Problem with Ordered Certificates

We would like to apologize for the delays in getting awards to people who ordered them from our online Recognition Center. We recently changed printers and experienced problems in getting the correct certificates to those who ordered them – not once but twice.

This problem has been corrected and the certificates are once again being sent out to their rightful owners.

Thank you for your understanding in this matter.

Award Winning Sites Embrace Total User Experience in 2006

The end of the year is often a good time to take a look back on the major trends of 2006 in website development and look ahead for 2007 and beyond.

The Web Marketing Association will be releasing its 2007 Internet Standards Assessment Report, an industry by industry assessment of current standards of excellence, in February, in the mean time, I thought it would be a value to our readers to give a heads up for what to expect.

At the Minnesota Interactive Marketing Association summit, a few months ago, I discussed the concept of Total User Experience. This is how I best sum up what made some Websites stand out above the rest in the 10th annual WebAward Competition for Website development.

I define total user experience as a Web site that combines text, sound, animation and video within its pages to deliver an informative and entertaining experience. Today a website should not require users to download a plug in, or click a link to have a video player pop up. Rather today’s award winning sites are integrating video and audio and graphics directly into the page. Users do not want to be interrupted; they want a seamless integrated experience. A Web page is more than just text and graphics, it needs to come alive to compete with the other media outlets available to consumers today. A good example of this is the 2006 WebAward Best of Show winning Website "TBS: Department of Humor Analysis" at www.tbshumorstudy.com, which also won Best TV Website. This flash based Website creates a total user experience to highlight the funny TV shows on TBS.

In the ISAR study, we will be releasing specific data relating to a decade of Website evaluations. If you are interested in receiving a free copy when it is published and download a copy of the 2006 report, add your name to the ISAR Study page.

Happy holidays to all and a very merry new year!

Bill Rice
President
Web Marketing Association

Internet Advertising Competition Awards 2007 Call for Entries is Now Open

The Web Marketing Association announces the launched of its fifth annual Internet Advertising Competition (IAC) Awards. The IAC Awards are the first and only industry-based advertising award competition dedicated exclusively to online advertising. The Competition Web site is located at www.iacaward.org and the deadline for entry is January 31, 2007

The Internet Advertising Competition Awards are open to all organizations and individuals (advertising and interactive agencies, corporate marketing departments, etc.) involved in the process of developing Internet advertising. Entries may be submitted online at http://www.iacaward.org. The deadline for entry is January 31, 2007 and will be judged on creativity, innovation, impact, design, copywriting, and use of the medium.

Awards will be presented within each of the industry categories and advertising formats such as online ad (including banner, pop-up or interstitial), rich media online ad, email message, online newsletter campaign, microsite/landing page, interactive application, integrated ad campaign and ads the client did not choose. Best of show award for each medium will be selected from among the industry winners. Ads eligible for entry in the competition must have run during the period from January 1, 2006 through January 31, 2007.

Judging for the IAC Awards will take place in February, 2007, and winners will be notified by e-mail one week prior to the general announcement of winners in March, 2007. Judges will consist of a select group of Internet advertising professionals with an in-depth understanding of the current state-of-the-art in Web advertising. Past competition judges have included top executives from leading corporations, institutions and media organizations such as Ogilvy Interactive, Saatchi & Saatchi, Blattner Brunner, Comedy Central, Sun Microsystems, National Cable & Telecom Association, 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 2007 Internet Advertising Competition Awards are sponsored by Burst Media, AdRants, ad:tech, ExactTarget, Small Army, OMMA, PR Web, NewsUSA, , Misukanis & Odden, Top Rank Online Marketing, SimpleFeed, WebSite Services Magazine and www.YourPhotoOnChocolate.com.

Come see the Web Marketing Association at ad:tech New York

ad:tech
Hilton New York
November 6-8, 2006

Join the Web Marketing Association at THE Event for Interactive Marketing. ad:tech New York blends relevant speakers, topic driven panels and interactive workshops, providing attendees with the tools and techniques needed to compete in today’s digital world. Stop by and visit us at our booth in the exhibit hall. Register now at http://www.ad-tech.com/ny.asp

Interactive Briefing Featured Articles

The October issue of Interactive Briefing, the newsletter of the Web Marketing Association, featured two articles of interest.

