Category: WebAward

Posted on by

One Month to Go Until WebAward Deadline

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.

Webawardcfe
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.

Posted on by

ad:tech San Francisco a success!

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.

Adtech2_1

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.

Posted on by

Web Site Award Competition Heats Up as Industry Award Season Begins

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.

 

 

Posted on by

Web Marketing Association’s 10th Annual Web Site Awards to Recognize Outstanding Internet Achievement in 96 Industry Categories

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.

Posted on by

Burst Media Sponsors WebAwrd Competition once again

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.

Posted on by

Perseus Named WebAward Sponsor

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).

Posted on by

Register.com Named WebAward Sponsor

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).

Posted on by

NewsUSA Named WebAward Sponsor by The Web Marketing Association

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.

Posted on by

ExactTarget Sponsors the 2006 WebAwards

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.