The Web Marketing Association is pleased to announce the winners of its twelfth annual WebAward Competition for Web site development. More than 2,400 sites from 45 countries were adjudicated in 96 industry categories during this year's competition. Entries were judged on design, copy writing, innovation, content, interactivity, navigation, and use of technology.
A complete list of the winning sites can be found at the WebAward Web site at www.webaward.org.
Best of Show
The 2008 Best of Show WebAward is presented to Trailer Park for their exceptional work on Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix website. The site was also awarded Best Movie WebAward.
Trailer Park created a fast loading website as mystical, magical and visually stunning as the movie itself. Aesthetically, the all-Flash site transports users into a dark, smoldering world of wizards and monsters via brilliant images, ominous music, and crisp, clean layouts. Three engaging games, Duel with the Death Eaters, Room of Requirement,and Thestrial Flight, immerse users in interactive challenges based on elements from the film. Downloads like, wallpapers, MySpace skins, banners, and buddy icons give fans a way to express their Harry Potter enthusiasm.
Top Agency
Risdall Advertising Agency was named Top Agency at the 2008 WebAward Competition, taking home 29 awards – the most ever by a single agency in a WebAward competition. The Top Agency Award is given to recognize the consistently outstanding development going on at interactive firms. Risdall, headquartered in New Brighton, Minnesota, took home Best B2B Website, 4 Outstanding WebAwards and 24 Standard of Excellence WebAwards.
Agencies or companies winning five or more WebAwards in 2008 include:
Agency - # of awards
Risdall Advertising Agency 29
Biggs|Gilmore 20
Avenue A | Razorfish 16
Walt Disney 16
TravelCLICK, Inc. 16
VML 14
Hubbard One 12
TMP Worldwide 12
AGENDA (H.K.) Limited 11
Arc Worldwide 11
Tribal DDB Worldwide 11
Bridge Worldwide 10
JWT INSIDE 10
Digitas Health 9
Disney Channel 9
Euro RSCG 4D 9
Zugara 9
BrowserMedia 8
E-site Marketing 8
Blenderbox Inc 7
Cendyn 7
Ektron 7
Hitchcock Fleming & Associates Inc. 7
Sapient 7
USA Network 7
Weber Shandwick 7
WSI 7
Acsys 6
Azavar Technologies 6
bbdigital (Blattner Brunner) 6
Boston Interactive 6
Greater Than One 6
MRM Worldwide 6
RED Interactive Agency 6
RFI Studios 6
Starwood Hotels & Resorts 6
180 Interactive 5
Airfoil Public Relations 5
Aristotle Interactive 5
Atmosphere BBDO 5
BGT Partners 5
Brulant, Inc. 5
Cartoon Network 5
Cheil Communications America 5
Emakina 5
Extractable 5
G2 Interactive 5
Hunt & Gather 5
Larsen 5
Milestone 5
Thomson-FindLaw 5
TIG Global 5
usdm.net(R) 5
Valassis 5
Web Associates 5
Competition format
The competition was judged by a team of independent Internet professionals representing a variety of relevant disciplines of Web site development. Judges included members of the media, advertising executives, site designers, creative directors, corporate marketing executives, content providers and webmasters.
The WebAward competition format allows Web sites to compete head to head with other sites within their industry to win the Best of Industry award. Entries also compete against a standard of excellence to win Outstanding Website and Standard of Excellence WebAwards. Each site is judged on seven different criteria and earns a score between 0 and 70 points. The highest score in a given category wins Best of Industry for that category. If the remaining entries receive a score of 60 or greater, they receive the Outstanding Web site award. Entries that score higher than their industry average and below 59.9 receive the Standard of Excellence.
The 2008 WebAwards are sponsored by the following leading organizations: Burst Media, PRWeb, Misukanis & Odden, B2B Magazine, AllBusiness, Small Army, ExactTarget, ad:tech conferences, eComXpo, MediaPost’s OMMA conference, , Microsoft Silverlight, Snap.com, Internet World UK, Search Engine Strategies, Webmaster Radio, Rovion and Website Magazine. The Web Marketing Association thanks all of its sponsors for helping to make this annual competition possible.
About the Web Marketing Association
The Web Marketing Association is working to create a high standard of excellence for Web site development and marketing on the Internet. Staffed by volunteers, it is made up of Internet marketing, advertising, PR and design professionals who share an interest in improving the quality of Website development and marketing on the Internet. Since 1997, the Web Marketing Association’s annual WebAward Competition has been helping interactive professionals promote themselves, their companies, and their best work to the outside world. Now in its 12th year, the WebAward Competition has become the premier award event for Web developers and marketers worldwide.
The Official Blog of the Web Marketing Association.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Results of the WebAward Judging Now Available
If you are a nominator in the Web Marketing Association's 2008 WebAwards, we would like you to know that the results have been posted in your nominator account for your review. The results will be released to the general public on September 16th - one week from today.
If you have won a WebAward this year, you may edit your entry information prior to public release of the results. The deadline for making these changes, if any, is September 15th at 5:00pm EST.
Thank you for your participation in this industry standards setting event.
You can sign in to your nominator account at http://www.webaward.org/nominator_default.asp
If you have won a WebAward this year, you may edit your entry information prior to public release of the results. The deadline for making these changes, if any, is September 15th at 5:00pm EST.
Thank you for your participation in this industry standards setting event.
You can sign in to your nominator account at http://www.webaward.org/nominator_default.asp
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Winners Announcement Date Set
The winners of the 2008 WebAward Competition for Website Development will be announced September 16th on this website and to the media.
As in past years, nominators will receive results on September 9th in their nominator account and can begin to prepare their marketing efforts.
As in past years, nominators will receive results on September 9th in their nominator account and can begin to prepare their marketing efforts.
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
2008 WebAward Judging Complete
Just a quick update to let everyone know that the judging of the 2008 WebAwards is now complete and we are tabulating the winners in 96 categories. We will announce the winners in September.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
WebAward Update
The Call for Entries has been completed and the Judging of the Web Marketing Association's WebAwards are well underway. Winners will be notified in September a week before the public announcement of winners.
Good luck to all who entered.
Good luck to all who entered.
Sunday, June 01, 2008
WebAward Deadline for Entry Has Been Extended
The Web Marketing Association has announced that the deadline for entering its 12th annual WebAward Competition has been extended until June 13th to allow final entries to be submitted and existing entries to be edited if needed.
While all entries submitted after the original May 31st deadline are subject to a late fee, you still have the opportunity to have you best Websites judged by the Web Marketing Association panel of experts and win glory and recognition for yourself, your company and the award-winning Website.
The final deadline is Friday, June 13th and this deadline will not be extended as the judging phase of the competition begins June 16th.
While all entries submitted after the original May 31st deadline are subject to a late fee, you still have the opportunity to have you best Websites judged by the Web Marketing Association panel of experts and win glory and recognition for yourself, your company and the award-winning Website.
The final deadline is Friday, June 13th and this deadline will not be extended as the judging phase of the competition begins June 16th.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Today Is The Deadline To Enter 2008 WebAwards
The WebAwards are the premier internet award competition that judges website development against an ever increasing Internet standard of excellence and against peer sites within an industry.
Today is the deadline for entering for 2008.
Entering is easy. If you have not already done so, you can create a Nominator Account or log in to an existing Nominator Account. Complete the entry form information and you site will be judged by our panel of Internet experts and be on its way to win the recognition you deserve.
Good luck to everyone who enters.
Today is the deadline for entering for 2008.
Entering is easy. If you have not already done so, you can create a Nominator Account or log in to an existing Nominator Account. Complete the entry form information and you site will be judged by our panel of Internet experts and be on its way to win the recognition you deserve.
Good luck to everyone who enters.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Paying Entry Fees by Wire
Some international participants of the WebAwards may find it easier to pay for their entry fees by sending a direct wire from their bank to the Web Marketing Association bank. If this is the case, please contact us for wire instructions.
It is important that you submit your entry prior to sending the wire and also emailing us your entry number when you have confirmed the wire has been sent. We have no way of matching the wired funds received by our bank with any entry until we receive your email notification.
Also note that there is a $25 USD wire fee to cover the fees we are charged by our bank.
It is important that you submit your entry prior to sending the wire and also emailing us your entry number when you have confirmed the wire has been sent. We have no way of matching the wired funds received by our bank with any entry until we receive your email notification.
Also note that there is a $25 USD wire fee to cover the fees we are charged by our bank.
Submitting Sites on CD-ROM
Web sites that are not currently available online may be submitted via CD-ROM. Please complete the Online Entry Form available in a nominator account and in the URL field, enter "CD-ROM".
Submit three copies of the site on CD-ROM with the entry number assigned by the online entry submission process on each disk. Send your CD-ROMs to:
Web Marketing Association
WebAwards Entry#
P.O. Box 249
W. Simsbury, CT 06092
Overnight packages can be sent to:
Web Marketing Association
WebAwards Entry#
7 Cedar Glen Road
W. Simsbury, CT 06092
Submit three copies of the site on CD-ROM with the entry number assigned by the online entry submission process on each disk. Send your CD-ROMs to:
Web Marketing Association
WebAwards Entry#
P.O. Box 249
W. Simsbury, CT 06092
Overnight packages can be sent to:
Web Marketing Association
WebAwards Entry#
7 Cedar Glen Road
W. Simsbury, CT 06092
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Entry Database Not Being Updated
We have received several emails from people who have nominated Websites for the WebAward competition and paid their entry fee, but the system reported that the payment was not showing up in the system.
This is caused when the final button is not clicked during the payment process. The Web Marketing Association uses a leading third party credit card processing gateway in order to protect the financial information of our award participants. If the final button is not clicked, the information is not passed from the card processor's servers to our servers which results in our database not being updated.
If this happens to you, please email us a copy of your credit card receipt and we will use the information from that email to update your entry or entries.
The Web Marketing Association is accepting entries into the 2008 WebAward competition until May 31st. Just remember to complete the payment process by clicking the final button which takes you back to the WebAward Website.
This is caused when the final button is not clicked during the payment process. The Web Marketing Association uses a leading third party credit card processing gateway in order to protect the financial information of our award participants. If the final button is not clicked, the information is not passed from the card processor's servers to our servers which results in our database not being updated.
If this happens to you, please email us a copy of your credit card receipt and we will use the information from that email to update your entry or entries.
The Web Marketing Association is accepting entries into the 2008 WebAward competition until May 31st. Just remember to complete the payment process by clicking the final button which takes you back to the WebAward Website.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
What Kind Of Budget Is Required To Create An Award Winning Website?
There are many that think you need to break the bank in order to create an effective Website that will win awards. Well, this is just not true.
Using data from the participants of the 2007 WebAward competition, the Web Marketing Association has determined that more than half (51%) of websites which won a WebAward were reportedly created on a budget of less than $50,000. Only 5% of the sites which won a WebAward last year had a budget of more than $1 million.
The Web Marketing Association is accepting entries into the 2008 WebAward competition until May 31st, so both small sites and big budget sites will be well represented. While you need to be a huge brand to win some Website award programs, that is not true for the WebAwards.
Using data from the participants of the 2007 WebAward competition, the Web Marketing Association has determined that more than half (51%) of websites which won a WebAward were reportedly created on a budget of less than $50,000. Only 5% of the sites which won a WebAward last year had a budget of more than $1 million.
The Web Marketing Association is accepting entries into the 2008 WebAward competition until May 31st, so both small sites and big budget sites will be well represented. While you need to be a huge brand to win some Website award programs, that is not true for the WebAwards.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Who is Developing Award Winning Websites?
Using data from the participants of the 2007 WebAward competition, the Web Marketing Association has determined that 51% of websites which won a WebAward were designed by an in-house team while the other half were developed with the input of an agency or agencies. In fact, 23% of the winning entries reported that they were developed solely by an agency, 4% were a team effort of multiple agencies and 22% a combination of an in-house team with the expertise of an agency.
The Web Marketing Association is accepting entries into the 2008 WebAward competition until May 31st, so both in-house development departments and agencies have an opportunity to get their best work entered.
The Web Marketing Association is accepting entries into the 2008 WebAward competition until May 31st, so both in-house development departments and agencies have an opportunity to get their best work entered.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Award Winning Website designers use PCs.
Using data from the participants of the 2007 WebAward competition, the Web Marketing Association has determined that 58% of websites which won a WebAward were designed on a Windows-based PC compared to 42% of award-winning sites which used a Macintosh-based computer.
When you look at which computer was used in the programming of the award-winning Websites, PC were used in 81% of the winning entries verses only 19% that used Macs.
The Web Marketing Association is accepting entries into the 2008 WebAward competition until May 31st, so we will soon see if this trend of Microsoft supremacy in Web design will hold true for another year.
When you look at which computer was used in the programming of the award-winning Websites, PC were used in 81% of the winning entries verses only 19% that used Macs.
The Web Marketing Association is accepting entries into the 2008 WebAward competition until May 31st, so we will soon see if this trend of Microsoft supremacy in Web design will hold true for another year.
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Who has the Meatballs?
Congratulations to Valerie Neuschwander of Web Associates, Gail E. Hageman of Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP and Kimberly Brookes of Wyndham Hotel Group for being selected to win a copy of Seth Godins book from last month’s Web Marketing Association Interactive Briefing newsletter. In addition, Margaret Lahey of Mailer Mailer responded to our blog posting about a drawing and she was selected to receive a copy as well.
We hope they do as well in the 2008 WebAward competition!
We hope they do as well in the 2008 WebAward competition!
Monday, May 05, 2008
5 Tips to Impress the WebAward Judges
With less than one month to go until the deadline for entering the 12th annual international WebAward competition, we hope to provide a series of hints on how to increase your changes of winning this prestigious Website award. Be sure to check our WMA blog regularly or subscribe to its RSS feed for greater insight into putting your best foot forward and winning a WebAward.
1) Provide a Direct URL to the entry – One mistake agencies that submit multiple entries make is to create a page that shows all of the entries and uses the same URL for all of the entries. It is much better to provide a direct URL for each entry, the judges do not need a landing page to be impressed with your entry, they just want to review the site and multiple sites on the same page increases the chances that they might review the wrong site.
2) Make sure the URL works – The last thing you want is to find out that your entry was not judged because the URL was invalid or the changed before the site was reviewed. If the judges can’t see the site, they can’t score it and it will be disqualified. One thing that causes a URL to fail is nominators that include instructions in the URL like “www.webaward.org - click on the big button”. Instructions belong in the instructions field, not the URL.