What do you stand on? – Mannington Floors used rich media banner ads and effective landing pages to engage online users and lower cost per click using this award winning online ad campaign.


Internet cited as best place to get info on political candidates – Burstmedia’s new study looks at the effect the Internet is placing on the election process. (PDF)

To sign up for the Web Marketing Association mailing list, including the monthly Interactive Briefing Newsletter, go to http://www.webmarketingassociation.org/subscribe.asp

eComXpo Opens today

eComXpo, The Virtual Tradeshow for eCommerce Marketers, is the largest number of eCommerce marketers in one place at one time, ever! And you don’t have to fly to New York to experience it. Stop by and check out the vendors, including the Web Marketing Association.

Enrolling in the eComXpo University gives you full access from October 24 to February 23, 2007 to over 160 on-demand presentations from industry experts. Enjoy and learn from industry heavyweights like: Seth Godin, Shawn Collins, Declan Dunn, Paul Colligan and Chris Pirillo! Go to www.ecomxpo.com for complete information.

Search Marketing Study

We at the Web Marketing Assocaition are big fans of MarketingSherpa’s newsletters and reports. Their new MarketingSherpa Search Marketing Benchmark Guide is a great help to anyone who thinks SEO is an important aspect of Web marketing. We have been given access to an executive summary of the study that you can download free-of-charge. You can purchase the entire report from the MarketingSherpa’s Website. While you’re their, sign up for some of their excellent case study newsletters!

Web Marketing Association drawing for ad:tech Conference pass

ad:tech is one of the top conferences in the online marketing space and its next event will be held November 6-8th in New York at the New York Hilton. 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. We’re committed to bringing you the now and the next of modern marketing.

The Web Marketing Association will be exhibiting at the show - stop by and say hello.

If you would like to enter our drawing for a full conference pass to ad:tech New York, simply email your contact information to adtech@webaward.org before Friday, October 20th. One winner will be selected from the entries received and notified by email. This is a $1,695 value that should not be missed.

Web Marketing Association Support eComXpo

eComXpo conference is an online conference to be held October 24-26 2006 at
www.ecomxpo.com. This virtual tradeshow for eCommerce Marketers is a great way to hear interesting speakers and meet new vendors without the expense and time away from the office.

Send your contact information to ecomxpo@webaward.org to be entered into a drawing for free access to the eComXpo University with access to 160 on-demand presentations from industry experts. Deadline is Friday, October 20th.

2006 Interactive Investor Relations Awards competition

Do you have an award winning IR Web site? Prove it! Enter the 2006 Interactive Investor Relations Awards competition.

Have your Web site evaluated by those who matter most: individual and institutional investors, financial advisors, financial media, IR professionals and Web developers. The Interactive Investor Relations Awards recognize excellence in online investor relations in 60 industry categories, providing valuable feedback and recognition for the IR professional.

Both large and small companies were among the 2005 IIR Award winners, including Colgate-Palmolive (Best of Show 2005), The Bank of Montreal , Coca-Cola, CVS, eBay, Mattel and GM.

Complete details, entry form and the list of past winners can be found on the competition Web site at www.iiraward.org. The deadline for entry is October 31, 2006.

The IIR Awards are produced by the Web Marketing Association. The WMA, founded in Boston in 1997, is dedicated to increasing the professional standards of excellence in Web development. Since its inception, the WMA has set the standard of excellence for overall Web site development with the annual WebAward Competition the premier annual event for Web developers and marketers now it its eighth year.

St Paul Pioneer Press Coverage of MIMA Keynote

Recently, William Rice, President of the Web Marketing Association, was asked to provide the keynote address for the Minnesota Interactive Marketing Association’s annual Summit in St. Paul. The presentation covered trends in award winning websites based on the results of the 2006 WebAwards. We will be expanding on these findings and updating our Internet Standards Assessment Report later this year. The daily newspaper, St Paul Pioneer Press, covered the event and you can read the article at http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/business/15680591.htm.

