonio. She spoke with Bill Rice, President of the Web Marketing Association about the WebAwards and the judging criteria.
At the end of the post she asks "What have you found that's innovative online? Please share the Web site and examples. If you have any good examples of online innovation, drop her a line.
The Web Marketing Association is now accepting entries into its 11th annual international WebAward Competition. The WebAwards is the standards-defining competition that sets industry benchmarks and recognized the best web sites in 96 industries. The deadline for entry is May 31, 2007 and the WebAward Web site is located at www.webaward.org.
“Even the most amazing web sites remain invisible without the proper recognition,” said William Rice, President of the Web Marketing Association. “The WebAward competition not only recognizes the best web sites on the Internet today, but our participants get valuable feedback from our experts judges to help make their web site better in the future”.
The WebAwards competition judges website entries on seven criteria: design, innovation, content, use of technology, interactivity, copywriting and ease of use. Participants receive not only their score for each criteria, but the average for their industry and the overall WebAwards to provide them benchmarks for their own web development efforts.
Participants in the 2007 WebAwards will receive:
• An independent evaluation of their Website
• Valuable feedback to help benchmark your efforts and it relationship to its industry.
• A free copy of the 2008 Internet Standards Assessment Report when published
If your site wins a WebAward, you will also get:
• A beautiful image plaque or certificate of achievement to display proudly
• Higher visibility for your company
• A great marketing opportunity to promote your site to the media
• Links to your site from the highly ranked WebAward site to help SEO
• Best of Industry winners will also receive a free press release distributed by PRWeb.
Judges are leading Internet professionals that are selected from hundreds of nominations every year. They volunteer their time and talent to help improve the standard of excellence of Web development. Most judges have participated in the WebAwards for several years.
Judging for the 2006 WebAwards will take place in June through August, with winners announced in September. Judges will consist of a select group of Internet professionals who have direct experience designing and managing Web sites, including members of the media, interactive creative directors, site designers, content providers and webmasters, with an in-depth understanding of the current state-of-the-art in Web site development and technology.
The WMA’s WebAward competition is the only major award program to provide in-depth, quantitative analysis of results that help entrants develop standards of excellence for future innovation. The aggregated results of each WebAward competition are published in the annual Internet Standards Assessment Report which will be provided to each participant.
To enter, go to www.webaward.org and create a free nominator account. The deadline is May 31,2007 so don't wait, enter today!
We at the Web Marketing Association are always looking for new industry categories to add to our WebAward competition for Web site development.
We have received a number of requests to add social networking as a new category. These days you can't open a magazine or newsletter without hearing about MySpace, LinkedIn or a hundred other Websites where people come together to meet.
My question is this: Isn't social networking simply the latest buzz word to describe online communities? Online communities have been a category in the WebAwards since 1998, the year after the WebAwards was started.
Can anyone explain to why one is different from another or is this just a new coat of paint on a old car?
The Web Marketing Association will be offering sponsorships of specific industries within the WebAward competition for the first time in 2007. Industry sponsors will receive visibility and links to their Website within the WebAward competition Website with regards to the industry they sponsor.
If your company or organization is interested in participating as an industry sponsor, please contact Web Marketing Association President William Rice at wrice@webaward.org to learn more.
Each year, we conclude the annual WebAwards with a survey sent to all participants and judges. Those surveys went out last week and if you were involved in this year’s WebAwards and did not receive one, or the regular nominator is no longer with your organization, please contact the Web Marketing Association.
If you did receive it, please complete your short survey. We truly do use the data from these surveys to shape the future award competitions.
The Web Marketing Association announced today the winners of its tenth annual WebAward Competition for outstanding web site development. More than 2,300 web sites from 35 countries were adjudicated in 96 industry categories during this year's WebAward competition.
Entries were judged on top web site design, copy writing, innovation, content, interactivity, navigation, and use of technology.
“The World Wide Web continues to evolve in terms of Web site development and the expectations of visitors to sites,” said William Rice, President of the Web Marketing Association. “The Web sites today are more integrated than event and have multimedia tools embedded into the site rather than as links. The WebAward Once again the WebAward winning Websites have set the standard for all Web development. This accomplishment serves as invaluable marketing opportunity for both the winning website and company and serves as a benchmark for all Websites within the industry.”
The 2005 Best of Show WebAward is presented to New York-based Big Spaceship (www.bigspaceship.com), for its outstanding work on the "TBS: Department of Humor Analysis" web site at www.tbshumorstudy.com. The web site was also won for Best TV WebAward. TBS's Dept. of Humor Analysis works hard to put the -very- in front of -funny. To help TBS steer clear of common pitfalls in this cut-throat, dog-eat-dog, rabbit-outwit-duck, duck-shoot-pig, anvil-smush-coyote, Chico-trip-Zeppo field of funny business, Big Spaceship joined forces Mother Interactive to turn their very silly questionnaire into an addictive, fully interactive web site.
R/GA (www.rga.com) was named Top Agency at the 2006 WebAward Competition, taking home 19 WebAwards. The Top Agency Award recognizes the consistently outstanding development pursued by interactive firms when creating top website designs. R/GA has also won more WebAwards than any other organization during the past decade, although this is their first Top Agency Award. R/GA, headquartered in New York, won 12 Outstanding and 7 Standard of Excellence WebAwards.
