NMMA and boats.com hand out new Web design awards

CHICAGO – Walker Bay Boats was honored for having the best overall Web site in the marine industry by National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and boats.com during the first annual North American Marine Industry Web Awards yesterday, NMMA reported in a statement.

The North American Marine Industry Web Awards were launched to recognize the industry’s drive towards higher standards of excellence in Web site design and content.
Webs ites considered for the North American Web Awards were evaluated by a panel of judges with expertise in web creation and design, according to the association.

“Walker Bay Boats’ site was a great looking site, including great color, layout and a well-defined message. It speaks to the user and draws them in. Their ‘Build-a-Boat’ feature was very innovative and provided more interactivity than other sites judged in this year’s program,” said boats.com General Manager James Nolan.

In addition to an overall winner, Web sites were honored in four sub categories: Best OEM/Manufacturer Site (won by Walker Bay); Best Marine Equipment Site; Best Broker/Dealer Site and an award for Outstanding Contribution to the Online Marine Industry.

Honda Marine was honored in Best Marine Equipment category for its content, immediate focus on the marine industry, and the clear comprehension of the market it serves, NMMA reported.

The Best Broker/Dealer Category award went to MarineMax for its use of photography; ease of navigation and crisp, clean design of its secondary pages, according to the association.

The Moorings was honored for Outstanding Contribution to the Online Marine Industry.

“The Moorings site drew you in and made it easy to navigate. Its consistent format for linking and loads of interactive features, including E postcards, was very impressive,” said Nolan.

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