Category: Web Marketing Association

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Best Websites in 96 Industries To Be Named By Web Marketing Association


The Web Marketing Association is looking for the best websites to compete in its 17thannual 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 all over the world who create and maintain outstanding Web sites.  The deadline for entry for the 2013 WebAwards is May 31, 2013.  A complete list of past winners and this year’s entry form can be found at www.webaward.org.
The Web Marketing Association would like to thank BGT Partners, who crafted a redesigned look and feel to the WebAward.org website. The insightfulness and expertise of the team at BGT Partners has created an exceptional design for our website.

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 2013 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 UrbanDaddy for their work on “UrbanDaddy + Herradura Mixology Battle Royale” website.  The site was also recognized as Best Marketing Website.
·         The Web Marketing Association will also recognize the interactive agency winning the most awards in the competition with the “Top Interactive Agency” WebAward. For the third time, the Top Agency award was awarded to Biggs|Gilmore taking home 39 WebAwards. 
·         Interactive and advertising agencies that win a 2013 WebAward will automatically be included in the Award Winning Agency Database with a free premium listing.

The WebAward Top Agency Award recognizes consistency of effort and is given to the interactive agency that wins the most WebAwards in a given year. All locations and offices of a specific agency will be consolidated for the purpose of determining the winner of this award. In a change from prior years, each entrant will be awarded points based on the level of award for each award received. A Best of Show will be worth 10 points, Best of Industry 5 points and each Outstanding award 3 points and a Standard of Excellence 1 point. The agency with the most points will be awarded the Top Agency Award for 2013.

Each year, many agencies and some corporations win multiple awards and deserve additional recognition. This year, we will recognize each organization that wins 6 or more WebAwards with an Outstanding Interactive Developer trophy. In 2012, there were 19 agencies recognized with this prestigious award.

Websites 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. 

Judging for the 2013 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, BGT Partners, Blattner Brunner, Bridge Worldwide, The Cincinnati Enquirer, Comedy Central, Disney, Euro RSCG, Ion Global, VML, 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 Website Magazine.
Check out our Web Marketing Association Facebook Pageand be sure to like us as we will be providing hints and tips on how to improve your chances on winning a top award though out the award program entry period.
The 2013 WebAwards are sponsored by the following leading organizations: BGT Partners, PR Newswire, Burst Media, EContent Magazine, ExactTarget, ad:tech conferences, Internet World UK, SES Conferences, Webmaster Radio, and Website Magazine. The Web Marketing Association thanks these companies for their commitment to the entire online marketing community.
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2012 Outstanding Website Developer Awards

Last year, 19 agencies and companies were also recognized as Outstanding Website Developers for winning six or more awards in the 2012 WebAward Competition. They are:

AGENCY
AWARDS
Sabre Hospitality Solutions
29
Risdall Marketing Group
28
Extractable
25
TRAVELCLICK
20
TMP Worldwide
17
Blenderbox Inc
12
SapientNitro
11
Atlantic BT
10
CareTech Solutions
9
Possible Worldwide
8
VML
7
BGT Partners
7
Euroweb Internet GmbH
7
Cuker Interactive
7
Duo Consulting
7
Mineral, LLC
7
Sherpa Web Studios
6
WSI
6
HeBS Digital
6

Biggs|Gilmore was named Top Agency at the 2012 WebAward Competition, taking home 39 WebAwards. This is the third time Biggs|Gilmore has won the Top Agency WebAward. The Top Agency Award is given to recognize the consistently outstanding development going on at interactive firms.

In the 2013 WebAwards competition, agencies and companies will again compete not only for the Top Agency Award, but also for the Outstanding Website Developer Award.

Enter today and win the recognition you deserve.

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Win a Free Pass to ad:tech!

Web Marketing Association is giving-a-away a free full-conference pass to ad:tech Conference in San Francisco April 9-10 2013. 

ad:tech is the most important event for digital marketing professionals to stay up to day on what’s next and what’s valuable. Interactive marketers from all scopes of the industry come together to network, see cutting-edge products and services from top speakers and exhibitors. 

To enter, go to the WMA Contest Page on Facebook and enter your name, job title, company. We’ll select one lucky winner at the end of the day on March 22th. 


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Online Marketing Summit Drawing Winner Announced

Congrats to Madeline Goldberg of RED Interactive Agency. She won a full conference pass to the Online Marketing Summit in San Diego, February 11-13! It will be three days of 70+ conference sessions and workshops across eight tracks and discover the latest insights on analytics & big data, content marketing, demand generation, email, mobile, search, social, and strategy.

