Website Awards

Hard Work Pays Off for Stevie Award Winner Klein Steel

Posted by Maggie Gallagher on Fri, May 01, 2015 @ 03:51 PM

Klein Steel Services, Inc., in Rochester, New York, won a Gold Stevie® Award for its company website in  the Website Awards categories of The 2014 American Business Awards.  Finalists in the 2015 competition will be announced on May 7.

ABA-Chair-WEB-15-1Laura Ribas, the VP of Marketing at Klein Steel Services, Inc., has been appointed Chair of The 2015 American Business Awards Final Judging Committee for the Website Awards categories. We asked her for her thoughts on what winning a Stevie® Award has meant to her, what she is looking forward to in judging the 2015 Website Awards, and more.

On winning the Gold Stevie® Award for the Klein Steel website in 2014, Laura Ribas had this to say:Our team was thrilled to win a Stevie Award,” Laura told us. “We put a lot of time and effort into our website, from the high-level strategy to the navigation and content. While we were certainly proud of our results, the external validation from The American Business Awards judging panel was cause for celebration.”

Meeting Objectives

The Klein Steel website was updated in 2014 using the design services of Dumbwaiter Design in Rochester, New York. According to Laura, the main objectives in doing this were to:

a) differentiate Klein Steel from the competition (i.e., it’s not about the metal--it’s about you);

b) de-commoditize the company’s services and elevate the conversation (i.e., Klein Steel can help you meet your critical needs: speed to market, process control, availability, on-time delivery, quality, cost reduction);

c) better reflect the Klein Steel brand (i.e. highly professional, values-based company; the team you want on your team; winner of prestigious Industry Week and Rochester ethics awards; ongoing investment in processing equipment); and to

d) drive leads and engage the audience using bold images and stronger copy.

Strong Results

The website showed a 50% increase in monthly unique visitors within the first two months of its launch. Visitors found the site friendly, easy-to-navigate, intuitive, and visually pleasing. The new site had a scale-able, maintainable foundation; and it maximized search engine optimization.

New Marketing Tools

We asked Laura what new technology or services she has found most useful in getting the news about her company out to into the world. She told us that she maintains the traditional marketing and PR channels, but that, over the years, there have been changes. “Our company has incorporated greater marketing automation tools and a more robust social media strategy—including frequent blog feeds to LinkedIn—to get the news out about Klein Steel,” she explained.

Teamwork

Laura relishes her work. I work at a well-run, highly driven organization that places a strong emphasis on values, culture, and teamwork,” she explained. “I hit the ground running every day because it’s a pleasure to come to the office and work hand-in-hand with my team members to accomplish our goals.”

The team is justifiably proud of its new website. Adds Laura: “It was quite an honor for Klein Steel to be recognized among such highly esteemed, global organizations.” She is looking forward to reviewing the 2015 Finalists in her role as Chair of the Website Final Judging Committee.

About Laura Ribas:

Laura Ribas is the Vice President of Marketing at Klein Steel Service Inc., in Rochester, New York. She has over 25 years of progressive and diversified experience in management consulting and marketing strategy. Laura is a leader and mentor who thrives in team- and values-based environments which are professional, motivating, and fun. With an ethical foundation and positive attitude, she brings a focus on delivering results with fiscal responsibility. She is passionate about bringing brands to life by using data-driven insights to derive strategy, employing killer creative, and engaging storytelling to bring the right, actionable message to the correct target audience. Her mission: the betterment of people, processes, organizations, and brands.

About Klein Steel:
Klein Steel strives to be the premier supplier of metals by providing solutions to meet its partners’ needs. The company aims to attract and engage the best teammates, suppliers, and customers while embracing innovation and continuous process improvement. Klein Steel carries >3K SKUs in a state-of-the-art 210,000 square feet facility. It is NQA-1 (nuclear) compliant and offers processing (e.g., laser, drill), kitting, and component manufacturing. For more information, go to www.kleinsteel.com

Using Social Media to Handle Bad Press, from Stevie Awards Winner Zendesk

Posted by Maggie Gallagher on Wed, Apr 08, 2015 @ 12:00 PM

Zendesk, a customer service software provider in San Francisco, California, won a Gold Stevie Award for its Zendesk Blog in the Website Awards categories of The 2014 American Business Awards.