Agencies or companies winning six or more WebAwards in 2006 include the following:
Agency - # of Website awards in 2006
R/GA - 19
Zugara - 18
E-Site Marketing - 13
Arnold Worldwide -12
Bridge Worldwide - 12
Refinery, Inc. - 12
BrowserMedia - 11
CondeNet - 11
Aristotle - 10
Avenue A / Razorfish - 9
Bbdigital (Blattner Brunner) -9
Vision Internet Providers - 9
Critical Mass - 8
Open World Ltd. - 8
Organic - 8
2Advanced Studio - 7
American Academy of Dermatology - 7
Biggs-Gilmore - 6
Brulant - 6
Buena Vista Pictures Marketing - 6
Hanson Inc. - 6
Hubbard One - 6
imc2 - 6
JWT Specialized Communications - 6
MagiClick - 6<
Mullen - 6
Ogilvy One - 6
Racepoint Group - 6
TM Interactice - 6
VML Inc - 6
WhippleHill Communications - 6
The WebAwards’ competition was judged by a team of independent Internet professionals representing a variety of relevant disciplines of Web site development. Judges included members of the media, advertising executives, web site designers, creative directors, corporate marketing executives, content providers and webmasters.
The WebAward competition format allows web sites to compete head to head with other web sites within their industry to win the Best of Industry awards.
Entries also compete against a standard of excellence to win Outstanding Web site and Standard of Excellence WebAwards. Each web site is judged on seven different criteria and earns a score between 0 and 70 points. The highest score in a given category wins Best of Industry for that category. If the remaining entries received a score of 60 or greater, they receive the Outstanding Web site award. Entries that scored between 50 and 59.9 receive the Standard of Excellence.
A complete list of the winning sites can be found at the WebAward Web site at www.webaward.org
The 2006 WebAward Competition sponsors include:
BURST! Media (www.burstmedia.com)
Misukanis & Odden (www.misukanisodden.com)
SimpleFeed (www.simplefeed.com)
Register.com (www.register.com)
NewsUSA (www.newsusa.com)
AdTools Inc(www.adtoolsinc.com)
Small Army (www.smallarmy.net)
Perseus Development Corp (www.perseus.com)
Top Rank (www.toprankmarketing.com)
Creative Chocolate Printing Company (www.CreativeChocolatePrinting.com)
PRWeb (www.prweb.com)
Media Sponsors include:
Website Services Magazine (www.websiteservices.com)
AdRants (www.adrants.com)
MarketingVox (www.marketingvox.com)
MediaPost (www.mediapost.com)
eComXpo (www.ecomxpo.com)
Ad:Tech (www.ad-tech.com)
Macworld (www.macworldexpo.com).
The Web Marketing Association thanks all of its sponsors for helping to make this annual competition possible.
About the Web Marketing Association
The Web Marketing Association is working to create a high standard of excellence for Web site development and marketing on the Internet. Staffed by volunteers, it is made up of Internet marketing, advertising, PR and design professionals who share an interest in improving the quality of Website development and marketing on the Internet. Since 1997, the Web Marketing Association’s annual WebAward Competition has been helping interactive professionals promote themselves, their companies, and their best work to the outside world. Now in its ninth year, the WebAward Competition has become the premier award event for Web developers and marketers worldwide.
-The Web Marketing Association announced today the winners of its tenth annual WebAward Competition for outstanding web site development. More than 2,300 web sites from 35 countries were adjudicated in 96 industry categories during this year's WebAward competition.
Entries were judged on top web site design, copy writing, innovation, content, interactivity, navigation, and use of technology.
“The World Wide Web continues to evolve in terms of Web site development and the expectations of visitors to sites,” said William Rice, President of the Web Marketing Association. “The Web sites today are more integrated than event and have multimedia tools embedded into the site rather than as links. The WebAward Once again the WebAward winning Websites have set the standard for all Web development. This accomplishment serves as invaluable marketing opportunity for both the winning website and company and serves as a benchmark for all Websites within the industry.”
The 2005 Best of Show WebAward is presented to New York-based Big Spaceship (www.bigspaceship.com), for its outstanding work on the "TBS: Department of Humor Analysis" web site at www.tbshumorstudy.com. The web site was also won for Best TV WebAward. TBS's Dept. of Humor Analysis works hard to put the -very- in front of -funny. To help TBS steer clear of common pitfalls in this cut-throat, dog-eat-dog, rabbit-outwit-duck, duck-shoot-pig, anvil-smush-coyote, Chico-trip-Zeppo field of funny business, Big Spaceship joined forces Mother Interactive to turn their very silly questionnaire into an addictive, fully interactive web site.
R/GA (www.rga.com) was named Top Agency at the 2006 WebAward Competition, taking home 19 WebAwards. The Top Agency Award recognizes the consistently outstanding development pursued by interactive firms when creating top website designs. R/GA has also won more WebAwards than any other organization during the past decade, although this is their first Top Agency Award. R/GA, headquartered in New York, won 12 Outstanding and 7 Standard of Excellence WebAwards.
Agencies or companies winning six or more WebAwards in 2006 include the following:
Agency - # of Website awards in 2006
R/GA - 19
Zugara - 18
E-Site Marketing - 13
Arnold Worldwide -12
Bridge Worldwide - 12
Refinery, Inc. - 12
BrowserMedia - 11
CondeNet - 11
Aristotle - 10
Avenue A / Razorfish - 9
Bbdigital (Blattner Brunner) -9
Vision Internet Providers - 9
Critical Mass - 8
Open World Ltd. - 8
Organic - 8
2Advanced Studio - 7
American Academy of Dermatology - 7
Biggs-Gilmore - 6
Brulant - 6
Buena Vista Pictures Marketing - 6
Hanson Inc. - 6
Hubbard One - 6
imc2 - 6
JWT Specialized Communications - 6
MagiClick - 6<
Mullen - 6
Ogilvy One - 6
Racepoint Group - 6
TM Interactice - 6
VML Inc - 6
WhippleHill Communications - 6
The WebAwards’ competition was judged by a team of independent Internet professionals representing a variety of relevant disciplines of Web site development. Judges included members of the media, advertising executives, web site designers, creative directors, corporate marketing executives, content providers and webmasters.