There is still time to register to attend. Go to http://www.onlinemarketingsummit.com/sandiego/ for complete information.

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IAC Award Deadline Two Weeks Away

There are only two more weeks to enter the Web Marketing’s 11th annual Internet Advertising Competition Awards. The IAC Awards are the oldest 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, 2013.

Awards will be presented within 86 industry categories and advertising formats including:
Banner ads, Online newsletters, Email Campaigns, Websites, Social Media, Online Video, Mobile Apps and Integrated ad campaigns.

Don’t wait until the last minute! Enter today!

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Award Winning Interactive Agency Database Launched by Web Marketing Association


Finding an “award winning” interactive agency has just gotten easier. The Web Marketing Association has just launched a new website that has brought together top advertising agencies and top interactive agencies who have won recognition in major award programs.  This new searchable database of award winning interactive agencies is found at www.AwardWinningInteractiveAgencies.com.

“Each year, we are contacted by individuals looking for a reputable interactive agency to help with website development, online advertising or other forms of internet marketing . Now they have a single source to find the right interactive agency for them,” said William Rice, President of the Web Marketing Association. “One of the major reasons advertising agencies enter award programs is to standout from the rest of the field and receive third party endorsement by independent experts for their work. Entering takes time and money, but the rewards when they win are worth the effort. The Web Marketing Association has created the AWAdb as a service to the online marketing community and to help bring together brand marketers and qualified interactive agencies.”
The Award Winning Agency Database, or AWAdb, allows users to search thousands of full service advertising agencies and interactive agencies that been recognized by major award programs for their outstanding interactive work. The AWAdb can be searched by several fields that are cumulative, helping to narrow your search quickly. Visitors can search by:
Agency Name – Enter the agency name to find that agency
Location – Search by country and/or state to find agencies close to you.
Languages – Need a specific language skills. Narrow your search to 10 different languages including English, Spanish, Turkish, German and Chinese. Additional languages will be added at a later date.
Specialty – Finding the right agency also means finding someone who is an expert in your specific need. 53 specialties can be selected in areas include web development, online marketing, mobile, social media and public relations.
The site also offers an InteractiveAgency Map that allows the user to click on the geographic area they are interested in and drill down to see the exact locations of various award winning agencies.
To have great award winning interactive agencies, you need to have great interactive award programs to be entered and won. AWAdb draws upon some of the major award programs that the online marketing community recognizes as significant awards for interactive marketers.  They include: Web Marketing Association WebAwards, Internet Advertising Competition and MobileWebAwards, Clio Awards, Cannes Cyber Lions, Ad Club of New York Andy Awards, Effie Awards, American Advertising Federation Addy Awards, The One Show Interactive, D&AD Pencil Awards, DMA Echo Awards, SXSW Interactive Awards IAB Mixx Awards, PRSA Silver Anvils, BIMA Awards, Webby Awards, and the Stevie Awards to name a few. These are not all of the award programs out there, only some of the best. Many of these are awards are categories of long-standing advertising award programs. Others have been started specifically to recognize outstanding interactive advertising and great websites.”
Participation in the Award Winning Agency Database is free to all full service advertising agencies and interactive agencies who have won recognition in a recognized interactive award program. If your agency is not already listed and you’ve won awards, please add your agency to the AWAdb.

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, InternetAdvertising Competition and MobileWebAwardaward programs  have been helping interactive professionals promote themselves, their companies, and their best work to the outside world. Now in its 17th year, the WebAward Competition has become the premier award event for Web developers and marketers worldwide.
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2013 WMA Award Calendar Announced

The Web Marketing Association is pleased to announce the dates for its three industry-leading award programs for 2013.

Internet Advertising Competition
11th Call for Entry began November 1, 2012
Deadline for entry: January 31, 2013
Winners announced: March, 2013

WebAward Competition for Website Development
17th Call for Entry: April 2, 2013
Deadline for entry: May 31, 2013
Winners announced: September, 2013

MobileWebAwards
2nd Call for Entry began August 12, 2013
Deadline for entry: September 30, 2013
Winners announced: November, 2013

Please note: winners announcement dates are subject to the needs of the judging phase and will be announced when they are set during the competition.

Please be sure to add your name to our mailing list to be notified when any of our competitions begin.

