Award Winning Sites Embrace Total User Experience in 2006

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

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

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

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

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

Happy holidays to all and a very merry new year!

Bill Rice
President
Web Marketing Association

Internet Advertising Competition Awards 2007 Call for Entries is Now Open

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

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

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

Judging for the IAC Awards will take place in February, 2007, and winners will be notified by e-mail one week prior to the general announcement of winners in March, 2007. Judges will consist of a select group of Internet advertising professionals with an in-depth understanding of the current state-of-the-art in Web advertising. Past competition judges have included top executives from leading corporations, institutions and media organizations such as Ogilvy Interactive, Saatchi & Saatchi, Blattner Brunner, Comedy Central, Sun Microsystems, National Cable & Telecom Association, Refinery, Euro RSCG, EPB Interactive, New York Post Interactive, The Cincinnati Enquirer, J. Walter Thompson, Xerox, Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Modem Media, and Answerthink.

The 2007 Internet Advertising Competition Awards are sponsored by Burst Media, AdRants, ad:tech, ExactTarget, Small Army, OMMA, PR Web, NewsUSA, , Misukanis & Odden, Top Rank Online Marketing, SimpleFeed, WebSite Services Magazine and www.YourPhotoOnChocolate.com.

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

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

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

Interactive Briefing Featured Articles

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

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


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

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

eComXpo Opens today

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

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

Search Marketing Study

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

Web Marketing Association drawing for ad:tech Conference pass

ad:tech is one of the top conferences in the online marketing space and its next event will be held November 6-8th in New York at the New York Hilton. ad:tech is an interactive advertising and technology conference dedicated to connecting all sides of today’s brand marketing landscape. Worldwide shows blend keynote speakers, topic driven panels and interactive workshops to provide attendees with the tools and techniques they need to compete in a changing world. We’re committed to bringing you the now and the next of modern marketing.

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

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

Web Marketing Association Support eComXpo

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

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

2006 Interactive Investor Relations Awards competition

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

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

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

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

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

St Paul Pioneer Press Coverage of MIMA Keynote

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

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

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

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

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

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

Details for the Minnesota Interactive Marketing Association 2006 Summit

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

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

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

Media attendance at the event is free.

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

About WebAwards

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

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

WebAward Winners Announced

The Web Marketing Association announced today the winners of its tenth annual WebAward Competition for outstanding web site development. More than 2,300 web sites from 35 countries were adjudicated in 96 industry categories during this year's WebAward competition.

Entries were judged on top web site design, copy writing, innovation, content, interactivity, navigation, and use of technology.

“The World Wide Web continues to evolve in terms of Web site development and the expectations of visitors to sites,” said William Rice, President of the Web Marketing Association. “The Web sites today are more integrated than event and have multimedia tools embedded into the site rather than as links. The WebAward Once again the WebAward winning Websites have set the standard for all Web development. This accomplishment serves as invaluable marketing opportunity for both the winning website and company and serves as a benchmark for all Websites within the industry.”

The 2005 Best of Show WebAward is presented to New York-based Big Spaceship (www.bigspaceship.com), for its outstanding work on the "TBS: Department of Humor Analysis" web site at www.tbshumorstudy.com. The web site was also won for Best TV WebAward. TBS's Dept. of Humor Analysis works hard to put the -very- in front of -funny. To help TBS steer clear of common pitfalls in this cut-throat, dog-eat-dog, rabbit-outwit-duck, duck-shoot-pig, anvil-smush-coyote, Chico-trip-Zeppo field of funny business, Big Spaceship joined forces Mother Interactive to turn their very silly questionnaire into an addictive, fully interactive web site.

R/GA (www.rga.com) was named Top Agency at the 2006 WebAward Competition, taking home 19 WebAwards. The Top Agency Award recognizes the consistently outstanding development pursued by interactive firms when creating top website designs. R/GA has also won more WebAwards than any other organization during the past decade, although this is their first Top Agency Award. R/GA, headquartered in New York, won 12 Outstanding and 7 Standard of Excellence WebAwards.

Agencies or companies winning six or more WebAwards in 2006 include the following:

Agency - # of Website awards in 2006

R/GA - 19
Zugara - 18
E-Site Marketing - 13
Arnold Worldwide -12
Bridge Worldwide - 12
Refinery, Inc. - 12
BrowserMedia - 11
CondeNet - 11
Aristotle - 10
Avenue A / Razorfish - 9
Bbdigital (Blattner Brunner) -9
Vision Internet Providers - 9
Critical Mass - 8
Open World Ltd. - 8
Organic - 8
2Advanced Studio - 7
American Academy of Dermatology - 7
Biggs-Gilmore - 6
Brulant - 6
Buena Vista Pictures Marketing - 6
Hanson Inc. - 6
Hubbard One - 6
imc2 - 6
JWT Specialized Communications - 6
MagiClick - 6<
Mullen - 6
Ogilvy One - 6
Racepoint Group - 6
TM Interactice - 6
VML Inc - 6
WhippleHill Communications - 6

The WebAwards’ competition was judged by a team of independent Internet professionals representing a variety of relevant disciplines of Web site development. Judges included members of the media, advertising executives, web site designers, creative directors, corporate marketing executives, content providers and webmasters.