The WebAward competition format allows web sites to compete head to head with other web sites within their industry to win the Best of Industry awards.
Entries also compete against a standard of excellence to win Outstanding Web site and Standard of Excellence WebAwards. Each web site is judged on seven different criteria and earns a score between 0 and 70 points. The highest score in a given category wins Best of Industry for that category. If the remaining entries received a score of 60 or greater, they receive the Outstanding Web site award. Entries that scored between 50 and 59.9 receive the Standard of Excellence.
A complete list of the winning sites can be found at the WebAward Web site at www.webaward.org
The 2006 WebAward Competition sponsors include:
BURST! Media (www.burstmedia.com)
Misukanis & Odden (www.misukanisodden.com)
SimpleFeed (www.simplefeed.com)
Register.com (www.register.com)
NewsUSA (www.newsusa.com)
AdTools Inc(www.adtoolsinc.com.)
Small Army (www.smallarmy.net),
Perseus Development Corp (www.perseus.com)
Top Rank (www.toprankmarketing.com)
Creative Chocolate Printing Company (www.CreativeChocolatePrinting.com)
PRWeb (www.prweb.com)
Media Sponsors include:
Website Services Magazine (www.websiteservices.com)
AdRants (www.adrants)
MarketingVox (www.marketingvox.com)
MediaPost (www.wediapost.com)
eComXpo (www.ecomxpo.com)
Ad:Tech (www.ad-tech.com)
Macworld (www.macworldexpo.com).
The Web Marketing Association thanks all of its sponsors for helping to make this annual competition possible.
About the Web Marketing Association
The Web Marketing Association is working to create a high standard of excellence for Web site development and marketing on the Internet. Staffed by volunteers, it is made up of Internet marketing, advertising, PR and design professionals who share an interest in improving the quality of Website development and marketing on the Internet. Since 1997, the Web Marketing Association’s annual WebAward Competition has been helping interactive professionals promote themselves, their companies, and their best work to the outside world. Now in its ninth year, the WebAward Competition has become the premier award event for Web developers and marketers worldwide.
The Web Marketing Association is please to name the Creative Chocolate Printing Company as a sponsor of the annual WebAward Competition.
The Creative Chocolate Printing Company (www.yourLogoOnChocolate.com) creates personalized chocolate gifts and chocolate party favors for any event, occasion or budget! Chocolography is a newly patented technology that makes it possible to reproduce any picture, image, or message right on the surface of delicious chocolate. We will help you create unique and highly personalized chocolate products, which will astound even the most sophisticated customer.
If you entered the Web Marketing Association's 2006 WebAwards and have not received an email notice from us, please return to your nominator account for the results for your entries.
The Complete results, including Best of Show and Top Agency Awards, will be released publically on September 27, 2006 on our Website and through PR Web.
I’m please to report that the judging for the 2006 WebAward
Competition for Website Development is now complete. We will tabulate the
results and selecting the award winners over the next few weeks. Winners will
be announced in mid-September.
The Web Marketing Association would like to thank the many
industry professionals who acted as judges for this year’s award program. These Internet experts provided their time
and expertise to help improve the overall standard of excellence for web design
and development. We are deeply in their debt.
The 2006 WebAward Call for Entries is now complete and
judging will begin on Monday.
The winners will be announced in September, 2006
Good luck to all of our participants and a special thanks to
all of the expert judges who are preparing to review the 2006 entries.
The Web
Marketing Association has announced that the deadline for entering its 10th
annual WebAward Competition (www.webaward.org) has been extended until
June 15th to allow final entries to be submitted and existing entries to be
edited if needed. The WebAwards are the Internet’s premier award competition that judges website development against an
ever increasing Internet standard of excellence and against peer sites within
an industry.
A complete list of past winners and the entry form for
companies who wish to compete for 2006 honors can be found at www.webaward.org.
Web sites are judged on design, innovation, content, technology, interactivity, navigation and
ease of use. Each WebAward entry is judged against other entries in its industry
category and then against an overall standard of excellence. A Best of Industry WebAward, a handsome plaque
with the image of the winning site embossed, will be given in each of the 96 industry
categories, including financial services, medical, small business, travel,
advertising, transportation, and government. New categories for this year include
Healthcare Providers, Medical Equipment, Fashion and Technology.
1) A Best of Industry award means your the best and you can prove it!
2) Your mom would be proud of you.
3) You will receive important benchmark data for your entire
industry and where your site ranks in each of the seven judging
criteria.
4) Think of the PR opportunities - industry publications,
blogs, websites, by-lined articles, podcasts, press releases,
interviews - the sky is the limit.
5) A best of industry plaque containing your award winning site will look great in your office.
6) The WebAward logo on your site is like receiving the "Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval" for Web development.
7) Your clients and customers will be impressed at your industry recognition and so will your potential clients.
8) A link to webaward.org will help your site's search engine
rankings because you will be linked to a site with a high Google
PageRank.
9) If you wait until after may 31st, you'll have to pay a late fee.
10) If you don't win, we won't tell anyone - and you still get the feedback.
Recognition and feedback , that is what
you will receive when you enter the 2006 WebAward Competition for
Website development. Winning accolades in the 2006 WebAwards - the
Internet's premier award recognition program, is a great way to stand
out from others in your industry. You will also receive valuable
feedback from our judges and benchmarks for your industry. But you
won't get anything if you don't enter!
The 10th Annual WebAward competition deadline for entry is May 31st, only one week away, and you can submit your site for review at www.webaward.org. Avoid a late fee by completing your Web site entries before the deadline.
