"Over the years, winners in all industries have excelled in each of the criteria. However,
our professional judges consider design, ease-of-use, and innovation as the most
important contributors to a Website's success or failure, even though innovation is the
most challenging criteria to measure," said William Rice, president of the Web Marketing
Association. "Judges give high scores for innovation when they find it because innovation
can be elusive and difficult to achieve. In addition, what is groundbreaking in one industry
may be commonplace in another."

The report reveals that gaming Websites traditionally dominate the top scores in every
category, followed by music sites, which placed second overall, and then automobile and
sports sites, which tied for third place. These sites feature vibrant content aimed at migrating
a brand experience online and building online communities. In addition, these sites need to
meet high audience expectations that almost demand cutting edge Web development.

The industries with the lowest average scores included radio, public relations, and search
engines. These sites tend to concentrate on content, not the delivery platform, and can sacrifice
design and ease of use in favor of providing too much information.

According to Rice, "As Internet bandwidth developed, Websites began to deliver a dynamic
rich media experience that merges online entertainment with e-commerce to create a compelling
interaction for users. While content is still king, a Website's ability to interact with users in
interesting ways keeps an audience coming back."

The report's many pages of statistics provide a fascinating peek into the scores and trends in a
variety of industries. This study is an excellent demonstration of how participating in an award
program can led to recognition and valuable feedback as well. To see the results for yourself,
download a free copy of the report at www.webaward.org/isar_report.asp.