William Rice, President of Web Marketing Association, to Give Keynote Speech at 2006 Minnesota Interactive Marketing Association Summit

Rice to Address Minnesota Interactive Marketing Association (MIMA) Summit Attendees outlining the future of award-winning websites and how MIMA members- and their companies - can push the envelope of top website

Web Marketing Association, host of the WebAward, the leading Internet award competition, has announced that its President, William Rice, will deliver the keynote speech at the 2006 Minnesota Interactive Marketing Association’s (MIMA) Summit Showcase.

Founded in 1998, MIMA is a networking and professional development forum for interactive marketing professionals. MIMA connects educational partners with members and guests to elevate the quality of interactive marketing in Minnesota. The MIMA Summit brings together the latest concepts, strategies, technologies, and thought leaders shaping the interactive marketing community.

“I’m honored to be part of the 2006 MIMA Summit,” said Rice. “WebAward has ten years of top website design data to share with MIMA members to help them elevate the design of their company websites.”

Details for the Minnesota Interactive Marketing Association 2006 Summit

When: Wednesday, October 04, 2006 - 7:45 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Where: The Depot,  225 Third Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55401

Cost: Members $195, Non-members $395, Students $65

Media attendance at the event is free.

“MIMA is an excellent forum for leaders in the interactive marketing community to share cutting-edge concepts and strategies that are at the forefront of the marketing industry,” said Rice.

About WebAwards

The WebAward Competition, produced by the Web Marketing Association, is now in its tenth year. WebAwards is the premier annual web site award competition that names the best Web sites in 96 industries while setting the standard of excellence for all website development.

The Web Marketing Association was founded in 1997 to help set a high standard for Internet marketing and web development on the World Wide Web. Staffed by volunteers, this organization is made up of Internet marketing, online advertising, PR, and web site design professionals who share an interest in improving the quality of online advertising, internet marketing, and website promotion.

WebAward Winners Announced

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.

2006 WebAward Winners Announced

-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.

TopRank Online Marketing is named as a sponsor of the annual WebAwards

The Web Marketing Association is please to name TopRank Online Marketing as a sponsor of the annual WebAward Competition.

TopRank Online Marketing is an industry leading search marketing agency offering integrated search engine optimization, online public relations and blog marketing services. TopRank has been listed as a top ten world-wide SEO firm by topseos.com and Promotion World and is included in Marketing Sherpa's Guide to Search Engine Optimization Firms. TopRank is a member of the Search Engine Marketing Professionals Organization (SEMPO.org), the Search Engine Marketing Council of the Direct Marketing Association (the-DMA.org), and holds a Board of Directors position for the Minnesota Interactive Marketing Association (MIMA.org).

For more information visit: www.toprankresults.com

Misukanis & Odden named WebAward Sponsor

The Web Marketing Association is please to name Misukanis & Odden as a sponsor of the annual WebAward Competition.

Misukanis & Odden is a leading business to business public relations and marketing firm based in Minneapolis, MN. Misukanis & Odden specializes in building brand visibility and increasing sales for companies focused on technology, healthcare, financial and professional services.  With proven experience, from positioning to product launches and research to crisis management, Misukanis & Odden can help you build awareness of and generate prospective inquiries for your company.

For
more information visit: www.misukanisodden.com.

Creative Chocolate Printing added as WebAward Sponsor

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.

WebAward Results Announced to Participants

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.

WebAward Judging Complete

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.

2006 Call for entries closed

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.

10th annual WebAwards Deadline for Entry Extended

The Web
Marketing Association has announced that the deadline for entering its 10^th
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.

Ten reasons why your website should receive an award

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.

MarketingSherpa’s new eCommerce Benchmark Guide 2006

Do you want to improve your e-commerce conversions?  Grab a copy of MarketingSherpa's new Ecommerce Benchmark Guide 2006 for:

-> Eyetracking study data on Amazon, Wal-Mart, Dell, Best Buy, Apple, Bombay, QVC & Circuit City. Shows you how online shopper's eyes "flick over" your store's pages (and how you can redesign for better conversions.)

-> Real-life ecommerce marketing and tactical data from 1,101 of your peers. Compare your stats to theirs; discover which traffic sources and site tools are working (and what's bombing.)

