Ask the Experts, Question 9:

How can I make people read the criteria for my awards?

by Maggi Norris, Webmistress, Nemesis World
15 June 2002

Print Version

Will Harbeson, Webmaster The Medals Of Excellence

Editor's Choice

Good question! The quick answer is "you can not." People are going to read what they want and respond to what they read, usually on a whim. Same holds true for conversation. How many times does someone miss your spoken point and hear only what they wish from your conversation? It happens all the time.

Just as with speaking, written messages need to be as clear and to the point as possible. Avoid losing your audience in details. Stress those points that are most important to you early on, and then reinforce them just before the end of the message.

Specifically in criteria, keep it simple. You might place the details on linked pages to insure that your main points or objectives are covered on a single page. People who do need to read the details will follow your links and will likely be better applicants for their efforts. If your applicant chooses to skim your site, my hope is that clean, simple, short criteria points will get seen, even at a glance.

There are other solutions like passwords or keywords that are required with an application for a judging to take place. The jury is still out on this type of assurance that your criteria has been read, and many awards givers feel it is unfair. Personally, I have no problem with passwords because I read the criteria when I apply for awards and I find the passwords easily.

Bottom line is this: As an awards giver make your criteria as clean, concise and coherent as possible, then do not feel bad if you need to turn down a site that didn't bother to read it. As an awards applicant, be responsible as well. Read the entire site, spend a few minutes understanding the purpose and criteria for the award, and make any necessary changes to your site before you apply.

Wendy Sears, Webmistress
Assess Risk Web Award

A question that has often been raised is "how can I make people read the criteria for my awards?" The short and simple answer to this question is "you can't!" At least, this award manager has not found any method that ensures the criteria is read by the award applicant.

Various techniques have been employed by award managers over the years to try to ensure that applicants read the criteria. The two most popular techniques seem to be:

I would contend that these ploys do not in any way, shape or form "make" the applicant read the criteria. Inclusion of the correct password on the application form is often more a testament to the applicant's ability to visually scan text than a confirmation that he has read it.

An award manager could impose heavy sanctions against applicants who fail to complete an application form with the correct password. For example, the program might state that if the password is not included or is inaccurate, then the applicant can never apply again or will have to wait a year. This will tend to focus the mind of those applicants who are really serious about receiving the award, and it will encourage them to read the criteria in detail.

Even here, however, there is no guarantee the applicant will do more than scan the text for the all important password. So if the award manager cannot "make" the applicant read the criteria, what should be done? Simple! Make the criteria as simple and concise as possible. Do not be over-elaborate. Tell the applicants what you want from them in one page.

One technique which many successful programs employ is to provide a duel system: concise criteria for those in a hurry and more detailed criteria for people who feel they need more information. Clearly signposting your concise criteria also encourages people to read it.

In short, the more enticing the criteria, the more likely that applicants will read it. But, alas, there are no guarantees.

Debra Sharp, Webmistress
Mesweet's Awards

Experienced award seekers will read the criteria if they want a chance to win your award.

Inexperienced award seekers are usually the ones who not read the criteria. As time goes on, they may learn that one of the reasons they are not winning certain awards is because they have not read the criteria. They learn this when award givers tell them that they did not qualify because their sites failed to meet the criteria.

You cannot make people read the criteria for awards. All you can do is hope that inexperienced award seekers will eventually learn the importance of reading the criteria if they want to win awards.

Susan Hawkins, Webmistress
Elite Web Awards (site closed)

LOLOLOL ... Good question. When you find out the answer, be sure to let me know!

No, really. There is no real way to MAKE someone read your criteria. Starting out, I was naive and thought that most of the award seekers actually read my criteria, but they just didn't quite have what it took to win. Then I wised up.

Recently, I changed my award program a bit and added a password within the criteria. Not giving the correct password in the application form doesn't disqualify you, but it puts you at the bottom of the stack of applications to be reviewed. To my surprise, only 10% of the applications gave the right password, so only 10% of the applicants actually read my criteria! It blew my mind.

