Can Your Web Site Design Win an Award?
Copyright 2006 Mark Nenadic
At some point or another, you've likely come across a website or
two that boasts (among other things) the winning of an award for
its web design. Have you ever wondered if such an achievement is
possible for your web design?
These web design awards are, after all, a very nice reward for
the work and the care that you have put into creating your web
design. Even if you haven't won one yet for the most spectacular
web design, it's not too late. You just haven't spoken to the
right people. After all, it's not as though the judges for these
web design awards spend their time surfing the entire world wide
web in the hopes that they'll find someone who is award worthy.
Instead, you actually need to seek them out and submit your site
to be judged.
You won't receive a web design award if you don't apply for one!
The other sites that you've seen have already applied for
theirs, so it's time that you picked yours up - if your site
wins, that is.
There are a number of different sites out there, each offering
their own type of web design award. Many of them are legitimate,
while others are more like under-cover link exchanges. You need
to be prudent while looking for an award site, so that you're
not just advertising for someone else.
When you do find a web design award website, make sure that your
site fits their rules before you apply. For example, some sites
permit only non-commercial websites to apply, while others
welcome everyone up to corporate websites. Similarly, some web
design awards sits accept only those without frames, and some
won't allow a site that contains java-applets. Don't miss out on
an award simply because you didn't read the rules for applying!
Of course, prestige isn't the only thing that you'll gain from
winning a web design award. These are also very good ways to
drum up some extra traffic to your website. If you have a
fantastic site - that is, one good enough for an award - it will
commonly be showcased on the award site's homepage, frequently
leading to more hits on your site.
Don't be discouraged if you don't win the first time you submit
your site for a web design award. Think of it as a fun addition
to the joy you already get from web design itself. It will
challenge you to keep improving your skills and your web designs
until they are better than the other competitors.
To help you along, use the following tips to assist in getting
an award:
Don't over-do the requests to an award site Don't submit adult
sites Make certain that the site you're submitting is entirely
finished, without any "under construction" or "coming soon"
pages Make sure that your loading time is fast. The award judges
won't wait forever for your site to load. Check your graphics
and ensure there aren't any broken ones. Nor should there be any
404 errors. Focus on your content. It's just as important in
everything else in your web design.
Overall, use your common sense to make sure that the site is
fully functional, and is appealing overall. It has to make
sense, be useable, and be pleasant to visit. Everything else is
completely up to you!
To get you started with your web design award appplications, try
the following reputable award sites:
Coolsiteoftheday.com Awardsites.com Netguide USA Today Lycos Top
5 Goldenwebaward.com
There are many other award sites to which you can send your web
design award application, but these are just a few of the more
reputable ones; ones that will get you better hits, and
increased recognition.
When you do win an award, don't forget to include it in your web
design by posting it somewhere on the winning site. This is very
appealing to many visitors, and looks good for the credibility
of the site. Furthermore, don't forget to include the award
among the achievements you've accomplished in your professional
resume, and in your web design portfolio. There's nothing more
convincing than an award for a prospective client! Best of luck!