The final entry deadline for The 2015 American Business Awards is April 22.

REVIEW THE ENTRY KIT HERE.

1503ZendeskZendesk’s mission is to help organizations deliver better service and get closer to their customers with help from the Zendesk customer service platform. As part of this mission, Zendesk publishes content ranging from blog posts to webinars to detailed articles—all with the ultimate goal of helping companies and professionals pick up information, tips, and best practices to help their organizations become more successful.

The Zendesk blog aims to capture the news, trends, stories, tips, and content that are relevant to the customer service industry. Over 40 Zendesk employees contribute to the blog: each is credited in the byline for the individual entry. Following is an example of a blog entry from earlier this year:

How to bounce back from a bad headline: Lessons for 2015

by Charles Cooper

Old habits, new technologies, and changing expectations have reshaped the customer service landscape in recent years. Let’s take a look back at the headline themes that made 2014 a pivotal year for customer service—as well as at one that offered signposts about how to provide even better customer service in 2015.

The Move to Mobile and Multi-channel

The big picture for 2014 was once again dominated by a rapid move away from the desktop to a more mobile, app-centric world. And with global smartphone use soon to reach two billion, the number of people tapping customer support using mobile devices grew exponentially.

Indeed, 2014 marked the first time that Web self-service surpassed the phone as the most widely used communication channel for customer service. A Zendesk survey of some 7,000 consumers found that 67 percent of online shoppers made purchases that involved multiple channels, a percentage that’s only going to climb in 2015 and beyond.

Horror Stories

Not surprisingly, these transitions left an indelible mark on customer service, as companies found themselves face-to-face—in a manner of speaking—with customers who had more ways than ever before to share personal horror stories or lavish praise on the ways companies handled their interactions.

2014 marked an end to that bygone era when companies were reachable only during “business hours”—and confirmed that customer service has never been more social.

Social Media

Social support used to be a nice-to-have component for companies; nowadays, it’s a must-have part of the total business. Today, customers frustrated with a company’s service can leave messages or videos on sites like Yelp, YouTube, Facebook, Tumblr, and so on. In fact, a Microsoft poll found that 35% of consumers said they had used social media in the past year to complain about a brand or a company’s customer service. At the same time, 52% said they had used social media to praise a company or its brand.

Smooth(er) Sailing on the Rough Seas of Social Media

This emerging era of two-way conversation requires careful navigation. It also offers organizations new ways to pursue the larger goal of forging long-term relationships with customers. Companies are still trying to wrap their arms around this new world, albeit with mixed success.

Let’s consider a few real-life examples:

In April, a U.S. airline found itself on the defensive after someone in support responded to a customer complaint on Twitter with an inappropriate picture. But what could have been a PR disaster actually wound up playing to the airline’s advantage. After deleting the image and apologizing, the airline released the chronology of an internal investigation which found that the image was accidentally copied and pasted into the customer service tweet after someone had flagged it.

So, instead of blaming the episode on a mischievous hack or firing the employee, the airline won fans online for its honesty and for standing by an employee who was only guilty, the company said, of “an honest mistake.”

Speedy Response

A major fast food chain offered another way that companies can use social media to get ahead of a news cycle and prevent damage to its reputation. Earlier in the year, a three-year-old with severe injuries to her face visited a location in Jackson, Mississippi with her family, and the store manager had asked them to leave, explaining that the child’s appearance scared other diners. News of the incident spread quickly and the company opened an immediate probe—all the while interacting with customers on Twitter and Facebook. They also posted an apology on a Facebook page set up for the girl, and offered $30,000 to help the family pay for the child’s medical bills.

While cynics may scoff at the check and apology, the company’s speedy response to the crisis over social media helped avoid a potentially massive public relations dent to the brand’s reputation.

