The 1to1 Blog recently wrote an posting “Is Web Innovation Dead?” by Mila D’Antonio. She spoke with Bill Rice, President of the Web Marketing Association about the WebAwards and the judging criteria.
At the end of the post she asks “What have you found that’s innovative online? Please share the Web site and examples. If you have any good examples of online innovation, drop her a line.
The Web Marketing Association is appearing at OMMA West in Hollywood today to promote the upcoming WebAward Competition. So far the sessions have been outstanding. Arianna Huntington of The Huntington Post talking about the need to be fearless when it comes to developing Web content.
The trade show area is small and intimate. There are some great exhibitors like PRWeb, eMarketer, website Magazine. The people here seem very interested in the WebAwards and several judges and participants have stopped by to say hello.
Tribal Fusion presented a session on social media for B2B marketers thant provided an interesting overview but did not get into much “how to” detail. Still, it provided a very good overview of the subject.
if you’re in Southern California, I suggest you stop by the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel and check out this great conferance.
The Web Marketing Association will be offering sponsorships of specific industries within the WebAward competition for the first time in 2007. Industry sponsors will receive visibility and links to their Website within the WebAward competition Website with regards to the industry they sponsor.
If your company or organization is interested in participating as an industry sponsor, please contact Web Marketing Association President William Rice at wrice@webaward.org to learn more.
Trade show and conferences are one of the best places to learn about what is happening in the industry and to meet with Internet professionals who are judges and/or participants in our award programs. This spring we will be traveling to all of the major Internet-oriented conferences increasing the awareness of the Web Marketing Association and the WebAward Competition. Many times we are able to get valuable discounts and offer free conference passes the readers of this newsletter.
Right now, you will find us at MediaPost’s OMMA Hollywood March 19 & 20, Search Engine Strategies New York April 10-13, eComXpo, March 20 & 22, ad:tech San Francisco April 25 & 26, and then we go international at Internet World London May 1-3, and finally Search Engine Strategies Toronto June 12 & 13. You will find contact information for all of these conferences on their Website and in our Interactive Briefing newsletter.
The Web Marketing Association is pleased to be a finanical supporter of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), an international consortium where Member organizations, a full-time staff, and the public work together to develop Web standards. W3C’s mission is to lead the World Wide Web to its full potential by developing protocols and guidelines that ensure long-term growth for the Web.
The mission of the Web Marketing Association has away been to help set the standard of excellence for web site development. This is just one way we help support our mission. Another way we support it with our WebAward and Internet Advertising Competition(IAC) Award programs.
http://www.w3.org/Consortium/sup
We would like to apologize for the delays in getting awards to people who ordered them from our online Recognition Center. We recently changed printers and experienced problems in getting the correct certificates to those who ordered them – not once but twice.
This problem has been corrected and the certificates are once again being sent out to their rightful owners.
Thank you for your understanding in this matter.
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
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
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.
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.
