Ask the Experts, Question 6:

Why do some award programs get more applications than others?

by Heidi Walsh, Webmistress, Heidi's Sammelsurium
21 February 2002

Print Version

Jim Docherty, Webmaster Red Stag Awards

Editor's Choice

Here are at least three possible reasons why one program may experience more applications than others: popularity, process and promotion (forgive the intended alliteration).

1. Popularity

This is clearly the least subjective measure, but it gets to the heart of why folks apply to awards in the first place. An award program might be popular for any number of reasons. Perhaps it's a highly rated one that represents the pinnacle of achievement or prestige, or the award graphics are particularly interesting or "professional-looking." Maybe the award simply has a legacy in the marketplace that is widely known, has been seen on many outstanding sites, or has a longstanding "place" on the Internet.

In any case, people seek out this type of program for what it is and what it says about their site if awarded. The award may also be very exclusive, adding to its intrinsic value. Programs like Cool Site of the Day and USA TODAY Hot Site receive hundreds of applications each week for this reason.

2. Process

Process relates to the guts of a program ... those things that distinguish one program from another: mission, criteria, judging and rating. Perhaps more important is presentation. Does the program look professional or does it simply convey the impression that this is the extension of a personal site (a friendly feature, but less credible).

While it could be argued that those programs with stringent criteria and overall excellence in form and presentation might be intimidating to some, they will certainly benefit from a larger group seeking awards for professional and artistic reasons. And it is ultimately presentation that hooks the user beyond a mere cursory look ... and drives resulting applications. Some of the highest AS! Rated awards (but certainly not all), plus more commercial-based AP's like the Webby Awards, fall into this category.

3. Promotion

Without exception (and with a certain bias), this in my opinion is the foundation for building a larger base of applications. In short, if users don't know you exist, they won't apply. But your response rate will be in some direct proportion to the amount of promotion your program receives.

Ultimately it boils down to playing the averages. The more people who visit your site, the more opportunity to receive applications from those users. That promotion might come from "working" the search engines, promoting on public message boards and the like, or actually reaching out to a target audience with an appeal to visit your program.

While some might argue that more applications are not necessarily better, I believe there is a greater opportunity to award a broad range of excellent sites when the pool of applicants is large.

Karen Pimtzner, Webmistress
petalperfect Digital Photography Gallery (site closed)

Ask yourself ... why do some commercial products sell better than others? It all comes down to how good their advertising and promotion is. It's the same with award programs. The programs that get their name out to the public are more likely to have more applications flooding their inboxes. How is this accomplished?

One way is to submit your awards program to search engines and award listings. The more your name is seen on award lists, the more applicants are likely to recognize your program and come find you.

Promotion is fine, but you have to have a program that lives up to the hype. Is your program unique? Is your mission statement clear? Are your criteria points easy to understand? Is your award graphic an attractive one that folks would want to put on their web page? All the hype in the world is moot, if your award program cannot live up to it.

Having an "established" name also helps. Has your program been around for a few years or a few weeks? Scot tissues are great, but why do we call them Kleenex? Why is every copier we use referred to as a Xerox machine? These companies have reputations for quality that have met the test of time. We recognize their names instantly. They have reputations we can trust. Here's where ratings levels and designations come in to play.

If an award has achieved the highest rating levels from the premier awards listings or has become a World's Top Award, then it's made it. It has built a reputation as being the very best at what it does. When an applicant sees these designations, they know that the program is a quality one and has earned the respect of the awards community at large.

But, far more important even than that, award-givers must earn the respect of the applicants. Do they consistently review sites fairly, ethically and according to the posted criteria? Do they ask of others only what they, themselves, can deliver? Do they provide help and advice for improvement? Do they offer an incentive to applicants in an effort to foster future upgrade submissions?

In closing, I cannot overlook one other REALLY important factor that enters into the "popularity" equation, and that's luck.

If a program is lucky enough to hit on a formula that is fun or different from the others in some aspect, they may gain popularity. If someone truly "enjoys" their award-seeking experience, they will tell two friends. These two friends will tell two friends and so on and so on ...

For the less ambitious out there, an award called "Apex" will most likely get more applications than one called "Zenith." It's a proven fact that most novice award-seekers will begin their quest for awards with the A's in an alphabetic listing! This does not, however, guarantee you quality applicants. But if numbers are all that matter to you, this is definitely the way to go! ;-)

Wendy Sears, Webmistress
Assess Risk Web Award

There are many reasons why some award programs may get more applications than others, but I have attempted to explore just three:

1. Applicants need for validation.

Site owners may seek validation of their effort by seeking website awards. Often — and quite understandably — it is felt that the more prestigious the award, the greater the validation received. Award programs are often rated by external organisations. Most rating systems use objective criteria to determine the level of rating, and the higher the rating the more prestigious the award program is deemed to be to applicants.