Social Missteps

An example of how NOT to handle social media-empowered customers came when a food company attempted to delete comments on its Facebook page. The comments were critical of the company’s stance against labeling genetically modified organisms, but deleting comments only made a bad situation worse, as the headlines then focused on the company’s censorship policy rather than on its jams and jellies.

Then there’s the case of the conversation with a cable/Internet company rep that would later be described on social media as both “Kafkaesque” and “hellish.” When a customer attempted to cancel his Internet service, the company’s representative fought the customer tooth and nail, at times acting condescendingly, at others combatively, but always unhelpfully. This went on for about 10 minutes before the service rep finally relented and disconnected the service. That wasn’t the end of it, however. The now-former customer had recorded the entire conversation and promptly posted it on the Internet.

The result wasn’t pretty. The corporation subsequently apologized and pledged to prevent future similar occurrences, but the damage to its reputation was done.

Don’t be a Cautionary Tale

These contrasting stories underscore the learning curve companies have had to climb as they crossed a digital Rubicon that has left customers in control of public brand perception. And now there’s no going back.

All companies make mistakes at one time or another, but these days they have new tools to help rebound—and quickly. Deleting or ignoring customer comments won’t deter customers from venting online: It will only wind up getting spun as an example of how not to connect.

About Charles Cooper:
Charles Cooper is a technology blogger, tech media strategist, and former executive editor at CNET News.

About Zendesk:

Zendesk provides a customer service platform designed to bring organizations and their customers closer together. With more than 40,000 customer accounts, Zendesk is used by organizations in 140 countries to provide support in more than 40 languages. Founded in 2007 and headquartered in San Francisco, Zendesk has operations in the United States, Europe, Asia, Australia, and South America.

Transitioning Leadership at Stevie® Awards Winner, Moz

Posted by Maggie Gallagher on Fri, Feb 28, 2014 @ 01:36 PM

Moz, a leading industry provider of search engine and social optimization software based in Seattle, Washington, USA won a Gold Stevie® Award for Best Web Writing/Content in the website awards categories of The 2013 American Business Awards, America's premier business awards program. (The entry deadline for The 2014 American Business Awards is March 26.  Get your entry kit here.) We looked at the refreshingly honest way Rand Fisher, the self-styled 'Wizard of Moz', announced a leadership transition at his company on his Stevie® Award-winning blog in December 2013.

 ————————————–

Picture for MozWhy am I posting this? Mostly, because I’d hate for the news to leak out some other way and have it make people on our team feel uncomfortable or put upon.

2013 was a really hard year for me. What made it so hard was partly attributable to the less-than-what-I’d-hoped-for results the business achieved, brought about by our artificially constrained acquisition funnel from June to October, between our re-brand (from SEOmoz to Moz) and the launch of Moz Analytics; but a greater portion was due to the challenges of scale.

Being a CEO at a 10-person startup, a 30-person startup, or even up to 75 people at Moz was a truly enjoyable experience. But the growth from 75 to around135 by 2013 was less fun for me. I’m still learning a tremendous amount, but I was being challenged to such a degree on issues like organizational development, HR, conflict resolution, process building, and morale that I felt out of my depth, and poorly suited—especially from an emotional-resiliency perspective—to meeting my obligations.

When these feelings started getting stronger, I talked with Sarah Bird about potentially taking over the CEO role one day, in order to let me focus more on my strengths and passions. At a Moz board meeting we had a more serious conversation on that topic, and last December, in an impromptu Allhands session at the Mozplex, we talked about it with the company as well.

Swapping Drivers on this Long Road Trip Together

Sarah likes to describe the last six years at Moz as a road trip. I’ve been driving and she’s been in the passenger seat, navigating. But while I really loved having the wheel for most of the journey, we’re getting into tougher terrain, and I really feel it might be time for Sarah and I to switch positions. She’s a different kind of driver and I’m a different kind of navigator, but we—the vehicle, and the passengers—will all be fine.

