Alt Attribute & SEO Optimization

SEO Optimization images is becoming increasingly more essential in SEO (Search Engine Optimization) for websites. The ALT attribute is really a critical step that is sometimes forgotten. This can be a lost chance of better rankings.

In Google's webmaster guidelines, they advise using alternative text for the images on your web site:

Images:. Use the alt attribute to provide descriptive text. Additionally, we recommend using a human-readable caption and descriptive text round the image.

Why would they ask us to do that? The answer is easy, really; search engines have the same problem as blind users. They can't begin to see the images.

Many webmasters and inexperienced or unethical SEOs abuse using this attribute, attempting to stuff it with keywords, looking to achieve a certain keyword density, which is not as relevant for rankings now as it once was.

On the other hand, high keyword density can, on some search engines, trigger spam filters, which might create a penalty for your site's ranking. Even without this type of penalty, your site's rankings won't take advantage of this plan.
This process also puts persons who use screen readers at a greater disadvantage. Screen readers are software-based tools that really read aloud the contents of what is displayed on the screen. In browsing the net, the alt features of images are read aloud as well.

Imagine hearing a paragraph of text that is followed by repetitions of numerous keywords. The page would be not even close to accessible, and, to put it mildly, would be found quite annoying.
What exactly is an Alt attribute?

An ALT attribute shouldn't be used like a description or perhaps a label to have an image, though many people utilize it for the reason that fashion. Though it might seem natural to assume that alternate text is a label or a description, it is not!

The words used within an image's alt attribute ought to be its text equivalent and convey exactly the same information or serve the same purpose the image would.

The goal would be to provide the same functional information that a visual user would see. The alt attribute text should function as a "stand in" in the event that the look is unavailable. Ask yourself this: If you were to replace the look using the text, would most users receive the same basic information, and would it generate the same response?
Some examples:

 

Some SEO Optimization Tips

If a search button is a magnifying glass or binoculars its alt text should be 'search' or 'find' not 'magnifying glass' or 'binoculars'.

If the image is meant to convey the literal items in the image, then a description is suitable.

If it's meant to convey data, then that data is what is appropriate.

If it's designed to convey using a function, then your function is what ought to be used.

Some Alt Attribute Guidelines:

Always add alt attributes to images. Alt is mandatory for accessibility and for valid XHTML.

For images that play only a decorative role within the page, use an empty alt (i.e. alt="") or perhaps a CSS background image so that reading browsers do not bother users by uttering such things as "spacer image".

Keep in mind that it is the function of the image we are attempting to convey. For example; any button images should not include the word "button" within the alt text. They should emphasize the action performed by the button.

Alt text ought to be determined by context. The same image in a different context may need drastically different alt text.

Try to flow alt text with the rest from the text because that's how it will be read with adaptive technologies like screen readers. Someone hearing your page should hardly remember that a graphic image is there.
Please keep in mind that using an alt attribute for each image is required to satisfy the minimum WAI requirements, which are used since the benchmark for accessibility laws in UK and the rest of Europe. They are also necessary to meet "Section 508" accessibility requirements in america.

It is useful to categorize non-text content into three levels:

Eye-Candy
Mood-Setting
Content and Function

I. Eye-Candy

Eye-Candy are things that serve no purpose other than to make a site visually appealing/attractive and (oftentimes) satisfy the marketing departments. There isn't any content value (though there may be value to a sighted user).

Never alt-ify eye-candy unless there is something there which will enhance the usability from the site for someone utilizing a non-visual user agent. Make use of a null alt attribute or background images in CSS for eye-candy.

II. Mood-Setting

This is actually the middle layer of graphics which may serve to set the atmosphere or set happens as it were. These graphics aren't direct content and may 't be considered essential, but they're essential in that they help frame what is going on.

Try to alt-ify the second group as is sensible and it is relevant. There might be times when doing this may be annoying or detrimental with other users. Then try to avoid it.

For example; Alt text that's just like adjacent text is unnecessary, as well as an irritant to screen reader users. I recommend alt="" or background CSS images in such instances. But sometimes, it's important to get this content inside for those users.