-> See inside the minds of 1,120 actual online shoppers. They reveal why they abandon carts, and what would make them buy more from you online.

Discover how to lower your shopping cart abandons, traffic costs, fraud, email unsubscribes, search marketing cost per click -- plus, how to raise your conversions, average order size, shopper trust, affiliate revenues, customer loyalty, and ROI.  Want more information? Visit:
http://www.sherpastore.com/e-commerce-benchmark.html

Featured Articles from Interactive Briefing

Here are the featured articles from our May issue of the Web Marketing Association's Interactive Briefing Newsletter.

Winning an Award is only Half the Battle – Here are some ideas on how to promote your award winning website after you have one an award.

Turnaround Game – Virtual Imagination Leads to Real Life Success for this award winning interactive application

The tale of two seasons – Marriott
exploits the weather to offer visitors hot deals.

Looking for past WebAward Judges

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

Help to spread the word about the WebAward competition

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 17^th.

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.

INBOX: The Email Event

INBOX: The Email Event
May 31-June 1, 2006
San Jose Marriott

INBOX is the first and only event focused on the Internet’s first and central application: email. In just two days, you’ll get a rock-solid email system and email marketing plan you can count on. Our conference program covers Email Marketing Strategy, Creative, Delivery, List Acquisition and Customer Retention. Check out the conference program here: http://www.inboxevent.com/2006/conference.asp

Web Marketing Association members can get a FREE Buyer Pass, or save $100 on a full-conference pass. Sign up online at http://www.inboxevent.com and use Customer Code WMA6.

Internet Professionals Needed to Judge World’s Best Web Sites

The Web Marketing Association is pleased to announce the
call for judges for its 10^th 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 10^th 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.

Internet Professionals Needed to Judge World’s Best Web Sites

The Web Marketing Association is pleased to announce the call for judges for its 10^th 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 10^th 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.

Internet World 2006

Internet World 2006 – Free entry, Over 200 exhibitors, Over 100 hours of seminars
9-11 May 2006, Earls Court, London, UK
Internet World is the UK’s largest B2B internet event.
Directors from MSN, e-Bay, Lastminute.com, Virgin and more delivering keynote presentations. Supported by Net Communities and endorsed by The Guardian, Revolution, Marketing, e-Consultancy, mad.co.uk and others.
For more information and to register for FREE visit www.internetworld.co.uk

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.

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.

WebMasterRadio.FM at Ad:tech

WebMaster Radio provided outstanding on site coverage of
Ad:tech San Francisco. They stopped by the Web Marketing Association
booth at ad:tech and interviewed Bill Rice, President of the Web Marketing Association
and here is a link to the an audio file of the interview.

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.

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.

WebMaster World Boston Drawing

WebmasterWorld's PubCon is an educational conference and industry trade show programmed specifically for web
professionals and website site owners to be held April 18-20, 2006 at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston.

The Web Marketing Association is giving away a full conference pass for this show. To enter, send your name and contact info to webmasterworld@webaward.org by Thursday, April 13th at 5:00 EDT. We'll contact the winner then.

The keynote for the conference is Mr. Malcolm Gladwell, the super star author of The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make A Big Difference and Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking.
Malcolm will also do a special book signing after his talk!

For more information go to www.pubcon.com A limited number of
participants can receive 25% off the full conference rate by entering code
"wm-80625" when registering.

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 10^th annual international WebAward competition. The deadline for entry is May 31^st 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 10^th 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.

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 10^th annual international
WebAward competition. The deadline for entry is May 31^st 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 10^th 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.

 

 

Media coverage of ISAR Study

The Web Marketing Association's Internet Standards Asessment Report continues to draw the intererst of the media.

Here are a few examples of recent media coverage of the report:

Yahoo News:Education Web Sites Benchmarked in New Internet Study

WebProNews -King Content Takes Queen Interactivity

Web Site Services Magazine - ISAR Report


Independent Agent Magazine - Insurance Industry Lacks Dynamic Web
Presence

Insurance Journal -Insurance Web Sites Benchmarked in New Study

The Bivings Report - What Industries Have the Best/Worst Websites?