There’s a lot of nuance and complexity around a potential new CEO, but neither nuance nor complexity are how people interpret a leadership change. We human beings like simple stories, and this story isn’t simple. So, I’d like to share with you an email I sent to the Moz team at the time that helped to lay out where we were at:

————————————–
Hey gang,

Thanks so much for taking an hour out of what I know are very busy and important schedules. As promised, I wanted to follow up for those of you who couldn’t make the Allhands session in person—and for anyone who wants a refresher.

Quick Recap: For the last year, the board, eteam, Sarah, and I have been talking about changing my role/title and making Sarah our CEO. A lot of that stems from my personal passion around being an individual contributor more than a people manager, and in wanting to spend more time focusing on my strengths (marketing, product, evangelism, etc.) and less on my weaknesses (organizational development, financing, board/analyst management, etc.).

At the last board meeting, we chatted about potentially making that move as soon as January. There’s a board call to follow up on that topic next week. Nothing is set in stone, but given that I’ve written about this a bit in 15Five and talked about it on occasion with Mozzers, we wanted to have a more formal discussion with a chance for Q+A.

Questions that came up today and some answers to them:

A) When will this happen?

It’s still up in the air, but we’ll know more after the board call next week. Brad and I are also discussing this privately in a call on Wednesday morning.

B) What will Rand’s new role be?

My role will actually be very similar. I’ll likely be spending more time in the weeds with product design, marketing initiatives, and evangelism (blogging/speaking). I’ll continue to represent Moz externally quite a bit. But I won’t be doing much people managing, working on our finances and organizational development stuff, or the recruiting/hiring of senior staff. I’ve also promised to write a book next year on startup marketing.

I want to change my title to “individual contributor,” mostly because it reflects my belief that you don’t need to manage people in order to have influence. I love and want to promote the IC track/concept, and titles are kinda BS, so I will continue to be on the eteam and on the board of directors, representing internal shareholders like y’all.

C) Can we share this news?

NOTE FROM RAND: This was part of the original email to the team, but obviously (now that this post is published) is no longer applicable, but is preserved here for posterity.

No! Please don’t.

While we love to be transparent, this is a sensitive topic that requires a lot of input and care. It’s going to be hard to convey the transition correctly and not send the message that it is just because of a slowing growth rate this year (which isn’t the truth, though some of the emotional challenges I’m dealing with may have been accelerated). We also don’t yet have the full details on a plan, and it’s hard to capture the nuance effectively.

Sarah and I have talked about potentially having me write a blog post on this sooner rather than later to at least bring up the idea externally. We’d hate to have it leak.

D) Will Moz’s mission/vision/values change?

No. We’ve been aligned on that stuff for many years. TAGFEE is here to stay. Helping people do better marketing is here to stay. Powering the shift from interruption to inbound is here to stay.

Even when it comes to strategy, there will likely be very little difference to how we tackle initiatives. In fact, as Nicci and I were chatting today, I remarked that having the CEO title has, in my opinion, not helped me win any arguments with Sarah over the years. We’ve always needed to be on the same page or at least be comfortable with each other’s decisions to move forward—and I strongly suspect that will remain the case in the future.

What may change are some organizational elements. For example, as Sarah noted today, she’d like to have more regular company-wide town hall Q+A sessions where anyone/everyone on the team can ask questions to the eteam and expect a direct response.

E) Why does Rand want to be something other than CEO?

There are three big reasons (and lots of smaller ones):

#1 – As Moz has grown in numbers of people, I’ve often felt overwhelmed, out-of-my-depth, and emotionally challenged to handle the complexities of intra-team conflicts, morale, and organizational development issues. I want to do what I love and what I’m good at, and I believe I’ll be healthier and happier, and Moz will be better served, by me taking that role.

#2 – I don’t really want to be CEO of a public company, and someday we hope Moz can reach the metrics that would give us eligibility for a public offering. Given that, I’d eventually have wanted to step aside and let someone else take the reigns. Getting to do that now, years before an IPO, is a blessing: It gives us time to get comfortable and means that external investors won’t be shaken by a leadership change.

