WebAdvantage.net CEO Hollis Thomases Awarded 2009 Distinguished Business Innovation Entrepreneur

Havre de Grace, MD, May 1, 2009 – WebAdvantage.net, a strategic, results-centric Internet advertising and search marketing agency, today announced that CEO, Hollis Thomases, has been awarded the 2009 Distinguished Business Innovation Entrepreneur by the University of Baltimore’s Merrick School of Business. The Distinguished Entrepreneur Award recognizes the major achievements of local business owners whose entrepreneurial activity and altruistic behavior are widely admired in the metropolitan business community. The school recognized Thomases, an online marketing pioneer who founded WebAdvantage.net in 1998, for her innovative business concept, professional achievements, leadership qualities, and her ability to develop and influence change within her industry. Thomases received her award at a formal ceremony held on April 30, 2009 at the University of Baltimore Student Center.

At a time when businesses were primarily focused on building Web sites and Google had not even launched yet, Thomases predicted the need for online marketing. Realizing that “if we build it, they will come” was not enough, Thomases recognized the secret to success was in generating qualified Web site traffic and converting those leads into sales. Thomases pioneered innovative programs that consistently enhanced her clients’ Web visibility, brand and bottom line, spearheading her agency’s impressive growth well after the Internet boom and subsequent bust. Thomases started her firm by hiring female professionals who temporarily or permanently left the workforce to have and/or raise children. She developed flexible, family-friendly policies and procedures for in-house employees and telecommuters, building her Maryland-based organization to a staff of 12 with $4 million in 2008 annual revenues.

About Hollis Thomases
Hollis Thomases, a graduate of Cornell University, is a well-known expert in the online marketing industry with more than 20 years of marketing experience. In 2008, Thomases was recognized by Enterprising Women magazine as an “Enterprising Woman of the Year;” in 2007, she was the US Small Business Administration “Small Business Person of the Year” for the state of Maryland and a finalist for the Athena Award for women’s leadership. Since 2005, Thomases has authored the “Planning the Buy” column for a top Internet resource, ClickZ.com. Thomases has appeared on television, in print and as a frequent speaker at national industry conferences and association events. Thomases is active in her community, volunteering on boards and participating in business groups. Thomases’s full bio may be found in the WebAdvantage.net Media Kit.

About WebAdvantage.net
WebAdvantage.net is a privately-held, woman-owned agency. Its core competencies include online media planning, buying and campaign management, search engine optimization (SEO), Pay Per Click (PPC) paid search campaign management, social media consulting, and Internet strategy. The agency has grown key practices areas in hi-tech, health and wellness, working mothers, and aging Boomers. WebAdvantage.net’s collaborative, high-touch, results-centric approach to solutions has consistently garnered awards and loyal clients, including Nokia USA, Johns Hopkins University, Endo Pharmaceuticals, the Baltimore Area Convention & Visitors Association and Connections Academy. The Greater Baltimore Tech Council named WebAdvantage.net a “Small Giant with Mojo,” Smart Woman Magazine chose the company as a “Best Place for Business Women to Work.” More detail about WebAdvantage.net’s Internet marketing services is available online or call 410-942-0488.

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