Tuesday, August 24, 2010

WebAward Winners To Be Announced September 15th

The Web Marketing Association will announce the winners of the 2010 WebAward Competition for Website development on their website on September 15, 2010.

Participants will be contacted via email before the 15th to review their entry credits to be sure the are correct when the winners are announced.

Special thanks to the panel of expert judges who spent hundreds of hours reviewing the sites in this year's competition.


Wednesday, June 16, 2010

2010 WebAward Call for Entry Now Closed

The extended deadline for the 2010 WebAward competition for Website Development has passed and no additional entries can now be submitted. Editing of existing entries has also been closed off.

We wish the best of luck to all of this year's participants.

Monday, June 14, 2010

Final Days to Enter 2010 WebAwards

Tomorrow, June 15th, is the final day to enter the 2010 WebAwards. It's now or never if you have not yet entered your best work. It's time to win the recognition you deserve. Learn more at
http://www.webaward.org/bestwebsites.asp

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

WebAward Entry Extension

The original deadline for entering the Web Marketing Association's 14th annual WebAward competition is today, May 25, 2010.

We will be extending the deadline to enter the 2010 WebAward competition without a late fee until this Friday, May 28th. Any sites submitted after this date will be subject to a late fee.

The final deadline to enter will be June 15th, right before the judges receive the sites. No sites will be accepted after this date.

For complete information on how to enter, go to www.webaward.org.


Tuesday, May 18, 2010

WebAwards deadline only days away!

If you are like most Internet professionals, you have already entered the 2010 WebAward competition for website development. If you have not done so yet, what are you waiting for? There is only one week - 7 days - less than 168 hours - to earn the recognition that will get you noticed. You've waited long enough, it's time to enter.

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You don't want your CEO coming to you in September and asking why your competitor won one of those cool new WebAward trophies and have to tell him or her that you missed the deadline! With 96 industries participating, of course there is a category for you.

The 14th Annual WebAward competition deadline for entry is May 25th, right before the Memorial Day Holiday in the USA. Entering is easy. Simply create a nominator account or log into an existing account from past years. This password protected area will allow you to enter multiple sites, edit the information and receive updates, results and feedback on your entries throughout the competition. Avoid a late fee by completing your Web sites entries before the deadline.


If you have already submitted your site, please make sure the entry is complete, the URL is active and any entries fees due have been paid before the deadline so the entry can be submitted to the judges.


Want to know how to increase your chances of winning a WebAward? Become a Fan of the WebAward Page on Facebook. Each day a new tip is posted to give you better insight into how to best position your entry to give it the maximum impact with the judges.


Monday, May 17, 2010

10 More WebAward Winning Tips

The Web Marketing Association is offer tips to improve your chances at winning a 2010 WebAward on the WMA Facebook Fan Page every weekday for until the May 25th entry deadline.

Here are 10 more Tips:

WebAward Tip #6 - Selecting the Most Appropriate category. The best way to pick the category your site will compete in is by saying to yourself “What would be best for my marketing program if I win?”. Many categories overlap because over the years people complained that they were one and not the other. The other thing to consider is how competitive the category might be. The “Mutual Fund” category is narrower than the “Financial Services” category and might be easier to take the top prize. However, Best Financial Services Website might have more cache for your marketing efforts. Sometimes the best idea is to enter both categories and double your chances to win.

WebAward Tip #7 - Tell Your Other Offices. One of the most prestigious awards given out each year is the Top Agency award, given to the agency which wins the most awards in a given year. If your agency has multiple offices or international offices, make sure they submit their entries also. We will combine all offices of the same company to count for that award.

WebAward Tip #8 - Non-English sites Are Welcome! The international WebAwards accepts sites in 10 languages (English, Spanish, French, Italian, Russian, Dutch, Chinese, Japanese, Greek and Turkish) and assigns these sites to judges who are fluent in that language. However, if an English version of the site is available, please submit that site as we have many more English speaking judges that other languages.