Most times it depends on context. The same image in a different context may require drastically different alt text. Obviously, content ought to always be fully available. How you go in this case is a judgment call.

III. Content and Function

This is where the look may be the actual content. Always alt-ify content and functional images. Title and long description attributes can also be so as.
The main reason many authors can't understand why their alt text isn't working is that they don't know why the pictures exist. You need to figured out precisely what function an image serves. Consider what it's about the image that's important to the page's intended audience.

Every graphic includes a reason for standing on that page: because it either enhances the theme/ mood/ atmosphere or it is advisable to what are the page is attempting to describe. Understanding what the image is for makes alt text easier to write. And exercise writing them definitely helps.
A method to look into the usefulness of alternative text would be to imagine reading the page over the telephone to someone. What would you say when encountering a specific image to make the page understandable to the listener?

Besides the alt attribute you've got a couple more tools at your disposal for images.
First, in degree of descriptiveness title is within between alt and longdesc. It adds useful information and can add flavor. The title attribute is optionally rendered through the user agent. Remember they're invisible and never shown like a "tooltip" when focus is received via the keyboard. (So much for device independence). So make use of the title attribute only for advisory information.
Second, the longdesc attribute points towards the URL of a full description of an image. If the information contained in a picture is important to the meaning of the page (i.e. some important content would be lost when the image was removed), a longer description compared to "alt" attribute can reasonably display ought to be used. It may provide for rich, expressive documentation of a visual image.

It should be used when alt and title are insufficient to embody the visual qualities of an image. As Clark [1] states, "A longdesc is really a long description of an image...The goal is by using any period of description necessary to impart the details of the graphic.

It would not be remiss to hope that a long description conjures an image - the look - within the mind's eye, an analogy that holds true even for that totally blind."

Although the alt attribute is mandatory for web accessibility as well as for valid (X)HTML, not all images need alternative text, long descriptions, or titles.

In many cases, you're best just going with your gut instinct -- if it's not essential to include it, and when you don't have a strong urge to get it done, don't include that longdesc.

However, if it's essential for the entire page to operate, then you've to include the alt text (or title or longdesc).

What's necessary and what's not depends a great deal on the function of your image and it is context on the page.

The same image may need alt text (or title or longdesc) in a single spot, although not in another. If an image provides absolutely no content or functional information alt="" or background CSS images may be appropriate to use. But if the image provides content or adds functional information an alt would be required and perhaps even a long description will be so as. Oftentimes this kind of thing is a judgement call.

Image Search Engine Optimization Tips

Listed below are key steps in optimizing images:

Select a logical file name that reinforces the keywords. You can use hyphens in the file name to isolate the keyword, but avoid to exceeding two hyphens. Stay away from underscores like a word separator, such as "brilliant-diamonds.jpg";

Label the file extension. For example, when the image search engine sees a ".jpg" (JPEG) file extension, it's likely to assume that the file is really a photo, and when it sees a ".gif" (GIF) file extension, it's likely to assume that it is graphic;

Ensure that the written text at the image that's relevant to that image.
Again, do not lose an excellent opportunity to help your website with your images searching engines. Use these steps to rank better on all the engines and drive more traffic for your site TODAY.

SEO Company

The surprising part for me in recent weeks is that there are many Acquisition Marketers who still doubt that investing in SEO is even worth the effort. And, they have not even given it a try.

In some sense, it’s the “paralysis by analysis” conundrum. As SEO practitioners, we have all been faced with the question of “what’s the ROI?”

In my last article, 10 Quick & Dirty SEO Success Metrics, I made the case that tracking SEO success can get messy when you look at attribution tracking, and that you may have to resort to some more basic measurements to prove success.

It is exactly this messy success tracking that makes Acquisition Marketers hesitant to invest in SEO.

The Case For SEO As An Acquisition Vehicle

So, here’s my case for why SEO is a necessary piece of Acquisition Marketing:

A well-executed SEO strategy requires crafting and generating valuable content, promoting that content, and finding ways for trusted resources to link to that content. It takes time to see organic search results.