3) Be brief and to the point - The Audience and mission statement helps the judges understand the goals of the site before the review. Their advice is to keep the narrative short and sweet. Who is the site’s audience? What are you trying to accomplish with the site – direct sales, branding, information, etc? What are some of the features that might not be apparent? These are what the judges are looking for.
4) List the requirements necessary to view the site – Some sites using the latest technologies require specific versions of products (Shockwave 11.0 or Adobe Flash version 9.0 for example) or the download of plug ins or executable programs to review an entry. They will be more willing to comply if they know what is expected when they review the entry form. Also, let the judges know if your site only works on Internet Explorer because they may be using other browsers.
5) Make sure the password works - If the site is password protected, please make sure the user name and password are active until August 15th. This point mirrors Tip #2 - . If the judges can’t see the site, they can’t score it and it will be disqualified. Passwords that change during the competition can be updated by email
5 Tips to Impress the WebAward Judges
1) Provide a Direct URL to the entry – One mistake agencies that submit multiple entries make is to create a page that shows all of the entries and uses the same URL for all of the entries. It is much better to provide a direct URL for each entry, the judges do not need a landing page to be impressed with your entry, they just want to review the site and multiple sites on the same page increases the chances that they might review the wrong site.
2) Make sure the URL works – The last thing you want is to find out that your entry was not judged because the URL was invalid or the changed before the site was reviewed. If the judges can’t see the site, they can’t score it and it will be disqualified. One thing that causes a URL to fail is nominators that include instructions in the URL like “www.webaward.org - click on the big button”. Instructions belong in the instructions field, not the URL.
3) Be brief and to the point - The Audience and mission statement helps the judges understand the goals of the site before the review. Their advice is to keep the narrative short and sweet. Who is the site’s audience? What are you trying to accomplish with the site – direct sales, branding, information, etc? What are some of the features that might not be apparent? These are what the judges are looking for.
4) List the requirements necessary to view the site – Some sites using the latest technologies require specific versions of products (Shockwave 11.0 or Adobe Flash version 9.0 for example) or the download of plug ins or executable programs to review an entry. They will be more willing to comply if they know what is expected when they review the entry form. Also, let the judges know if your site only works on Internet Explorer because they may be using other browsers.
5) Make sure the password works - If the site is password protected, please make sure the user name and password are active until August 15th. This point mirrors Tip #2 - . If the judges can’t see the site, they can’t score it and it will be disqualified. Passwords that change during the competition can be updated by email
Friday, May 02, 2008
WebAward Update
The Web Marketing Association's 2008 WebAward competition Call for Entries deadline is less than one month away. Now is the time to enter! All entries received after the deadline of May 31, 2008 are subject to a late fee.
The WebAwards are the premier internet award competition that judges website development against an ever increasing Internet standard of excellence and against peer sites within an industry.
A Best of Industry WebAward, a handsome plaque with the image of the winning site embossed, will be given in each of the 96 industry categories, including financial services, blog, medical, small business, travel, advertising, transportation, and government.
It's easy to enter and you can't win if your not entered, so go to the WebAward Website and create a nominator account and submit your entry today.
The WebAwards are the premier internet award competition that judges website development against an ever increasing Internet standard of excellence and against peer sites within an industry.
A Best of Industry WebAward, a handsome plaque with the image of the winning site embossed, will be given in each of the 96 industry categories, including financial services, blog, medical, small business, travel, advertising, transportation, and government.
It's easy to enter and you can't win if your not entered, so go to the WebAward Website and create a nominator account and submit your entry today.
Clickz Online Video Advertising Forum
Clickz Online Video Advertising Forum - July 22, 2008 - Millennium Broadway, New York City
Interactive video advertising is one of the fastest-growing interactive sectors. What are the implications for marketers? Digital and traditional ad agencies are changing their notions of formats and strategies and are learning to work with interactive video technologies to produce and distribute compelling, effective content.
Join ClickZ and its experts in this immersive, one-day forum when we uncover the strategies, innovations, tools, formats, strategy, metrics, and creative to building an effective online video campaign. This immersive, one-day forum is for senior advertisers, marketers, publishers, and content providers who are using or considering this very fast-moving medium. Its aim is to educate, inform and provide a comprehensive overview of online video advertising innovations, tools, formats, strategy, metrics, and creative.
Early Bird Registration: SAVE $300 now through May 23rd Web Marketing Association members SAVE and additional 10% with CZ10WMA.
Interactive video advertising is one of the fastest-growing interactive sectors. What are the implications for marketers? Digital and traditional ad agencies are changing their notions of formats and strategies and are learning to work with interactive video technologies to produce and distribute compelling, effective content.
Join ClickZ and its experts in this immersive, one-day forum when we uncover the strategies, innovations, tools, formats, strategy, metrics, and creative to building an effective online video campaign. This immersive, one-day forum is for senior advertisers, marketers, publishers, and content providers who are using or considering this very fast-moving medium. Its aim is to educate, inform and provide a comprehensive overview of online video advertising innovations, tools, formats, strategy, metrics, and creative.
Early Bird Registration: SAVE $300 now through May 23rd Web Marketing Association members SAVE and additional 10% with CZ10WMA.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Ten reasons why you should enter your website into the 2008 WebAwards
With only one month to go until the entrty deadline, we though we would give you our 10 reasons you should enter the Web Marketing Association's 12th annual WebAward Competition for Website development.
10) If you wait until after the May 31st deadline, you'll have to pay a late fee.
9) Your mom would be proud of you.
8) You will receive important benchmark data for your entire industry and where your site ranks in each of the seven judging criteria.
7) Think of the PR opportunities - industry publications, blogs, websites, by-lined articles, podcasts, press releases, interviews - the sky is the limit.
6) A best of industry plaque containing your award winning site will look great in your office.
5) The WebAward logo on your site is like receiving the "Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval" for Web development.
4) Your clients and customers will be impressed at your industry recognition and so will your potential clients.
3) A link to webaward.org will help your site's search engine rankings because you will be linked to an 12-year old .org authoritative site with a high Google PageRank.
2) A Best of Industry award means you're the best and you can prove it!
1) If you don't win, we won't tell anyone - and you still get the feedback.
Recognition and feedback, that is what you will receive when you enter the 2008 WebAward Competition for Website development. Winning accolades in the 2008 WebAwards - the Internet's premier award recognition program, is a great way to stand out from others in your industry. You will also receive valuable feedback from our judges and benchmarks for your industry. But you won't get anything if you don't enter!
The 12th Annual WebAward competition deadline for entry is May 31st, only a month away, and you can submit your site for review at www.webaward.org. Avoid a late fee by completing your Web site entries before the deadline.
Enter the 2008 WebAwards today and receive the recognition you deserve!
10) If you wait until after the May 31st deadline, you'll have to pay a late fee.
9) Your mom would be proud of you.
8) You will receive important benchmark data for your entire industry and where your site ranks in each of the seven judging criteria.
7) Think of the PR opportunities - industry publications, blogs, websites, by-lined articles, podcasts, press releases, interviews - the sky is the limit.
6) A best of industry plaque containing your award winning site will look great in your office.
5) The WebAward logo on your site is like receiving the "Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval" for Web development.
4) Your clients and customers will be impressed at your industry recognition and so will your potential clients.
3) A link to webaward.org will help your site's search engine rankings because you will be linked to an 12-year old .org authoritative site with a high Google PageRank.
2) A Best of Industry award means you're the best and you can prove it!
1) If you don't win, we won't tell anyone - and you still get the feedback.
Recognition and feedback, that is what you will receive when you enter the 2008 WebAward Competition for Website development. Winning accolades in the 2008 WebAwards - the Internet's premier award recognition program, is a great way to stand out from others in your industry. You will also receive valuable feedback from our judges and benchmarks for your industry. But you won't get anything if you don't enter!
The 12th Annual WebAward competition deadline for entry is May 31st, only a month away, and you can submit your site for review at www.webaward.org. Avoid a late fee by completing your Web site entries before the deadline.
Enter the 2008 WebAwards today and receive the recognition you deserve!
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
The Best Of Digital Marketing
1st July 2008
The Grange City Hotel, London
Monetise Your Digital Channels And Inspire Consumer Engagement By Capitalising on the Future of Digital Marketing.
Reserve your place at Revolution's high-level review of 2008’s digital marketing brand best practice, showcasing handpicked award-winners and pioneers from the hottest brand case studies, spotlighting new digital channels that are about to hit the big-time, and looking across the digital landscape to make sure you can create an integrated cross-channel campaign guaranteed to capture attention and keep ahead of the competition.
Special Feature: To guarantee you leaving the conference with expertise that you can apply directly to your campaign, we’ve dedicated time to allow you to book small group time with our speakers
• Multi-Channel Fluidity Develop cross-platform campaigns for the best multi-channel mix
• Monetise Social Media From the creative to the commercial: make social networks produce real business benefits
• Optimise Your Website Explore new options for attract new traffic and streamline your site to convert visitors into customers
• Navigate The Search-Affiliate Landscape Maximise brand potential as the search environment evolves
• Quantify Creativity In Display Advertising Create captivating campaigns with calculable affect
• Perfect Email Campaigns Inspire with fresh design innovations, personalisation shortcuts and attention-grabbing ideas
• Debate Mobile Marketing Is it ever going to be the year of the mobile? Get involved with our down-to-earth, hype-free debate with cross-channel representation
A 360 degree brand-led showcase for all Marketing, E-Commerce and Digital teams wanting to keep their brands at the cutting-edge.
The Grange City Hotel, London
Monetise Your Digital Channels And Inspire Consumer Engagement By Capitalising on the Future of Digital Marketing.
Reserve your place at Revolution's high-level review of 2008’s digital marketing brand best practice, showcasing handpicked award-winners and pioneers from the hottest brand case studies, spotlighting new digital channels that are about to hit the big-time, and looking across the digital landscape to make sure you can create an integrated cross-channel campaign guaranteed to capture attention and keep ahead of the competition.
Special Feature: To guarantee you leaving the conference with expertise that you can apply directly to your campaign, we’ve dedicated time to allow you to book small group time with our speakers
• Multi-Channel Fluidity Develop cross-platform campaigns for the best multi-channel mix
• Monetise Social Media From the creative to the commercial: make social networks produce real business benefits
• Optimise Your Website Explore new options for attract new traffic and streamline your site to convert visitors into customers
• Navigate The Search-Affiliate Landscape Maximise brand potential as the search environment evolves
• Quantify Creativity In Display Advertising Create captivating campaigns with calculable affect
• Perfect Email Campaigns Inspire with fresh design innovations, personalisation shortcuts and attention-grabbing ideas
• Debate Mobile Marketing Is it ever going to be the year of the mobile? Get involved with our down-to-earth, hype-free debate with cross-channel representation
A 360 degree brand-led showcase for all Marketing, E-Commerce and Digital teams wanting to keep their brands at the cutting-edge.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Win a Copy of Seth Godin's New Book
We are giving away several copies of Seth Godin’s newest book Meatball Sundae: Is your marketing out of sync. Please email your contact information to (meatball at webaward.org)
and if you’re selected, we will mail you a copy of this interesting book courtesy of our friends at Search Engine Strategies.
and if you’re selected, we will mail you a copy of this interesting book courtesy of our friends at Search Engine Strategies.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Win a Free PPC Summit Conference Pass Contest
Pay Per Click Summit is searching for the most effective Search Marketing strategy, tip or technique that increased your conversions!
We're calling all internet marketers to submit your proven technique or strategy here on this Search Marketing strategy Contest Form:
All you have to do is answer the following questions (noted on the form at the above link). What Increased Your Search Marketing ROI Last Year? What one thing could you point to and say “THAT made the difference!” Please provide two paragraphs describing your most effective SEM tip, technique or strategy. Only one submission per person and make sure to include your name and email in the spaces provided on the submission form. Stand by to see if your Best Strategy submission is chosen as the winner, and you will win a FREE FULL CONFERENCE PASS TO THE NEXT PPC SUMMIT!
PPC Summit will review all submissions and choose one overall winner on May 9. The winner will be notified by email and posted on all contest blog hosts by May 12. If your submission is chosen as the winner, you will win a FREE two-day conference pass to the PPC Summit of your choice (San Francisco May 19-20 or Los Angeles Sept. 25-26).
The PPC Summits are educational two-day Internet Marketing workshops which connect you with the world’s leading pay per click experts. You won't want to miss the upcoming PPC Summit to learn from the Microsoft Keynote and other industry leaders during two full days of expert SEM and SEO lead generation and sales producing strategies. Stay tuned! The lucky winner will be announced and notified by May 12. The winner will also be recognized on all participating blog host sites.
Reserve your seat today and SAVE 10%, PLUS $200 off with code WMA10 www.ppcsummit.com/overview.html?blog
We hope to see you in San Francisco May 19-20.
We're calling all internet marketers to submit your proven technique or strategy here on this Search Marketing strategy Contest Form:
All you have to do is answer the following questions (noted on the form at the above link). What Increased Your Search Marketing ROI Last Year? What one thing could you point to and say “THAT made the difference!” Please provide two paragraphs describing your most effective SEM tip, technique or strategy. Only one submission per person and make sure to include your name and email in the spaces provided on the submission form. Stand by to see if your Best Strategy submission is chosen as the winner, and you will win a FREE FULL CONFERENCE PASS TO THE NEXT PPC SUMMIT!
PPC Summit will review all submissions and choose one overall winner on May 9. The winner will be notified by email and posted on all contest blog hosts by May 12. If your submission is chosen as the winner, you will win a FREE two-day conference pass to the PPC Summit of your choice (San Francisco May 19-20 or Los Angeles Sept. 25-26).
The PPC Summits are educational two-day Internet Marketing workshops which connect you with the world’s leading pay per click experts. You won't want to miss the upcoming PPC Summit to learn from the Microsoft Keynote and other industry leaders during two full days of expert SEM and SEO lead generation and sales producing strategies. Stay tuned! The lucky winner will be announced and notified by May 12. The winner will also be recognized on all participating blog host sites.
Reserve your seat today and SAVE 10%, PLUS $200 off with code WMA10 www.ppcsummit.com/overview.html?blog
We hope to see you in San Francisco May 19-20.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
The WebAwards is the Best Website award competition
When the Web Marketing Association begin the WebAwards back in 1997, there were plenty of advertising award programs, and some even included a category for online media, but none were devoted to recognizing and improving overall Web development. We changed that!