WebAward Tip #9 - Don’t Forget Microsites. It’s not just major enterprise websites that win awards. Sometimes it is the microsite, a site dedicated to a single product or concept, that does very well. It all starts with the URL you submit on the entry form.

WebAward Tip #10 - It’s Not Just The Big Names That Win. We pride ourselves for having a fair competition where it’s not only big brands that win. Judges are assigned sites to review without knowing who else might be in the category. Other website award programs have a history of sending only “big name” sites judges as nominated sites. At the WebAwards, the judges review all of the sites and the one with the highest scores wins.

WebAward Tip #11 - Enter The Same Site Every Year. Your site does not have to be new to enter the WebAwards each year. As Internet standards change, judges view sites differently and criteria scores can be different year over year. It’s a great way to benchmark your site and know what areas need to be improved over time.

WebAward Tip #12 - The URL You Enter Is Our Starting Point. Judges start their review based on the URL provided on the entry form, so you can submit sections of an overall website, not just the homepage. This is helpful when one division or product line has great content and wants to promote itself, but the site is part of a larger organization.

WebAward Tip #13 - Blog About The WebAwards. The more people know about the WebAwards, the more impressed they will be when they hear you have won one. Please help us by blogging about the WebAwards and sending people to www.webaward.org to learn more.

WebAward Tip #14 – Don’t Enter A Banner Ad. Each year several banner ad campaigns are entered the WebAwards and the nominators are always disappointed that they do not win because they don’t have meet the requirements of a website. Banner ads belong in the annual IAC Awards, not the WebAwards.

WebAward Tip #15 - Don’t Enter A Landing Page. Each year landing pages are entered the WebAwards and rarely do they win awards. Landing pages usually are missing several key elements of a complete website and they are better suited to the annual IAC Awards, not the WebAwards. Micro sites however, tend to do very well because of their narrow focus.


Click here to enter the 14th annual Web Marketing Association WebAwards.

Monday, May 03, 2010

How to Transform a Marketing Website into an Award Winning Site

Let’s face it – every Website on the Internet is a “marketing Website”. Whether it is a company trying to sell a product to a customer or a 15 year old high school girl trying to sell herself to her friends on MySpace, Websites are designed to promote a brand, product, person, company or idea to a global audience. And it works and works well. The question is then how to transform your B2B or B2C Website to rise above the rest and be worthy of recognition.

For almost a decade and a half, the Web Marketing Association has watched websites evolve and become important communication tools for marketing and commerce. Our WebAward competition for Website development has recorded more than 24,000 site reviews and recognized the best websites in 96 industries each year. Based on this award program research, here are four ways to make your website a more effective part of your online marketing efforts.

Focus on Content – Content is what people come looking for on your site. While every sites is different, straight information often does not always cut it any more. Users expect much more when they come to a Website looking for product information. They want to see links to manuals, customer testimonials or ratings, and virtual demos. Content today needs to be entertaining as much as it is informative. As browsers go mobile, be sure your content is suitable for mobile browsers and consider special content just for mobile visitors.

Make the Site Come Alive
– People what to be entertained and use all of their senses when they come to a Website. The experience is what makes a lasting impression. Sound can be a powerful tool. I remember one WebAward winner that allowed you to click on difficult medical words to hear how they sound and to learn to pronounce them. Simple technology that provides a valuable experience can give a user the confidence needed to talk a medical provider on important personal issues.

Appropriate use of Flash can also add much to a site. 73% of last year’s WebAward winning sites used Flash to enhance the user experience. Flash can enhance navigation and be used to create outstanding3D product demos for products and virtual tours for restaurants and hotel Websites. At the same time, overuse can make a sites seem cluttered and overwhelming.

Personalize the Experience – Databases changed Websites from flat hard-coded html pages where everyone saw the same thing every time, to dynamic pages where everything is added on the fly based on the needs of the specific page at that time. This also allows Websites to know their customer better when they return. Amazon.com is a great example of this. Every time you return, you can see past searches and purchases as well as what other buyers of those products were interested in as well.