WebAward - The award for your award-winning Web site.
Every year we get emails from past judges half way through the competition telling us their email address has changed or filters stopped the messages from getting through.
If you are a past WebAward judge and have not received our emails inviting you to participate in the 2006 WebAwards, please contact us ASAP as we are finalizing the judging panel.
Please contact us through www.webaward.org
We need your help to spread the word about the WebAward competition. As the premier recognition program for Web site development, we have grown each year because Internet professionals, like yourself, have gotten the word out to other Internet professionals by email, in blogs and even face to face.
The Web Marketing Association
is a volunteer organization and it’s through efforts like these that the
WebAwards can set the standard of excellence for Web sites in 96 industries.
However, this year, we have made it even more advantageous to tell your friends
and co-workers about the WebAwards.
WebAward Referral Program
To reward those who tell others about the WebAwards, this year we are offering a $20 referral bonus per referral for each person who gets someone new to enter the WebAwards. It’s our way of rewarding those who help us the most.
To qualify you simply need a WebAward nominator account from WebAward.org. Give the email address associated
with this account to everyone who you recommend the WebAwards to and when they
enter and include your email address, you’ll receive a check from the Web
Marketing Association as our way to say thank you.
WebAward.org has complete details,
so tell a friend and log in to your nominator account and watch your referral
bonuses add up.
Call for WebAward Judges
Another way you can help
support the WebAwards is to nominate yourself as a judge. We are looking for experienced Internet professionals – interactive creative directors, graphic designers, marketing managers,
webmasters, heads of agencies, among others – to help adjudicate the entries
for the 2006 WebAwards.
While most of the volunteer
judges return each year because of the valuable insights that can be obtained
by judging, the growth of entries requires us to add new judges each year. Judges are assigned a number of entries to review within a three week time frame beginning June 17th.
If you or someone you know
are interested in participating as a WebAward judge, please use the judges
nomination form on WebAward.org
Conference season
At WebMaster World in Boston we gave-a-way a video iPod to Daniel Bourgeois interactive marketing manager of Wynn Resorts. The following week, David
Mullings of Random Media won another video iPod ad ad:tech San Francisco. Congratulations
to all of our prize winners and to the conference sponsors for putting on
outstanding industry conferences.
On my way to ad:tech in San Francisco, I read MarketingSherpa’s brand-new E-commerce Benchmark Guide. I am a big fan of MarketingSherpa’s work and try to get everything they publish on Web development. We were able to get a 22-page executive summary of MarketingSherpa’s E-commerce Benchmark Guide for the readers of Interactive Briefing. You can read more about it in the “For Our readers” section of our newsletter.
The annual WebAward program
is shaping up to be both a great way to gain visibility for your self and your
Web site, but also valuable feedback to help guide future development and
benchmark your progress. We hope everyone takes advantage of this program.
And remember to tell your
friends about it too.
The Web Marketing Association is pleased to announce the
call for judges for its 10th annual international WebAward competition.
The WebAwards is the standards-defining competition that sets industry
benchmarks based on the seven criteria of a successful Web site. Judges
will consist of a select group of Internet professionals who
have direct experience designing and managing Web sites, including
members of the media, interactive creative directors, site designers, content
providers and webmasters – with an in-depth
understanding of the current state-of-the-art in Web site development and
technology.
To nominate yourself or another Internet Professional,
please use our Judges Nomination Form.
“The WebAwards is different from other Web site award programs because we’re not just a beauty pageant focused on name recognition and design,” said William Rice, president of the Web Marketing Association. “For 10 years, industry professionals have provided the backbone of our award program and helped thousands of Web sites get the recognition they deserve. As a WebAward judge, you are helping to set the standard of excellence for all web site development. Judging challenges you by having you visit and review web sites that you normally would not visit. Being a judge helps develop a critical eye to the many facets of leading-edge web development.”
Judging for the 2006 WebAwards will take place in June
through August, with winners announced in September. Mark Kingdon, CEO of
Organic, Inc. has been selected to lead the judging panel
this year. Past judges have included top
executives from leading organizations such as Ogilvy Interactive, Saatchi &
Saatchi, Blattner Brunner, Comedy Central, Sun Microsystems, Refinery, Euro
RSCG, EPB Interactive, New York Post
Interactive, The Cincinnati Enquirer,
J. Walter Thompson, Xerox, Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Modem Media, and
Answerthink.
2006 Call For Entry Still Underway
The Web Marketing Association is now accepting entries for
the 10th annual WebAward competition. The WebAwards evaluate Web sites in 96
industries and defines benchmarks based on the seven essential criteria of
successful Website development. The
deadline for entry is May 31, 2006.
Your Web site will be judged on seven criteria: design,
innovation, content, technology, interactivity, copy writing and ease of use. Each WebAward
entry is judged against other entries in its industry category and then against
an overall standard of excellence. WebAward Judges consist of a select group of Internet
professionals with an in-depth understanding of the current
state-of-the-art in Website development and technology.
All entrants receive valuable feedback from the judging
panel as well as a report detailing their performance compared to their
industry average. If you win a
WebAward, you also have an outstanding marketing opportunity to publicize and
drive traffic to your site.
A complete list of past winners and this year’s entry form
can be found at www.webaward.org.
If you are planning to enter your Web sites into the 2006
WebAward Competition, you better get moving – There is less than one month to
go until the deadline for entries.
The WebAwards is the standards-defining competition that
sets industry benchmarks based on the seven criteria of a successful Web
site. It recognizes the individual and team achievements of Web professionals who create and maintain outstanding Web sites. The deadline for entry in the
2006 WebAwards is May 31, 2006. A complete list of
past winners and this year’s entry form can be found at www.webaward.org.
