Interview with Mark Connell - Part 2

[Internet Brothers] WebbieWorld employs a contemporary back-end database to compile traffic statistics and vote tallies in and out of the site. Tell our readers the rationale behind your meta site concept.

[Mark Connell] I wanted to build a site that recognized great sites, but I didn't want to limit the benefits to only the sites we choose as hot picks. It can be frustrating to submit your site to an awards organization and never hear any feedback. By allowing those submissions to pass through to be viewed, WebbieWorld gives every site a chance to rise to the top.

There are basically three main ways for a site to be recognized. They can be selected as a Webbie Pick, be voted into the People's Pick list, or be on the most visited list. Being in the Webbie Pick list or the People's Pick list will result in traffic, which helps on the most visited list. All three are factors of the others, of course, but that is what makes WebbieWorld interesting and dynamic. And it means that a site's efforts to promote itself can be rewarded with an increase in traffic. And that's the beauty of the site. It gives every site the chance to rise to the top and be seen. But even if we don't pick the site as a hot pick, the site can still benefit from the other aspects of WebbieWorld.

We also provide interviews and features that help web builders learn about different facets of the web. WebbieWorld is basically an ever changing site that lets people learn about the web and a place to find interesting sites on the web. Because there are lots of new sites coming in on a daily basis, there is always something new to see.

We have plans for the growth of WebbieWorld, but I believe the site should remain easy to use and understand. We didn't overdo the graphics on purpose. We wanted it to be simple, streamlined, and quick loading.

I've been getting lots of comments from visitors that say they like to come to WebbieWorld because they "can always find something new and interesting." That (and the huge increase in traffic) tells me that our concept is on target. We have lots of new things in development that will continue to help web builders build traffic to their sites.

[IB] As a recognized leader in web award programs and site reviews, what do you believe attracts the best sites to your competitions? What makes a good award program?

[MC] People spend a great deal of time developing their sites. It is nice to get recognition for that effort and awards are one way they get that recognition. But the higher the status of the award, the more it means to the winners. Winning awards with high status can also mean a large increase in traffic. And having lots of people interacting with your site is a great reward as well.

The first thing I define when designing a site of any kind is the purpose of the site. Different awards programs have different purposes, so good for one site might not be good for another. Having said that, building an awards program that gives an award to everyone is like shooting yourself in the foot. Once the integrity of the award is blown, the value of the award is minimal.

When I check out new sites, I sometimes see the awards the site has won. If I see the same award over and over on sites that aren't very good, I tend to lose respect for the award. Other people see this as well. If your goal is to just get your award graphic on a bunch of sites, then I guess this is ok.

I've moved away from the mentality of having people display the award graphic on their sites. We make it available to people, and if they want to use it, they can. I don't even tell sites that they have been chosen as a Webbie Pick. If they are interested, they will probably come back and look. If not, they might notice the traffic boost coming from WebbieWorld.

I'm concentrating my energy on checking out sites and getting them active quickly. This makes the site more interesting which builds value better than worrying about whether a winner is going to display the graphic. The folks that are actively promoting their sites are interested in increasing traffic and WebbieWorld helps them out greatly. My efforts are dedicated to them.

When I was a kid, I was in the scouts. We were tasked with learning some difficult passages to qualify for a badge. I worked hard and learned the passages. When the big day arrived, I was the only one who could recite the passages, but they ended up giving everyone a badge anyway. Because everyone got one, I felt my effort was wasted and the badge meant nothing. What I learned from that is that it is much nicer to gain something that is hard to achieve.

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"... a site's efforts to promote itself can be rewarded with an increase in traffic."

"... having lots of people interacting with your site is a great reward as well."