#3 – I believe Sarah will be a fantastic CEO. She’s stepped up to every challenge that ever come her way at Moz, and I believe this one will be no different. I honestly believe she can do this job better than I can, and that means good things for all of us and for the value of our shares, too.

(Plus I love the idea of Moz positively contributing to the awful inequality of women in leadership roles at technology startup companies.)

F) Does this mean Rand will leave in the near future?

Hell no. It’s impossible to describe how much of my personal identity and ego and heart are connected to this company. You’d have to push me out kicking and screaming. I plan to be here for a long time to come.

G) Is this because Moz’s performance in 2013 wasn’t as good as past years?

No.

The tough year we’ve had has weighed more heavily on me than it probably should have, and that’s part of the reason we’ve been thinking about doing this sooner rather than waiting a little longer. (We’d originally wanted to do some more hiring so Sarah would have fewer direct reports and sorted out some other issues first, but we may bias to action on this one). Even if we’d had the best year ever, we’d probably still be discussing this for some time in 2014.

H) What kind of CEO will Sarah be?
A great one—and probably a better one than me. In all seriousness, it’s hard to say for certain, but it will likely feel very familiar. Sarah is already doing a lot of CEO-type things today. I’ll let her tackle this question more, but she did so quite eloquently today at the Town Hall, talking about where her strengths lie (much more on the people/operations/financing/scaling side vs. my product/marketing/industry strengths).

I) What if things don’t go well with Sarah at the helm?

We’ll figure out a plan. We’re certainly aware of many times in a startup’s life when a CEO transitions out or back in. I’ve gotten to talk to a number of CEOs who’ve made this transition and we’re doing all we can to prepare. To be honest, I feel very confident as Sarah’s been much more like a co-CEO these past 6 years than most people know. If she weren’t a good fit, we’d have known a long time ago.

That said, the board will talk about it, and I will most certainly be here to help in whatever way needed, including filling back in should Moz need me in that role.

————————————–

Read the full transcript of this article at Rand’s blog; and about Moz, how to improve SEO, and the company’s progress at The Moz Blog.

About Rand Fishkin:

Rand Fishkin uses the ludicrous title Wizard of Moz. He co-authored/co-founded the Art of SEOInbound.org, and Moz because he likes doing stuff with other people. Rand is an addict of all things related to content, search, and social on the web, from his multiple blogs to TwitterGoogle+FacebookLinkedIn, and FourSquare. In his minuscule spare time, Rand enjoys the company of his amazing wife, whose serendipitous travel blog chronicles their journeys.

About Moz

Moz provides software to track all of a website's inbound marketing efforts on one platform, conduct SEO and social media research, and provide in-depth competitive analysis over time, with custom reporting. Dedicated to helping people do better marketing, Moz also creates free tools, tutorials, and educational resources for learning inbound marketing—and fosters the web’s most vibrant online marketing community. With offices in Seattle, Washington and Portland, Oregon, Moz supports over 25,000 customers and 300,000 community members worldwide.

Topics: award winning websites, excellent websites, business awards, website awards, American business awards, blog awards, stevie awards, web awards

Advice on Effective Website Design from a Stevie Award-winning Digital Agency

Posted by Michael Gallagher on Wed, Nov 20, 2013 @ 12:08 PM

Web Advanced of Irvine, California, USA won two Gold Stevie Awards for Best Website in The 2013 American Business Awards: for their own website, in the Advertising/PR/Marketing category; and for their work for Pfister Faucets, in the Products-Durables category. (The 2014 edition of The American Business Awards is now accepting entries - get details here.)

We asked Andrew McLendon, Chief Creative Officer at Web Advanced, for some advice on effective website design.

