Forrester Research recently evaluated web design capabilities of top interactive marketing agencies across 18 criteria, and reported that Sapient, imc2, Razorfish, IconNicholson, and IBM Interactive led the pack for transaction-led projects.

This was due in large part to the “high usability scores earned by the client reference sites they supplied.”

Organic, just shy of the leaders’ circle for transaction-led projects, received impressive scores for its online branding work, which boosted it into the leaders’ circle for image-led projects.

New to Forrester’s rankings this year, Ascentium, Blast Radius, iCrossing, OgilvyInteractive, Resource Interactive, and Rosetta emerged as strong performers, a category rounded out by returning agencies Critical Mass, Molecular, R/GA, VML, and Whittmanhart. Arc Worldwide completed the research firm’s list of evaluated web design and development firms.

Don’t have half a million dollars to invest in your website? Don’t get discouraged.

While these web design and development agencies are out of reach for most small businesses, there are many reputable smaller scale web designers and developers that deliver high-quality websites that perform well.

In fact, if you do your due diligence, you can get a basic website professionally designed and developed for as little as $5,000 to $15,000.

A client in the HR field asked this week about the value of a Flash intro on a website to set themselves apart from competitors.

I explained strategic positioning and good design is what effectively differentiates a business from its competitors. In fact, if you do a really good job, you can actually make your competition look dull and unimportant.

As I recently noted on Web Designer Wall, Flash intros were tolerated in the ’90s when the Web was a novelty. People were excited about this new thing called the World Wide Web, and many of us spent countless hours surfing it. Spinning images and assorted gimmicks were tolerated, and even considered cool.

Not today. Now people just want to get the information they’re looking for, and get things done quickly and easily.

Still, some business owners think they’ll “wow” people with Flash intros. In fact,  a web designer recently told me about an architecture company that spent tens of thousands of dollars on a Flash intro.

Unfortunately, they wasted their money on something that will only get in the way of their visitors. They could have spent that money on search engine optimization, or a host of other marketing and sales tools and campaigns, which would actually generate leads and sales, and promote growth.

While it can take web designers and developers several weeks to design and develop a Flash intro, it takes visitors just a fraction of a second to click their way to the competition.

Microsoft launched the new version of its search engine called Bing earlier this month.

Is it a Google killer? Unlikely, given Googling is a deep-seated habit amongst the majority of Internet users. But it’s certainly chasing #2 search engine Yahoo.

Bing represents the third rebranding of MSN’s search engine products, preceded by MSN Search and to Live Search.

StatCounter analyzed search engine market share two weeks before and after the formal launch of Bing on May 28 (May 14 to May 27 and May 28 to June 10). For the US market it found:

• Google decreased from 78.68% to 77.94% (-0.74%)

• Yahoo decreased from 11.46% to 10.76% (-0.7%)

• Microsoft (Bing, MSN Search and Live Search) increased from 7.4% to 9% (+1.6%)

It’s like Twitter on steroids. The new Google Wave is a fusion of productivity tools, social networks, and micro-blogging.

You can communicate and collaborate on the Web platform with both private and public messages. In fact, some believe Google Wave will reinvent e-mail.

Check out the Google Wave demo now.

Web Designer Wall recently featured an article surrounding a Webcopyplus web poll, which indicated more users are demanding good web design. It sparked a debate at a recent workshop, where web writers, designers and developers started debating which is the king of the Web: web content or design.

While I’m on record for suggesting web content is the king of the Web, I believe both are royally important. In fact, if you dig deeper, I’d have to say consumers are the true ‘kings of the Web’ because they ultimately dictate what succeeds and fails on the Internet.

As web specialists, we need to keep reminding ourselves that a website is critical in how people perceive, understand and interpret a company and its offerings. And everything counts. Quality web writing can’t compensate for poor design, and good design can’t save poor web copy.

Web designers, developers, web writers – and anyone else involved in creating websites – need to respect what others bring to the table. It’s best to put egos aside and collaborate. That way, everyone involved wins – especially the client.

The Globe and Mail once again noted Webcopyplus in its Report on Business section. While we’re definitely grateful for the coverage, the recent write-up demonstrates the importance of getting the right title beside your name.

Almost always, I use the title Senior Web Copywriter. However, the Globe and Mail referred to me as a communications consultant. While this is accurate in a general sense, it lead to a couple of enquiries surrounding media relations and PR consulting, which are not a part of our core service offerings.

Had my official web copywriter title been used, perhaps others would have reached out for web writing-related projects.

I’ve noticed several top consultants are incredibly consistent when referring to themselves. Take Rob Frankel; he religiously brands himself as a branding expert. And it pays off! When people need a branding expert – whether they’re CEOs or reporters – Frankel is often top of mind, or at least at the top of Google.

Too often, business owners think websites are merely digital brochures. They’re much more — if you get the right web writers, designers and developers onboard.

In fact, a well-planned and implemented website can be the sustaining engine of any business in any industry.

They can gain your business major exposure for a fraction of the cost of ads; distribute your information to any region; connect with specific audiences and markets; generate leads and sales 24/7, and much more.

Just ask Macinhome, a Vancouver-based Mac training and technical support company, which took the time to assemble a team of Web specialists. They made a considerable investment, and it starting earning the Mac consultants an extraordinary return almost immediately. Their website generates leads and sales weekly, and they’re now the fastest growing Mac consulting company in Western Canada.

Get a cheap template and spend a week fiddling with your site and chances are you’ll end up with an ineffective “digital brochure.” Carefully choose your resources and invest wisely, and you’ll reap long-term rewards with your devoted virtual ambassador.

Copywriters often believe business to business copy should appeal to the intellect, not emotions. But, whether you’re writing web content for consumers or executives, remember you’re writing for people. And everyone has feelings.

In fact, business to business audiences are as emotional as business to consumers. Fear, greed and other motivators do play a role in their decision-masking process. You just need to make sure your business to business web content speaks to the right emotions.

1. Personal benefits
Again, business buyers are people, so drive home the personal benefits. Explain how your product or service will make them look gook in front of their superiors, advance their career or shave some hours off their workweek.

2. Business benefits
Business buyers are acting on behalf of the company, so clearly convey how their business will reduce or eliminate costs, increase sales, or help the company expand  into new markets.

Copywriters need to remember, whether writing business to business or business to consumer web copy, you need to engage online visitors emotionally, and treat them with respect.

Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web 20 years ago, is proposing a web for open, linked data that could do for numbers what the Web did for words, pictures and video.

He suggests unlocking raw data globally could unleash a new world of answers, which could connect people and build relationships, aid mankind and generate infinite opportunities.

If everyone partakes – including governments and corporations — “link data” could completely connect the world via unprocessed information, utilizing everything from event and personal data to medical and economic data.

So many more answers would be at our fingertips.

Watch Berners-Lee discuss link data on TED.

Most business owners understand and appreciate the benefits of having a website: it’s cheaper and more flexible than print; makes market expansion possible regardless of your size; works for you 24/7/365; and increases revenue stream opportunities. The list goes on.

But while websites provide a super highway for informational communication, there’s also the all-important relational aspect. Websites are critical in establishing and nurturing relationships with others.

Indeed, use websites to get your point across. Just don’t forget to leverage the opportunity to foster closer ties and create a solid rapport with your prospects and clients alike.

Whether you take advantage of e-mail, newsletters, online tools or one of many nifty Web 2.0 applications, remember your website can build authentic relationships that create desirable outcomes for all parties involved.