We think we the WebAwards is the Best Website award competition for many reasons:
We have a transparent process. We tell you what the seven criteria for a successful Website are and let the judges determine how to apply them each year.
Our judges are Internet Experts from around the world that volunteer their time because they are leaders in their industry and understand the value of the WebAwards to Internet community.
All of our sites get sent to the judges – not just a handful of “finalists”. In fact, each site is reviewed by 3-6 judges and the final score is an average of the top two scores.
The awards are industry specific with 96 categories that you can enter. You are judged against your peers, not each industry has a different standard of excellence – just like in real life.
The year we are introducing a new award image plaque with a modern look that will look great on your office wall or in your company’s trophy case.
Winning a WebAward is also a great marketing opportunity. Winners can use press releases to drive traffic to your site and will receive links from our site to help with SEO efforts.
Everyone who participates gets feedback. Some will get specific comments from the judges reviewing your site, but everyone will receive their scores on each of the seven criteria and benchmark those scores against your industry averages.
Everyone who participates will also receive a copy of the 2009 Internet Standards Assessment Report which provides more than a decade of benchmarking data for your industry.
It is simple to enter and last years sites can be reentered with a single click from your nominator account.
If you have not entered theWebAwards yet, now is the time to give it a try. It’s effortless to enter. Simply go to the WebAward Website, create a nominator account and enter information about your site. The Web Marketing Association will send their independent expert judges to visit the site using seven criteria for an effective Website. If your Website has the highest score in your industry, you will receive a Best of Industry WebAward and a beautiful plaque for your trophy case. Other sites will be recognized with an Outstanding WebAward or a Standard of Excellence WebAward. All entries will receive their scores in each of the criteria benchmarked against their industry and overall Web development.
But you can't win if you don't enter, so don't delay, enter the 2008 WebAwards today.
The deadline for entry is May 31, 2008. A complete list of past winners and this year’s entry form can be found at www.WebAward.org.
We think we the WebAwards is the Best Website award competition for many reasons:
We have a transparent process. We tell you what the seven criteria for a successful Website are and let the judges determine how to apply them each year.
Our judges are Internet Experts from around the world that volunteer their time because they are leaders in their industry and understand the value of the WebAwards to Internet community.
All of our sites get sent to the judges – not just a handful of “finalists”. In fact, each site is reviewed by 3-6 judges and the final score is an average of the top two scores.
The awards are industry specific with 96 categories that you can enter. You are judged against your peers, not each industry has a different standard of excellence – just like in real life.
The year we are introducing a new award image plaque with a modern look that will look great on your office wall or in your company’s trophy case.
Winning a WebAward is also a great marketing opportunity. Winners can use press releases to drive traffic to your site and will receive links from our site to help with SEO efforts.
Everyone who participates gets feedback. Some will get specific comments from the judges reviewing your site, but everyone will receive their scores on each of the seven criteria and benchmark those scores against your industry averages.
Everyone who participates will also receive a copy of the 2009 Internet Standards Assessment Report which provides more than a decade of benchmarking data for your industry.
It is simple to enter and last years sites can be reentered with a single click from your nominator account.
If you have not entered theWebAwards yet, now is the time to give it a try. It’s effortless to enter. Simply go to the WebAward Website, create a nominator account and enter information about your site. The Web Marketing Association will send their independent expert judges to visit the site using seven criteria for an effective Website. If your Website has the highest score in your industry, you will receive a Best of Industry WebAward and a beautiful plaque for your trophy case. Other sites will be recognized with an Outstanding WebAward or a Standard of Excellence WebAward. All entries will receive their scores in each of the criteria benchmarked against their industry and overall Web development.
But you can't win if you don't enter, so don't delay, enter the 2008 WebAwards today.
The deadline for entry is May 31, 2008. A complete list of past winners and this year’s entry form can be found at www.WebAward.org.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Angry Websites Take Action
I have ambition. I have drive. My entire life – from when I was a wee pop-up trying to gain everyone’s attention to the grown-up full-fledged, content rich homepage that I am – I have always wanted to be the best. Get the best visitors. Shout out the best content. Have the newest, most innovative design around. My goal has always been to be the best.
So I wake up extra early in the morning – earlier than some of those other sites, whom we wont mention – spiff myself up quite a bit, and head into work. I put on my best content, shine up my title tag and even do a little dance for Google every once in a while to let her know I’m still around.
But maybe Google is upset with me lately. I mean, I did sort of break her heart a couple months ago, but that is a really long story and I’d rather not get into it at the moment. Or maybe somehow my site isn’t being promoted enough. Because lately there haven’t been any good visitors!
And that really aggravates me to my metadata. Come on you guys! I am a great site! And you don’t even seem to care. Well, if I can’t get your attention in a good way, here is a warning on how I am going to get your attention MY way!
1. You know that horrible feeling when your alarm goes off in the morning, and you just want to go back to bed, and you will do anything to make sure that happens? You hit the snooze button for five more minutes of bliss? Yeah, that is how I have felt every day lately. Not wanting to do any work, not caring if I get up out of my server in the morning. You know what I’m going to do to get some attention? CRASH! Haha, that’s what you get for ignoring me.
2. When I’m feeling particularly vengeful and angry that no one is recognizing me, I like to play a little game like not giving visitors the content they need to help them find the product/service that is right for them. This game is called “move around content so no one knows where to find anything!” It’s so fun! Take the company mission statement and move it onto the “Contact Us” page. Take the contact information and hide it under the “Locations” page. And maybe just get rid of the “Customer Testimonials” altogether. I mean, why show that people have said positive things about you in the past when now, in the present I’m being completely ignored?
3. I also like to incorporate some poor grammar into my content. So I’ll go through the work a diligent copywriter spent hours optimizing and I get rid of the keywords altogether and just insert the word “stuff” or “things”. That is always a good time. Then no one knows what you are offering, and my ex-friend Google won’t be poking around my site so much, trying to see what I’m offering.
4. These days, I don’t like having to run too many applications. And I definitely don’t like having visitors stay around and bother me all afternoon. You know those fun interactive bits that are on some websites? Yeah, not on mine anymore! No more visitor polls, no more exciting flash videos, no more “leave your comment here” forms. And while I’m at it, why not get rid of the color and formatting as well? This way, I use less of my very valuable energy to be “flashy” and “exciting” for visitors, and they take one look at my site, see its boring black-and-white format, and leave. I love it!
5. And remember when I said I haven’t been getting any “good” visitors? Well, that is correct. I mean, I have had some visitors, but they are of the rival gang. The kids-from-the-other-side-of-the-tracks. The Spammers! So what’s a guy to do? He’s starved of attention and boom, here comes someone so fantastic, so tempting, so nice-looking. And I just let him right in. But hey, negative attention is still attention right? And I might be a little insecure at times, so I just let Mr. Spam hang around. At least it’s company.
This is the life for me these days. My ambition and drive have gone out the window. Do you really want your site to get as annoyed as me? I don’t think so. That would be bad for your business and your reputation as a website developer.
If you want to boost your site’s recognition and keep it happy, enter it in the WebAward competition by May 31st, 2008. Being judged by internet gods is just the thing that will perk up your site and make sure he knows he is appreciated. And trust me, attention from a WebAwards judge is the greatest honor for a website. Your site might just be working up to his full potential soon to make sure he wins!
So I wake up extra early in the morning – earlier than some of those other sites, whom we wont mention – spiff myself up quite a bit, and head into work. I put on my best content, shine up my title tag and even do a little dance for Google every once in a while to let her know I’m still around.
But maybe Google is upset with me lately. I mean, I did sort of break her heart a couple months ago, but that is a really long story and I’d rather not get into it at the moment. Or maybe somehow my site isn’t being promoted enough. Because lately there haven’t been any good visitors!
And that really aggravates me to my metadata. Come on you guys! I am a great site! And you don’t even seem to care. Well, if I can’t get your attention in a good way, here is a warning on how I am going to get your attention MY way!
1. You know that horrible feeling when your alarm goes off in the morning, and you just want to go back to bed, and you will do anything to make sure that happens? You hit the snooze button for five more minutes of bliss? Yeah, that is how I have felt every day lately. Not wanting to do any work, not caring if I get up out of my server in the morning. You know what I’m going to do to get some attention? CRASH! Haha, that’s what you get for ignoring me.
2. When I’m feeling particularly vengeful and angry that no one is recognizing me, I like to play a little game like not giving visitors the content they need to help them find the product/service that is right for them. This game is called “move around content so no one knows where to find anything!” It’s so fun! Take the company mission statement and move it onto the “Contact Us” page. Take the contact information and hide it under the “Locations” page. And maybe just get rid of the “Customer Testimonials” altogether. I mean, why show that people have said positive things about you in the past when now, in the present I’m being completely ignored?
3. I also like to incorporate some poor grammar into my content. So I’ll go through the work a diligent copywriter spent hours optimizing and I get rid of the keywords altogether and just insert the word “stuff” or “things”. That is always a good time. Then no one knows what you are offering, and my ex-friend Google won’t be poking around my site so much, trying to see what I’m offering.
4. These days, I don’t like having to run too many applications. And I definitely don’t like having visitors stay around and bother me all afternoon. You know those fun interactive bits that are on some websites? Yeah, not on mine anymore! No more visitor polls, no more exciting flash videos, no more “leave your comment here” forms. And while I’m at it, why not get rid of the color and formatting as well? This way, I use less of my very valuable energy to be “flashy” and “exciting” for visitors, and they take one look at my site, see its boring black-and-white format, and leave. I love it!
5. And remember when I said I haven’t been getting any “good” visitors? Well, that is correct. I mean, I have had some visitors, but they are of the rival gang. The kids-from-the-other-side-of-the-tracks. The Spammers! So what’s a guy to do? He’s starved of attention and boom, here comes someone so fantastic, so tempting, so nice-looking. And I just let him right in. But hey, negative attention is still attention right? And I might be a little insecure at times, so I just let Mr. Spam hang around. At least it’s company.
This is the life for me these days. My ambition and drive have gone out the window. Do you really want your site to get as annoyed as me? I don’t think so. That would be bad for your business and your reputation as a website developer.
If you want to boost your site’s recognition and keep it happy, enter it in the WebAward competition by May 31st, 2008. Being judged by internet gods is just the thing that will perk up your site and make sure he knows he is appreciated. And trust me, attention from a WebAwards judge is the greatest honor for a website. Your site might just be working up to his full potential soon to make sure he wins!
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Interactive Briefing Featured Articles
Here are two articles from the April issue of the Web Marketing Association Interactive Briefing that you might find helpful.
Build Customers Extranets to retain and increase revenue - Customized Customer Sites can and should be a viable component of your best marketing practices arsenal.
Go Online to Reach the “Online At Work” Audience - Reaching the office worker with relevant advertising has always been difficult. The Internet overcomes these challenges and offers advertisers a true opportunity to effectively reach the “online at work” audience. To better understand the “online at work” audience, Burst Media surveyed over 11,500 web users 18 years or older on the online activities they engage in while at work (PDF).
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Clinton vs. Obama: Who has the Better Website?
The 2008 Democratic Presidential nomination process is being fiercely contested by Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Both candidates are using the Internet to help their campaigns woo volunteers and campaign contributions. But who has the better Website?
Take a look at this video and find out.
Take a look at this video and find out.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
The WebAward Judges Take on Clinton and Obama To see Who Has The Best Website?
Our WebAward judges have a lot of experience reviewing Websites. Not only are they all experienced Internet professionals that create and maintain Websites themselves, but as a group they have submitted more than 18,000 site evaluations over the past decade as part of the annual WebAward Competition.
With this in mind, the Web Marketing Association asked past WebAward judges to review both www.hillaryclinton.com and www.barackobama.com using the same criteria used in the annual WebAwards program. The sites were judged side by side on seven criteria of a successful Website. More than 100 Judges responded on short notice (111 to be exact) with additional judges just missing the deadline.
The 2008 Democratic Presidential nomination process is being fiercely contested by Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Both candidates are using the Internet to help their campaigns woo volunteers and campaign contributions. But who has the better Website?
Here are the results:
Design - Asked “which Website has the most pleasing design?” WebAward judges selected the Obama site 3 to 1 over the Clinton Website.74.8% of them voted for Senator Obama’s Website and 25.2% selected Senator Clinton’s Website as better looking.
Innovation - Website innovation also went in favor of Barack Obama. By the same margin as design, the vast majority of WebAward judges (74.8%) thought the Obama Website seems more innovative, while only 25.2% favored Clinton’s.
Content - In terms of having the most appealing content, judges again selected the Obama Website over Hillary Clinton’s Website, although by a narrower margin than the first two criteria. 65.7% of the WebAward judges felt barackobama.com has more appealing content for visitors compared to 34.3% for hillaryclinton.com. WebAward judges also found that the Obama Website is more effective for telling the candidate's story and attracting contributions and voters to its cause (68.5% Obama vs 31.5% Clinton).
Ease of use – Senator Obama’s Website was seen as easier to use by the WebAward judges than Senator Clinton’s. 57.5% selected barackobama.com as easier to use compared to 42.5% of WebAward judges who felt hillaryclinton.com was easier.
Copywriting– It is obvious that both campaigns have excellent writers on staff. Neither Websites have any of the editing issues some large organizations can experience. However, the WebAward judges gave a slight advantage to the Obama site (60.8% over the Clinton site 39.2%).
Interactivity – Interactivity makes a Website more than just an online billboard and both candidates were effective in giving visitors to their Websites plenty to see and do. Nevertheless, once again the WebAward judges gave the edge regarding interactivity to the Obama Website (64.8%) over the Clinton Website (35.2%).
Technology – Use of technology is evident in both candidates’ Websites, however, the clear favorite for the WebAward judges was barackobama.com winning 73.8% of the votes compared to hillaryclinton.com with only 26.2% of the votes.
Regardless of who you will be voting for in the next presidential election, Websites are going to play an ever increasingly important role in how candidates get their messages across to the American voters. Based on the findings of this survey by some of the top Internet professionals available today, the Web Marketing Association names barackobama.com the winner of the Clinton vs Obama Website Challenge. We wish both candidates the best of luck in their efforts to become the Democratic Presidential candidate in the November election.
To see the actual results of the survey please go to the Clinton Obama Survey Results page on our website or view a short video of the results. We also have posted survey comments from some of our judges in another posting on this blog.
