So you want to run an awards program?

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I know you've seen those awards graphics all over the web.
Mostweb sites win one, two or a dozen awards and display them proudly on their home ... the page loads so slow that no one visits anymo I know you've seen those awards graphics all over the web.
Mostweb sites win one, two or a dozen awards and display them proudly on their home pageuntil the page loads so slow that no one visits anymore. Finally, theyrealize this and create a separate awards page, and eventually, if they areanything like me, they have to create an entire awards section!At some point many of these award winners realize that, hey, they could alsogive an award themselves! Sometimes they want to give awards out of a desirefor more traffic (an awards program does generate more than a few hits), andsometimes they want to reward other sites for their achievements.
Moreoften, a webmaster cannot explain why he wants to give awards - he justwants to.One note of caution: if your goal is traffic and traffic only, then awardsare a fine way to get people to your site. However, by far most people whosign up for awards simply go straight to your award application form withoutlooking at anything else.
So while it is a way to get people to your site,it really isn't a great way to get qualified visitors who are actuallyinterested in what you have to offer.A good awards program is a lot of work. Spend the time and you will havesome great and perhaps unexpected rewards of your own.
Please don't justslap together a silly little awards program and expect to get very much fromit. And don't go out and get a script to automate the whole process.
That'snot what awards are about.All right, the first thing you should do (before you do anything else) issit down in a comfortable chair with your comfy slippers and a glass of yourfavorite beverage. Make sure it is quiet and you have some time set aside.Now, think about what you are trying to accomplish.What is your purpose in creating an awards program? Are you:- Trying to get traffic- Trying to get other people to link back to you and raise your searchengine popularity- Want to give something back to the internet community- Like the idea of helping others improve their web sites- Want to light up someone's life by giving them an award- Like making cute little graphicsYou answer(s) to this question will determine how you proceed.
If you arejust trying to get traffic or increase your search engine ranking, then youdo not need to put in anywhere near as much time and care into your program.Just create your graphic, a simple explanation page and make your awardknown. If, on the other hand, you've got loftier goals, then you need to continueyour thought process.
Now that you've decided on your purpose, think aboutsome other things.1) Do you want a general award (best site) or a specific award (best StarTrek The Next Generation fan site with pictures of James T. Kirk?)2) Do you want to allow automatic submissions (which means many people willwho apply for your award will never even see your site?)3) How specific do you want to get with the criteria? Some programs just say"you'll get it if I like your site" and others have pages of complexequations stating exactly what is expected to get an award.4) This is very important: how much time do you want to spend on your awardsprogram? A couple of hours a week? More? Less?5) Are there specific types of sites that you do not want to allow? Forexample, many programs exclude adult sites and our own program excludespsychiatric sites.
It doesn't matter whether or not anyone agrees with yourexclusions - it is your awards program and you need to be comfortable withit.6) Do you want to allow children under age 13? If so, you had better reviewthe legal requirements involved (specifically the Children's Online PrivacyProtection Act.)In addition to all of this, it is also important to treat your awardsprogram seriously, at least as seriously as your web site. As you hand outyour award to more and more sites, you will find people judging you basedupon whom you have judged.
Give out your award lightly just to get sometraffic, and you will find your own site judged lightly and visitedinfrequently. Article Tags: Awards Program Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com .