In this process, the most likely scenario is that “The Rank Hound” will be disappointed, and the “The Small Portfolio Ranker” will begin to have doubts, but may see some positive signs.  “The More, The Merrier” will see the breadth of keyword traffic begin to expand, and will be happy to see that progress.  But, even “The More, The Merrier” will begin to question if the right tail keywords are bringing in traffic.

However, this entire SEO process is moving the acquisition dial in the right direction!

Acquisition benefits include:

• Purchase Influencing. Quality content that is generated is positively influencing buyer behavior. Whether or not the content is found via a search engine (at the beginning), the content is still pushing website visitors closer to being buyers. By “content”, I don’t just mean written text (which is of course valuable) – great content will take many forms, including video, images, graphical depictions (including infographics), webinars, contests & promotions, local search assets (e.g. Google Places), and many other forms of great, creative, and convincing content.


• Awareness. Visits from long-tail keywords, even if not the best-converting keywords, are building brand awareness, and planting the seed that your site is there for them to come back to. You may see this traffic come back to you in future visits in your analyitcs as “Direct/Bookmark” or search queries for your brand name. But, it was the initial visit, for a very specific phrase that even gave you the opportunity for that second visit.


• Creating A Voice. In order to promote the content, you need a voice. That voice is a combination of social media engagement, PR, and traditional link building. These traffic channels, and communication processes, will be there even when Google changes the search game on us all again. People will be finding you not just via search, but through good-old-fashioned communication. But, you did the groundwork, in part, to improve SEO results.


• Competitive Keywords Will Come To You. Your quest for ranking for the best-converting, and more competitive, keywords will provide results. It will just take more time than many Acquisition Marketers are typically comfortable with. But, without making the investment in organic search, your competitors will keep taking your customers away from you.

As organic search traffic, and traffic from related sources, flows in, Acquisition Marketers can do one of the things they do best – test and optimize the user experience to capture customers and prospects, and build marketing lists to nurture with care.

Every Industry Evolves & Requires Convincing Doubters In Order To Grow

As I was drafting this article, I was bouncing ideas off of a trusted adviser, Mike Schultz, from the Rain Group. Mike’s specialty is sales training.

As I talked about my surprise at still finding so many “doubters” who have not yet invested in SEO, Mike drew an analogy to how even “mature” industries need to be re-introduced to how to sell their own services. He talked about how roughly 20 years ago, law firms began to revolutionize the way they market and sell their services (even though lawyers have been around for centuries).

It became evident, that if a competitive law firm did not engage in more aggressive marketing and demand generation, then not only were they leaving potential business on the table, the perception was that they were behind the curve.

While the SEO industry is far from mature, it is true that the speed of adoption has been at a much more rapid rate than many other marketing channels. In fact, Brian Halligan and the rest of the Hubspot team, have proven how fast a new marketing concept, such as inbound marketing, can take hold.

So, my hope is that the sophisticated, ROI-driven Acquisition Marketers will take note of the broad benefits of SEO, and invest time and money in building organic search as an acquisition channel. Even when ROI measurement is not immediately available.

Opinions expressed in the article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land.

Related Topics: In The Trenches

In 1999, years before major traditional publishing outfits cared about making money online or knew their bottom lines would soon depend on it, a small Melbourne startup called SitePoint figured out how to make money as the premiere destination for those looking to learn about building websites.

I remember my visits to SitePoint as a teenager fondly. I had a head full of ideas on grand businesses that would make me rich, and all I needed to do was pick up the skills to build them — or so I thought. I got my hands on the classic ‘Build Your Own Database Driven Web Site Using PHP & MySQL‘ by Kevin Yank and read SitePoint’s articles (this was before blogs existed) as often as I could.

In the end, things didn’t quite go as planned. My first job after high school and a bit of uni was (fortunately, before corporate life could claim me) my own business, which involved pushing out word count at breakneck speed, not creating web apps. Even still, I imagine those hours spent learning what SitePoint had to offer had a part to play in my early success, or I wouldn’t have know where to begin building my completely web-based service business.

Humble Beginnings

SitePoint was co-founded by Mark Harbottle and Matt Mickiewicz. Before SitePoint, Mark was a founding member and programmer with the company that developed HotDog, which you may remember as one of the few HTML editors available in 90s. Matt, on the other side of the world in Canada, had started a site that would soon become very popular — Webmaster-Resources.com, which these days redirects to SitePoint (and would probably sell for a small fortunate on the domain market).