The WebAward competition format allows web sites to compete head to head with other web sites within their industry to win the Best of Industry awards.

Entries also compete against a standard of excellence to win Outstanding Web site and Standard of Excellence WebAwards. Each web site is judged on seven different criteria and earns a score between 0 and 70 points. The highest score in a given category wins Best of Industry for that category. If the remaining entries received a score of 60 or greater, they receive the Outstanding Web site award. Entries that scored between 50 and 59.9 receive the Standard of Excellence.

A complete list of the winning sites can be found at the WebAward Web site at www.webaward.org

The 2006 WebAward Competition sponsors include:

BURST! Media (www.burstmedia.com)
Misukanis & Odden (www.misukanisodden.com)
SimpleFeed (www.simplefeed.com)
Register.com (www.register.com)
NewsUSA (www.newsusa.com)
AdTools Inc(www.adtoolsinc.com)
Small Army (www.smallarmy.net)
Perseus Development Corp (www.perseus.com)
Top Rank (www.toprankmarketing.com)
Creative Chocolate Printing Company (www.CreativeChocolatePrinting.com)
PRWeb (www.prweb.com)

Media Sponsors include:
Website Services Magazine (www.websiteservices.com)
AdRants (www.adrants.com)
MarketingVox (www.marketingvox.com)
MediaPost (www.mediapost.com)
eComXpo (www.ecomxpo.com)
Ad:Tech (www.ad-tech.com)
Macworld (www.macworldexpo.com).

The Web Marketing Association thanks all of its sponsors for helping to make this annual competition possible.
About the Web Marketing Association

The Web Marketing Association is working to create a high standard of excellence for Web site development and marketing on the Internet. Staffed by volunteers, it is made up of Internet marketing, advertising, PR and design professionals who share an interest in improving the quality of Website development and marketing on the Internet. Since 1997, the Web Marketing Association’s annual WebAward Competition has been helping interactive professionals promote themselves, their companies, and their best work to the outside world. Now in its ninth year, the WebAward Competition has become the premier award event for Web developers and marketers worldwide.

2006 WebAward Winners Announced

-The Web Marketing Association announced today the winners of its tenth annual WebAward Competition for outstanding web site development. More than 2,300 web sites from 35 countries were adjudicated in 96 industry categories during this year's WebAward competition.



Entries were judged on top web site design, copy writing, innovation, content, interactivity, navigation, and use of technology.



“The World Wide Web continues to evolve in terms of Web site development and the expectations of visitors to sites,” said William Rice, President of the Web Marketing Association. “The Web sites today are more integrated than event and have multimedia tools embedded into the site rather than as links. The WebAward Once again the WebAward winning Websites have set the standard for all Web development.  This accomplishment serves as invaluable marketing opportunity for both the winning website and company and serves as a benchmark for all Websites within the industry.”

The 2005 Best of Show WebAward is presented to New York-based Big Spaceship (www.bigspaceship.com), for its outstanding work on the "TBS: Department of Humor Analysis" web site at www.tbshumorstudy.com. The web site was also won for Best TV WebAward. TBS's Dept. of Humor Analysis works hard to put the -very- in front of -funny.  To help TBS steer clear of common pitfalls in this cut-throat, dog-eat-dog, rabbit-outwit-duck, duck-shoot-pig, anvil-smush-coyote, Chico-trip-Zeppo field of funny business, Big Spaceship joined forces Mother Interactive to turn their very silly questionnaire into an addictive, fully interactive web site.

R/GA (www.rga.com) was named Top Agency at the 2006 WebAward Competition, taking home 19 WebAwards. The Top Agency Award recognizes the consistently outstanding development pursued by interactive firms when creating top website designs. R/GA has also won more WebAwards than any other organization during the past decade, although this is their first Top Agency Award. R/GA, headquartered in New York, won 12 Outstanding and 7 Standard of Excellence WebAwards.



Agencies or companies winning six or more WebAwards in 2006 include the following:

Agency - # of Website awards in 2006

R/GA - 19

Zugara - 18

E-Site Marketing - 13

Arnold Worldwide -12

Bridge Worldwide - 12

Refinery, Inc. - 12

BrowserMedia - 11

CondeNet  - 11

Aristotle - 10

Avenue A / Razorfish - 9

Bbdigital (Blattner Brunner) -9

Vision Internet Providers - 9

Critical Mass - 8

Open World Ltd. - 8

Organic - 8

2Advanced Studio - 7

American Academy of Dermatology - 7

Biggs-Gilmore - 6

Brulant - 6

Buena Vista Pictures Marketing - 6

Hanson Inc. - 6

Hubbard One - 6

imc2 - 6

JWT Specialized Communications - 6

MagiClick - 6<

Mullen  - 6

Ogilvy One - 6

Racepoint Group - 6

TM Interactice - 6

VML Inc - 6

WhippleHill Communications - 6

The WebAwards’ competition was judged by a team of independent Internet professionals representing a variety of relevant disciplines of Web site development.  Judges included members of the media, advertising executives, web site designers, creative directors, corporate marketing executives, content providers and webmasters.