I am thinking about removing the password because it upsets me to know how many applicants don't give a darn about what you want. They are going to apply regardless. I would rather be naive and happy at this point. LOL

The simple fact is that only 10% of applicants are serious award seekers who are trying to make their site the best it can be. The other 90% are in it for the free advertisement and the big pat-on-the-back.

I don't mean to sound negative, but those are the actual facts! Statistics don't lie. So there is no way to make the applicants read your criteria. Even if you place the link to your application form within your criteria, the applicant can find it without reading the text. Sorry if I burst your bubble, but keep your chin up. The 10% who deserve your award are worth the time it takes to run a successful award program.

Dunja Zeyss, Webmistress
Dream Worker Award

I think it's a good idea to place a "secret word" in the criteria. If you ask for that word in the application form, the applicants have to go through the criteria to find it. Hopefully they read the criteria in the process.

Another good idea is to not allow "direct applications." Place a link to your application form in the criteria so that award-seekers can only get to it from the page that contains your criteria.

If you want to be "heavy handed," you can combine both of these methods. I'm sure this will help to make the applicants read your criteria.

Wendy Russell, Webmistress
Casey's Celtic Charm Award

How can I make people read the criteria? I have asked myself this question many times. The short answer is "you can't make people do anything." If there was a magical solution to this problem, I am sure everyone would be using it. All is not lost, though. There are a number of things we can try to "encourage" applicants to read the criteria.

Since implementing a password phrase, our applicants have definitely shown a willingness to read the entire program. This benefits both the evaluators and the applicants who apply for our award.

We placed the password phrase in an area of the awards program that fully aids and informs the applicant about how to win the award. My only regret was not implementing the password sooner. We are very pleased with the results it has produced and recommend it to others.

I am aware that some program owners do not like this method of using a password. It is an individual choice of what works for you. Personally, I have found it to be a very useful tool, but that's just my humble opinion.

Rob Ford, Webmaster
Favourite Website Awards

Answer is ... you can't! Well, you could if you wanted to force them to read your criteria by using different code and techniques, but why would you want to do that? I have seen numerous techniques over the past few years and none of them work, in my opinion.

Website awards are exciting, but let's be honest — criteria isn't. =)

There are two types of award seekers. One type will visit and study a program and its criteria a number of times before actually hitting the send button. The other just wants to apply with minimum effort. Unfortunately, this type makes up the huge majority of your applications.

Award seekers are notorious for wearing rose coloured spectacles when reading criteria. I used to all the time! They really believe they qualify for the award, or at least certain criteria points, when they apply. And why not? Even the best laid out and explained criteria is open to some interpretation.

The point is, if people really want an award, they are going to apply and hope for the best. Rightly or wrongly, it happens and they shouldn't be penalised for it. If you are well experienced and confident at evaluating sites, it shouldn't cause you many problems or much wasted time. I can fail an application within 5 seconds if it isn't up to scratch.

Establishing sound criteria is crucial to the long-term future of any award program, but it shouldn't become a book in itself. Making people aware of what their site will be evaluated on doesn't have to be detailed to the Nth degree. Over 90% of the award seekers will not take one look at your criteria anyhow.

Give them the essential information and show them the quality of sites you award through your winners' list. After all, your winners are the crux of your program and should be more prominent than the criteria.

Spend more time on making sure your site is capable of winning its own top award and showcasing your winners in such a way that everyone who visits your site will want to be up there on the winners' list. Get this right and you will have the respect you need for a successful award program. Without this respect, you will fall into the category of a hobbyist program and will have little credibility amongst the various communities out there.

Take it from me. I've tried everything when it comes to giving and receiving awards, and I think I've finally got it right. Favourite Website Awards receives more than 2000 visitors each day and over 600 nominations each month, and it's still on the upward curve!

Geetha Thirunakkarasu, Webmistress
Geetha's Web Design Awards (program closed)

Criteria is the body of the awards program. It is the element that most reflects the rating of the awards program.

Initially, criteria should be created by outlining the requirements based on the likes and dislikes of its creator. Then it should be expanded and divided into various categories with headers. This will make it visually appealing and encourage applicants to read the whole criteria without skipping through it.