You can also follow us on the WMA Facebook Page and the WMA LinkedIn Group.

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WMA SmartBrief Newsletter

By now you should have already seen the new daily newsletter created for the Web Marketing Association by SmartBrief, Inc. Knowledgeable editors handpick key articles from hundreds of publications, summarize them and provide direct links to the original sources that will provide you with the daily web development and marketing news that really matters.

If you are not subscribed yet you can subscribe to the WMA SmartBrief here.

If you are interested in advertising in the WMA SmartBrief, the only way to reach our members, please contact Dena Malouf, SmartBrief Association Publisher at 202-407-7837.

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Romney vs Obama: Who Has The Better Website? The WebAward Judges Decide

The 2012 Presidential election is being fiercely contested by Republican Mitt Romney and Democrat Barack Obama. Both candidates are using the Internet to help their campaigns woo voters, volunteers and campaign contributions. But who has the better Website?

Romney vs Obama Website Challenge

The Web Marketing Association has been judging Websites through their annual WebAward Competition for Website development since 1997. More than 27,000 site evaluations have been tabulated during that period and they took up the task of evaluating both candidates Websites.

During the second week of October 2012, 61 Internet Website experts, who serve as WebAward competition judges, reviewed both www.mittromney.com and www.barackobama.com using the same criteria used in the annual WebAwards program. The sites were judged side by side based on the seven criteria of a successful Website.

Here are the results:

Design – Asked “which Website has the most pleasing design?” 60.7% of the WebAward judges selected the Obama site over the 39.3% for Romney Website.

Innovation – Website innovation also went in favor of Barack Obama. By the same margin as design, the vast majority of WebAward judges (68.3%) thought the Obama Website seems more innovative, while only 31.7% favored Romney’s.

Content – In terms of having the most appealing content, judges again selected the Obama Website over Mitt Romney’s Website, although by a narrower margin than the first two criteria. 54.1% of the WebAward judges felt barackobama.com has more appealing content for visitors compared to 45.9% for mittromney.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 (55.9% Obama vs 44.1% Romney).

Ease of use – President Obama’s Website was seen as easier to use by the WebAward judges than Govoner Romney’s. 63.3% selected barackobama.com as easier to use compared to 36.7% of WebAward judges who felt mittromney.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 the advantage to the Obama site (62.7% over the Romney site 37.3%).

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 (70.7%) over the Romney Website (29.3%).

Technology – Use of technology is evident in both candidates’ Websites, however, the clear favorite for the WebAward judges was barackobama.com winning 70.7% of the votes compared to mittromney.com with only 29.3% 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,” said William Rice, President of the Web Marketing Association “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 Romney vs Obama Website Challenge. We wish both candidates the best of luck in their efforts to become the next President of the United States in the November election”.

Impact of Voting Preference

When the WebAward judges were asked “If the election was to be held today. Which candidate would you be more likely to vote for?” 43.3% responded Barack Obama, 18.3% responded Mitt Romney, 5% voted neither and 16.7% reported that they are a non-US judge and can not vote for anyone in a US election.
When judges who plan to vote for either Mitt Romney or Barack Obama are removed from the tabulation, results still remain in favor of barackobama.com, although the margins narrow. The one difference is that for non-decided judges, Romney’s website is seen as being more effective in terms of content (63.4%) than Obama’s (36.6).

Specific comments from the judges can be seen on the Web Marketing Association Blog.

Methodology

An email was sent to all past WebAward judges requesting that they participate in an online survey between October 10 and October 15, 2012. 61 WebAward judges agreed to participate in the project. They reviewed each site and completed the brief online survey.

Judges for the annual WebAward competition 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. These WebAward judges have an in-depth understanding of the current state-of-the-art in Web site development and technology and they apply that knowledge to the entries they review. Past judges have included top executives from leading organizations such as Arc Worldwide, BGT Partners, Brunner Digital, Campbell-Ewald, CNN News Group, Deep Interactive Asia, Digitas, EuroRSCG 4D, Google, IBM Interactive, imc2, JWT, LeapFrog Interactive, Mass Transmit, McCann Worldgroup, Razorfish, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Tectis GmbH, TMP Worldwide, Universal McCann Interactive and Wunderman / Y&R.

About the WebAwards

The 16th annual international WebAwards competition for website development 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. The Web Marketing Association also hosts the Internet Advertising Competition Awards.