The WebAward competition format allows web sites to compete head to head with other web sites within their industry to win the Best of Industry awards.

Entries also compete against a standard of excellence to win Outstanding Web site and Standard of Excellence WebAwards. Each web site is judged on seven different criteria and earns a score between 0 and 70 points. The highest score in a given category wins Best of Industry for that category.  If the remaining entries received a score of 60 or greater, they receive the Outstanding Web site award. Entries that scored between 50 and 59.9 receive the Standard of Excellence.

A complete list of the winning sites can be found at the WebAward Web site at www.webaward.org

The 2006 WebAward Competition sponsors include:

BURST! Media (www.burstmedia.com)

Misukanis & Odden (www.misukanisodden.com)

SimpleFeed (www.simplefeed.com)

Register.com (www.register.com)

NewsUSA (www.newsusa.com)

AdTools Inc(www.adtoolsinc.com.)

Small Army (www.smallarmy.net),

Perseus Development Corp (www.perseus.com)

Top Rank (www.toprankmarketing.com)

Creative Chocolate Printing Company (www.CreativeChocolatePrinting.com)

PRWeb (www.prweb.com)

Media Sponsors include:

Website Services Magazine (www.websiteservices.com)

AdRants (www.adrants)

MarketingVox (www.marketingvox.com)

MediaPost (www.wediapost.com)

eComXpo (www.ecomxpo.com)

Ad:Tech (www.ad-tech.com)

Macworld (www.macworldexpo.com).

The Web Marketing Association thanks all of its sponsors for helping to make this annual competition possible.

About the Web Marketing Association

The Web Marketing Association is working to create a high standard of excellence for Web site development and marketing on the Internet. Staffed by volunteers, it is made up of Internet marketing, advertising, PR and design professionals who share an interest in improving the quality of Website development and marketing on the Internet. Since 1997, the Web Marketing Association’s annual WebAward Competition has been helping interactive professionals promote themselves, their companies, and their best work to the outside world. Now in its ninth year, the WebAward Competition has become the premier award event for Web developers and marketers worldwide.

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

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

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

For more information visit: www.toprankresults.com

Misukanis & Odden named WebAward Sponsor

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

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

For
more information visit: www.misukanisodden.com.

Creative Chocolate Printing added as WebAward Sponsor

The Web Marketing Association is please to name the Creative Chocolate Printing Company as a sponsor of the annual WebAward Competition.

The Creative Chocolate Printing Company (www.yourLogoOnChocolate.com) creates personalized chocolate gifts and chocolate party favors for any event, occasion or budget! Chocolography is a newly patented technology that makes it possible to reproduce any picture, image, or message right on the surface of delicious chocolate. We will help you create unique and highly personalized chocolate products, which will astound even the most sophisticated customer.

WebAward Results Announced to Participants

If you entered the Web Marketing Association's 2006 WebAwards and have not received an email notice from us, please return to your nominator account for the results for your entries.

The Complete results, including Best of Show and Top Agency Awards, will be released publically on September 27, 2006 on our Website and through PR Web.

WebAward Judging Complete

I’m please to report that the judging for the 2006 WebAward
Competition for Website Development is now complete. We will tabulate the
results and selecting the award winners over the next few weeks. Winners will
be announced in mid-September.

The Web Marketing Association would like to thank the many
industry professionals who acted as judges for this year’s award program. These Internet experts provided their time
and expertise to help improve the overall standard of excellence for web design
and development. We are deeply in their debt.

2006 Call for entries closed

The 2006 WebAward Call for Entries is now complete and
judging will begin on Monday.

The winners will be announced in September, 2006

Good luck to all of our participants and a special thanks to
all of the expert judges who are preparing to review the 2006 entries.

10th annual WebAwards Deadline for Entry Extended

The Web
Marketing Association has announced that the deadline for entering its 10^th
annual WebAward Competition (www.webaward.org) has been extended until
June 15th to allow final entries to be submitted and existing entries to be
edited if needed. The WebAwards are the Internet’s premier award competition that judges website development against an
ever increasing Internet standard of excellence and against peer sites within
an industry.

A complete list of past winners and the entry form for
companies who wish to compete for 2006 honors can be found at www.webaward.org.

Web sites are judged on design, innovation, content, technology, interactivity, navigation and
ease of use. Each WebAward entry is judged against other entries in its industry
category and then against an overall standard of excellence. A Best of Industry WebAward, a handsome plaque
with the image of the winning site embossed, will be given in each of the 96 industry
categories, including financial services, medical, small business, travel,
advertising, transportation, and government.  New categories for this year include
Healthcare Providers, Medical Equipment, Fashion and Technology.