Company websites a hit with judges

HOUSTON, ---

Saudi Aramco is the winner of two international awards from the Web Marketing Association.

Saudi Aramco World won the “Best E-Zine Website” category and the company’s main website, www.saudiaramco.com, took an “Outstanding Website” award.

It was the second time for the Saudi Aramco World website and its founding design contractor, eSiteful Corp., to win the top award since the site was launched in 2004. The previous win was in 2008.

One of the judges wrote that the Saudi Aramco World site presented “engaging content,” adding that he especially liked the rotating featured-stories section. “It pulled me in and kept me engaged,” the judge said. “The site layout and graphics looked perfect.”

The online edition also garnered second-place awards in 2009 and 2010 and an “outstanding achievement in website development” in 2004. Overall, the Web edition has received 16 national and international awards.

Saudi Aramco World magazine, produced by the Public Affairs Department at Aramco Services Co., is circulated to interested readers throughout the world to help increase cross-cultural understanding. Dick Doughty, managing editor, reports that the online edition typically receives between 200,000 and 250,000 hits per month.

Saudi Aramco teamed with LBi London, a global marketing and technology agency, to produce saudiaramco.com, which was launched May 29. Far more than a simple face-lift, the new site featured enhanced search capability, interactive multimedia, up-to-date content and a fresh look.

Its single-page construction was meant to imitate drilling and delving deeper through layers of data, just as drills bore down for hydrocarbons.

The annual WebAward competition, now in its 15th year, recognizes the best websites in a wide range of industries and draws thousands of entries from around the world.

Entries are judged on design, innovation, content, technology, interactivity, copywriting and ease of use.

The Web Marketing Association offers four levels of recognition: Best of Show for 2011 (overall best website), Best Website for Industry, Outstanding Website and Standard of Excellence.