The 12th annual international WebAwards competition sets the standard of excellence in 96 industry categories by evaluating Web sites and defining benchmarks based on the seven essential criteria of successful Web site development. The goal of the Web Marketing Association, sponsor of the WebAwards, is to provide a forum to recognize the people and organizations responsible for developing some of the most effective Web sites on the Internet today. Entrants benefit from a Web site assessment by a professional judging panel and the marketing opportunities presented to an award-winning Web site.
Websites in 96 industries can now be entered in the 2008 WebAwards at the award program Website. The 2008 Call for Entry deadline is May 31, 2008. For more information, visit www.webaward.org.
With this in mind, the Web Marketing Association asked past WebAward judges to review both www.hillaryclinton.com and www.barackobama.com using the same criteria used in the annual WebAwards program. The sites were judged side by side on seven criteria of a successful Website. More than 100 Judges responded on short notice (111 to be exact) with additional judges just missing the deadline.
The 2008 Democratic Presidential nomination process is being fiercely contested by Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Both candidates are using the Internet to help their campaigns woo volunteers and campaign contributions. But who has the better Website?
Here are the results:
Design - Asked “which Website has the most pleasing design?” WebAward judges selected the Obama site 3 to 1 over the Clinton Website.74.8% of them voted for Senator Obama’s Website and 25.2% selected Senator Clinton’s Website as better looking.
Innovation - Website innovation also went in favor of Barack Obama. By the same margin as design, the vast majority of WebAward judges (74.8%) thought the Obama Website seems more innovative, while only 25.2% favored Clinton’s.
Content - In terms of having the most appealing content, judges again selected the Obama Website over Hillary Clinton’s Website, although by a narrower margin than the first two criteria. 65.7% of the WebAward judges felt barackobama.com has more appealing content for visitors compared to 34.3% for hillaryclinton.com. WebAward judges also found that the Obama Website is more effective for telling the candidate's story and attracting contributions and voters to its cause (68.5% Obama vs 31.5% Clinton).
Ease of use – Senator Obama’s Website was seen as easier to use by the WebAward judges than Senator Clinton’s. 57.5% selected barackobama.com as easier to use compared to 42.5% of WebAward judges who felt hillaryclinton.com was easier.
Copywriting– It is obvious that both campaigns have excellent writers on staff. Neither Websites have any of the editing issues some large organizations can experience. However, the WebAward judges gave a slight advantage to the Obama site (60.8% over the Clinton site 39.2%).
Interactivity – Interactivity makes a Website more than just an online billboard and both candidates were effective in giving visitors to their Websites plenty to see and do. Nevertheless, once again the WebAward judges gave the edge regarding interactivity to the Obama Website (64.8%) over the Clinton Website (35.2%).
Technology – Use of technology is evident in both candidates’ Websites, however, the clear favorite for the WebAward judges was barackobama.com winning 73.8% of the votes compared to hillaryclinton.com with only 26.2% of the votes.
Regardless of who you will be voting for in the next presidential election, Websites are going to play an ever increasingly important role in how candidates get their messages across to the American voters. Based on the findings of this survey by some of the top Internet professionals available today, the Web Marketing Association names barackobama.com the winner of the Clinton vs Obama Website Challenge. We wish both candidates the best of luck in their efforts to become the Democratic Presidential candidate in the November election.
To see the actual results of the survey please go to the Clinton Obama Survey Results page on our website or view a short video of the results. We also have posted survey comments from some of our judges in another posting on this blog.
The 12th annual international WebAwards competition sets the standard of excellence in 96 industry categories by evaluating Web sites and defining benchmarks based on the seven essential criteria of successful Web site development. The goal of the Web Marketing Association, sponsor of the WebAwards, is to provide a forum to recognize the people and organizations responsible for developing some of the most effective Web sites on the Internet today. Entrants benefit from a Web site assessment by a professional judging panel and the marketing opportunities presented to an award-winning Web site.
Websites in 96 industries can now be entered in the 2008 WebAwards at the award program Website. The 2008 Call for Entry deadline is May 31, 2008. For more information, visit www.webaward.org.
Comments from the judges on Senators Clinton and Obama Websites
The Web Marketing Association asked past WebAward judges to review both www.hillaryclinton.com and www.barackobama.com using the same criteria used in the annual WebAwards program. The sites were judged side by side on seven criteria of a successful Website. More than 100 Judges responded on short notice and named Senator Obama's Website as the Best Websites in head to head competition against Senator Clinton's Website.
One of the main benefits of participating in the annual WebAward competition is the feedback participants receive regarding their Websites. Below are some of the comments from the WebAward judges regarding the two sites being evaluated. They are the personal opinions of the specific judge who made them and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Web Marketing Association. Attribution is given where available.
For compete information on the Clinton Obama Website Challange, please visit our Website at www.TheWebAwards.org.
I think both designs and architectures were well planned. But on the user experience side, both the Clinton and Obama sites initially forced a sign up page, requesting my email and contact info on my first visit. When I landed on Hilary’s site, I thought I had received a link in error to some landing page see http://hillaryclinton.com/splash/. Both sites request this ahead being allowed in the main area but it went away on a browser refresh, so while I did not study the code, I assumed it was a basic use of a cookie. Overall, I thought this was a poor treatment of the first time visitor by forcing the desire of the campaign to gather information without having served the user. Both sites did offer a “skip this” choice to proceed to the main site but it took some review time to even find that. I tested this with others on my staff and got the same reaction about the treatment of the 1st time visitor. For the record I also checked and McCain’s site did not currently use the same information gathering tactic which may only relate to where he is in the primary cycle. With so many undecided voters, I thought this was a clear cut example of not putting the user first and designing the experience for them rather than forcing them into a model that worked for the campaigns.
Bo Simmons, President, Cool Blue Interactive
Barack's website has a more calming effect and eases you into the different topics on the site. Hillary's feels more clutters and pushy. As far as web design goes Barack's website has a more current web 2.0 look and feel. Both websites are very impressive and the technology used is equally so.
Jon Harrison, Webavt.com
The navigation of the site appear the same -- even the DONATE NOW/CONTRIBUTE button is the same color and placement. Even the language of video (candidateTV) is the same! In the end, Barack seems to be doing a better job visually. There is much more use of white space, which results in homepage scrolling, but this works better than cramming all the content into the homepage like the Hillary site. Content-wise the websites appear similiar just with a different candidate. Obama does seem to make more use of social media, but one has to wonder if it a case of name-dropping ("hey, I represent on MyBatanga!"). Interestingly, Hillary's "bilingual" page keeps navigation and a lot of the call to actions in English. No bueno.
David Felfoldi, Sherpa! Web Studios
I found the design of Barack Obama's site to be lively, consistent and professional and the messaging to be positive and engaging. Every element was handled with finesse and the flow of information invited exploration. The site definitely conveyed "possibilities." If I lived in bubble and this was the only exposure I had to the candidate and his campaign, I would be very impressed. On the other hand, I found Hillary Clinton's site to be uninspiring in both its design and its tone. The site appeared overly conventional and cluttered, the messaging came across as harsh and needy, and the overall experience felt stale. I think the site might actually do the candidate some disservice because it lacked warmth, vision and personality. If I were to vote for a candidate based solely on the merits of his or her Website, Barack Obama would win by a landslide.
Sherry Bastion, ARCHESITE.
Both sites are almost complete copies of the other. The differences are so minor that I believe they are very evenly matched with Hillary's site being more compact and Obama's site is more iconic. The Hillary site is more pure CSS than Obama's but both function nicely. One cool thing that the Obama site has is ring-tones and more focus on the mobile user. Also his layout of the video channel is nicer although her's loads much faster.
Bruce Baughman, President, Design Monkey Artists Domain Inc.
Overall, it was tough to determine a clear winner because both sites were very similar. What made BarackObama.com stand out for me was that through the use of color and his photography, it made the experience more inviting and personable. HillaryClinton.com felt a bit stale and cold, not engaging enough. I did prefer Hillary's story though with the timeline and photography. Another great element was 'The Hillary I Know' microsite that featured video of those closest to her - nice touch.
Jeannie Metz-Fratoni, Creative Director, Red Door Interactive
While both candidate web sites are superb on their own, when judging them side by side, Barack Obama's web site has the edge on every available metric -- from the initial look and feel of the splash page to the way the interior of the site is structured and dressed to communicate effectively. As one example, the Barack Obama web site is much more effective in its use of white space to make each area of the page stand out whereas the Hillary Clinton web site feels more crammed -- with lots of bold colors competing for attention.
Raymond Pirouz raymondpirouz.com/
It is very hard for me to distinguish between the 2 of these sites. if you took the name and photos off, they would look almost exactly the same- color palette, font, layout, menu headings, they have nearly the same content in the same order.
In this campaign Hillary Clinton appears to be trailing in every aspect, including online campaigning. While her campaign has made an effort to include references and connections to most social networking tools, they clearly lack the commitment and resources to make the most of their online opportunities. As a result her Website presents Hillary Clinton as a fairly scattershot candidate. Barack Obama's campaign, on the other hand, clearly started with a strong commitment to using design and online campaigning to engage the public in their campaign story. As with his speeches and other communications, every element of Obama's Website is meticulously crafted. Typography is impeccable, graphics are gorgeous, and his message of hope, community, and vision for a positive future are unmissable.
As an objective judge for the WebAwards for the last 4 years, as well as dealing with web design and communication issues daily in my business, the Clinton site was by far more professional and intuitive than the Obama site. As an Obama supporter I felt quite disappointed in the disparity. Perhaps the answer lies in the financial resource that Clinton has over Obama in hiring the right web and communication managers.
Brian Bickford, President, Strategic Productions
I think Obama's site is much more contemporary, and will appeal to more technically savvy viewers, while Clinton's is not as innovative in structure, technology, etc. As a designer I'd rather be taking credit for Obama's site, although I'm a Clinton supporter.
Both candidates have loaded their sites with the latest media tools and are nearly identical in form and function. They have nailed the technology, but they are missing the human element. Neither Clinton nor Obama have a personal blog where they could connect with voters in their own words and share their daily experiences. Everyone from Moms to CEOs are blogging today, why not the candidates? It's a real chance to make a competitive difference on the web and build a personal connection with voters.
Bob Gilbreath, Chief Marketing Strategist, Bridge Worldwide
Most annoying on both sites was seeing a sign up form very prominent on the page. I almost thought that's all there was until I saw the "Enter site" button. This would turn off a lot of people I think and is almost the same as the annoying "Skip Intro" Flash sites. Clinton's site was more straightforward HTML so it was a little easier to use and the contribution form looked and worked cleaner. However overall Obama's site was better especially in the copywriting it was clearer where he stood on positions or at least was able to find his positions better. Probably the biggest piece of cheese on his site was the "Powered by Hope" emblem on the bottom. It almost felt jokey and if it wasn't, it's taking the "hope" theme too far and making it meaningless. (I hope his t-shirts aren't "built by hope") Overall there's not much differentiation between the sites, it's almost like they bought the same template and went from there. Especially when they aren't going for politics as usual, their sites certainly are.
"The websites of the 3 leading U.S. Presidential contenders reflect, not surprisingly, their various personalities and agendas. The design, contents and use of technologies vary from conservative to very progressive. A look at all three websites gives insight into how modern media planners can integrate technology tools to promote their message and their brand strategy.
Ric Shreves, http://RicShreves.net
While many of the details of their platforms are informed by similar values and proposals, the vitality of Obama's site is inspiring and engaging (even the backgrounds of the Obama site have a vitality lacking in the Hillary site's drab gradients). Will a site change the minds of visitors? I found that it effectively drew me closer to the candidate; in fact I might just go back and volunteer.
Jamie Leo, Creative Director, The Monday Campaigns
In the battle for popularity, the ability to use the Web and Social Media effectively can be a critical determinant of success. The Hillary Clinton campaign has put together a cogent, persuasive website with sophisticated use of technology, including social media. The Barack Obama website however has an earthy appeal to it, and perfectly reinforces the message that the Obama campaign has consistently sought to convey. The Obama site thus strongly resonates with it's target audience.
Dr. V P Kochikar, Assc Vice President and Principal Consultant, Infosys Technologies
It's clear that the Obama website has embraced all that is new about the web. An indication of what he stands for and what he's aiming to achieve. It is clear, concise and beautifully designed. Although not a poor site in many ways, the first impression of Clinton's is of desperation. It is loaded with colours and content that can confuse the user. Being from the UK, I can judge these sites with little affiliation to a candidate, and I would say Obama's site is by far the most appealing.
Nic Sheppard, eBusiness Manager, iShares Europe
Barack Obama needs to make it clear to the user that visitors do not have to provide their name and email information in order to view the site. Currently, you can only use the logo to access the site. Hillary Clinton clearly states it on the home page.
Linda Girard, Pure Visibility
Both sites were slick, but I would have to give a narrow edge to Sen. Clinton. The design was denser, the content seemed richer and the video streaming was clearer on the Clinton page. Both sites reflected the personalities of the candidates -- Clinton's site had more detail (and threw more punches); Obama's site was more inspiring. Both candidates emphasized money raising, no surprise there.
Rob Wray, Rob Wray Marketing
The Clinton site whilst looking very basic on entering it is really full of technology but not in an "in your face" kind of way. Subtle, good copy, nice graphics.
Nic Carter-Jones, New Millennium Internet UK
One of the main benefits of participating in the annual WebAward competition is the feedback participants receive regarding their Websites. Below are some of the comments from the WebAward judges regarding the two sites being evaluated. They are the personal opinions of the specific judge who made them and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Web Marketing Association. Attribution is given where available.
For compete information on the Clinton Obama Website Challange, please visit our Website at www.TheWebAwards.org.
I think both designs and architectures were well planned. But on the user experience side, both the Clinton and Obama sites initially forced a sign up page, requesting my email and contact info on my first visit. When I landed on Hilary’s site, I thought I had received a link in error to some landing page see http://hillaryclinton.com/splash/. Both sites request this ahead being allowed in the main area but it went away on a browser refresh, so while I did not study the code, I assumed it was a basic use of a cookie. Overall, I thought this was a poor treatment of the first time visitor by forcing the desire of the campaign to gather information without having served the user. Both sites did offer a “skip this” choice to proceed to the main site but it took some review time to even find that. I tested this with others on my staff and got the same reaction about the treatment of the 1st time visitor. For the record I also checked and McCain’s site did not currently use the same information gathering tactic which may only relate to where he is in the primary cycle. With so many undecided voters, I thought this was a clear cut example of not putting the user first and designing the experience for them rather than forcing them into a model that worked for the campaigns.
