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| "No matter what it's subject, be it comedy, of human interest or of business, a great Website must include both depth of substance and the credentials of academia. It must stand on it's own; above the crowd, yet must be integral within the minds, hearts or spirit of the user. It is art; it is communication; it is the reflection of high morals and ethics; and it should include the special magic of the human touch. It defines and is part of what is good about the Net" -
Wally Gross, Founder Surfers Choice Internet Awards
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| HOW WE RATE YOUR SITE
Our rating system scores a site out of a possible mark of 100. To qualify for the Surfers Choice Internet Award a site must receive a minumum score of 75. Any site that scores between 65-74 will be informed in writing as to what is required to increase the mark and can resubmit at their option. The process is defined in detail below; we highly recommend you read this. Please also understand that the Surfers Choice Award
is intended for sites that wish both the recognition and presence that comes with the high level of service we provide.
IMPORTANT
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CONTENT 35 Points |
CONTENT IS WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT Content is the essence of any quality Website and that is why the majority of marks (35%) are given for the value and importance of a sites content. We compare a sites content to other similar sites of top quality, as well as, judging it on its own merits. Another site about whoever and their dog named Bubba is not content that would be of significant importance to a large audience. Links of links pages are everywhere and if they offer nothing else, we simply can't give a high score for content. It is an absolute requirement that any site we award must provide valuable and useful information or services. The best way for you to assess the merits of your own site is through your own experience and talent and by visiting our award winning sites and getting some comparisons from the various categories. |
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DESIGN 25 Points |
DESIGN, PRESENTATION A well designed Website incorporates superb theming in terms of colors, layout, graphics and the like as related to its topic(s). A start page that scrolls 8,9, 10 or more screens and includes 4 or more 400 x 68 banner ads, several smaller ones, 3-4 purposeless animations, a cheesy background that makes text impossible to read and uses improperly prepared clip art and graphics, is not what we are looking for in an award winning site. A clean, simple and easy to navigate site impresses us much more that one that tries to incorporate every possible gimmick that exists on the "free" Web. A well planned site with a good layout and an easy navigation system is more often than not reflective of quality and the effort required to make it work. We seek originality that's presented in an understandable format and makes us feel at least some elation about being there. |
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LOAD TIME 15 Points |
LOAD TIME IS CRITICAL
We are certain that a significant number of sites submitted to us, that would otherwise qualify for a Surfers Choice Award, have never been opened in our browsers. Why? Load time and nothing else. Knowledgeable Webmasters know that if a sites start page does not load within a relatively quick period, then the success of that site is seriously jeopardized. There is a certain amount of skill required to design a quick loading page and still include a menu, graphics and other content. We will wait a maximum of 60 seconds for a page to fully load. Then we will recapture memory and re-connect to the Net and try again. If the problem persists, we simply do not review the site. Time is of the essence for us and for many surfers. If you have a flash presentation or another application that may require a longer load time, then it is a good idea to provide a warning so site visitors will know what to expect and/or an alternative page. Below are few other items that we consider during the review process. LEGAL AND OTHER ISSUES Things such as posting copyrights, legal notices, privacy policies, credits and the like are all items that we consider to be of some significance. Plagarism will immediately eliminate a site. Disrepect for others property rights is something we look upon with great disgust and rightly so. A corporation should have company information posted. The Internet has it's share of anonimity, which in our opnion, is not a good thing within sites that sell things. People want to know who they are dealing with - can you blame them? This does not mean that you need to give up all kinds of personal information - just enough to show the credibility of your site. THE READINESS ISSUE "THIS SITE IS STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION". Imagine a house high on a hill overlooking the pristine beauty of Vail or the montains of British Columbia. You walk up and you enter, only to see that the house is not yet a home. Only studs, floor boards, electrical wires and air ducts is all that's visible. Would this house be featured in a "Better Homes and Gardens" issue. Obviously not. The same applies to a Website. Please submit your site only when it is substantially complete. We do understand that no Website is ever complete, for a good one constantly emerges and changes; but we want to review your home and not your house. Point made, we hope. |
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Graphical Content 15 Points |
WHAT WE LOOK FOR IN GRAPHICS
In a word - quality. Sites that plaster dozens and dozens of poor quality graphics on each page will not achieve a high mark in this criterion. If free graphics are used, make sure they are decent quality. There is no need to be a graphic artist, but a basic understanding of graphics is easy to obtain and available to all. Affordable programs such as Paint Shop Pro make it fairly easy to produce reasonable icons and the like. Original graphics that are anti-aliased (when needed) and are formatted to load quickly, yet still retain visual appeal will earn a site a high mark. Cheesy animations and overuse of poor quality clip art and the like will, and rightly so, result in a low mark. |
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The Appeal 10 Points |
OVERALL LOOK AND FEEL, PERSONALITY, PARADIGM
There is something about a great Website that appeals to the senses. Regardless of it's topic - personal or commercial - some Web authors have a knack of presenting a site in a special way. A site that manages to build its own unique paradigm has taken one major step towards success on the Net. Exemplary sites always score high in this regard as we feel that establishing a sites paradigm requires extra effort and is reflective of the authors commitment to quality. A FINAL WORD We have developed our review process over a period of near 5 years and feel it to be fair and equitable. We are as serious and dedicated to what we do here at Surfers Choice, as you are in your efforts on the Web. Our award is not a give away, it must be earned, that is the only way we can maintain the credibility of our service. This philosophy is what has allowed us to be here for the past 5 years. Our dedication is to provide you with a special and permanent presence on the Web. Posting a Surfers Choice Award graphic means a site is special and provides the user with a valuable resource and experience.
For these reasons our award is beyond compromise. Setting and maintaining high standards is an example to all Webmasters that we are promoting quality on the Web. If you are ready to receive a Surfers Choice Award today, then we welcome your submission and presence. On the other hand, if you feel that there is some wrok yet to be done, please come back and submit your site then.
In either event we have done what we have set out to do many years ago - encourage the development of true quality on the Net. Our phone number is 1-905-507-1088 should you need to contact us.
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