So if you have the best Web site in your industry and want
to prove it, be sure to get your entry submitted by the deadline. Entries
submitted after the deadline, but before the judging begins will be subject to
a $50 late fee.
The Web Marketing Association participated in the 2006
ad:tech conference in San Francisco.
Bill Rice, President of the Web Marketing Association was on hand to meet with
attendees as well as judges and past participants who were at the conference. Also in attendance were WebAwards sponsors PR Web, SimpleFeed
and Web Sites Services Magazine.
There was a lot of interest in the 2006 WebAwards and for
the Internet Standards Assessment Report and links to each where provided to
everyone who had their name tag scanned at the WMA Booth.
Congratulations to David Mullings of Random Media who was selected to win a video iPod for stopping by our booth.
Many thanks to Jeff Valentine, Kristin Widergren and the
rest of the ad:tech staff for putting together a great well-run conference and with
lots of interesting exhibitors to meet.
Awards season is underway and our society
is hooked on awards that recognize who is best in their field. The
entertainment industry has the Academy Awards, the Golden Globes and the Emmys.
The auto world has MotorTrend Car of the
Year, manufacturing has the Malcolm Baldridge Award and journalists have the
Pulitzer Prize, just to name a few.
The online marketing
community also has its way to recognize top performers. The Webby Awards
like to call themselves the Oscars of the Internet while the Web Marketing
Association’s WebAwards are likened to the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval.
Major advertising festivals like the Clio Awards and
Cannes Lion also now include interactive categories. What
these awards all have in common is the desire to recognize great Web sites.
It’s how the "Best Web site" winners are chosen that make the award programs different.
“The WebAwards have been so successful for the past 10 years
because of our clearly defined judging process and our focus on setting
industry specific standards for Web development,” said William Rice, President
of the WMA. “To us, winning a Web site award is not only a great marketing
opportunity, but a chance to receive quality feedback from industry
professionals that help improve the overall Web experience.”
Before entering an award competition, the Web Marketing
Association offers the following tips on what to look for in a quality Web site
award program:
- Feedback – Entries should receive valuable feedback from the judges through specific commentary, advice for improvement, and quantitative scoring that can be evaluated against an industry average.
- Clear judging criteria and process – In order to make sure each entry has an equal chance to win an award, the judging process should be comprehensive, so that judges see all of Web sites entered and not just a few finalists.
- Longevity – The awards program should have a substantial history of Web site evaluation and a roster of winners in each category that have experienced a clear value from the program.
- Focus – The awards program should be solely focused on the evaluation of Web sites so interactive winners are not overshadowed by winners in print or broadcast as in some well respected advertising award programs.
- Quality of judges – Award judges should be industry professionals with a solid understanding of Web site production and Internet marketing objectives, not a simply a celebrity that brings a name but little Web development experience.
“WebAward participants know that each entry will be submitted to the judges, not just a few handpicked, big-name finalists. They’re also aware of the criteria on which
they will be judged, and will receive their overall scores – compared to both
their industry and the overall standard of excellence,” notes Rice. “The WMA’s WebAward competition is the only major award program to provide an in-depth,
quantitative analysis of results that help entrants develop standards of
excellence for future innovation.”
Internet awards season is now officially underway, and the
WMA is currently accepting entries for its 10th annual international
WebAward competition. The deadline for entry is May 31st and entries
can be submitted at www.webawards2006.org.
About the Internet Standards Assessment Report
Recently the Web Marketing Association released a study
based on nearly ten thousand Web site evaluations in more than eighty
industries since 1997. The Internet Standards Assessment Report
(ISAR) is the results of nearly a decade of independent evaluations of Web site
development based on seven criteria critical to a successful Web site: design,
innovation, content, technology, interactivity, copywriting and ease of use.
To receive a copy of The Internet
Standards Assessment Report or to learn more about the Web Marketing
Association’s WebAward program please visit: www.webawards2006.org.
About the
WebAwards
The 10th annual international WebAwards
competition sets the standard of excellence in 96 industry categories by
evaluating Web sites and defining benchmarks based on the seven essential
criteria of successful Web site development. The goal of the Web Marketing Association, sponsor of the WebAwards, is
to provide a forum to recognize the people and organizations responsible for
developing some of the most effective Web sites on the Internet today. Entrants benefit from a Web site assessment
by a professional judging panel and the marketing opportunities presented to an
award-winning Web site.
Marcus +
Company, a Boston-based boutique marketing consulting firm specializing in
helping companies win of noteworthy award programs, has highlighted the 2006
WebAwards and the Internet Standards Assessment Report in the recent Marketing
with Honors newsletter.
The Web Marketing Association is pleased to announce the call for entries for its 10th annual international WebAward competition. The WebAwards is the standards-defining competition that sets industry benchmarks based on the seven criteria of a successful Web site. It recognizes the individual and team achievements of Web professionals who create and maintain outstanding Web sites. The deadline for entry in the 2006 WebAwards is May 31, 2006. A complete list of past winners and this year’s entry form can be found at www.webaward.org.
“The WebAwards is different from other Web site award programs because we’re not just a beauty pageant focused on name recognition and design,” said William Rice, president of the Web Marketing Association. “The goal of the WebAwards is to not only recognize the people and organizations responsible for developing some of the most effective Web sites on the Internet today, but also provide valuable feedback to entrants on how their sites stack up against their peers and industry standards of excellence. For that reason, we see ourselves more like the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval than the Academy Awards.”