Be careful that personalization does not become a barrier. Some Website make it hard for me to return by not remembering my username and password. Security feature? Not to me it isn’t. It’s bad customer service that will end up having me find another site. Yes you can target offers to me if you know who I am, but if all you do is target me, then I’m likely to know it and move on.

Consistent Brand Experience – What consumers experience online should be complimentary to what you are trying to accomplish offline. All too often interactive developers loose focus of the brand intent when implementing the online brand strategy. Often silos between traditional advertising and interactive departments result in opportunities being missed. The Internet can help you target you brand messaging to a tighter audience, but the brand values must be consistent everywhere the consumer interacts with the brand.

Bottom line

Websites today are too important as a branding and sales tool to not spend the effort to make sure that you stay on the cutting edge within their industry. Remember everything is relative when it comes to website development. It does not matter what Mercedes is doing on their Website – unless you are BMW. Focus on what your competitors are doing and make sure you keep the needs of the customer as priority one. This will help you stay one step ahead and make sure your efforts put you in good light when a potential customer is choosing between you and your competition.


William Rice is President of the Web Marketing Association, sponsor of the annual international WebAward competition for Website development. Now in its 14th 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 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.


Five Tips for Winning a WebAward

The Web Marketing Association is offer tips to improve your chances at winning a 2010 WebAward on the WMA Facebook Fan Page every weekday for until the May 25th entry deadline.

Here are the first 5 Tips:

WebAward Tip #1 - Pay Attention to the Audience and Mission Statement The judges use the audience and mission statement to get a sense of what you are trying to accomplish. It puts things into perspective for them. If you are too vague or worst too long winded, the judges will go on what that think the goal of the site should be and it may not be what you expect.

WebAward Tip #2 - Enter Early If You Pay By Check: Entries cannot be sent to the judges until the entry fee is paid. Some nominators wait until the final deadline to submit their site and then have to submit a check request! If your company requires you to pay by check, use May 1st as your deadline and get the site su...bmitted and the check request processed to give your entry viewed by the judges in the first round.

WebAward Tip #3 - Don’t Have A Single Landing Page for All Entries. Some agencies like to have a single landing page for all entries submitted to an awards show. This might make things easy for them, but it can be a nightmare for the judges. Creating a landing page is acceptable as long as it is only for the entry under consideration.

WebAward Tip #4 - Don’t Include Instructions In The URL Field. When we ask for a URL, we want only a URL. Typing “www.webaward.org (go to the bottom of the page first)”, will result in the judges getting an error message. If you have something you want the judges to know, add a “NOTE TO JUDGES” at the beginning of your audience and mission statement.

WebAward Tip #5 - Check your URL and Passwords. Every year sites are disqualified because the nominator had a typo in the URL or the server moved or the username expired. Don’t let this happen to you! If the URL changes, email us and we will update it. Make sure the user name and password (if necessary) are valid until... August 15th to be sure the judges can access the site.

For more information on the 14th annual WebAward Competition for Website development, please go to www.WebAward.org.



Ypulse Youth Marketing Mashup Drawing Winner

Congratulations to Karen McFee of Mediasmith who won the free full-conference pass to the Ypulse Youth Marketing Mashup in San Francisco Mat 21 & 22 at the Hotel Nikko.

The 2010 Ypulse Youth Marketing Mashup is where top brand, corporate and social marketers, media professionals, educators and non-profit organizations gather to share best practices, research and latest strategies on marketing to youth with technology.

There is still time to register at http://mashup.ypulse.com/. Use the code "WMA" can be used for a 10% discount for this event.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Bill Rice Interviewed on WebmasterRadio.FM

Bill Rice, President of the Web Marketing Association, appeared on WebMasterRadio.FM's InBoxed Show during the recent ad:tech conference in San Francisco.

Bill Spent almost 20 minutes talking to Jon Fondy about the 2010 WebAwards and even had to interview himself as Jon was dropped from the call for several minutes due to technical difficulties.

You can listen to the interview here.