Andrew McLendonAndrew McLendon appreciated the Stevie Awards he received earlier this year, but also enjoyed the reactions from the clients on their award winning websites.  “Our history of winning Stevie Awards has helped us maintain great relationships with accounts we’ve truly enjoyed working on,” said McLendon.  “After six to eight months of hard work and close collaboration on a project, there’s a sense of accomplishment upon delivering the news that is has been named a Best Website of the Year.  It’s also great to be forwarded the enthusiastic reactions from the client’s team.  It becomes company news for them.”

In addition to the two Gold Stevies, Web Advanced’s work for StockCross Financial Services picked up the Silver Stevie for Best Financial Services Website.

“The Stevie Awards team makes these business awards a personal experience, mostly through the phone and email contacts that we receive from them regarding announcements, and the awards events themselves,” added McLendon.  “It’s always a pleasure to hear from them.  It always seems to be good news!”

Website Traffic

While Web Advanced is passionate about creating great user experiences across connected devices, McLendon advises company’s not to worry too much about the volume of website traffic.Our role is typically to generate higher quality leads and to guide users to meaningful purchasing decisions,” says McLendon.  “Upon launching an online marketing campaign, we provide a lot of additional value by optimizing our clients’ websites through A/B, multivariate, and usability testing.  The data informs incremental improvements to the design and you start to see significant jumps in performance.”

Minor Adjustments

“It’s always interesting to see which strategic assumptions hit the mark and which need more thought,” continues McLendon.  “Sometimes the content strategy needs adjusting.  Other times, a different photo simply performs better.  Every percentage increase counts!  You can easily get obsessed with chasing improvement.  Overall, leads may convert differently depending on your industry, but in every case it’s best to optimize upon a foundation of good website design and proven landing page components.”

Home Office

McLendon sometimes works from home and finds Dropbox is the most practical application when not in the office.  “We have our internal network that is accessible remotely, but Dropbox is so practical when working between home and the office.  Using the Public folder in Dropbox is also convenient since there’s no need to grant unique access to specific files inside of it.  It’s replaced our usage of HighTail for sharing huge design files with clients and collaborators.”

Creative Talent

Inside every Creative Director there’s an artist yearning to break out.  McLendon is no exception, and would have loved to write and illustrate a children’s book. “I enjoy creative storytelling,” says McLendon. ”It’s a highly competitive industry, but children’s books can produce a beautiful blend of art and story.  Recently some friends called me out on having a children’s book on my coffee table and then were instantly absorbed upon opening it.  Those artists are doing great work.”

McLendon is just as proud of his team at Web Advanced, however.  “Ultimately they are the ones that keep me going.  Producing great work is always rewarding but the process of getting there needs to be enjoyable.  Working closely with a talented team that shares a great sense of humor is what makes the tight deadlines and late nights pass by easily!”

About Andrew McLendon
A talented artist and design professional, Andrew joined the Web Advanced team in 2000 as the company’s first employee. Leading Web Advanced’s design and production team as the company’s Chief Creative Officer, he has overseen the design of more than 500 client projects over the past 13 years. Andrew combines an artist’s eye for aesthetic detail with an expert’s understanding of technology and business solutions.

About Web Advanced
Web Advanced is a full-service digital agency that specializes in building effective brands and enabling organizations to grow online. Our heritage in user centered design and software development is combined with a "business minded approach" which has made it possible for Web Advanced to deliver no-compromise, digital experiences that generate demand and loyalty for our client's brands.

Topics: award winning websites, best website, good website design, website awards, web awards, best websites

The Stevie Awards' Website and App Recommendations This Month

Posted by Michelle Rutkowski on Wed, Sep 25, 2013 @ 04:00 PM

Once a month in this space we bring to your attention several websites, apps or blogs that we think might help to make your workday a bit more productive or enjoyable.  Here are this month's suggestions.

RSSUber
A new way of connecting riders to drivers through an app, Uber is now available in 35 cities and 19 countries worldwide.

Jaunted
The online home of Conde Nast Traveler magazine, this website provides surprisingly useful travel tips, vacation ideas, destination information, and deals.

99u
A "cultural blog" that aims to make ideas happen through its website, events, and books. 99u shares useful insights from leading researchers and creatives.