LexBlog - Law firm websites below average : Internet Standards Assessment Report

WebProNews -Gaming Sites, Great; PR Sites, No

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 from the annual WebAward Competition for Web site development.

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.webaward.org.

See us at eComXpo, the virtual trade show

If you have not checked it out yet, you should stop by www.eComXpo.com and see what a virtual trade show is like.  The show has great education sessions and a number of trade show booths to visit (and win prizes from) and chat with representatives.

Here is what the Web Marketing Association trade show booth looks like.

at:tech discount offer

ad:tech San
Francisco

April 26 -28, 2006

Moscone Center North

The Web Marketing Association is pleased to announce our presence at ad:tech San Francisco, the #1 event for interactive marketing. As an exhibitor at ad:tech, we would like to extend our preferred pricing along to you a super-saver discount of 20% off the current conference price.

Register or obtain more information about ad:tech San Francisco  at www.ad-tech.com/sf.asp.

To lock in your 20% discount, register with Promotion Code: ATSFEG.

Web Marketing Association Announcing Winners of the 2006 Internet Advertising Competition Awards

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - The Web Marketing Association announces the winners of its annual Internet Advertising Competition (IAC) Awards, an effort to honor excellence in online advertising and to recognize the individuals and organizations responsible for the best in Internet marketing. The IAC Awards are the first and only industry-based advertising award competition dedicated exclusively to online advertising. The Competition web site with a complete list of winners is located at www.IACAward.org

"Online advertising is finally getting the recognition it deserves and The Web Marketing Association is pleased to help set the standard for Internet excellence," said William Rice, president of the Web Marketing Association, Inc.  "Spending for online advertising continues to grow rapidly and the IAC Awards highlight the best in this unique advertising medium by industry."

2006 Best of Show Awards were awarded in each of the online medium categories.  This year's winners include:

Disney Online for Kellogg's Fruit Streamers Mini-site (Best Ads the Client Did Not Pick)

Kel Geddes Management Ltd for The Official Anne Geddes Website Email (Best of Show Email Message)

ThinData Inc. for Building a Better Member Email (Best of Show Email Message Campaign)

OER_Satama for Scream mail (Best of Show Integrated ad campaign)

Aristotle for Keowee Falls Interactive Tour (Best of Show Integrated ad campaign)

Beyond Interactive for 3M Breast Cancer Awareness (Best of Show Microsite/Landing Page)

Cheil Communications America for Cocktail Shaker (Best of Show Online ad)

Foote Cone & Belding for Above The Influence (Best of Show Online Campaign)

Scudder Investments for Scudder Participant e-Newsletter (Best of Show Online Newsletter Campaign)

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts for Block Party Bash (Best of Show Rich Media Online Ad)

Geary Interactive for 24 Sweepstakes (Best of Show Rich Media Online Campaign)

For the second year in a row, TMX Communications of Conshohocken, PA was recognized with the 2006 Top Agency Award, winning 13 IAC Awards. Their awards included 12 Best of Industry awards and an Outstanding award. Last year, TMX Communications shared the Top Agency Award with Organic, Inc.

Other IAC Award winners who received multiple awards included:

AGENCY (number of awards)
TMX Communications (13)

Agency.com (10)

Beyond Interactive (9)

Bridge Worldwide (9)

Organic, Inc. (9)

McKinney (8)

Cheil Communications America (7)

TM Interactive (7)

Marketel (6)

America Online, Inc (5)

Biggs-Gilmore (5)

Creative Direct Marketing Group (5)

Armchair Media (4)

bbdigital (Blattner Brunner) (4)

Disney Online (4)

Kel Geddes Management Ltd (4)

Mullen (4)

Ogilvy Worldwide (4)

Sharpe Partners (4)

Smashing Ideas (4)

The Barbarian Group (4)

THINK, Inc. (4)

VML (4)

The Competition web site with a complete list of winners is located at www.advertisingcompetition.org

The 2006 Internet Advertising Competition is sponsored by, BURST! Media, Small Army, AdTools, ExactTarget, OddCast, Line56 Media, and PRWeb.

