The Webby Awards received more than 4,000 entries this year and granted for the first time since its inception in 1996 "Webby Worthy" honors to recognize sites exhibiting remarkable achievement. Entries in 2005 came from more than 40 countries and all 50 states.
"The Webby Awards honors the outstanding Web sites that are setting the standards for the Internet," said Tiffany Shlain, creative director and founder of The Webby Awards. "The Oklahoma Department of Commerce's 'Webby Worthy' selection is a testament to the skill, ingenuity and vision of its creators."
The Department of Commerce unveiled its expanded and redesigned site in November of last year to better compete with other states in recruiting businesses and provide in-depth tools and information for Oklahoma businesses and communities. After the site launched, the agency reached an all-time high number of visitors to its site, with unique visitors increasing more than 100 percent compared to the previous year.
More than 1,000 unique visitors rely on the site each day for information and tools that help build businesses and communities. The "Webby Worthy" distinction reflects the site's continuing impact for the state.
"We want this site to be the first stop for businesses and communities that need assistance," said Meloyde Blancett-Scott, deputy director of marketing and communications for the Commerce Department. "OKcommerce.gov provides a gateway to useful information and resources for entrepreneurs, expanding businesses, exporters, workforce professionals, rural communities and more. We are committed to adding new content daily and keeping the site fresh and relevant."
According to the Webby Awards Web site, sites are selected for recognition based on excellence in content, structure and navigation, visual design, functionality, interactivity and overall experience.
Commerce's Web site offers more than 500 pages of information and more than 1,500 downloadable documents. The site, which features information about site selection, business development, communities, exporting and international business, workforce, and data and research, is geared toward Commerce's key customer groups.
A second phase of the site's redesign, slated for completion in late summer, will include dynamic mapping of key state data layers using geographical information system technology, as well as a searchable database of all local, state and federal non-commercial service providers who assist rural communities with every aspect of economic development.
Hailed as the "online Oscars" by Time magazine and the "Oscars of the Internet" by The New York Times, The Webby Awards are determined by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, a global organization dedicated to the progress of the Internet and interactive media, according to The Webby Awards Web site.