By 2000, the two were working on SitePoint full-time and making advertising deals to keep the site in the black. In 2001, they turned their most popular tutorial into a book, which they sold themselves through a print-on-demand service.

The experiment was worthwhile, because the book was a success, enough to warrant a switch from the print-on-demand model to ordering large print runs. The company’s library today features books and kits on everything from running an SEO business to hosting your site using Amazon Web Services.

They’re also the company behind three popular marketplaces — 99designs, a design crowdsourcing site, Flippa, where users buy and sell websites, and Learnable, which is a platform for user-generated education.

Making Money with Information

SitePoint was one of the earlier companies in the world to bring in enough revenue from online content to support a growing staff — and on top of that, was listed several times in the BRW Fast 100, Deloitte Technology Fast 50, and the Deloitte Asia Pacific Fast 500. I spoke with co-founder Matt Mickiewicz to find out how they figured it out so early while News Corp continues to flounder years later.

“When we first launched our Forums in 1999, I made going in there, reading discussions, and helping out people personally one of my core daily activities. I used to answer hundreds of emails every week providing feedback to people about their websites, helping them troubleshoot problems, and in general be as helpful as humanly possible,” said Mickiewicz.

When the infamous ‘social media experts’ talk about building community as an essential part of doing business online, they’re not wrong — even if they don’t seem to know how to do that themselves. Putting some elbow grease into daily and helpful interactions with visitors put SitePoint in the right place for the company’s expansion into new markets. According to Mickiewicz, even SitePoint’s weekly newsletter would result in hundreds of email responses — something I’d be surprised to see today.

“SitePoint really was a community in every sense of the word, and when we published our first books and asked people to buy from us, we had build up a huge amount of trust and goodwill so that people happily opened up their wallets to us.”

Advertising’s No Golden Egg

In the last few years, the annual online ad spend has declined, but SitePoint still walks away with both a good profit and happy customers. To SitePoint, selling ad space isn’t just about slapping banners up when their clients’ ad-men send it over. They work hard to deliver extra value, and that means SitePoint doesn’t have to bring ad rates down to the point of commoditization while its competitors slash their inventory prices in desperation.

“Ad agencies & clients are as demanding as ever, so it’s our job to provide them with the absolute best customer service and justify our value and offer out of the box ideas to clients,” said Mickiewicz.

Mickiewicz and SitePoint started in an era when online advertising was a Wild West and have watched as Internet advertising standards were established by the IAB and the technology that made it possible to target their ad serving based on user demographics — things that have made the job of delivering a great experience for advertisers easier.

Even still, Matt doesn’t recommend that new media businesses rely completely on advertising revenue. “Products sales play a very important role in our business to this day in monetizing our traffic,” he says, though he’s not eager to tell me how much of their revenue is made up by products versus advertising.

“No one wants to buy advertising from you when you’re small, and when you get to a certain size you end up backfilling with ad networks which devalues your ad inventory.”

SitePoint’s continued success has been born of diversification. With a business that gets its revenue from marketplaces, subscriptions, advertising and a plethora of popular products, the company is largely resistant to recessions and market disasters — if one revenue source gets knocked out, they know they’ve got plenty of backups.

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Bench Craft Company on the art of ebay

Fewer than 1 percent of website visits come directly from a social media URL according to research just released by customer satisfaction analytics experts ForeSee Results.

The company surveyed 300,000 consumers on more than 180 websites across a dozen private and public sector industries. The referring social media sites covered were not just the usual suspects like Facebook and Twitter, but over 40 sites including Flickr, Foursquare, Scribd, Stumbleupon, Meetup and Youtube.

It’s not all bad news for social media marketeers. 18 percent of site visitors (averaged across surveyed websites) report being influenced by social media to visit a website. However, there was considerable variation in the results for different companies.

The social media budgets of marketers is constantly increasing as the survey data to the right shows. Forsee Results’ research showed that the resources companies put into social media and the results they receive vary wildly. Spending more money does not automatically lead to higher numbers of visits to websites, brand awareness or sales.