Bo Simmons, President, Cool Blue Interactive
Barack's website has a more calming effect and eases you into the different topics on the site. Hillary's feels more clutters and pushy. As far as web design goes Barack's website has a more current web 2.0 look and feel. Both websites are very impressive and the technology used is equally so.
Jon Harrison, Webavt.com
The navigation of the site appear the same -- even the DONATE NOW/CONTRIBUTE button is the same color and placement. Even the language of video (candidateTV) is the same! In the end, Barack seems to be doing a better job visually. There is much more use of white space, which results in homepage scrolling, but this works better than cramming all the content into the homepage like the Hillary site. Content-wise the websites appear similiar just with a different candidate. Obama does seem to make more use of social media, but one has to wonder if it a case of name-dropping ("hey, I represent on MyBatanga!"). Interestingly, Hillary's "bilingual" page keeps navigation and a lot of the call to actions in English. No bueno.
David Felfoldi, Sherpa! Web Studios
I found the design of Barack Obama's site to be lively, consistent and professional and the messaging to be positive and engaging. Every element was handled with finesse and the flow of information invited exploration. The site definitely conveyed "possibilities." If I lived in bubble and this was the only exposure I had to the candidate and his campaign, I would be very impressed. On the other hand, I found Hillary Clinton's site to be uninspiring in both its design and its tone. The site appeared overly conventional and cluttered, the messaging came across as harsh and needy, and the overall experience felt stale. I think the site might actually do the candidate some disservice because it lacked warmth, vision and personality. If I were to vote for a candidate based solely on the merits of his or her Website, Barack Obama would win by a landslide.
Sherry Bastion, ARCHESITE.
Both sites are almost complete copies of the other. The differences are so minor that I believe they are very evenly matched with Hillary's site being more compact and Obama's site is more iconic. The Hillary site is more pure CSS than Obama's but both function nicely. One cool thing that the Obama site has is ring-tones and more focus on the mobile user. Also his layout of the video channel is nicer although her's loads much faster.
Bruce Baughman, President, Design Monkey Artists Domain Inc.
Overall, it was tough to determine a clear winner because both sites were very similar. What made BarackObama.com stand out for me was that through the use of color and his photography, it made the experience more inviting and personable. HillaryClinton.com felt a bit stale and cold, not engaging enough. I did prefer Hillary's story though with the timeline and photography. Another great element was 'The Hillary I Know' microsite that featured video of those closest to her - nice touch.
Jeannie Metz-Fratoni, Creative Director, Red Door Interactive
While both candidate web sites are superb on their own, when judging them side by side, Barack Obama's web site has the edge on every available metric -- from the initial look and feel of the splash page to the way the interior of the site is structured and dressed to communicate effectively. As one example, the Barack Obama web site is much more effective in its use of white space to make each area of the page stand out whereas the Hillary Clinton web site feels more crammed -- with lots of bold colors competing for attention.
Raymond Pirouz raymondpirouz.com/
It is very hard for me to distinguish between the 2 of these sites. if you took the name and photos off, they would look almost exactly the same- color palette, font, layout, menu headings, they have nearly the same content in the same order.
In this campaign Hillary Clinton appears to be trailing in every aspect, including online campaigning. While her campaign has made an effort to include references and connections to most social networking tools, they clearly lack the commitment and resources to make the most of their online opportunities. As a result her Website presents Hillary Clinton as a fairly scattershot candidate. Barack Obama's campaign, on the other hand, clearly started with a strong commitment to using design and online campaigning to engage the public in their campaign story. As with his speeches and other communications, every element of Obama's Website is meticulously crafted. Typography is impeccable, graphics are gorgeous, and his message of hope, community, and vision for a positive future are unmissable.
As an objective judge for the WebAwards for the last 4 years, as well as dealing with web design and communication issues daily in my business, the Clinton site was by far more professional and intuitive than the Obama site. As an Obama supporter I felt quite disappointed in the disparity. Perhaps the answer lies in the financial resource that Clinton has over Obama in hiring the right web and communication managers.
Brian Bickford, President, Strategic Productions
I think Obama's site is much more contemporary, and will appeal to more technically savvy viewers, while Clinton's is not as innovative in structure, technology, etc. As a designer I'd rather be taking credit for Obama's site, although I'm a Clinton supporter.
Both candidates have loaded their sites with the latest media tools and are nearly identical in form and function. They have nailed the technology, but they are missing the human element. Neither Clinton nor Obama have a personal blog where they could connect with voters in their own words and share their daily experiences. Everyone from Moms to CEOs are blogging today, why not the candidates? It's a real chance to make a competitive difference on the web and build a personal connection with voters.
Bob Gilbreath, Chief Marketing Strategist, Bridge Worldwide
Most annoying on both sites was seeing a sign up form very prominent on the page. I almost thought that's all there was until I saw the "Enter site" button. This would turn off a lot of people I think and is almost the same as the annoying "Skip Intro" Flash sites. Clinton's site was more straightforward HTML so it was a little easier to use and the contribution form looked and worked cleaner. However overall Obama's site was better especially in the copywriting it was clearer where he stood on positions or at least was able to find his positions better. Probably the biggest piece of cheese on his site was the "Powered by Hope" emblem on the bottom. It almost felt jokey and if it wasn't, it's taking the "hope" theme too far and making it meaningless. (I hope his t-shirts aren't "built by hope") Overall there's not much differentiation between the sites, it's almost like they bought the same template and went from there. Especially when they aren't going for politics as usual, their sites certainly are.
"The websites of the 3 leading U.S. Presidential contenders reflect, not surprisingly, their various personalities and agendas. The design, contents and use of technologies vary from conservative to very progressive. A look at all three websites gives insight into how modern media planners can integrate technology tools to promote their message and their brand strategy.
Ric Shreves, http://RicShreves.net
While many of the details of their platforms are informed by similar values and proposals, the vitality of Obama's site is inspiring and engaging (even the backgrounds of the Obama site have a vitality lacking in the Hillary site's drab gradients). Will a site change the minds of visitors? I found that it effectively drew me closer to the candidate; in fact I might just go back and volunteer.
Jamie Leo, Creative Director, The Monday Campaigns
In the battle for popularity, the ability to use the Web and Social Media effectively can be a critical determinant of success. The Hillary Clinton campaign has put together a cogent, persuasive website with sophisticated use of technology, including social media. The Barack Obama website however has an earthy appeal to it, and perfectly reinforces the message that the Obama campaign has consistently sought to convey. The Obama site thus strongly resonates with it's target audience.
Dr. V P Kochikar, Assc Vice President and Principal Consultant, Infosys Technologies
It's clear that the Obama website has embraced all that is new about the web. An indication of what he stands for and what he's aiming to achieve. It is clear, concise and beautifully designed. Although not a poor site in many ways, the first impression of Clinton's is of desperation. It is loaded with colours and content that can confuse the user. Being from the UK, I can judge these sites with little affiliation to a candidate, and I would say Obama's site is by far the most appealing.
Nic Sheppard, eBusiness Manager, iShares Europe
Barack Obama needs to make it clear to the user that visitors do not have to provide their name and email information in order to view the site. Currently, you can only use the logo to access the site. Hillary Clinton clearly states it on the home page.
Linda Girard, Pure Visibility
Both sites were slick, but I would have to give a narrow edge to Sen. Clinton. The design was denser, the content seemed richer and the video streaming was clearer on the Clinton page. Both sites reflected the personalities of the candidates -- Clinton's site had more detail (and threw more punches); Obama's site was more inspiring. Both candidates emphasized money raising, no surprise there.
Rob Wray, Rob Wray Marketing
The Clinton site whilst looking very basic on entering it is really full of technology but not in an "in your face" kind of way. Subtle, good copy, nice graphics.
Nic Carter-Jones, New Millennium Internet UK
Monday, April 14, 2008
Internet Industry Conferences
If you are attending ad:tech, April 15&17 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, please stop by and see us in the exhibit hall in booth 6381. Also look for Dennis Franczak, of FUSE/ideas who was the winner of the conference pass drawing we held in the last issue of Interactive Briefing.
Speaking of winners, congratulations also goes out to Susan Prater, Interactive Marketing Manager at Owens Corning who was selected to receive an iTouch by stopping by our booth at Search Engine Strategies New York Conference (another outstanding industry event)
We are giving away several copies of Seth Godin’s newest book Meatball Sundae: Is your marketing out of sync. Please email your contact information to (meatball at webaward.org)
and if you’re selected, we will mail you a copy of this interesting book courtesy of our friends at Search Engine Strategies.
Speaking of winners, congratulations also goes out to Susan Prater, Interactive Marketing Manager at Owens Corning who was selected to receive an iTouch by stopping by our booth at Search Engine Strategies New York Conference (another outstanding industry event)
We are giving away several copies of Seth Godin’s newest book Meatball Sundae: Is your marketing out of sync. Please email your contact information to (meatball at webaward.org)
and if you’re selected, we will mail you a copy of this interesting book courtesy of our friends at Search Engine Strategies.
Manufacturing Web sites Highlighted in Podcast
Bill Rice, President of the Web Marketing Association was recently interviewed on PodcasterNews about the state of excellence in manufacturing Websites. The interview also discussed the seven criteria for a successful Website and what a Website needs to be successful in today's online environment.
Based in Colorado and across the US via Skype, the Better Process Podcast interviews small and mid-sized manufacturing companies, and the companies that service these companies. Shows are free to download from iTunes (search for Better Process Podcast in iTunes music store) and are available most business days. More information on the show can be found at http://www.BetterProcess.com. The Better Process Podcast is the voice of the small and mid-sized manufacturing firm.
The interview can be listened to online at PodCasterNews, or you can download the mp3 file here.
Based in Colorado and across the US via Skype, the Better Process Podcast interviews small and mid-sized manufacturing companies, and the companies that service these companies. Shows are free to download from iTunes (search for Better Process Podcast in iTunes music store) and are available most business days. More information on the show can be found at http://www.BetterProcess.com. The Better Process Podcast is the voice of the small and mid-sized manufacturing firm.
The interview can be listened to online at PodCasterNews, or you can download the mp3 file here.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
We Need Your Help
The Web Marketing Association is a volunteer organization that each year produces the WebAward program. We need your help in spreading the news about our call for entry to other Internet Professionals. Our greatest marketing asset is you our newsletter readers.
You can help by:
Emailing other professionals or site owners and ask them to participate in the WebAwards.
Blog about the WebAwards. Either on your blog or industry blogs, write about our call for entry or your experiences with the WebAwards. You can point them to our blog posting for the Call for Entry.
Tell others within your organization. It is difficult to maintain contact with past participants via email. People change responsibilities, email addresses change and companies get merged. Make sure the correct people within your organization, including offices in other cities know about the WebAwards. The more awards your organization wins, the more recognition you will receive.
With your help we can have the most successful WebAward competition ever!
You can help by:
Emailing other professionals or site owners and ask them to participate in the WebAwards.
Blog about the WebAwards. Either on your blog or industry blogs, write about our call for entry or your experiences with the WebAwards. You can point them to our blog posting for the Call for Entry.
Tell others within your organization. It is difficult to maintain contact with past participants via email. People change responsibilities, email addresses change and companies get merged. Make sure the correct people within your organization, including offices in other cities know about the WebAwards. The more awards your organization wins, the more recognition you will receive.
With your help we can have the most successful WebAward competition ever!
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Call for WebAward Judges
Each year, we look to add experienced Internet professionals to the ranks of our WebAward Judging Panel. We select new judges based on the number of returning judges, the number of entries and the number of qualified applicants. Being a WebAward judge is a valuable experience that helps the individual better understand overall Web development and of course looks impressive on a resume or corporate bio.
"The WebAwards is different from other Web site award programs because we're not just a beauty pageant focused on name recognition and design," said William Rice, president of the Web Marketing Association. "Our judges are handed picked experts who have hands on experience either leading or developing some of today's top Websites. These individuals understand that participating as a judge in the WebAwards is one excellent way to give back to the online marketing community and help it to grow and evolve."
Judges will consist of a select group of Internet professionals who have direct experience designing and managing Web sites,–including members of the media, interactive creative directors, site designers, content providers and webmasters – with an in-depth understanding of the current state-of-the-art in Web site development and technology. Past judges have included top executives from leading organizations such as A&E Television Networks, Agency.com, Blattner Brunner, Bridge Worldwide, The Cincinnati Enquirer, Comedy Central, Disney, Euro RSCG, Ion Global, J. Walter Thompson, John Deere Company, New York Post Interactive, Organic, Inc., Refinery, R/GA, Saatchi & Saatchi, SAP, Starwood Hotels, Sun Microsystems, Warner Bros. Online, Xerox and Zugara.
If you or someone some one in your organization would make a good judge, they can learn more and enter their name for consideration on the WebAward Judges Nomination Form
"The WebAwards is different from other Web site award programs because we're not just a beauty pageant focused on name recognition and design," said William Rice, president of the Web Marketing Association. "Our judges are handed picked experts who have hands on experience either leading or developing some of today's top Websites. These individuals understand that participating as a judge in the WebAwards is one excellent way to give back to the online marketing community and help it to grow and evolve."
Judges will consist of a select group of Internet professionals who have direct experience designing and managing Web sites,–including members of the media, interactive creative directors, site designers, content providers and webmasters – with an in-depth understanding of the current state-of-the-art in Web site development and technology. Past judges have included top executives from leading organizations such as A&E Television Networks, Agency.com, Blattner Brunner, Bridge Worldwide, The Cincinnati Enquirer, Comedy Central, Disney, Euro RSCG, Ion Global, J. Walter Thompson, John Deere Company, New York Post Interactive, Organic, Inc., Refinery, R/GA, Saatchi & Saatchi, SAP, Starwood Hotels, Sun Microsystems, Warner Bros. Online, Xerox and Zugara.
If you or someone some one in your organization would make a good judge, they can learn more and enter their name for consideration on the WebAward Judges Nomination Form
Thursday, April 03, 2008
SES returns to the San Jose Convention Center August 18-21, 2008
Early Bird Special: SAVE $600 on a Platinum Passport now through Tuesday, April 29.
San Jose in the summer is the place to be. Not only is it the center of the famed Silicon Valley, home to the largest concentration of successful internet and high-tech companies in the world, it is also the location for this year's Search Engine Strategies summer event!
There's no debating it, while SES NY is the agency conference, SES SJ is the high-tech and internet company event of the year! If you missed last year's Search Engine Strategies Summer in San Jose, you must be in attendance this August 18-21.