Web sites are judged on seven criteria, including design, innovation, content, technology, interactivity, copy writing and ease of use and receive a numeric score. Each WebAward entry is judged against other entries in its industry category and then against an overall standard of excellence. Entrants also benefit from receiving valuable feedback from the WebAwards professional judging panel on their Web site development efforts.
Using the quantifiable data collected from nearly 10,000 Web site evaluations over the past decade, the WebAwards has defined and recognized industry-specific benchmarks for successful Web sites in each of these areas and release a the Internet Standards Assessment Report to communicate the findings of the study. A copy of the study is available at www.webaward.org.
This year’s top awards will include:
* A “Best of Industry” WebAward, a handsome plaque with the image of the winning site embossed, will be given in each of the 96 industry categories, including financial services, medical, small business, travel, advertising, transportation and government. New categories for this year include Blogs, Architecture, Electronics and Photography.
* The competition’s highest honor, the 2006 WebAward “Best of Show”, will be given to the one site that the judges believe represents the pinnacle of outstanding achievement in Web development. Last year’s Best of Show winner was based IQ interactive (www.iqtv.com), for their outstanding work on "National Geographic – Inside The Mafia" at URL www.insidethemafia.com.
* The Web Marketing Association will also recognize the interactive agency winning the most awards in the competition with the “Top Interactive Agency” WebAward. The 2005 Top Agency award was presented Zugara (www.zugara.com), taking home 20 awards, more that any other organization in the history of the competition.
Judging for the 2006 WebAwards will take place in June through August, with winners announced in September. Judges will consist of a select group of Internet professionals who have direct experience designing and managing corporate Web sites,–including members of the media, advertising executives, site designers, content providers and webmasters – with an in-depth understanding of the current state-of-the-art in Web site development and technology. Mark Kingdon, CEO of Organic, Inc. has been selected to lead the judging panel this year. Past judges have included top executives from leading organizations such as Ogilvy Interactive, Saatchi & Saatchi, Blattner Brunner, Comedy Central, Sun Microsystems, Refinery, Euro RSCG, EPB Interactive, New York Post Interactive, The Cincinnati Enquirer, J. Walter Thompson, Xerox, Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Modem Media, and Answerthink.
The 2006 WebAward Competition current sponsors include Burst Media, SimpleFeed, Register.com, NewsUSA, AdTools Inc, Small Army, Perseus Development Corp and PRWeb. Media Sponsors include Website Services Magazine, AdRants, MarketingVox, MediaPost, eComXpo, Ad:Tech and Macworld. The Web Marketing Association thanks all of its sponsors for helping to make this annual competition possible.
About the WebAwards
The 10th annual international WebAwards competition sets the standard of excellence in 95 industry categories by evaluating Web sites and defining benchmarks based on the seven essential criteria of successful Web site development. The goal of the Web Marketing Association, sponsor of the WebAwards, is to provide a forum to recognize the people and organizations responsible for developing some of the most effective Web sites on the Internet today. Entrants benefit from a Web site assessment by a professional judging panel and the marketing opportunities presented to an award-winning Web site. For more information, visit www.webaward.org.
Burst Media has been
named a 2006 sponsor of the Web Marketing Association’s 10th annual WebAward
Competition. The WebAwards is the
standards-defining competition that sets industry benchmarks based on the seven
criteria of a successful Web site.
"We are pleased to have Burst
Media helping us to promote the WebAward
Competition again this year," said William Rice, President of the Web
Marketing Association. "Burst's
network of sites has given us outstanding reach for our advertising
campaigns. Burst Media makes it easy for us to execute and analyze our advertising strategy on
many sites that would normally not be available to us".
"Helping support the online marketing community is an important part of
Burst Media's philosophy," said Jarvis Coffin, President and CEO of the Burst
Media. "As a past WebAward winner, we recognize the value of participating
in a program such as the WebAwards. Winning
a WebAward not only provides valuable feedback from expert judges, but also gives
companies a valuable marketing tool and shows company management that their
Internet investments are on the right track. We are pleased to support the
efforts of the Web Marketing Association and the WebAward program."
Burst Media
is an Internet ad services and online ad sales rep company that delivers more
than 4 billion advertising impressions for over 4,000 websites every month, Burst
reaches approximately 1 in 3 people online and is among the 15 largest online
media properties in terms of unique visitors and reach. By providing thousands
of web publishers with tools and expertise from ad sales to email newsletter
tools and community forums for learning, Burst helps publishers generate
sustainable revenue. Burst also markets AdDesktop, a competitively-priced, ASP
ad management solution that helps web publishers securely target, serve, track
and report the performance of online advertising campaigns. The company,
founded in 1995, is based near Boston, and was recently named the 11th
fastest growing private company in Massachusetts by the Boston Business
Journal.
Perseus Development Corporation, the
global leader in web survey software and Enterprise Feedback Management (EFM)
solutions, has been named a 2006 sponsor of the Web Marketing Association’s 10th
annual WebAward Competition The WebAwards is the standards-defining competition
that sets industry benchmarks based on the seven criteria of a successful Web
site.
"We are pleased to have Perseus helping us to promote the WebAward
Competition again this year," said William Rice, President of the Web
Marketing Association. "We use
Perseus SurveySolutions® to gather feedback from participants and
judges and use this information to make the next year's program even
better. Perseus makes it easy for us to
create, execute and analyze customized surveys that allow us to better
understand the needs of the online marketing community."