Promotional emails are also sometimes neglected in favor of the more glamorous social media, in spite of the fact that such emails influence 32 percent of purchases.

Companies themselves seem a bit confused about their objectives when it comes to social media. Internet Retailer Magazine surveyed 400 U.S. companies (19 percent of them retailers) in December 2009 and January 2010. It found that 74 percent of companies wanted social media to drive traffic to their websites, while only 56 percent wanted it to increase sales. Shouldn’t it be the other way around?

Next Story: Why mobile app success is more than just download numbers Previous Story: Battle brewing at Microsoft over retail store expansion

A 75-year-old woman was recently arrested by the Georgian police after she single-handedly cut off Internet connections in Georgia and neighbouring Armenia.

AFP reports that the pensioner was digging for scrap metal with the intention of stealing it when she stumbled upon a fibre-optic cable which runs through Georgia to Armenia, forcing thousands of Internet users in both countries to lose Internet connection for several hours. Georgian Railway Telecom, the company that owns the cable, said that the latest damage was serious, causing 90 percent of private and corporate Internet users in Armenia to lose access for nearly 12 hours while also hitting Georgian Internet service providers.

“I cannot understand how this lady managed to find and damage the cable. It has robust protection and such incidents are extremely rare,” Giorgi Ionatamishvili, Georgian Railway Telecom’s marketing head, told AFP.

Apparently, this wasn’t the first time it happened. In 2009, another scavenger damaged a fibre-optic cable while hunting for scrap metal in the impoverished ex-Soviet state, forcing many Georgians’ Internet connections to get interrupted.

The woman has been charged with damaging property and could face up to three years in prison if convicted.

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Georgia Bulldogs outfielder Johnathan Taylor has partial paralysis

Georgia outfielder Johnathan Taylor, who broke his neck while colliding with a teammate in a March 6 game against Florida State, is paralyzed from the waist down but showing signs of improvement, his doctors said.

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New Google <b>News</b> for Opera Mini - Official Google Mobile Blog

So we have rolled out a redesigned Google News for Opera Mini in all 29 languages and 70 editions of Google News. This includes an enhanced homepage featuring richer snippets, thumbnail images, links to videos and section content ...

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GWU Suicide Tragically Coincides with Obama Speech - FoxNews.com

George Washington University students in Washington, D.C. learned of a tragic coincidence of timing on their campus Wednesday. As President Obama delivered a speech on deficit reduction in the Jack Morton Auditorium, ...

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Given the current cost of components, a prepaid contract-free iPhone with less internal storage would likely earn Apple only about 16 percent gross margin if it were priced at $300, a new analysis has estimated.



Analyst Charlie Wolf with Needham & Company took a closer look at the prospect of a hypothetical "iPhone lite," to see if it would be in Apple's best interest to build such a product. A cheaper iPhone has been viewed as a strategy that would work to Apple's advantage in emerging markets like China.



In February, both Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal reported that Apple is working on a smaller and cheaper iPhone that it could sell contract-free. Soon after, The New York Times chimed in, and claimed that while Apple is not working on a smaller iPhone, it has explored opportunities in developing a cheaper handset.



Wolf largely agrees with the Times, and doesn't see a smaller iPhone with a new form factor as something that would be in Apple's best interest, even though it would be the easiest way to cut costs and created a cheaper handset.



"In our view, the iPhone would not be an iPhone if the display were, say, cut in half," he said. "Such a move would (dramatically) reduce the value of the iPod module for video viewing as well as the size of web sites accessed through the Safari browser. A smaller screen would also degrade the experience in using some applications, not to mention the possibility that some applications would probably have to be rewritten to accommodate a smaller screen."



iSuppli estimated that the 16GB iPhone 4, when it launched last June, carried a bill of materials of $188. The iPhone has an average selling price of $625 with a carrier subsidy, while gross margin is usually around 50 percent, suggesting that additional costs like assembly, software, testing, licenses and warrantees add up to $100 or more.



Ruling out the possibility of a smaller iPhone, Wolf said Apple could reduce internal storage from 16GB to about 4GB, but that would only reduce the bill of materials by $30 to about $157. By his estimation, such a handset would still have a total cost of $270.