Saving $600 on a Platinum Passport now through Tuesday, April 29th Web Marketing Association members and friends can save more with their discount code – SJ10WMA
Register today for this outstanding event!
San Jose in the summer is the place to be. Not only is it the center of the famed Silicon Valley, home to the largest concentration of successful internet and high-tech companies in the world, it is also the location for this year's Search Engine Strategies summer event!
There's no debating it, while SES NY is the agency conference, SES SJ is the high-tech and internet company event of the year! If you missed last year's Search Engine Strategies Summer in San Jose, you must be in attendance this August 18-21.
Saving $600 on a Platinum Passport now through Tuesday, April 29th Web Marketing Association members and friends can save more with their discount code – SJ10WMA
Register today for this outstanding event!
ad:tech Awards judging
Choose the best interactive ads and websites for the ad:tech People's Choice Awards! You have until April 4th to vote and winners will be announced at ad:tech San Francisco.
Click here to vote
Click here to vote
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Web Marketing Association's 12th Annual WebAwards to Honor World’s Best Web Sites
The Web Marketing Association is pleased to announce the call for entries for its 12th annual international WebAward competition. The WebAwards is the standards-defining competition that sets industry benchmarks based on the seven criteria of a successful Web site. It recognizes the individual and team achievements of Web professionals who create and maintain outstanding Web sites. The deadline for entry in the 2008 WebAwards is May 31, 2008. A complete list of past winners and this year’s entry form can be found at www.webaward.org.
“The WebAwards is different from other Web site award programs because we’re not just a beauty pageant focused on name recognition and design,” said William Rice, president of the Web Marketing Association. “The goal of the WebAwards is to not only recognize the people and organizations responsible for developing some of the most effective Web sites on the Internet today, but also provide valuable feedback to entrants on how their sites stack up against their peers and industry standards of excellence. For that reason, we see ourselves more like the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval than the Academy Awards.”
Web sites are judged on seven criteria, including design, innovation, content, technology, interactivity, copy writing and ease of use and receive a numeric score. Each WebAward entry is judged against other entries in its industry category and then against an overall standard of excellence. Entrants also benefit from receiving valuable feedback from the WebAwards professional judging panel on their Web site development efforts.
Using the quantifiable data collected from nearly 18,000 Web site evaluations over the past decade, the WebAwards has defined and recognized industry-specific benchmarks for successful Web sites in each of these areas and release a the Internet Standards Assessment Report to communicate the findings of the study. A copy of the study is available at www.webaward.org.
This year’s top awards will include:
• A “Best of Industry” WebAward, a handsome plaque with the image of the winning site embossed, will be given in each of the 96 industry categories, including financial services, medical, small business, travel, advertising, transportation and government.
• The competition’s highest honor, the 2008 WebAward “Best of Show,” will be given to the one site that the judges believe represents the pinnacle of outstanding achievement in Web development. Last year’s Best of Show winner was Walt Disney Internet Group for its outstanding work on Disney XD web site, which also won Best Design Website. Best of show runner up submitted by Atlanta-based IQ Interactive is UPS Whiteboard.
• The Web Marketing Association will also recognize the interactive agency winning the most awards in the competition with the “Top Interactive Agency” WebAward. The 2007 Top Agency award was Biggs/Gilmore taking home 20 WebAwards. Biggs/Gilmore is headquartered in Kalamazoo, MI and took home Best Food Website, Best Pharmaceutical Website and 8 Outstanding WebAwards and 11 Standard of Excellence WebAwards.
Judging for the 2008 WebAwards will take place in June through August and winners will be announced in September. Judges will consist of a select group of Internet professionals who have direct experience designing and managing Web sites,–including members of the media, interactive creative directors, site designers, content providers and webmasters – with an in-depth understanding of the current state-of-the-art in Web site development and technology. Past judges have included top executives from leading organizations such as A&E Television Networks, Agency.com, Blattner Brunner, Bridge Worldwide, The Cincinnati Enquirer, Comedy Central, Disney, Euro RSCG, Ion Global, J. Walter Thompson, John Deere Company, New York Post Interactive, Organic, Inc., Refinery, R/GA, Saatchi & Saatchi, SAP, Starwood Hotels, Sun Microsystems, Warner Bros. Online, Xerox and Zugara.
About the WebAwards
The 12th annual international WebAwards competition sets the standard of excellence in 96 industry categories by evaluating Web sites and defining benchmarks based on the seven essential criteria of successful Web site development. The goal of the Web Marketing Association, sponsor of the WebAwards, is to provide a forum to recognize the people and organizations responsible for developing some of the most effective Web sites on the Internet today. Entrants benefit from a Web site assessment by a professional judging panel and the marketing opportunities presented to an award-winning Web site. For more information, visit www.webaward.org.
“The WebAwards is different from other Web site award programs because we’re not just a beauty pageant focused on name recognition and design,” said William Rice, president of the Web Marketing Association. “The goal of the WebAwards is to not only recognize the people and organizations responsible for developing some of the most effective Web sites on the Internet today, but also provide valuable feedback to entrants on how their sites stack up against their peers and industry standards of excellence. For that reason, we see ourselves more like the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval than the Academy Awards.”
Web sites are judged on seven criteria, including design, innovation, content, technology, interactivity, copy writing and ease of use and receive a numeric score. Each WebAward entry is judged against other entries in its industry category and then against an overall standard of excellence. Entrants also benefit from receiving valuable feedback from the WebAwards professional judging panel on their Web site development efforts.
Using the quantifiable data collected from nearly 18,000 Web site evaluations over the past decade, the WebAwards has defined and recognized industry-specific benchmarks for successful Web sites in each of these areas and release a the Internet Standards Assessment Report to communicate the findings of the study. A copy of the study is available at www.webaward.org.
This year’s top awards will include:
• A “Best of Industry” WebAward, a handsome plaque with the image of the winning site embossed, will be given in each of the 96 industry categories, including financial services, medical, small business, travel, advertising, transportation and government.
• The competition’s highest honor, the 2008 WebAward “Best of Show,” will be given to the one site that the judges believe represents the pinnacle of outstanding achievement in Web development. Last year’s Best of Show winner was Walt Disney Internet Group for its outstanding work on Disney XD web site, which also won Best Design Website. Best of show runner up submitted by Atlanta-based IQ Interactive is UPS Whiteboard.
• The Web Marketing Association will also recognize the interactive agency winning the most awards in the competition with the “Top Interactive Agency” WebAward. The 2007 Top Agency award was Biggs/Gilmore taking home 20 WebAwards. Biggs/Gilmore is headquartered in Kalamazoo, MI and took home Best Food Website, Best Pharmaceutical Website and 8 Outstanding WebAwards and 11 Standard of Excellence WebAwards.
Judging for the 2008 WebAwards will take place in June through August and winners will be announced in September. Judges will consist of a select group of Internet professionals who have direct experience designing and managing Web sites,–including members of the media, interactive creative directors, site designers, content providers and webmasters – with an in-depth understanding of the current state-of-the-art in Web site development and technology. Past judges have included top executives from leading organizations such as A&E Television Networks, Agency.com, Blattner Brunner, Bridge Worldwide, The Cincinnati Enquirer, Comedy Central, Disney, Euro RSCG, Ion Global, J. Walter Thompson, John Deere Company, New York Post Interactive, Organic, Inc., Refinery, R/GA, Saatchi & Saatchi, SAP, Starwood Hotels, Sun Microsystems, Warner Bros. Online, Xerox and Zugara.
About the WebAwards
The 12th annual international WebAwards competition sets the standard of excellence in 96 industry categories by evaluating Web sites and defining benchmarks based on the seven essential criteria of successful Web site development. The goal of the Web Marketing Association, sponsor of the WebAwards, is to provide a forum to recognize the people and organizations responsible for developing some of the most effective Web sites on the Internet today. Entrants benefit from a Web site assessment by a professional judging panel and the marketing opportunities presented to an award-winning Web site. For more information, visit www.webaward.org.
WebmasterRadio.FM presents The Web Marketing Awards Special, Airing April 4, 2008
WebmasterRadio.FM, the premier free, 24/7 Internet business radio network focused on the B2B marketplace and the official radio network of the 12th Annual WebAwards is pleased to announce The Web Marketing Awards Special airing April 4, 2008 on WebmasterRadio.FM
On the WebmasterRadio.FM Web Marketing Awards Special, host William Rice from the Web Marketing Association will speak with Josh Webb, Associate Creative Director and Rocky Hunter, Account Supervisor from IQ Interactive, the Atlanta-based interactive firm that won Best of Show Runner Up in the 2007 WebAwards for their outstanding work on the UPS Whiteboard Website. “The whiteboard ad campaign has been used by UPS to successfully each its target audience across many media platforms, says William Rice, President of the Web Marketing Association. “Josh and Rocky will walk us through the concepts and technology that make the UPS Whiteboard Website so innovating and award winning”.
The show will also discuss how Web marketing professionals and Webmasters can win recognition for their own efforts by participating in the 2008 WebAward competition. Websites can be entered into 96 industries, including financial services, medical, small business, travel, advertising, transportation and government The Web Marketing Association’s independent expert judges will visit each site entered and evaluate it based on seven criteria of a successful Website. Sites earning the highest score in their industry will receive the Best of Industry WebAward. Sites not receiving the top award will be eligible to receive Outstanding Website and Standard of Excellence WebAwards.
The deadline for entering the 2008 WebAwards is May 31st and you can learn more and enter at www.webaward.org. WebmasterRadio.FM is the official radio network of The 12th annual WebAwards competition, the standards-defining competition that sets industry benchmarks based on the seven criteria of a successful Web site.
On the WebmasterRadio.FM Web Marketing Awards Special, host William Rice from the Web Marketing Association will speak with Josh Webb, Associate Creative Director and Rocky Hunter, Account Supervisor from IQ Interactive, the Atlanta-based interactive firm that won Best of Show Runner Up in the 2007 WebAwards for their outstanding work on the UPS Whiteboard Website. “The whiteboard ad campaign has been used by UPS to successfully each its target audience across many media platforms, says William Rice, President of the Web Marketing Association. “Josh and Rocky will walk us through the concepts and technology that make the UPS Whiteboard Website so innovating and award winning”.
The show will also discuss how Web marketing professionals and Webmasters can win recognition for their own efforts by participating in the 2008 WebAward competition. Websites can be entered into 96 industries, including financial services, medical, small business, travel, advertising, transportation and government The Web Marketing Association’s independent expert judges will visit each site entered and evaluate it based on seven criteria of a successful Website. Sites earning the highest score in their industry will receive the Best of Industry WebAward. Sites not receiving the top award will be eligible to receive Outstanding Website and Standard of Excellence WebAwards.
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The deadline for entering the 2008 WebAwards is May 31st and you can learn more and enter at www.webaward.org. WebmasterRadio.FM is the official radio network of The 12th annual WebAwards competition, the standards-defining competition that sets industry benchmarks based on the seven criteria of a successful Web site.
Friday, March 28, 2008
ExactTarget eMarketing Essentials Seminar Hits The Road
Route 1 to 1: The New eMarketing Essentials seminar from long time Web Marketing Association supporter ExactTarget is heading your way. ExactTarget’s one-day seminar is coming to a town near you and will help you improve your email marketing program. You’ll learn how to:
Engage your prospects
Maximize your marketing ROI
Drive higher sales
Increase return on customer
Build brand loyalty
In other words, Route 1 to 1 is the fast track to email marketing success!
They’ve gathered the industry’s best and brightest to bring you the latest news in digital communications. In addition to informative ExactTarget presentations, top industry experts and analysts will provide one-to-one marketing technology insight, and ExactTarget clients will share real-life examples of B2B and B2C email marketing success.
As a leading provider of on-demand email marketing software, ExactTarget is committed to delivering results. Take a field trip from the office and join us for Route 1 to 1. You’ll walk away with an arsenal of actionable strategies to power your email marketing program down the road to success.
Here are the dates and locations:
April 22 - Atlanta, GA
April 24 - New York City, NY
May 13 - Cincinnati, OH
May 15 - Chicago, IL
May 20 - Toronto, ON
May 22 - Minneapolis, MN
June 10 - Dallas, TX
June 12 - Denver, CO
June 17 - Orange County, CA
June 24 - Seattle, WA
June 26 - San Francisco, CA
July 22 - Miami, FL
July 24 - Boston, MA
ExactTarget is the email provider for the Web Marketing Association. We hope you attend this exciting and beneficial program. For more information, go to the ExactTaget Website.
Engage your prospects
Maximize your marketing ROI
Drive higher sales
Increase return on customer
Build brand loyalty
In other words, Route 1 to 1 is the fast track to email marketing success!
They’ve gathered the industry’s best and brightest to bring you the latest news in digital communications. In addition to informative ExactTarget presentations, top industry experts and analysts will provide one-to-one marketing technology insight, and ExactTarget clients will share real-life examples of B2B and B2C email marketing success.
As a leading provider of on-demand email marketing software, ExactTarget is committed to delivering results. Take a field trip from the office and join us for Route 1 to 1. You’ll walk away with an arsenal of actionable strategies to power your email marketing program down the road to success.
Here are the dates and locations:
April 22 - Atlanta, GA
April 24 - New York City, NY
May 13 - Cincinnati, OH
May 15 - Chicago, IL
May 20 - Toronto, ON
May 22 - Minneapolis, MN
June 10 - Dallas, TX
June 12 - Denver, CO
June 17 - Orange County, CA
June 24 - Seattle, WA
June 26 - San Francisco, CA
July 22 - Miami, FL
July 24 - Boston, MA
ExactTarget is the email provider for the Web Marketing Association. We hope you attend this exciting and beneficial program. For more information, go to the ExactTaget Website.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
B@B Magazine NetMarketing Breakfast Series
Join interactive experts and your marketing peers for the B@B Magazine NetMarketing Breakfast Series, a networking breakfast and lively panel discussion a on cutting edge technologies for b-to-b marketers. From video and mobile marketing to social media and widgets, you'll gain insight into the most effective digital strategies as our panelists share those that have - and have not - worked for them. BtoB's editor, Ellis Booker, will moderate.
Remaining Spring 2008 dates and locations:
Atlanta: April 23
San Francisco: May 8
Chicago: May 20
Remaining Spring 2008 dates and locations:
Atlanta: April 23
San Francisco: May 8
Chicago: May 20
Monday, March 24, 2008
Interactive Briefing Feature Articles
In this month's Web Marketing Association Interactive Briefing Newsletter, there are two articles you might find interesting:
Pull PR: Combining SEO and Public Relations - Giving to get, transparency, conversation and participation are key concepts when it comes to an online PR program that involves not only blogger relations but also the search engines.
http://www.webmarketingassociation.org/wma_newsletter08_03_widget.htm- Letting your customers consume content on their own terms.
