Site Promotion Through Web AwardsBY: Scott Lindsay
Website promotion is not an easy task, because thousands of new websites are created each day, each of them striving for a position in the first search engine results, some using ethical techniques, others try to fool the search engines. If you want to achieve a top 20 position you have to compete against spam content sites, black hat SEO sites, made for Adsense sites and powerful websites created by the most skilled web developers. The good news is that are not so many websites of genuine quality out there, so webmasters who really focus on usability, valuable content, improving user experience and so on, do have a chance to reach the top positions. However, it is not enough to create the perfect website. The job is done when the website is known and recognized, when people come back, mesmerized by the information and design, in one word, quality. That’s also the moment when a website starts paying back for itself. Webmasters and online entrepreneurs employ many tools to make a website known. From the simple directory and search engines submissions to complex advertising means, pay per click, banner exchange and ads, nothing escapes the trial. A less popular method is submitting websites for web awards. While many web awards are not really meaningful, there are a few that can mean a lot for the award wining website. If you have a website and you are serious about doing business online, applying for web awards couldn’t hurt. Generally, awards show a commitment for excellence and quality, exactly what web users are looking for. The psychological impact is great. A web award is not just a pretty picture on your website, but a statement. It underlines values and encourages visitors to trust your company and make a purchase. For example, a Webby award-wining site is actually recognized for excellence in Web design, creativity, usability and functionality. A World Wide Web Award serves the same purpose. Both these awards are prestigious and very difficult to win. They are significant because experienced web developers who make every effort to create compelling and innovative websites, for a better Internet, choose the winners. To have any of the two can bring important benefits to your website, including increase of traffic, media coverage (both online and offline), a boost of popularity and, as already underlined, enhanced public credibility. Usually to qualify for a web award, a website needs to be developed according to the W3C Standards, to have original, quality content, to be spam and scam free, family and children friendly – eventually apply for a free ICRA label, to respect copyright laws and to promote moral and universal values. If you apply for a web award you have to make sure all your links are fully functional – that means no coming soon or under construction pages, no broken links, and no other technical difficulties (dead graphics and pictures, lack of proper alt attributes, heavy flash, etc). Winning a web award could bring you recognition offline too. Just ad the award on your brochures, fliers and other promotional materials to let people know that your company strives for excellence in everything it does.
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