"Apple would at best break even if it priced an iPhone Light at $250; and it would earn a modest 16% gross margin if it priced it at $300, which we regard as the high end of the range for a prepaid phone," Wolf wrote.



Gross margins of just 16 percent would be a number uncharacteristically low for Apple. For example, in its last quarterly results for the 2010 holiday buying season, Apple reported margins of 38.5 percent, or more than twice Wolf's estimate for a low-cost, no-contract iPhone.



"We suspect that the iPhone's designers and engineers have thought about this a lot more than we have so that the cost savings would be somewhat greater than we've estimated," Wolf said. "If, for example, the expenses incurred beyond the cost of components could be materially reduced, Apple might be able to earn a gross margin of 20% pricing the phone at $250 and 33% gross margin pricing it at $300."



The possibility of a cheaper iPhone with fewer features was hinted at by Apple Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook earlier this year. Cook, in an interview with Bernstein Research analyst Toni Sacconaghi, said Apple doesn't want its products to be "just for the rich."



Cook reportedly said that Apple is planning "clever things" to compete in the prepaid handset market. He also stated that Apple is "not ceding any market." He also referenced China, where Apple has found great success of late, and noted that it is a "classic prepaid market."

Apple has reportedly become more aggressive in securing components from overseas suppliers, making moves such as upfront cash payments to both ensure supply and block out competitors.



Analyst Brian White with Ticonderoga Securities said in a note to investors on Thursday that Apple began "aggressively attacking" the component situation in Japan following the earthquake and tsunami that struck the country. The iPhone maker reportedly sent executives to suppliers immediately to ensure adequate supply of components, and also began offering upfront cash payments.



Separately, White's contacts in Taiwan also revealed that Apple is allegedly securing component capacity using what is known as a "three cover guarantee," referring to capacity, stock and price. Apple's move is seen as one that could potentially block out competitors and prevent them from building ample supply of devices.



The information comes as a separate report out of the Far East suggested that a one-month delay for Research in Motion's PlayBook tablet was as a result of Apple securing most of the available touch panel production capacity. The delay has forced the PlayBook to go on sale after Apple's in-demand iPad 2.



Last month, it was said that Apple could agree to price hikes in order to secure touch panel supply, particularly in the aftermath of the Japan earthquake. Apple was said to be in talks with component makers about touch panel pricing, and allegedly considered some price increases in negotiations.



In the company's last quarterly earnings call, Apple Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook revealed that Apple had invested $3.9 billion of its nearly $60 billion in cash reserves in long-term supply contracts. He declined to reveal what components Apple had put its money toward, citing competitive concerns, but said that it was a strategic move that would position the company well in the future.



Analysts largely believe that the secret investment was related to touch panel displays that are the centerpiece of devices like the iPhone and iPad. One cost breakdown estimated that such an investment could secure Apple 136 million iPhone displays, or 60 million iPad touch panels.



It's a move similar to 2005, when Apple inked a major deal with Samsung to secure longterm supply of flash memory. NAND flash would go on to become a major part of Apple's products, including the iPhone, iPad and new MacBook Air.

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The PPIC study Kolko co-authored sheds light on why historically California’s economy has grown on pace with the national economy even though it usually ranks low in surveys of states whose laws are favorable to business.

While the research suggests many factors that determine long-term economic growth lie beyond the reach of policy makers, Kolko cautioned that policy could still someday trump warm, sunny days on the Pacific coast.

“If California loses its ability to incubate and encourage fast growing industries to be here, that would be unfortunate” in the long term, she said.

Kolko identified two policies in particular, a simpler tax structure rather than a lower tax rate, and a lower share of government expenditure on welfare and transfer payments, as means of hastening economic expansion.

(© 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

class="dropcap">Bill Thomas used to be a climate change skeptic, not believing that humans could have influenced the dramatic atmospheric shift, but two weeks in the woods — and chats with scientists — changed his mind.

