Arabella Dymoke of the GWG began the proceedings commenting on the high standard of entries and their committment to the web, regardless of whether services or products were offered on or offline. She continued to say, "With entries from local building contractors and car dealerships to high end luxury retailers, the stakes are the same. Get it right online and your customers and visitors will follow."
Arabella continued, "It's also been inspiring to see start-ups getting traction very quickly and the shortlist has several examples of this level of success."
Holly Tucker said, "The Good Web Guide Awards are an absolutely fantastic award to receive, shining a light and beacon on small businesses in our country, something I'm very passionate about. SMEs are the backbone of the economy and it's been amazing to read about all the entries." Holly went on to impart some entrepreneurial wisdom that she has picked up on her journey, before going on to announce the winners.
WEBSITE OF THE YEAR
www.gandysflipflops.com - A social enterprise selling flip flops and at the same time helping children's education and healthcare in India, donating 10% of profits to its 'Orphans for Orphans' mission, where it aims to build children's homes around the world.
And the judges said: "I wanted to be part of this story from the moment I landed on the homepage... I sincerely hope the whole world hears about this brand and I’m sure winning GWG Website of the Year will be a good step in that direction." Kate Russell, author of Working The Cloud and companion website and BBC Click's website diva.
PEOPLE'S CHOICE
www.trustedhousesitters.com - Connecting home and pet owners who need a sitter with trustworthy people who want to housesit. These reliable pet lovers and experienced home minders are willing to live in your home and look after it while you’re away (usually for free). Voted by the public as the most popular website.
And the judges said: "The website already has a worldwide reach, which shows it true global potential. A simple and practical website layout allows for easy navigation and search." Mark Pearson, founder of Markco Media Ltd, the parent company behind a global network of money saving websites including the UK's largest discount website, MyVoucherCodes.
RETAIL
uniteandtype.com - Inspired by the success of its customised ceramics at big tomato company, Unite & Type goes one step further in bringing its customers authentic English creamware.
HOME & GARDEN
www.sofa.com - Sofa.com is a combination of quirky, great functionality and visually stunning photography. The functionality of the site is unique in that it allows every fabric on offer (150) to be previewed on every sofa at every angle.
FOOD & DRINK
www.greatbritishchefs.com - Great British Chefs is a premium brand that provides food lovers with great recipes, tips and how to videos from the very best chefs in Britain.
BEST OF BRITISH
www.jonnyssister.co.uk - Renowned for its award winning love letter cushions, bunting and personalised gifts, all the products you find at Jonny's Sister are handmade in England.
EDUCATIONAL
RBS & NatWest Pocket Money Programme - Helping equip the next generation to get the most out of life, with practical and engaging resources and lesson plans for teachers and their pupils.
ARTS/CULTURE
www.artquid.com - More than a marketplace to buy and sell affordable art online, ArtQuid has become a vibrant community where anyone can discover art, share his passion and create direct contacts with artists, galleries and enthusiasts from all horizons.
TRAVEL
www.blacktomato.com - Black Tomato is an award winning tailored travel company that specialises in putting together exceptional, boundary-pushing trips around the globe.
INFORMATION/NEWS
www.justopenedlondon.com - Sharing the latest bar, restaurant, hotel, cultural & fashion openings in London. Just Opened London is dedicated to celebrating the best of the city's new offerings.
FINANCE/PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
www.ontrees.com - OnTrees is the free and simple way to see all your financial accounts in one place. You can check your balances, track your spending and set up budgets and alerts to manage your money more effectively. You can also make sure you’re getting the most competitive rates on the market with its comparison tables.
BUSINESS
www.peopleperhour.com - The go-to site for outsourcing all types of jobs that you pay for by the hour with over 600,000 freelancers across 150 countries on its books, letting businesses and individuals enjoy access to a vast pool of professionals, scaling their business up or down without the red tape, as and when they need to tap into assistance.
SOCIAL/COMMUNITY
www.trustedhousesitters.com - A simple solution to a very common problem, connecting home and pet owners who need a sitter with trustworthy people who want to housesit; reliable pet lovers and experienced home minders who are willing to live in your home and look after it while you’re away (usually for free).
CHARITY/SOCIAL ENTERPRISE
www.gandysflipflops.com - Gandys is a brand created by brothers, Rob and Paul Forkan, who have created a social enterprise by selling flip flops, and at the same time helping children's education and healthcare in India, donating 10% of profits to its 'Orphans for Orphans' mission, where it aims to build children's homes around the world.
PROPERTY
www.lettingaproperty.com - Letting A Property offers a comprehensive online letting service for UK landlords, providing a significantly cheaper and more tailored service than that available on the high street.
SUSTAINABLE
www.positiveluxury.com - Founded in 2011, Positive Luxury is the UK'S first online consumer guide to living positively. The site bridges the gap between CSR and marketing by giving consumers access to brands' social and environmental actions in a simple, jargon free language at a click.
HEALTH/BEAUTY
www.getthegloss.com - Founded on the principle that you can have brains and beauty. Conceived and edited by Susannah Taylor and Sarah Vine, two journalists with a wealth of experience and expertise, it's an online directory of the best products and services in the business, as well as expert advice and recommendations.
Photography by Steve Moulin. For more information, visit: www.stevemoulin.com and on Facebook.
19 November 2013