"Feedback is critical for an organization to understand the needs of
its key audiences, and the participation in award competitions is a valuable
form of feedback," said Dwight Galler, Vice President of Marketing at
Perseus. "Winning a WebAward not
only provides valuable feedback from expert judges, but also gives companies a
valuable marketing tool and shows company management that their Internet
investments are on the right track. We
are pleased to support the efforts of the Web Marketing Association and the
WebAward program." Perseus is leading the transition from web survey systems to Enterprise
Feedback Management (EFM) solutions that help organizations better understand
their world. Organizations worldwide rely on Perseus solutions to better
identify and meet employee, customer and partner needs, and increase
profitability by creating loyal relationships.. Perseus products enable
business professionals to quickly and easily obtain, analyze, and manage
sophisticated enterprise feedback using intuitive web-based software. Perseus
SurveySolutions is a recipient of PC Magazine’s Editors' Choice award for
web-survey software, and is used by over 18,000 customers worldwide including
over twenty-percent of the Fortune 100. Perseus is a 2003 and 2004 Inc. 500
company and Deloitte Technology Fast 500 company, and a four-time Deloitte
Technology Fast 50 company. (www.perseus.com).
Global domain name registration and Web business services provider,
Register.com, has been named a 2006 sponsor of the Web Marketing Association’s 10th
annual WebAward Competition. The WebAwards is the standards-defining
competition that sets industry benchmarks based on the seven criteria of a
successful Web site. It recognizes the
individual and team achievements of Web professionals who create and maintain outstanding
corporate Web sites. The 2006 WebAward Call for Entries will begin April 2, 2006 at www.webaward.org.
"Register.com is a leader in providing services and domain
names to Web professionals and small businesses. We are excited that we will be
working with them to promote the WebAward Competition this year," said
William Rice, president of the Web Marketing Association. "The
WebAward.org domain has been with Register.com since the WMA was founded in
1997. Register.com has a stellar reputation for seeking out and providing the
best services to business owners and Web professionals and we are delighted to
work with them."
"In addition to fostering the online interests of small business owners
and assisting them with their Web needs, helping to support the online
marketing community is an important part of Register.com's philosophy," said
Monica Hodges, general manager of Retail at Register.com. "We recognize
the value of participating in a program such as the WebAwards and believe that
the expert feedback participants receive is invaluable. Moreover, winning an
award provides businesses with a valuable marketing tool and demonstrates to company
management that their online investments are on the right track. We are pleased
to support the efforts of the Web Marketing Association and the WebAward
program."
Register.com, Inc. is a leading provider of global domain name
registration and Internet services for businesses and consumers that wish to
have a unique address and branded identity on the Internet. With approximately
three million domain names under management, Register.com has built a brand
based on high-quality domain name management services for small and medium
sized businesses, large corporations, as well as ISPs, telcos and other online
businesses. Register.com’s call center was certified in 2005 by J.D. Power and
Associates for providing “an outstanding customer experience.” The company was
founded in 1994 and is based in New York. To experience the Register.com difference in customer service, call toll-free 1-888-REGISTER or visit the company online at (www.register.com).
NewsUSA has been named a
2006 sponsor of the Web Marketing Association’s 10th annual WebAward
Competition. The WebAwards is the standards-defining competition that sets
industry benchmarks based on the seven criteria of a successful Web site.
"We are pleased to have NewsUSA helping us to promote the WebAward
Competition again this year," said William Rice, President of the Web
Marketing Association. "NewsUSA’s
ability to provide news and features the newspapers, magazines and radio
outlets throughout the country is critical in helping us not only to reach
important reporters and editors, but also search engine placements, which can
increase overall visibility and site traffic".
"Helping support the online marketing community is an important part of NewsUSA's philosophy," said Rick Smith, President and CEO of the NewsUSA. "We recognize the value of participating in a program such as the WebAwards. Winning a WebAward not only provides valuable feedback from expert judges, but also gives companies a valuable marketing tool and shows company management that their Internet investments are on the right track. We are pleased to support the efforts of the Web Marketing Association and the WebAward program."
For more than 18 years, NewsUSA has been successful in
providing national publicity placement for our clients. We have provided media
placements to more than 3,000 clients in a variety of fields – public
relations, communications, nonprofit, government, health care, automotive, and
health and beauty to name a few. Because of our long-standing relationships
with over 16,000 media outlets, we have successfully delivered more than 5
million print and radio placements and billions of dollars of media ad space
nationwide.
Our clients include many Fortune 500 companies and some of the largest associations and public relations agencies in the world, as well as smaller companies and individual entrepreneurs. Visit www.newsusa.com for more information.
ExactTarget, the leader in on-demand email marketing software, has been named a 2006 sponsor of the Web Marketing Association’s annual WebAward Competition.
“We are pleased to have ExactTarget support the WebAward Competition again this year,” said William Rice, president of the Web Marketing Association. “ExactTarget’s expertise in delivering customized emails to our opt-in lists is critical to helping us get the word out regarding the WebAwards. We will use ExactTarget’s email program to manage and analyze the communications we send to those interested in our award programs.”
“Email is the most powerful marketing tool available. If used properly, nothing is more personalized, inexpensive, interactive or easier to execute,” said Chris Baggott, co-founder and chief marketing officer of ExactTarget. “Winning a WebAward not only provides valuable feedback from expert judges, but it also shows company management that their Internet investments are on the right track. We are pleased to support the efforts of the Web Marketing Association and their WebAward program.”
ExactTarget is the market leader in on-demand email software solutions for permission-based email marketing. More than 4,000 organizations worldwide, including The Home Depot, Scotts and Encyclopaedia Britannica rely on ExactTarget email solutions to strengthen their customer relationships and to control email throughout the enterprise. ExactTarget is a recognized technology leader, ranked highest in business suitability by JupiterResearch in 2004 and 2005 based on the solution's usability, strong feature set and dynamic content tool. ExactTarget solutions meet the needs of all industry verticals and all size organizations, including SMB, corporate divisions, not-for-profits, large retail/direct marketers, agencies and enterprises. Privately owned and headquartered in Indianapolis, USA, the company has more than 30 offices spanning North America, Europe and Australia. To learn more, go to http://www.exacttarget.com.