I always feel it's better to start the criteria by listing the disqualifiers. Even though it tends to be discouraging, applicants can quickly find out if their sites are going to be disqualified.

Some award programs use passwords to encourage people to read the criteria, but I don't think this achieves anything. Many applicants just scan for passwords without reading anything.

The key to getting applicants to read your criteria is to make it clear, concise and easy to understand. Providing a score sheet or a self test will help applicants to understand the criteria faster. Get some friends to proofread your criteria to make sure it's friendly and easy to read before you use it.

Matthew Harvie, Webmaster
Dead Bang 100% Award (program closed)

How can I make people read the criteria for my award?!? I'm still working on solving this myself, but I have come to the conclusion that there are two possible ways to accomplish it.

The hidden code word will only work if you don't tell people about it. If you tell them there is a hidden code word in the criteria, then they will go looking for it. They will just quickly scan through your criteria, not really paying any attention to it, and go straight to the application form after they find the code word. If you don't say anything about the code word, then the only people who will find it are those who actually read your criteria.

You can place the code word anywhere within your criteria (I recommend anywhere but the first and last page), and tell people who find it to place the code word in the description they submit for their web site. This way, if you get an application that doesn't contain the code word, then you know that person hasn't read your criteria. You don't even have to visit his web site.

Of course, this method only gets rid of the time wasters who don't bother to read your criteria. It doesn't encourage them to read your criteria because they don't know their sites will be disqualified if they don't. Which brings us to the second method ...

Make your criteria as interesting as possible. If people enjoy reading your criteria, then they won't want to skip it. This is a hard one to implement because criteria by definition is just a list of do's and dont's. It's very hard to make the list entertaining. If there are any webmasters out there who have managed to do this, please let me know!

So, I would be more inclined to go for method one and be content with weeding out the time wasters from the genuine award seekers. But you will have to read my criteria to find out if I am actually using this method yet!

Jan Sopshier, Webmistress
Circus World Awards

How can I make people read the criteria for my awards? Put quite simply ... I can't.

Recently, I temporarily closed my award program because I'm moving. Placing a "noticeable" notice on my entry and submission pages, I thought for sure I'd be covered. Who was I kidding? I've received as many if not more applications since I placed the notice.

If applicants are going to ignore my notices, they will certainly ignore the criteria. There is simply no way to force people to read anything. At a forum I visit someone suggested that I remove my application form, but this would defeat the purpose. My email address is on every page, and it's an easy way to submit for my award.

I can understand non-English speaking folks applying since that is not their primary language. But the majority of the applications I've received have been from English websites.

At first, I replied to those who applied with a nice email explaining my situation and inviting them to apply again when my program reopened. When it became obvious that the applications were going to keep on coming, I stopped replying. I just don't have the time.

This temporary "closing" has opened my eyes and I'm seriously considering adding a secret password. What would that accomplish? Probably nothing, so I will continue to hit the delete button until my award program is back in full swing ... hopefully by the middle of June.

Gary Leineweber, Webmaster
Leine's 10-42 Hideaway Awards (program closed)

Here's a question every award program owner has asked himself many times. How do we get applicants to read our criteria? We all wish it was as easy as putting up a large flashing blue light on our criteria page and running a "blue light special." Or maybe having a large coupon that says, "25% Off Your Next Evaluation." But the fact remains, there is not one single thing that will make applicants read your criteria if they do not want to.

Some award program's find that putting a "special" word buried within their criteria and then having the applicant add that word to the application will make applicants read the entire criteria. This may be true, but there are those award seekers who will only scan for this "special" word and not read one word of the criteria.

A good evaluator will know immediately after viewing the first page or two of a site if the applicant has read the criteria. If present, the disqualifying elements will usually be found in the first pages. Does the site comply with a copyright and privacy notice, does it have a COPPA link, is it a family friendly site?

If the applicant's site does not meet all the requirements of our criteria, we must disqualify it. Until applicants learn to read and understand our criteria, we as evaluators have no other choice.