Pull PR: Combining SEO and Public Relations - Giving to get, transparency, conversation and participation are key concepts when it comes to an online PR program that involves not only blogger relations but also the search engines.
http://www.webmarketingassociation.org/wma_newsletter08_03_widget.htm- Letting your customers consume content on their own terms.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Conference Drawings
The last issue we offered a change to receive a chance to attend Search Engine Strategies in New York, March 17-19. Congratulations to Lori Keith, E-Marketing Manager at Strategic Diagnostics, Inc. in Newark, Delaware. Her name was selected and she is attending the conference on us!
This month we have a full conference pass to ad:tech San Francisco April 15-16 to offer to readers of Interactive Briefing. This is always one of the most impressive Internet conferences of the year. If you are interested in being entered, simply email your contact info to adtech at webaward.org and you'll be entered into the drawing. Deadline to enter is Thursday, March 27th and we'll contact the winner on the 28th.
This month we have a full conference pass to ad:tech San Francisco April 15-16 to offer to readers of Interactive Briefing. This is always one of the most impressive Internet conferences of the year. If you are interested in being entered, simply email your contact info to adtech at webaward.org and you'll be entered into the drawing. Deadline to enter is Thursday, March 27th and we'll contact the winner on the 28th.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Web Marketing Association Announces the Winners of the 2008 Internet Advertising Competition Awards
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.”
2008 Best of Show Awards were awarded in each of the online medium categories. This year's winners include:
Smashing Ideas for Picross Evolution (Best Ads the Client Did Not Pick)
Xylem CCI for Jack Link's Warm Wishes Email (Best of Show Email Message)
Spy Publishing for Get A Room (Best of Show Email Message Campaign)
Critical Mass for SUPERVALU's Selection '07 Interactive Campaign (Best of Show Integrated ad campaign)
Texturemedia for PENTAX Photo Gallery (Best of Show Interactive Application)
McKinney for Wakey'z (Best of Show Microsite/Landing Page)
JWT INSIDE for Make a Visible Difference (Best of Show Online ad)
RDA International for NIVEA FOR MEN Up 4 Anything Dream Week Contest (Best of Show Online Campaign)
BGT Partners for FedEx LAC Sales Team Intranet Redesign (Best of Show Online Newsletter Campaign)
Mullen for Mobile Nuance Type Test Banner (Best of Show Rich Media Online Ad)
Profero for Mess With Your Mind (Best of Show Rich Media Online Campaign)
For the fourth year in a row, TMX Communications of Conshohocken, PA was recognized with the 2008 Top Agency Award, winning 17 IAC Awards. Their awards included 12 Best of Industry awards and five Outstanding awards.
Other IAC Award winners who received multiple awards included:
AGENCY (number of awards)
TMX Communications 17
Bridge Worldwide 13
BGT Partners 11
Critical Mass 11
VML 11
Biggs|Gilmore 9
Creative I Advertising 9
Agency.com 8
USDM.net 8
AngelVision Technologies 7
Cheil Communications America 7
Atmosphere BBDO 6
Avenue A | Razorfish 6
Hitchcock Fleming & Associates 6
McCann Worldgroup Hong Kong 6
Palm Communication 6
Euro RSCG 4D 5
OTOlabs 5
Peter A Mayer Adv 5
Wunderman Team Detroit 5
Mullen 4
MRM Worldwide 4
Text 100 4
Young & Rubicam Brands 4
LBi 4
JWT INSIDE 4
Idea Integration 4
AKQA 4
The Competition web site with a complete list of winners is located at www.advertisingcompetition.org
The Web Marketing Association are now accepting entries for the 12th annual WebAward Competition for Web site development at www.webaward.org. Deadline for entry is May 31st 2008.
“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.”
2008 Best of Show Awards were awarded in each of the online medium categories. This year's winners include:
Smashing Ideas for Picross Evolution (Best Ads the Client Did Not Pick)
Xylem CCI for Jack Link's Warm Wishes Email (Best of Show Email Message)
Spy Publishing for Get A Room (Best of Show Email Message Campaign)
Critical Mass for SUPERVALU's Selection '07 Interactive Campaign (Best of Show Integrated ad campaign)
Texturemedia for PENTAX Photo Gallery (Best of Show Interactive Application)
McKinney for Wakey'z (Best of Show Microsite/Landing Page)
JWT INSIDE for Make a Visible Difference (Best of Show Online ad)
RDA International for NIVEA FOR MEN Up 4 Anything Dream Week Contest (Best of Show Online Campaign)
BGT Partners for FedEx LAC Sales Team Intranet Redesign (Best of Show Online Newsletter Campaign)
Mullen for Mobile Nuance Type Test Banner (Best of Show Rich Media Online Ad)
Profero for Mess With Your Mind (Best of Show Rich Media Online Campaign)
For the fourth year in a row, TMX Communications of Conshohocken, PA was recognized with the 2008 Top Agency Award, winning 17 IAC Awards. Their awards included 12 Best of Industry awards and five Outstanding awards.
Other IAC Award winners who received multiple awards included:
AGENCY (number of awards)
TMX Communications 17
Bridge Worldwide 13
BGT Partners 11
Critical Mass 11
VML 11
Biggs|Gilmore 9
Creative I Advertising 9
Agency.com 8
USDM.net 8
AngelVision Technologies 7
Cheil Communications America 7
Atmosphere BBDO 6
Avenue A | Razorfish 6
Hitchcock Fleming & Associates 6
McCann Worldgroup Hong Kong 6
Palm Communication 6
Euro RSCG 4D 5
OTOlabs 5
Peter A Mayer Adv 5
Wunderman Team Detroit 5
Mullen 4
MRM Worldwide 4
Text 100 4
Young & Rubicam Brands 4
LBi 4
JWT INSIDE 4
Idea Integration 4
AKQA 4
The Competition web site with a complete list of winners is located at www.advertisingcompetition.org
The Web Marketing Association are now accepting entries for the 12th annual WebAward Competition for Web site development at www.webaward.org. Deadline for entry is May 31st 2008.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
The Internet Standards Assessment Report updated by the Web Marketing Association for 2008
The Web Marketing Association, today released its Internet Standards Assessment Report (ISAR), which provides industry-specific benchmarking data for web development. The ISAR Index reversed a downward trend and the overall standard of excellence in Web development rose across 96 industries.
The ISAR index is an average of all scores in the Web Marketing Association’s WebAward competition sine 1997. Index rose from 50.7 in 2005 to 51.8 in 2007, an increase of 2%.
“The ISAR Index is the benchmark that many organizations use to compare their Web development efforts to’, said William Rice, President of the Web Marketing Association. “Web standards move as the technology and consumer trends push companies to upgrade their Web efforts and are reflected in the judges scores. Web sites that can create a total user experience that both informs and entertains the visitors who reach their sites will be most successful.”
The ISAR report includes the following just-released information:
1 Detailed Industry findings as compared to historical trends
2 Best and Worst Industries in Web Development
3 Best and Worst Industries as they compare to the 7 criteria for a successful Website
4 Award-wining sites for each industry
5 Commentary for each industry as compared to the overall competition in 2007
Information within the report is derived form the Web Marketing Association’s annual WebAward competition (www.webaward.org) which judges websites in 96 industries based on the seven criteria that combined help create award-winning websites.
The WebAward’s seven criteria for a successful Website include:
1 Design
2 Innovation
3 Content
4 Technology
5 Interactivity
6 Copywriting
7 Ease of Use
The ISAR report also includes an index with a running benchmark of web development to which each industry can draw comparisons. Drawing off information found in the ISAR report, web developers and others within organizations responsible for web design, can leverage statistical data to make more informed decisions in an effort to create more effect websites.
“The most successful award-winning websites develop the correct balance of design, innovation and technology to create a total user experience,” said Rice. “Once the total user experience is attained, the site becomes a sales tool itself because it has captured the visitor and the winners of the WebAward do this especially well.”
According to the ISAR report, the five best industries for Website development in 2007 were:
1. Toy & Hobby Web sites
2. Television Web sites
3. Airline Web sites
4. Arts Websites
5. Broadcasting Web sites
The worst overall industry websites included those such as Regional, Consulting and Investment websites.
To request your copy of the 2008 WebAward ISAR report, please visit the WebAward Website.
Web Developers anxious to see how their site compares with the ISAR Index can enter the 2008 WebAward competition in April and receive valuable feedback regarding their web development efforts. Learn more at www.webaward.org
About WebAwards
Now in its 12th year, the annual international WebAwards competition sets the standard of excellence in 96 industry categories by evaluating Web sites and defining benchmarks based on the seven essential criteria of successful Web site development. The goal of the Web Marketing Association, sponsor of the WebAwards, is to provide a forum to recognize the people and organizations responsible for developing some of the most effective Web sites on the Internet today. Entrants benefit from a Web site assessment by a professional judging panel and the marketing opportunities presented to an award-winning Web site. For more information, visit www.webaward.org.
The ISAR index is an average of all scores in the Web Marketing Association’s WebAward competition sine 1997. Index rose from 50.7 in 2005 to 51.8 in 2007, an increase of 2%.
“The ISAR Index is the benchmark that many organizations use to compare their Web development efforts to’, said William Rice, President of the Web Marketing Association. “Web standards move as the technology and consumer trends push companies to upgrade their Web efforts and are reflected in the judges scores. Web sites that can create a total user experience that both informs and entertains the visitors who reach their sites will be most successful.”
The ISAR report includes the following just-released information:
1 Detailed Industry findings as compared to historical trends
2 Best and Worst Industries in Web Development
3 Best and Worst Industries as they compare to the 7 criteria for a successful Website
4 Award-wining sites for each industry
5 Commentary for each industry as compared to the overall competition in 2007
Information within the report is derived form the Web Marketing Association’s annual WebAward competition (www.webaward.org) which judges websites in 96 industries based on the seven criteria that combined help create award-winning websites.
The WebAward’s seven criteria for a successful Website include:
1 Design
2 Innovation
3 Content
4 Technology
5 Interactivity
6 Copywriting
7 Ease of Use
The ISAR report also includes an index with a running benchmark of web development to which each industry can draw comparisons. Drawing off information found in the ISAR report, web developers and others within organizations responsible for web design, can leverage statistical data to make more informed decisions in an effort to create more effect websites.
“The most successful award-winning websites develop the correct balance of design, innovation and technology to create a total user experience,” said Rice. “Once the total user experience is attained, the site becomes a sales tool itself because it has captured the visitor and the winners of the WebAward do this especially well.”
According to the ISAR report, the five best industries for Website development in 2007 were:
1. Toy & Hobby Web sites
2. Television Web sites
3. Airline Web sites
4. Arts Websites
5. Broadcasting Web sites
The worst overall industry websites included those such as Regional, Consulting and Investment websites.
To request your copy of the 2008 WebAward ISAR report, please visit the WebAward Website.
Web Developers anxious to see how their site compares with the ISAR Index can enter the 2008 WebAward competition in April and receive valuable feedback regarding their web development efforts. Learn more at www.webaward.org
About WebAwards
Now in its 12th year, the annual international WebAwards competition sets the standard of excellence in 96 industry categories by evaluating Web sites and defining benchmarks based on the seven essential criteria of successful Web site development. The goal of the Web Marketing Association, sponsor of the WebAwards, is to provide a forum to recognize the people and organizations responsible for developing some of the most effective Web sites on the Internet today. Entrants benefit from a Web site assessment by a professional judging panel and the marketing opportunities presented to an award-winning Web site. For more information, visit www.webaward.org.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
IAC Award Results To Be Announced
The results of the Web Marketing Association's 2008 Internet Advertising Competition Awards will be announce publicaly on Tuesday, March 18th online at www.advertisingcompetition.org and at Search Engine Strategies New York.
Participants who wish to see the results for their entries can log in to their nominator account and review the results and update entry information prior to the public release.
Thank you to everyone who participated this year, especially out team of expert judges to volunteered their time and expertise to help select the winners.
Participants who wish to see the results for their entries can log in to their nominator account and review the results and update entry information prior to the public release.
Thank you to everyone who participated this year, especially out team of expert judges to volunteered their time and expertise to help select the winners.
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
B@B Magazine NetMarketing Breakfast Series
B@B Magazine NetMarketing Breakfast Series - Join interactive experts and your marketing peers for a networking breakfast and lively panel discussion a on cutting edge technologies for b-to-b marketers. From video and mobile marketing to social media and widgets, you'll gain insight into the most effective digital strategies as our panelists share those that have - and have not - worked for them. BtoB's editor, Ellis Booker, will moderate.
Spring 2008 Dates:
New York: March 12, May 14
Atlanta: April 23
San Francisco: May 8
Chicago: May 20
Spring 2008 Dates:
New York: March 12, May 14
Atlanta: April 23
San Francisco: May 8
Chicago: May 20
Search Engine Strategies Toronto
Search Engine Strategies Toronto, June 17&18 -- Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Totonto, Canada
Organized by world-renowned search authority Chris Sherman, SES Toronto delivers real-time actionable information you need to grow your business through search engine marketing; Search Engine Strategies Conference & Expo Toronto 2008 features presentations and panel discussions that cover all aspects of search engine-related promotion.
Take an extra 10% off when you use priority code 10WMA.
Organized by world-renowned search authority Chris Sherman, SES Toronto delivers real-time actionable information you need to grow your business through search engine marketing; Search Engine Strategies Conference & Expo Toronto 2008 features presentations and panel discussions that cover all aspects of search engine-related promotion.
Take an extra 10% off when you use priority code 10WMA.
Friday, February 29, 2008
ad:tech San Francisco
ad:tech San Francisco, April 15&17 -- Moscone Center, San Francisco
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.
Use the promotional code of SFEM20 for 20% off the current price for a Full Conference Pass.
The Web Marketing Association will be a sponsor of this event and participating in the exhibit hall. So please make sure to stop by and say hello.
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.
Use the promotional code of SFEM20 for 20% off the current price for a Full Conference Pass.