Monday, April 26, 2010

Tips on Winning A WebAward

What is the best way to win a WebAward from the Web Marketing Association? To enter of course! However there are ways to improve your chances when the judging starts. Each weekday for the next month, we will post a Webaward Tip on our Facebook Fan Page to help you position your entry in the best possible light. So be sure to become a Fan of our WMA Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/WebMarketingAssoc and watch your newsfeed or visit the page to get a step ahead of the competition.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Ypulse Conference Pass Drawing

This month our friends at the Ypulse Youth Marketing Mashup to be held in San Francisco on June 1 & 2 are offering a change to receive a full conference pass to this outstanding conference. Please email your contact information, including name, title, company, and address to Ypulse@webaward.org. the Winner will be chosen on April 30th.

The 2010 Ypulse Youth Marketing Mashup is where top brand, corporate and social marketers, media professionals, educators and non-profit organizations gather to share best practices, research and latest strategies on marketing to youth with technology.

Use the code "WMA" can be used for a 10% discount for this event.

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Social Media Success Summit 2010: The Web's Largest Online Social Media Conference

Social Media Success Summit 2010 is the web's largest live online conference that will empower you to use social media to gain more exposure, better engage customers and grow your business. The world's leading social media gurus will show you how. Join 24 experts, including Guy Kawasaki (author, Art of the Start), Chris Brogan (author, Social Media 101), Darren Rowse (author, ProBlogger), Mari Smith (author, Facebook Marketing), Greg Jarboe (author, YouTube and Video Marketing), Kim Dushinski (author, Mobile Marketing Handbook); experts from Best Buy, Home Depot, Whole Foods, Foursquare and Groupon; Steve Rubel (Edelman), Ann Handley (MarketingProfs), Brian Clark (Copyblogger), Jason Falls (Social Media Explorer), Jay Baer (Convince & Convert) and Ramon De Leon (Chicago Domino's Pizza)—just to mention a few!

This year's focus is to empower you to build social media marketing plans, track your social media results and learn from other successful businesses. You'll also discover how to use Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Foursquare and Groupon to attract high-caliber customers and grow your business during this economic slump.

Spread out over the month of May, sessions can be watched live or watch a recorded version when convenient for you. Transcripts from each session are also included in the admission price.

You can get 50% off if you act now and attendance is limited. Go to the Social Media Success Summit Website for complete details and to sign up to attend.


Monday, March 29, 2010

WebAwards to Honor World's Best Web Sites

The Web Marketing Association is pleased to announce the call for entries for its 14th annual international WebAward competition. The WebAwards are 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 2010 WebAwards is May 25, 2010. A complete list of past winners and this year’s entry form can be found at www.webawards.org.

“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,” said William Rice, president of the Web Marketing Association. “The WebAwards is different from other Web site award programs because we’re not just a beauty pageant focused on name recognition and design. 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.

This year’s top awards will include:

• A Best of Industry WebAward 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 2010 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 Organic, Inc. for its outstanding work on "Bank of America - Morris on Campus" web site at http://www.bankofamerica.com/oncampus, which also won Best Bank Website.

• The Web Marketing Association will also recognize the interactive agency winning the most awards in the competition with the “Top Interactive Agency” WebAward. The 2009 Top Agency award was Extractable (http://www.extractable.com/) taking home 25 WebAwards. This Bay Area interactive agency specializing in web strategy, web design, custom technology, was recognized with five Outstanding Website WebAwards and 20 Standard of Excellence WebAwards.

Judging for the 2010 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, BGT Partners, Blattner Brunner, Bridge Worldwide, The Cincinnati Enquirer, Comedy Central, Disney, Euro RSCG, Ion Global, J. Walter Thompson, John Deere Company, New York Post Interactive, Organic, Inc., Refinery, R/GA, Saatchi & Saatchi, SAP, Starwood Hotels, Sun Microsystems, Warner Bros. Online, Xerox and Zugara.

The 2010 WebAwards are sponsored by the following leading organizations: BGT Partners, PR Newswire, Burst Media, AllBusiness.com, ExactTarget, ad:tech conferences, Internet World UK, Search Engine Strategies, Webmaster Radio, and Website Magazine. The Web Marketing Association thanks these companies for their commitment to the entire online marketing community.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Web Marketing Association Announces the Winners of the 2010 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.