Small Army, a Boston-based marketing and creative services firm, has been
named a 2006 sponsor of the Web Marketing Association’s 10th annual WebAward
Competition.
"Small Army has been a long time supporter of the Web
Marketing Association and the WebAwards," said William Rice, President of
the Web Marketing Association. "They
have been a critical marketing and creative partner that has helped us define
and build the WebAward brand. Whether
it’s marketing strategy and website design or advertising and direct mail,
Small Army offers some of the best talent available in the industry. We are excited to continue this partnership.”
"The WebAwards doesn’t only recognize online marketing innovation but,
more importantly, drives it," said Jeff Freedman, Marketing Principal of
Small Army. “Our partnership with the
WebAwards enables us to stay on top of the latest trends and innovations in
online marketing. It also provides our
agency with the opportunity to help define and raise the standards for the
entire industry.
Small Army is a full-service
marketing and creative services agency based in Boston, MA. Currently ranked the 23rd largest agency in New England by the Boston Business Journal, Small Army provides a diverse set of clients with a unique blend of senior-level strategic, creative and technology talent to produce and implement innovative marketing programs
with measurable ROI. For more information, visit www.smallarmy.net.
eComXpo, the virtual tradeshow for search, affiliate and interactive
marketers, has been named a 2006 sponsor of the Web Marketing
Association’s 10th annual WebAward Competition. The WebAwards is the standards-defining
competition that sets industry benchmarks based on the seven criteria of a
successful Web site.
"We are pleased to have eComXpo helping us to promote the WebAward
Competition this year," said William Rice, President of the Web
Marketing Association. "Trade shows
are an important part of our marketing efforts and we are excited to
participate in an event that is much like our own program – 100% virtual and
online".
"Helping support the online marketing community is an important part of
eComXpo's philosophy," said John Grosshandler, Founder and Event Director of eComXpo.
"Marketing professionals come together at eComXpo to learn how to excel as
professionals. Winning a WebAward not only provides valuable feedback from
expert judges, but also gives companies a valuable marketing tool and shows
company management that their Internet investments are on the right track. We
are pleased to support the efforts of the Web Marketing Association and the
WebAward program."
eComXpo is the first virtual, online trade show and
conference for eCommerce marketers. Its third show is April 4-6, 2006 . Free
Registration and information are available at http://www.ecomxpo.com. Over 175 exhibitors, sponsors, and presenters will be gathering with over 7,000 attendees, completely online.
eComXpo provides all the benefits of a top tradeshow without the cost, travel
or hassle normally associated with traditional events.
PRWeb has been named a 2006 sponsor of the Web Marketing Association’s 10th
annual WebAward Competition, the Internet’s premier award competition that judges Web site development against an
ever increasing Internet standard of excellence and against peer sites within
an industry.
"PRWeb is the perfect choice for
helping us get the word out about the 2006 WebAward program," said William
Rice, President of the Web Marketing Association. PRWeb's press release
newswire, allows us to target
specific industries with our news stories and help us not only to reach
important reporters and editors, but also search engine placements, which can
increase overall visibility and site traffic."
"Supporting the online marketing community is an essential part of PRWeb
philosophy," said Mick Jolly, Executive Vice President for PRWeb. "We
are supported by those marketing professionals who value cost-effective
distribution of their news releases. We
see the WebAward program as another valuable way for marketing professionals
who win an award to benefit from increased visibility. We are pleased to support the efforts of the
Web Marketing Association and the WebAward program."
PRWeb is the Internet's
leading press release distribution newswire. PRWeb developed the direct to
consumer press release distribution model in 1997 and has grown to be
recognized as a leader in the press release and news distribution industries.
PRWeb is the industry leader in search engine visibility and RSS deployment,
serving more than 8.6 million customized RSS feeds to PRWeb visitors.
The Web Marketing Association is pleased to announce that Mark Kingdon, CEO of Organic, Inc, a unit of Omnicom Group, inc. www.omnicomgroup.com. has been selected to lead the judging panel as the first Chair of the 10th annual international WebAward competition for Web site development.
“As
a long time WebAward judge, Mark is exceptionally positioned to lead
the judging of this year’s WebAward program,” said William Rice,
President of the Web Marketing Association. “For nearly a decade, the
WebAwards has used seven fundamental criteria to evaluate, benchmark,
and set industry standards for Web site development. Mark will use his
expertise and insights to help define and enhance the current standard
of excellence for award wining web sites.”
“I am honored and
delighted to have been chosen to Chair the WebAwards—a program with a
wonderful, rich history of showcasing a broad array of exceptional
online experiences—from major global brands to smaller, single-shingle
businesses from all over the world,” said Mark Kingdon, CEO, Organic.
“Personally, I like seeing the huge range of work and being exposed to
web experiences that I might not normally see. It’s inspiring. I’ve
enjoyed being a judge and I’m particularly excited about developing a
strong sense of community among the judges with a lot of good dialogue
about the work.”
The 2006 WebAwards judges consist of a select
group of Internet professionals who have direct experience designing
and managing corporate Web sites—including members of the media,
advertising executives, site designers, content providers and
webmasters—with an in-depth understanding of the current
state-of-the-art in Web site development and technology. Judging for
this year’s awards will take place in July and August, with winners
announced in September. Internet professionals interested in being
considered as a 2006 WebAward judge can nominate themselves at www.webaward.org/judges.asp
Here is the full press release from PRWeb, a WebAward sposnor.
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