WEST SIMSBURY, Conn., April 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Web Marketing Association announces the call for entries for its 15th annual international WebAward Competition for Web site development at www.webaward.org. The WebAwards is the standards-defining competition that sets benchmarks for 96 industries, including travel, airline and hotel & lodging websites, based on the seven criteria of a successful web site. The deadline for Travel web sites to enter to be judged is May 27, 2011.

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"The travel industry is very competitive when it comes to Web development and companies can benefit from the independent evaluation of their online efforts," said William Rice, President of the Web Marketing Association. "Travel web sites have been doing great in terms of creating dynamic portals to keep up with the shift in the industry that removed agents as the source of travel information. Judges have looked highly upon travel web site's use of design, copywriting and interactivity."

Websites are judged on seven criteria including design, innovation, content, technology, interactivity, copy writing and ease of use. Each WebAward entry in the Travel category is judged against other travel entries and then against an overall standard of excellence.

All travel entrants benefit from receiving valuable feedback in terms of their specific criteria scores compared against the average scores for their industry. They also may receive specific comments from the WebAward's professional judging panel on their Web site development efforts.

Winners of a WebAward in the travel categories will also receive:

• Handsome statue or certificate of achievement
• Increased visibility for their company
• Marketing opportunity to promote the company website to the media
• Links to your site from the highly ranked WebAward site to help SEO
• Admiration of peers, friends and co-workers

Each year, the Web Marketing Association names the Best of Industry for the various travel categories based on the score they receive from the WebAward judges.

Recent winners of the Best Travel Website include:

• 2010 - TravelChannel.com & Razorfish for The New TravelChannel.com
• 2009 - VisitSweden for VisitSweden
• 2008 - Teehan+Lax Inc for AirMiles Make Like Miles
• 2007 - Arnold Worldwide for Hungry Suitcase
• 2006 - Hospitality eBusiness Strategies for RIU Cancun Portal
• 2005 - Yellowstone Journal Corporation for YellowstonePark.com
• 2004 - Quicksilver Associates for Seabourn Cruise Line
• 2003 - Apollo Interactive for Excalibur Las Vegas Resort Hotel & Casino
• 2002 - Arnold Worldwide for Alaska

Recent winners of the Best Airline Website include:

• 2010 - Lufthansa in partnership with Amadeus for Lufthansa Website
• 2009 - Blast Advanced Media for nature Air – Eco Friendly Costa Rica Airline
• 2008 - Atmosphere BBDO for Emirates.com
• 2007 - Cramer-Krasselt for AirTran Raceway
• 2006 - TM Interactive for American Airlines
• 2005 - TM Interactive for American Airlines
• 2004 - Cramer-Krasselt for AirTran Airways – E-Annual 2003
• 2003 – Agence Braque for Jetsgo
• 2002 – Air Jamaica for Air Jamaica

Recent winners of the Best Hotel & Lodging Website include:

• 2010 – TRAVELCLICK for Harbour Grand Kowloon Hotel
• 2009 – TravelCLICK for the Albert Hotel
• 2008 - E-site Marketing for Hotel Terra Jackson Hole
• 2007 - Cendyn for Stonewall Resort
• 2006 - T3 (The Think Tank) for ExperienceMarriott.com
• 2005 - Open World, LTD for WARWICK International Hotels
• 2004 - Interactive Sites for The New York Palace web site
• 2003 - Open World Limited for Le Meridien Hotels & Resorts
• 2002 - FreeRun Technologies for Simpson House Inn

There is one significant change in this year's WebAwards. The much coveted Top Agency WebAward is given to the organization who wins the most total WebAwards in a single competition. However each year many agencies win multiple awards and deserve additional recognition. This year, we will recognize each organization that wins 10 or more WebAwards with an Outstanding Interactive Developer trophy.

Participants can improve their chances on winning a WebAward by checking out the Web Marketing Association Facebook Page and becoming a fan of the page.  The Web Marketing Association will be providing hints and tips on how to improve your chances on winning a top award throughout April and May.

The 2011 WebAwards are sponsored by the following leading organizations: BGT Partners, Burst Media, PR Newswire, AllBusiness, ExactTarget, ad:tech conferences, Internet World UK, SES Conference, Webmaster Radio, and Website Magazine.

About the WebAwards

The Web Marketing Association's 15th annual international WebAwards competition sets the standard of excellence in 96 industries by evaluating Web sites based on the seven essential criteria of successful Web site development. The WebAwards recognizes the people and organizations responsible for developing the most effective Websites on the Internet today. Entrants benefit from a Website assessment by a professional judging panel and the marketing opportunities presented to an award-winning Web site. For more information, visit www.webaward.org.

SOURCE Web Marketing Association