Awards Program Debate

Daily article:

One of the most debated subject among webmasters is the whole concept of web site awards. I'm sure you've seen the little graphics on many different sites, announcing it is the "best", "coolest" or "most wonderful" or whatever. Sometimes you'll see terms like "bronze", "gold" and "silver" to describe the award.

What's the debate about? To put it briefly, are web site awards worth the "paper they are printed on?"

"What's the point?", some webmasters will say with a smirk (the smirk always seems to be there, oddly enough). "Where's the money in awards? These are just graphics that anyone can make up, they are given out by the boatload and they do not prove anything."

Au contraire. I beg to differ. Winning an award can be one of the most fulfilling achievements that a webmaster can experience. Yeah, some of the awards are given away by autoresponder (and these, I agree, are worthless), but others are very, very difficult to earn.

You see, the point is that in a true awards program you are getting a peer (another webmaster) to review your site against a set of criteria. You have to work to win some of the better ones, and the very best require an incredible effort.

But who wants a peer review anyway? I mean, isn't the real payoff in dollars or number of visitors or hits or whatever? Why would anyone care about the opinion of another webmaster?

That's easy. You see, web sites can always be made better. It does not matter how good of a job you've done, if you stand back and look at your accomplishment objectively, you will find something to improve. What awards programs do is speed up this process.

You begin by reading the criteria of the award. One common requirement is fast load time. You check your site and find the main page loads in 5 minutes ... and thus you will not win the award. Okay, so you fix that and check the next item. Hmm. Clean navigation ... fixed that, what's next? Readable text perhaps, or good content, or simply a way to turn off the background music. You see what's happening. You want that award so you MUST improve your site to achieve it. You have to spend a little more time checking it out, so that when your site is examined you will earn the prize.

What does that buy you? A better web site will translate into more visitors who come back more often, and if you are selling something, they may buy it.

So before you turn up your nose at that pretty awards graphic, read the criteria. See what the webmaster had to do before he earned that picture. If the criteria says "just take it and display it" ... the award is useless. On the other hand, if it states some stringent rules, then perhaps you should be impressed ... and maybe see if you own site measures up.

About The Author

Richard Lowe Jr. is the webmaster of Internet Tips And Secrets. This website includes over 1,000 free articles to improve your internet profits, enjoyment and knowledge.

Web Site Address: http://www.internet-tips.net

Weekly newsletter: http://www.internet-tips.net

Claudia Arevalo-Lowe is the webmistress of Internet Tips And Secrets and Surviving Asthma. Visit her site at http://survivingasthma.com

Wood Dale Chicago prom limo .. Lockport Chicago limo O’Hare
In The News:

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents
Internet browsers are useful, but they can be dangerous. Clicking on malicious links can direct you to dangerous websites that steal information or infect your device.
Apple's latest iOS update introduces advanced artificial intelligence capabilities, which may be capturing and analyzing sensitive information.
Breach site confirmed 56,904,909 Hot Topic users' data leaked online. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says the company's silence makes matters even worse.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson discusses how an innovative Easy-Way kit turns standard strollers electric, simplifying navigation for parents.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson talks about T-Mobile being hacked in broad cyberattack on global phone and internet companies.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson shows you how to add, customize and manage widgets for quick access to apps and info from your iPhone home screen.
Wrong Google searches can not only compromise your device and personal data. They can also bring law enforcement to your doorstep. Hackers are targeting Google searches.
China's Shanghai Kepler Robotics has developed a new humanoid robot that can carry up to 35 pounds per hand for commercial applications across various industries
Checking your hearing has gotten easier with the new hearing test feature in AirPods Pro 2. You can take reliable hearing tests using your iPhone or iPad.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains how a VPN — virtual private network — works and how running it can slow down the operation of your device.
The WalkON Suit F1, an exoskeleton developed to help people with disabilities, can actually walk over to a person in a wheelchair, solving a major problem.
ClickFix, a new scam targeting computer users, is on the rise in the U.S. The scam prompts its targets to click on a link to fix a problem.
Skydweller is the world's largest unmanned solar-powered aircraft that can stay airborne for weeks, and even months, without refueling.
The U.S. government said it is investigating after People's Republic of China hackers targeted commercial telecommunications service providers in the U.S.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
Scammers are using increasingly sophisticated ways to lure unsuspecting victims, and some are impersonating an email help desk or support team.
You can unsend or edit your iMessages with the latest iOS updates. Kurt the CyberGuy explains how you can save yourself some potential embarrassment.
Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says there’s been a rise in cybercriminal services using hacked police and government emails to send subpoenas and data requests to U.S. companies.
Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson discusses how Axiom Space and luxury designer Prada are collaborating on NASA's Artemis III spacesuit design.
Voice assistants may cause confusion across devices. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson offers some solutions to fix it.
Shameless scammers trick veterans into giving personal info or cash. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson explores five common scams.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson helps you honor our heroes with these powerful podcasts, audiobooks and documentaries this Veterans Day.

Flash Doesnt Always Add Shine to Web Efforts

The trend today to overuse animation in a website's opening... Read More

Colorblind People, Can They Really Read Your Web Site?

I once created a notepad-like editor. It is possible with... Read More

Choose & Use the Best Colors, The Psychology of Color

Are you using the best colors for your web site?... Read More

Why Not To Use Web Design Templates For Your Website

In today's age of fast food and high-speed Internet, a... Read More

Simplify Your Web Site for Clarity and Ease of Use

There are plenty of web sites out there in which... Read More

Dont Make Your Website User-UNfriendly!

Web Design is a very subjective process. Your idea of... Read More

Effective Website Design For Massive Traffic

STEP 1:Do your homeworkPlan and think about your content. Think... Read More

Excellently Constructed Websites

Want to see an excellently constructed website? As a writer... Read More

Website Design: Redecorate Your Web Site To Increase Sales

Getting traffic to your website is not the only factor... Read More

Website Design - Choosing Your Colors Wisely

Colors convey emotions and emotions heavily influence the decision-making process.... Read More

Dos and Donts in Web Design - part 1 (design)

Do use a consistent look and feel Your site should... Read More

7 Benefits of HTML Validation

You may not bother with html validation or writing simple... Read More

Cheap Web Design

If you think it's simply a case of who will... Read More

Some Useful Common Site Ideas

In my web surfing adventures, I've found a few site... Read More

Save Time and Boost Profits with Free Content

Public domain gives you a head start creating ebooks, ecourses,... Read More

A Great Banner Only Needs Simple Things

To create your own great banner, you only need five... Read More

Other Ways to Look at Things

Many people today are tired of the Microsoft software that... Read More

Free Online Tools to Design (and Maintain) Your Website

These days, it seems that everyone has a website. Unfortunately,... Read More

A Landing Page is Not an Order Page (and why it matters)

To explain my point I need to first confuse the... Read More

The Seven Deadly Sins of Web Business Design

Before you take a road trip it is usually a... Read More

Revising Your Site - What Happened To My Search Engine Placement?

As of September, Smartads went through what so many have... Read More

The Secrets to Successfully Learning Basic HTML

If you'd like to create/maintain a website, having some HTML... Read More

Usability Lessons from the Hospital

Usability isn't only for Web design. It's also applicable in... Read More

Creating Quality Websites

Websites, there are literally billions of them out there in... Read More

Ten Design Mistakes to Avoid

Avoid these mistakes and your site will be steps ahead... Read More

Antigo wedding limo ..