Thus it is natural that those striving to be the best will seek validation from those they perceive to be the best. The benefit for the award programs that have not yet earned their wings, so to speak, is that as they also strive to improve their programs, and as they receive accolades and ratings, so should applications to their programs increase.

2. Some programs contain elements that can be intimidating.

Some programs will receive more applications because they appear more inviting. Words used within the opening pages, that entice and welcome, encourage applicants. Words such as "Do not apply if ..." may lose potential applicants, whereas words such as "We are looking for ..." will encourage potential applicants. The same information may be relayed but the emphasis is subtly altered.

Criteria which is comprehensible and contained within one page rather than fifteen may attract more applicants and entice them to submit their applications. Intimidating statistics that reveal a low applicant success rate will often result in the potential applicant turning away. Quite simply, the more welcoming the site, the more the applicant is likely to submit that application.

3. Specialist programs.

This is possibly the most obvious of the answers to the question. A program that has been established to reward specialist sites will naturally receive less applications than a site that is more generalist in nature and purpose. The inclusion of an additional award for more general sites would result in an increase in applications.

Debra Sharp, Webmistress
Mesweet's Awards

This could be one of many reasons. There is no one answer, because many factors are involved.

The award was easy to find:

The award is wanted:

The award is obtainable:

Lynn Pilewski, Webmistress
Hidden Pearls, Gems of the Internet Awards (award program closed)

The answer is twofold and relates to both how specialized the program is and how "prestigious" the award is perceived to be.

The first and most obvious reason that some programs would get more applications than others directly relates to the focus of the program and whether it is specific or general.

If an award program's criteria is very specific, the program would receive a smaller number of applications than would a program for general sites. An award for pet sites, for instance will get proportionately fewer applications than would an award for great design and content.

The second reason is a bit more complicated and relates to perceived award prestige and value. Programs can be highly valued for many reasons. Award graphic, difficulty, and a great winners list all contribute to adding value to the program. Promotion of an award program can also add to the "mystique" of the program, skyrocketing its prestige.

There are also several sites that rate award programs based on certain criteria. Among them are Award Sites!, German Top Awards, and Website Awards. Award programs that carry top ratings from these sites are also generally thought of as being high value awards.

Simply put, the higher the perceived value of the award, the more webmasters who want it, and the more applications these programs receive.

So, both specificity and value are the defining factors in the numbers of applications that a specific award program receives.

Ulrich Pokorra, Webmaster
Xmas Stars Awards

My approach to this topic is that of an awardseeker as well as that of an awardgiver. Let's consider the awardseeker (applicant) position first.

Why is the awardseeker attracted to apply for my award when there are thousands of others? Well, since I have filled in many application forms in the past, I will try to answer from my own point of view.

First of all I always looked at the award graphic (trophy) and asked myself: Do I want to display this graphic on my page? Is it worth striving for? Is it a real beauty? Will I be proud of showcasing it on my page? Is it something precious or a masterpiece?

If the answers were a clear "Yes," then I continued to the second step: How is it rated? Is it a giveaway award or is it an honor or a top award of a skilled and experienced awardmaster who knows his job? I must confess that his ratings, memberships and awards won could help me a lot.

During the third step I went through the criteria and rules. Were they easy to understand and straight forward? Were they comprehensive (I do not want to read long stories or fairy tales in order to find a password, etc.)? Were they written in a friendly tone (harsh words generally spoil my interest)? Was the program easy to navigate and did it show clarity within a clear structure (general and specific rules) so that I could definitely make out what the awardmaster was looking for?

I was also eager to know the time frame for the evaluation. I, personally, do not prefer programs where the evaluation takes longer than a month or where I can only apply within a certain period of time (5th to 12th of each month).

Next, I was interested in the presentation of the winners. Did the awardmaster present his pearls only with a text link, or did he showcase them with a screenshot, laudation and site description that would make me proud to be listed in his Winners List? And last but not least, I looked at the presentation of the awards won. In many cases this is an indication of how applicants will be treated, too.