The Web Marketing Association will be a sponsor of this event and participating in the exhibit hall. So please make sure to stop by and say hello.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Website Magazine
If your not already getting Website Magazine, you should be. There's no charge within the US and available for a small fee outside the U.S.(covers the extra shipping). Great in depth articles that are helpful and well written. If you are an Internet Marketing professional or Web developer, you should be receiving this free publication. Use this link to sign up to receive the next issue.
Monday, February 25, 2008
MarketingSherpa Landing Page Teleseminar
The Web Marketing Association would like to thank Tim McAtee and Jim Ellis for joining us on the MarketingSherpa teleseminar on Landing Page Design in January. This practical and tip-filled session was very helpful and well attended. If you were unable to join us at the event, you can download the audio file and slides and re-live the event.
This presentation was based on new data from the report,
MarketingSherpa Landing Page Handbook (2008 edition), I have found this guide extremely helpful and full of useful and easy to implement suggestions on improving landing page design. Download your copy today.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Search Engine Strategies New York
Search Engine Strategies New York, March 17-20 -- Hilton New York, NYC
SES returns to New York for its 9th year with a new focus on the interactive marketplace and new format. Program has been reformatted to include strategies that surround and include search engine marketing. Keynote speakers from around the industry to help facilitate the overall integration of traditional search marketing and new players in the space. Lastly, we’re introducing the Orion panels. These primary sessions include industry thought leaders who will discuss the hottest topics we face today and this will drive the tactical content for the rest of your week. In short we want to create a learning environment that welcomes the new breed of search marketing along with the experts who have defined the space as we know it today.
Featured Speakers include
Nicholas Carr - Author of The Big Switch: Rewiring the World from Edison to Google
Gordon McLeod – President, The Wall Street Journal Digital Network
Jason Calacanis - Founder & CEO, Mahalo.com, Inc.
Andrew Tomkins - Chief Scientist, Yahoo! Research
John Battelle - Founder/Chairman/CEO, Federated Media
Sessions include
The Human Equation: Giving Back Internet Style »
Mobile Local Search: Finding the Way »
Web Analytics: Measuring Success »
Searcher Behavior Research Update »
Ad Copy & Landing Page Clinic »
Early Bird Special: Register by February 29th and receive a $150 discount. Take an extra 10% off when you use priority code 10WMA.
The Web Marketing Association will be a sponsor of this event and participating in the exhibit hall. So please make sure to stop by and say hello.
SES returns to New York for its 9th year with a new focus on the interactive marketplace and new format. Program has been reformatted to include strategies that surround and include search engine marketing. Keynote speakers from around the industry to help facilitate the overall integration of traditional search marketing and new players in the space. Lastly, we’re introducing the Orion panels. These primary sessions include industry thought leaders who will discuss the hottest topics we face today and this will drive the tactical content for the rest of your week. In short we want to create a learning environment that welcomes the new breed of search marketing along with the experts who have defined the space as we know it today.
Featured Speakers include
Nicholas Carr - Author of The Big Switch: Rewiring the World from Edison to Google
Gordon McLeod – President, The Wall Street Journal Digital Network
Jason Calacanis - Founder & CEO, Mahalo.com, Inc.
Andrew Tomkins - Chief Scientist, Yahoo! Research
John Battelle - Founder/Chairman/CEO, Federated Media
Sessions include
The Human Equation: Giving Back Internet Style »
Mobile Local Search: Finding the Way »
Web Analytics: Measuring Success »
Searcher Behavior Research Update »
Ad Copy & Landing Page Clinic »
Early Bird Special: Register by February 29th and receive a $150 discount. Take an extra 10% off when you use priority code 10WMA.
The Web Marketing Association will be a sponsor of this event and participating in the exhibit hall. So please make sure to stop by and say hello.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
CMO Council Survey
The Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council’s new Coalition to Leverage and Optimize Sales Effectiveness (CLOSE) is undertaking a major study to understand where and how greater efficiencies and cooperation between departments can drive sales. Marketing executives are being called on to integrate ever more closely with sales, and switch their focus from branding to lead generation and business closing activities. Please take approximately 15 minutes to provide the CMO Council with important feedback on this critical need. They will share aggregated findings with you and your individual responses will be kept strictly confidential.
The CLOSE survey is available in 5 languages:
English,
Spanish,
Portuguese,
Dutch and
French.
Monday, February 18, 2008
IAC Award Judges Alert
If you were selected as an Internet Advertising Competition Awards judge for 2008, you should have received your judges instructions by email.
If you have not received them, please log in to your judges homepage and you can review the judging guidelines from within your judges account.
If you have not received them, please log in to your judges homepage and you can review the judging guidelines from within your judges account.
OMMA Hollywood Conference and Expo
OMMA Hollywood Conference and Expo, March 17-18, 2007 -- Renaissance Hollywood Hotel, Hollywood, CA
OMMA is the hottest conference and trade show for the business of Online Media, Marketing and Advertising. Programmed by the editors of OMMA magazine, this conference delivers outstanding main-stage sessions, keynotes, workshops, VIP lunches, special events, cocktail parties, panels, breakouts, research presentations, forecasts, and a busy trade show floor. The show is filled with marketers and agency executives who want to learn and know more about leading edge advertising and marketing solutions and network with the online agency and marketing community in Hollywood for two full days.
OMMA is the hottest conference and trade show for the business of Online Media, Marketing and Advertising. Programmed by the editors of OMMA magazine, this conference delivers outstanding main-stage sessions, keynotes, workshops, VIP lunches, special events, cocktail parties, panels, breakouts, research presentations, forecasts, and a busy trade show floor. The show is filled with marketers and agency executives who want to learn and know more about leading edge advertising and marketing solutions and network with the online agency and marketing community in Hollywood for two full days.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Last day to enter the 2008 Internet Advertising Competition Awards
February 15th is the final day to enter your best online advertising into the the Web Marketing Association's 2008 IAC Awards. After today, the entry form will be taken off the server and your opportunity to win recognition for yourself and your work will be gone.
If you have already enter the program, today is the last day you can edit your entries. Log into your nominator account and make sure your entry is ready for the judges.
If you have already enter the program, today is the last day you can edit your entries. Log into your nominator account and make sure your entry is ready for the judges.
PPC Summit, Boston
PPC Summit, Boston, March 3&4 - The Westin Copley Place, Boston
Get Better Pay Per Click Results in Two Days at PPC Summit Boston an exclusive how-to workshop where you'll work directly with the experts to learn the skills you need to maximize your Pay Per Click opportunities, outperform your competitors, and increase your ROI. Learn about tools to Improve Your Online Pay Per Click Marketing Results, keyword tactics to drive conversions and lower cost per click, search engine marketing copywriting techniques, landing page development skills to convert visitors to buyers and strategies and competitive advantages that only the insiders know!
HURRY, REGISTER TODAY for the PPC Summit, Boston(Mar. 3 & 4) to get your 10% discount (use code: WMA10) before the early bird deadline Feb. 22, plus bonus $200 savings!
PPC Summit Is Coming To a City Near You: Vancouver Mar. 31 & April 1 > London April 14 & 15 > San Francisco May 19 & 20 > Los Angeles TBD. Enter the Code WMA10 in the invitation code field on the registration form. This code will be good for all PPC Summits.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
WebAward Industry Sponsor Opportunity
The Web Marketing Association will again be offering sponsorships of specific industries within the WebAward competition for 2008. If your company or organization is interested in participating as an industry sponsor, please contact Bill Rice at the email address wrice at webaward.org to learn more.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
eMarketing Association's eM8-West
eM8-West provides the forum for the very latest trends, best practices, processes and ideas that are transforming the future of marketing. This conference will give you practical ideas and tools for significantly improving your marketing programs. 15 focused sessions contain so much new content and cutting edge actionable ideas and processes you should bring your entire team. This conference covers it all, email, mobile, search, website, online and social marketing, it will provide you with the knowledge to move your programs forward in a synergistic process.
eM8 - West
April 15-16, 2008
San Francisco Hilton
eM8 - West
April 15-16, 2008
San Francisco Hilton
Agencies that win the most awards are the most profitable
According to January, 2008 O'Dwyers PR Report, WPP Group,one of the world's largest communications services groups, said that ad agencies that win the most awards are the most profitable. Agencies now publicize themselves by promoting their awards instead of advertising in Ad Age and adweek said marketing guru Al Ries.
Ad Agencies' Obsession With Winning Awards
An article in the New York Times by Randall Rothenberg entitled Ad Agencies' Obsession With Winning Awards holds true today as well as when the article was published.
The article reported that few in advertising question the importance of these honors to agency creative people and that although major advertisers routinely deny concern with awards, agency executives overwhelmingly affirm their importance in luring new business.
The Web Marketing Association is proud of it two award program's the WebAwards and the Internet Advertising Competition Awards
The article reported that few in advertising question the importance of these honors to agency creative people and that although major advertisers routinely deny concern with awards, agency executives overwhelmingly affirm their importance in luring new business.
The Web Marketing Association is proud of it two award program's the WebAwards and the Internet Advertising Competition Awards
Monday, February 11, 2008
Internet Advertising Awards deadline this Friday
Just a final quick reminder that this Friday, February 15, 2008 is the last day you can enter the Web Marketing Association's 2008 Internet Advertising Competition awards. The judging starts Monday so don't be left out in the cold and get your entries in before Friday.
If you are already entered, Friday is the last day you can edit your entry.
If you are already entered, Friday is the last day you can edit your entry.
MIX08 – The Next Web Now
MIX08 – The Next Web Now, March 5 - 7, 2008, The Venetian Resort Hotel, Las Vegas
Now in its third year, MIX is an intimate opportunity for cutting-edge technical, creative and business strategists to engage Microsoft in a conversation about the future of the web. Come explore the latest wave of opportunities and help redefine the boundaries between: content and commerce, PC and TV, Windows and the Web.
Keynote presentations delivered by Steve Ballmer, Scott Guthrie, Guy Kawasaki and other distinguished speakers unveiling the latest web-oriented products and technologies. Benefit from a comprehensive program of sessions for designers, developers and business strategists led by industry experts and hands-on labs and workshops for developers and designers.
Now in its third year, MIX is an intimate opportunity for cutting-edge technical, creative and business strategists to engage Microsoft in a conversation about the future of the web. Come explore the latest wave of opportunities and help redefine the boundaries between: content and commerce, PC and TV, Windows and the Web.
Keynote presentations delivered by Steve Ballmer, Scott Guthrie, Guy Kawasaki and other distinguished speakers unveiling the latest web-oriented products and technologies. Benefit from a comprehensive program of sessions for designers, developers and business strategists led by industry experts and hands-on labs and workshops for developers and designers.
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Interactive Briefing Articles for February
Here are the articles that appeared in the February issue of the Web Marketing Association's Interactive Briefing Newsletter.
Beware the Trend Bandwagon - Which trends were all hype and which ones got it right? More importantly, what looks to be hot in 2008? Read what imc² has to say about strategically incorporating the appropriate trends into your marketing plan.
Consumers Shout “I Want My Online Video”- Video content, once reserved to restricted distribution and corporate scheduling, is now readily available on demand at your favorite Internet web site. The torrent of available video content online has been met with near insatiable consumer demand and intense advertiser interest. Burst recently surveyed more than 2,600 online respondents to get a better idea of how they consume online video, and their perception of advertising placements within it. (PDF).
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Internet World UK
Internet World is the leading event for decision-makers responsible for their organisation's digital
marketing and Internet presence taking place in Earls Court, London from the 29
Apr -1 May 2008. It is the UK's largest B2B
Internet event. Recently winning two highly acclaimed awards from Event
Magazine – Best Business Exhibition and
Most Improved Established Exhibition. The 2008 Keynote Programme features BBC,
Microsoft, Intel, Habbo Hotel, Sony, Thomas Cook, Blinkx, IAB, T-Mobile,
McKinsey and Company amongst many others. You will hear from over 300 speakers giving you the chance to
master or introduce yourself to Digital Marketing and the Business Internet technologies
ranging from IPTV, Mobile Internet, Web 2.0/3.0, Search/Behavioural Targeting, Online
Advertising, Hosting/Connectivity, Content Management, Email Marketing, Ecommerce,
Analytics/Measurement and much more.
Internet World 2008
Business for the Digital Age
29 Apr-1 May 2008,
Earls Court, London
Register for FREE entry at www.internetworld.co.uk
Monday, February 04, 2008
Search Engine Strategies conference and Expo London
Search Engine Strategies conference and Expo London, February 19-21, 2008 - Business Design Centre, London UK
Last year's event in London was another smashing success! Once again all U.K. attendance records were broken as industry professionals packed the session rooms and hung onto every word looking for ways to improve their business.
MarketingTech: Tailormade Conference
From mobile to digital, retail to e-tail, MarketingTech: Tailormade is a chance for marketers to pick and choose across 16 training clinics, so that the one-day event will provide a personalised hands-on, experiential 'one-stop shop', to gain updates on the latest developments and how to practically use these technologies to enhance customer engagement.
New technology: what's out there?
What is a flash in the pan and what will shape the future?
How can it be practically applied to your business and how can you prove return?
Hear from 16 brand speakers including Yell.com, Cadbury-Schweppes, Times Online, Disney and more… Learn more about: Mobile Marketing | Web 2.0, Blogs, Social Networking| Search | Digital's Latest Developments | Irresistible Email Campaigns| Consumer Behaviour| Winning Websites| Innovative In-Store
MarketingTech: Tailormade
The Grange City Hotel, London
31 March 2008
www.marketingtech.co.uk
*BOOK BEFORE 7 February & Save £50*
New technology: what's out there?
What is a flash in the pan and what will shape the future?
How can it be practically applied to your business and how can you prove return?
Hear from 16 brand speakers including Yell.com, Cadbury-Schweppes, Times Online, Disney and more… Learn more about: Mobile Marketing | Web 2.0, Blogs, Social Networking| Search | Digital's Latest Developments | Irresistible Email Campaigns| Consumer Behaviour| Winning Websites| Innovative In-Store
MarketingTech: Tailormade
The Grange City Hotel, London
31 March 2008
www.marketingtech.co.uk
*BOOK BEFORE 7 February & Save £50*
Friday, February 01, 2008
Internet Advertising Awards Deadline Extended
The Internet Advertising Competition (IAC) Awards call for entry deadline has been extended until February 15th. This will be the only deadline extension as the judging will begin on Feb. 18th. The IAC awards honor individuals and organizations across the globe for their contribution to online advertising excellence. Entries will be judged on creativity, innovation, impact, design, copywriting, and use of the medium.
If you've waited until the last minute to enter - that last minute is here! Enter the IAC Awards today!
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