GreenBiz
A website providing green business news and tools focused on sustainability and business success.

The Stevie Awards for Women in Business are still accepting entries, under the Media Awards categories, for Website of the Year and Smartphone or Tablet App of the Year created by or for women.

All of the Stevie Awards competitions recognize websites, apps, and blogs through a variety of categories.  Explore them today at www.StevieAwards.com

Topics: business awards, app awards, website awards, stevie awards, women in business awards, web awards, best websites

The Stevie Awards' Website and App Recommendations This Month

Posted by Michael Gallagher on Thu, Aug 22, 2013 @ 01:26 PM

RSS ImageOnce a month in this space we bring to your attention several websites, apps or blogs that we think might help to make your workday a bit more productive or enjoyable.  Here are this month's suggestions.

Huddle
Recently named a Gold Stevie® Award winner in the app awards categories of The 2013 International Business Awards, Huddle's iOS app aims to transform the way people work and enables people to get their jobs done faster and more efficiently. Supporting today's increasingly mobile workforce, Huddle brings together content management, social collaboration, and mobile collaboration productivity to unlock the true potential of anywhere, anytime working.

Freelancer.com
Another 2013 IBA Gold Stevie winner, in the website awards categories, Freelancer.com connects small businesses and entrepreneurs with over 8 million independent professionals globally, specializing in fields as diverse as IT, content, web development, sales & marketing, engineering, and medicine.

Mixbook's Mosaic
Also a 2013 IBA Gold Stevie Winner, Mixbook's app Mosaic allows users to create a quick, easy and affordable photo book from iPhone pictures that arrives in four days or less.

Sir Martin Sorrell on LinkedIn
Martin Sorrell, CEO of communications powerhouse WPP Group, airs his views on digital marketing via LinkedIn.

All of the Stevie Awards competitions recognize websites, apps, and blog through a variety of categories.  Explore them today at www.StevieAwards.com

Topics: business awards, app awards, website awards, stevie awards, web awards, best websites

Website Awards: Four Apps, Blogs, and Websites of Note

Posted by Liz Dean on Tue, Jul 30, 2013 @ 10:38 AM

The Stevie® Awards don't just confer business awards; we also like to highlight apps, blogs, and websites once a month in our Stevie Awards Update email newsletter that we think will help make your work day more interesting and enjoyable. Our latest "Blogs & Web Sites of Note" include:

  1. Stevie Awards RSS FeedFleksy      
    A Finalist in The American Business Awards, Fleksy, originally developed for the visually impaired, allows people to type text without having to look. Programmed with a powerful text prediction engine, Fleksy is available for free on the iPhone, iPad, and coming soon to the Android market.

  2. GoFundMe                        
    Brought to our attention by International Business Awards judge, Peter Bush, of Swansea, UK, GoFundMe allows individuals or organizations to create an online fund-raising website.

  3. Numbeo                             
    Ever wonder how much it really costs to live in your city? Find out with Numbeo, a website with contributed data on the cost of living in cities and countries worldwide.

  4. Wendell Potter, Health Care Watchdog                
    A blog on the ramifications of new U.S. health care legislation for businesses as well as individuals.

Have a favorite app, blog, or website? Nominate it for one of our app awards, blog awards, or website awards in the Stevie Awards for Women in Business. (The entry deadline for the 2013 Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the world's premier awards for women executives, entrepreneurs, and the organizations they run, is August 28. Request an entry kit here.)

Topics: business awards, app awards, website awards, International business awards, American business awards, stevie awards for women in business, blog awards

Website Awards: Four Apps, Blogs, and Websites of Note

Posted by Liz Dean on Wed, Jun 26, 2013 @ 03:05 PM

The Stevie® Awards don't just confer app awards, blog awards, and website awards; we also like to highlight apps, blogs, and websites once a month in our Stevie Awards Update email newsletter that we think will help make your work day more productive. Our latest "Blogs & Web Sites of Note" include:

Stevie Awards RSS FeedinDinero                              
An easy way to keep track of business cash flow and day-to-day finances, this Web app will sync your bank accounts with your credit cards to help you predict future cash flows. Prices range from $29.95 a month to $49.95 a month.

