Donald Hansen of Issaquah, Washington writes:
“Your readers responded well to an earlier question about need for help with our (then-Danish, now US/worldwide) website of Viking Age artifacts in replica at VikingTrader.net. We used some of the suggestions to good effect and also your special report on how to get into the inflight magazines.
“Now we have another question that may apply to all of us with websites. How and where do we get into the competition for ‘best websites’ sponsored by various publications? I think U.S. News & World Report does this, but I’m sure that there are many more. Have you have any suggestions?
Joan often mentions capturing visitors’ email addresses with the Hover Ad Creator. I think this would be ideal. Not only would it track the visitors, but it would also capture them as well.
These contests come and go, and it’s impossible to k eep up with them all.
My advice is to simply do a Google search for “Best of the Web” or “Best websites” and see what you find. I’m betting many of the sites are very niche-oriented, which is fine.
Also, try calling your trade association and ask if they know of any contests in your industry.
I know that the Web Marketing Association holds a competition for best sites. You can read about it here: http://www.webaward.org/
But even better, here’s a link to a worksheet that lists lots of award competitions:
http://www.website-awards.net/worksheet.htm
Good luck!
Lois Carter Fay
Co-Author of “Secrets of the Softer Side of Selling”
http://www.MarketingIdeaShop.com/softer.htm
Here’s another idea, Donald.
If you’re entering these contests to drive traffic to your website, your time might be better spent on things like blogging, search engine optimization, posting articles to article directory sites, commenting at other blogs and doing joint ventures with merchants who target the same audience you do.
My mentor, Tom Antion, just updated “Click,” his excellent ebook that explains how to do all of the above, and more. This ebook, now at a whopping 817 pages and with 150 new links you must know about, is my bible for Internet marketing. I refer to it at least a half dozen times a week and I’m buying the new version today at http://tinyurl.com/s57vc