Sonoma Parks Snag Web Prize

Navigating lush parklands with a mouse will never quite measure up to taking in the sights on foot. But if you're stuck in front of your computer screen, it doesn't get much better than the experience the Sonoma County Regional Parks offer.

That's according to 2013 Interactive Media Awards judges, who named the SonomaCountyParks.org “Best in Class” in the industry competition.

The county shared the prize with White Horse Productions, a company based in Portland, Ore., contracted to design the website.

The Sonoma County website is among 11 receiving the highest honor in the government category. Judges evaluated the competing websites for planning, execution and overall professionalism. An evaluation was based on design, content, functionality, usability and browser compatibility.

The website launched in March. It features customizable maps, photo slideshows, streamlined navigation, expanded social media links, park weather forecasts, searchable activity lists, among other features.

The site averages 40,000 hits a month and is the most visited site among Sonoma County’s government departments. The county's Information Systems department and White Horse are partnering on redesigns of other county websites.

The Interactive Media Awards were established by the Interactive Media Council, a nonprofit organization of leading web designers, developers, programmers, advertisers and related professionals working to elevate the standards of excellence on the Internet.