Awards are newsworthy events that can parlay into website recognition as well as outstanding marketing opportunities.

We all love recognition. It's human nature to crave affirmation on a job well done. Being recognized for the work we do makes us work harder to maintain a high level of excellence and hopefully be recognized once again.

That is one reason why so many brand marketers enter their work into advertising and website award programs.

One such award program that recognizes outstanding website development in 96 industries is the Web Marketing Association's WebAward competition. For more than a decade, the WebAwards has helped set the standard of excellence for website development and helped marketers increase brand exposure and drive site traffic.

The WebAwards is different than most other advertising and marketing award programs. Each entry is viewed by an expert panel of judges, not just a handful of "big name" nominees who are selected in a back room. Participants receive both a great marketing opportunity if they win and everyone receives valuable feedback from the judges on each entry.

What really sets the WebAwards apart from other website award programs is the transparency of the program. The Web Marketing Association lets you know exactly what will be judged and your scores on each criteria.

Here's what the WebAward judges are looking for in a successful website:

Design -- Most of us judge the book by its cover and the same goes for websites. If a site looks old and unsophisticated, the site will lose much of its credibility. If the design is current and up to date, then the user will be more likely to dive into the information.

Content -- "Content is king" has been the mantra of most award-winning websites. People go to websites for the content, and if the content is missing from your site, you can bet that they'll find it elsewhere, most likely on your competitor's website.

Innovation -- Sometimes called the "wow" factor, innovation is probably the most difficult to achieve. As soon as everyone realizes what is on your site and copies it, you have lost the innovative edge and have to come up with something new again. 

Technology -- Use of technology can significantly impact a website's usefulness and ability to deliver its content.  If a site uses too much technology, users may have to work harder to get what they are looking for.  On the other hand, effective use of emerging technology can enhance the user experience by adding to the sense of innovation and "coolness."

Interactivity -- Some websites are designed only to supply information.  Other sites use calculators or tools to take the data a user supplies and extrapolate it into useful information or employ games to improve the online experience.

Copywriting -- Thousands of dollars are spent designing and programming a site and all too often the words used are confusing or inadequate to convey the proper meaning. However, the best sites are well written and proofread to eliminate typos.

Ease of use -- In the early days, some of the "coolest" sites were also impossible to navigate. Today, websites are much better at letting the user know where they are in the site and how to find the information they are looking for. On the best websites, you can get to any other content on the site in three "clicks" or less.

An example of a site that brings all of these criteria together was the 2006 WebAward Best of Show winner TBS Department of Humor Analysis. This site used video and images from TBS's lineup of comedy shows narrated by comedian John Cleese to create a funny and effective promotion to increase viewership of the TV networks' comedy shows.

As a participant in the WebAwards program, you receive scores on each of these criteria, and your scores are benchmarked against the industry average and the overall WebAward average. In addition, many judges leave valuable comments on what they liked or disliked when reviewing the site. This can provide insight into what changes can be made in the future.

However, winning an award for your website is only half the battle. Once you've received the recognition, now it's time to turn it into an outstanding marketing opportunity.

Awards are newsworthy events that you can use to write a press release. A press release will tell the media and the blogging community about your award, but if distributed over a service such as PR Web (winner of the 2006 Best PR Website WebAward) it will get you into the major search engines as well. You should also tout your award in newsletters, marketing materials and on your website itself.

Even the most amazing websites can remain invisible without the proper recognition, and winning awards is a great way to earn the recognition your site deserves.

William Rice is president of Web Marketing Association. Read full bio.