About the Web Marketing Association

The Web Marketing Association is an organization 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 advertising, marketing and promotion used to attract visitors to Web sites. Since 1997, the Web Marketing Associations 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 Competitions have become the premier event for Web developers and marketers worldwide.

 

The Web Marketing Association is currently accepting entries for the ninth annual WebAward Competition for Web site development at www.webawards2006.org .  Deadline for entry is May 31st.

 

WebAwards at OMMA Conference

The Web Marketing Association spent the last two day
exhibiting at the OMMA Conference in
Hollywood.
It was a great conference with well attended, interesting sessions and
outstanding keynotes.

We introduced our new booth at the show. Seen here in the photo
is Bill Rice, President of the Web Marketing Association meeting OMMA attendees
discussing the 2006 WebAwards. The winner of the video iPod drawing will be
announced in a few days.

 

Marketing with Honors puts WebAwards "In the Spotlight"

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. 

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.

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.

WebMaster World

The Web Marketing Association will be participating in
several of the leading industry conferences this year. Here is your opportunity
to participate in important educational sessions while networking with other
industry professionals. Here a leading industry conference that we
recommend.

WebMaster World
Apr 18-20, 2006, Hynes
Convention Center, Boston
WebmasterWorld's PubCon is an educational
conference and industry trade show programmed specifically for web professionals
and website site owners. The event will be opened with a Keynote Speech by best
selling author Malcolm Gladwell, writer of 'The Tipping Point,' and 'Blink.'

The conference has four tracks each day and these include
sessions focusing on some of today's hottest Internet topics. The tracks are:
Organic Search & General Webmaster Issues, Paid Search (PPC), Affiliates
& Advertising, and the highly popular Site Reviews. In addition, the highly
rated networking event gives attendees the opportunity to meet and discuss their
individual issues with the other attendees, speakers and businesses. The event
is supported by the Industry's leading businesses as speakers, exhibitors, and
sponsors, including Ask, Google, Microsoft's MSN Search and Yahoo!.

For more information go to www.pubcon.com A limited number of participants
can receive 25% off the full conference rate by entering code "wm-80625" when
registering.

Vistit us at booth #406 and learn more about the 2006 WebAward competition.

eComXpo Panel

Bill Rice, President of the Web Marketing Association, will be moderating a panel at eComXpo, a virtual trade show
for eCommerce marketers. Joining him will be Chris Colborn, VP Interaction
Design, R/GA, Jeff Freedman, Marketing Principal, Small Army, and Michelle
Gugick, Associate Director of Interactive, Ernst & Young. The title of the
panel is Building an Award-Winning Web site: Current Trends in Web
development from the Judges of the 2006 WebAwards. Please join us for this
informative discussion. Attending the event is completely free, and registration
is now open at www.ecomxpo.com.

PRWeb Podcast of ISAR Study

PRWeb, a sponsor of the 2006 WebAwards, has created a podcast interview of William Rice, President of the Web Marketing Association, discussing the major finding of the recently released Internet Standards Assessment Report (ISAR).

Entitled "Breakthrough Internet Study Sets Benchmarks for Web Site Development " the podcast is currently live and is listed on the main page under "Most Recent Podcasts" and in the "Most Recent Podcasts" RSS feed. 
(http://prwebpodcast.com/feed/recent.xml).  

It can also be found under the approriate iTunes category feeds on this page (http://prwebpodcast.com/podlist.php).

You can find the podcast in various formats on this page: http://prwebpodcast.com/releases/pod137.htm)

ad:tech Conference

The Web Marketing Association will be participating in
several of the leading industry conferences this year. Here is your opportunity
to participate in important educational sessions while networking with other
industry professionals. Here a leading industry conference that we
recommend.

ad:tech
Apr 26-28, San Francisco
The #1
Event for Interactive Marketing. Join us at ad:tech San Francisco for
groundbreaking sessions, a hands-on technology showcase, enhanced networking
opportunities, and sizzling parties.

Save 20% by registering with our promotional code: ATSFEG.
Learn more and register at: www.ad-tech.com/sf.asp

Visit us at booth #5751 and learn more about the 2006 WebAward competition.

 

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 11^th
fastest growing private company in Massachusetts by the Boston Business
Journal.