2010 Best of Show Awards were awarded in each of the online medium categories. This year's winners include:

e-Dialog for e-Dialog 2009 Holiday Card (Best of Show Email message)
Conde Nast Digital for Proctor & Gamble: Must Have Its (Best of Show Online campaign)
Dean Media Group for Platform Addict (Best of Show Ads the client did not pick)
Bridge Worldwide for Pasta Al Denta Banners (Best of Show Integrated ad campaign)
Biggs|Gilmore for Gliders (Best of Show Interactive application)
Biggs|Gilmore for Video Recipes (Best of Show Online Video)
Biggs|Gilmore for FrootLoops.com (Best of Show Website)
COSSETTEfor Living Breathless (Best of Show Rich media Online ad)
Y&R New York and VML for Give It A Ponder (Best of Show Rich media Online campaign)
imc2 for Pizza Hut iPhone App (Best of Show Mobile application)
PGATOUR.COM and Datran Media's StormPostfor PGATOUR.COM Scores Hole in One with Video in Email (Best of Show Email message campaign)
Mattel & Razorfish for Hot Wheels Battle Force 5 (Best of Show Online ad)
Miles Media for VISIT FLORIDA (Best of Show Online Newsletter campaign)

Biggs|Gilmore of Kalamazoo, MI was recognized for the second year in a row with the 2010 Top Agency Award, winning 16 IAC Awards. Their awards include 3 Best of Show awards, 9 Best of Industry awards and 7 Outstanding awards.

Other IAC Award winners who received at least five awards included:

AGENCY (number of award winning entries)

Biggs|Gilmore 16
Bridge Worldwide 10
VML 10
BlueRush 9
Conde Nast Digital 8
Organic, Inc. 7
USDM.net 7
Aristotle 6
BGT Partners 6
Disney Parks & Resorts Online 6
Hitchcock Fleming & Associates 6
COSSETTE 5
John Hancock 5
Leopard 5
Razorfish 5
The Kaplan Thaler Group 5
Y&R 5


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


Free Full Pass to Attend ad:tech Conference

ad:tech Conference will be held in San Francisco on April 20-24. If you would like a chance to attend this conference for free, send your contact information, including name, title, company, and address to adtech@WebAward.org by March 31st to enter our drawing for a full conference pass.

This is a great conference every year and you can stop by the expo hall and say hello to the Web Marketing Association in booth #6383.


Sunday, March 21, 2010

Ypulse Youth Marketing Mashup

Ypulse Youth Marketing Mashup
May 24-25
Hotel Nikko San Francisco

The 2010 Ypulse Youth Marketing Mashup is where top brand, corporate and social marketers, media professionals, educators and non-profit organizations gather to share best practices, research and latest strategies on marketing to youth with technology.

For more info go to http://mashup.ypulse.com/


Wednesday, March 17, 2010

CMO Council's 4th Annual Marketing Outlook Study

Our friends over at the CMO Council are working on their 4th Annual Marketing Outlook Study which will be a valuable and reliable barometer of media and marketing spend, as well as a sound indicator of where and how marketers expect to drive campaign effectiveness, efficiency and yield in the months ahead.

Please take a few moments and take the survey to help the entire online marketing community be better prepared for the future.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

IAC Award Winners to be Announced

Today the nominators in the 2010 Internet Advertising Competition Awards received an email to log in to their nominator account to see the results of their entries.

On Monday, the results will be available to the entire world at www.iacaward.orghttp://www.iacaward.org.

The ordering of award trophies and certificates for the winners will be available on Monday as well.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Search Engine Strategies Conference Pass Drawing Winners

Congratulations to Becca Holder-Otte, Web Manager at Banner Health and Adrienne Knox, Director of Marketing at Briefings Media Group who are the winners of the free Conference Pass to Search Engine Strategies New York, March 23-25 from the Web Marketing Association.

For more information go to http://www.searchenginestrategies.com/newyork/