So if I as an applicant considered all the above points and questions, and if I could truly say, "Wooh, this is a beautiful award and an excellent program by an outstanding awardmaster," then I would certainly apply for the eye-catching trophy. I became an award lover with a positive attitude, which is why such award programs get more applicants than others. They give you the feeling that you are welcome and that you will be treated like a visitor, rather than an outcast who knocks at the door trying to steal the owner's precious "pixel mass."

Now, let's consider the position of the awardgiver. The awardmaster has to make an effort to attract applicants. He should do some good promotion for his award by listing it in the main international rating indexes and submitting it to well-known search engines. He should make people aware of his recently launched program, and he should not forget to apply for some awards himself (search engines rely on external links to your site).

To make a long story short, I would say that those folks who succeed in attracting the hearts and minds of awardseekers and users and who manage to pay attention to solid site promotion will get more applicants.

Will Harbeson, Webmaster
The Medals Of Excellence

Why do some award programs get more applications than others?

The number of applicants to any awards program is a combination of factors. I would love to say look of the graphic and style of the presentation are the top factors, but unfortunately I don't feel that is always the case.

Just for sheer numbers of applicants to any program, the determining factor has to be exposure. How it's placed in the search engine generates visitors and then winners. The winners host the award image where it's seen and all this multiplies till the number of applicants gets huge. Rankings by one of the ratings services worldwide works hand in hand with exposure. A top rated AS! program just by the nature of its ranking will be exposed to more visitors.

Now, if the award graphic itself stinks then the number of applicants will drop like three foot putts. So while the look of the award is second, it has to be a close runner-up to its companion, the style of the program itself.

Another factor that plays to the number of applications is how hard it is to win the honor. Those sites with excellent presentations and lovely graphics that review with tight criteria and only award worthy sites create a desire in applicants to win. A coveted award will therefore have more applications than one that is given with little consideration for who its going to.

I think the best plan of attack to get more applications for your own program is to run this list backwards towards the goal. Start with sound criteria, don't give away your awards, let them be earned. Make your program sing, be easy to use and understand and by all means create a killer graphic. Finally, get ranked, get listed and get busy.

Dave Selig, Webmaster
Ultraweb Awards

The reasons why some award programs get more applications than others are varied. At play is a complex set of circumstances involving not only the quality of the award programs, but also the experience of the applicants and their purposes for applying. Below, I discuss a few theories.

Some award programs receive fewer applications than others simply because they relate to a limited audience. For example, you would expect a website design award program to receive more applications than an award program recognizing sites devoted to the left eyebrow of George Washington.

Quality plays a role. As the quality of the award program improves, the number of applicants may increase (the "improvement theory"). People want to win great looking awards and enjoy having their work recognized and approved by high level webmasters or award givers with outstanding award programs containing other impressive winning sites. However, the improvement theory is a marginal theory. It only works up to a certain point.

As a program becomes more professional in quality and the winners' list becomes more selective, an award program may begin to notice a reduction in the number of applicants. In fact, high quality award programs may intentionally discourage the average non-professional webmaster or award seeker from applying for their awards by adopting standards that are above the ability of non-professionals. It is not the goal of all award programs to attract the largest number of applicants possible. However, if it is your goal, you should pay close attention to the standards you set.

Ironically, the lack of quality may have the effect of encouraging more applications. Many award givers present their awards to every applicant. It is likely that some of those programs attract more applicants than the highest quality award programs found on the Web.

There are also some practical considerations. A complicated application process where applicants have a difficult time finding the application form, are required to fill out a lot of personal information, and have to add a "secret" phrase to the application to prove they have read the criteria are discouraging elements of an award program.

Also, the more your site is promoted on the Internet, the more applications you should receive. Over time, as your award appears on an increasing number of sites, your award program will naturally become more recognized, and people will click to your program. Of course, having your program listed on quality listing services like Award Sites! and on the major search engines will help.

In conclusion, there are many reasons why some award programs receive more applications than others. The reasons relate to the approach and purpose of the award programs as well as the reasons people are seeking recognition. A high number of applications reflects a degree of success, but does not automatically reflect a high quality program. McDonalds sells billions of burgers, but I have a feeling that there are better places to eat that don't do quite that amount of business.

Whatever purpose you have for your award program, always strive to improve, and have fun!

Andries van Straten, Webmaster
Jetzone Awards

Previous answers in "Ask the Experts" have given us a rather good view on why people apply for awards and what they consider important. If an award program meets certain standards, you can bet on it they get lots of application. In a nutshell you can narrow it down to the following:

Mix these ingredients into an award program and you will attract lots of applicants. Leaving one out and you get less applicants. Finding the right balance between these ingredients is crucial to the success of the program.