Project Tin Can
The future of e-learning is here! According to The Tin Can API website, "Tin Can API (sometimes known as the Experience API) is a brand new specification for learning technology that makes it possible to collect data about the wide range of experiences a person has (online and offline)." For more information on the API, we encourage you to visit http://scorm.com/tincan.

QuickBooks 2013                             
QuickBooks 2013 has arrived! With a clean look and a new navigation panel to improve speed and usability, the one-stop app allows users to sync items such as invoices and expenses across iOS devices and the Web. Monthly subscriptions start at $12.95 with free trials available.

Tappestry                           
A new app for the iOS and Android platforms, Tappestry allows individuals, companies, and organizations to safely share newly learned information.  Price varies based on number of users and free trials are available.

Have a favorite app, blog or website? Nominate it in The 2013 (10th Annual) International Business Awards, the world's premier business awards competition. (The final extended entry deadline is 10 July, request an entry kit here.)

Topics: business awards, app awards, website awards, International business awards, blog awards

Website Awards: Four Apps, Blogs, and Websites of Note

Posted by Liz Dean on Thu, May 30, 2013 @ 05:09 PM

Once a month we like to highlight blogs, apps, and websites in our Stevie® Awards Update Email Newsletter to help make your day a bit more enjoyable. Here are this month's "Apps, Websites and Blogs of Note:"    

  1. Stevie Awards RSS FeedAladinia                               
    Going to Barcelona this October for The 2013 International Business Awards, the world's premier business awards competition? Check out Barcelona's Roman Baths, sky diving, or rent a Ferrari for the day. This Spanish website offers "thousands of surprising options" around Spain, according to El Pais.
  2. Inside Climate News                      
    Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting, Inside Climate News is a news blog focusing on all matters affecting climate change.
  3. Bump                   
    Hate having to enter new contact information into your phone? Download Bump, the popular smartphone app that allows you to "bump" smartphones to obtain contact info.  The free app is available for iPhones and Androids.
  4. Lumosity's Human Cognition Project                      
    Be a part of Lumosity's program to improve human cognitive training programs.The online project is a groundbreaking collaboration between researchers worldwide with more than 600,000,000 cognitive game plays.

Have a favorite app, blog, or website? Nominate it for one of our blog awards, website awards, and app awards in The 10th Annual International Business Awards. (The final entry deadline is 12 June, request your entry kit here.)

Topics: business awards, app awards, website awards, International business awards, blog awards

Website Awards: Four Apps, Blogs, and Websites of Note

Posted by Liz Dean on Tue, Apr 30, 2013 @ 01:28 PM

The Stevie® Awards don't just confer blog awards, website awards, and app awards; we also like to highlight apps, blogs, and websites once a month in our Stevie Awards Update email newsletter that we think will help make your work day more interesting and enjoyable. Our latest "Blogs & Web Sites of Note" include:Stevie Awards RSS Feed

BagsVIP           
Time is money, so why waste time at the baggage carousel?  United Airlines is offering BagsVIP service for delivery within a 100-mile radius of selected airports. Prices from $29.95 (1 bag) to $49.95 (3 to 8 bags).

MyReviewRoom                             
ReviewRoom provides a complete solution for managing online application processes. The system organizes workflow, collects applications, has an entry evaluation system, conducts reporting, and more.

VerticalResponse Blog                  
Have marketing questions? Check out this all inclusive marketing blog featuring actionable marketing tips and how-tos.

WeTalk                
The WeTalk app allows access to very low VoIP rates, particularly for international calling, and avoids data-roaming charges. Download the app for free on the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad.

Have a favorite app, blog or website? Nominate it in The 2013 (10th Annual) International Business Awards, the world's premier business awards competition. (The entry deadline is 15 May, request your entry kit here.)

Topics: business awards, app awards, website awards, International business awards, blog awards