“I remember vividly that first day with Dr. Jess Parker; he showed us a chart of CO2 levels increasing about the time of the industrial revolution,” says Thomas, who works for HSBC bank and participated in a 2007 Climate Champions training program. There, a personal epiphany led to a job title change — the former relationship manager for HSBC Technical Services is now group head of HSBC Technology and Services Sustainability.

Teaching employees the science behind green corporate values and how to make their workplaces sustainable isn’t just for “green” show — done right, it’s good business strategy.

“There seems to be a huge growth of interest among companies to not just keep the environmental initiatives within a subset of employees, but to make it a pervasive part of the corporate culture,” says Krista Badiane, who manages the business and environment program at the National Environmental Education Foundation.  And unlike broad, mandated rules — such as carbon caps — companies that create their own initiatives take ownership and credit for sustainable changes, which may well go beyond what laws would have dictated.

By cultivating current workers’ energy-saving ideas and environmental passions, companies can save resources, energy and money as well as boost their eco-friendly reputation. The key is to help employees learn why sustainability matters — for instance, unless it’s slowed, climate change could alter global landscapes and increase natural disasters in our lifetimes. And if employees realize what’s at stake, they’ll find ways to save resources at work — as well as at home.

Worker to Citizen Scientist/> In a patch of woods in Edgewater, Md., bordering Smithsonian Environmental Research Center campus buildings, HSBC technology managers are intently straightening a measuring tape wrapped around a mature oak. Phil Clarke, from Portland, Ore., leans in and meticulously gets a reading of its diameter: 94.8 inches. During this weeklong Sustainability Leader training, he’s learning what scientists do and what shape the planet is in. He knows that the measurements taken today — even though what they reveal won’t be known for awhile — will help guide decisions that will keep our world sound for future generations.

His employer, HSBC bank — a global financial services company with 300,000 employees working in 8,000 offices and pre-tax profits topping $11 billion — decided to go carbon neutral in 2005. For the past three years, HSBC bank has partnered with EarthWatch Institute for an international study on climate change’s effects on tree growth, as well as a program that trains employees around the world in sustainability. When workers return to the office after their forest immersion, they find ways to integrate newly learned sustainability lessons in their spheres of influence.

Clarke and the other HSBC technology services managers from around North America — key decision-makers hand picked for the training — earn the title of Sustainability Leader. A larger two-week program trains HSBC employees from all levels — from cashier to marketing staffer — to become Climate Champions.

Such citizen science training helps corporate employees understand the mechanics of science — that systems are complex, and that there are no easy answers. “You learn what a critical state the world is actually in,” says Annette Fasolino of HSBC’s payment operations division in Buffalo, N.Y.

Having that up-close experience with scientists and ecosystems helps employees better grasp how climate change is impacting, and may impact, the world. “Many of these people go back and question their decisions, and make sure they’re making the most sustainable decisions,” says Thomas.

Cultivating the Grassroots/> Though the partnership between HSBC and EarthWatch is unique, other companies are also looking to their staff for sustainable solutions. “There’s no one best program for a company to educate their employees,” Badiane says.

Some companies or groups of motivated employees organize green teams, which promote eco-friendly changes and teach colleagues sustainable alternatives. Initiatives range from banning disposable utensils in the lunchroom to redesigning an operating system to save raw materials. “Ideally, you’re getting some new ideas out of your employees,” says Deborah Fleischer, president of Green Impact, a sustainability consulting service.

Businesses also use social media sites such as Yammer — a private social network for companies — or online training to generate sustainable ideas.

Other companies dangle a carrot — awards and incentives — to get workers to make sustainable choices. Yogurt maker Stonyfield tied facility energy savings (based on energy use per ton of product) to employee bonuses. In this way, the company reduced energy use by more than 22 percent, according to a NEEF report.

To engage workers of all levels, eBay employed competition: a Big Green Idea Contest. To enter, employees identified ways the company could meet greenhouse gas reduction goals; then, employees voted on the top ideas. One idea, the eBay Box — simple, eco-friendly packaging that’s meant to be reused for eBay shipments — has become a useful tool that saves money and resources.

Unfortunately, some companies’ efforts are no more than greenwashing stunts to appear eco-friendly and keep up with their competition. Producing disposable trinkets with “green” logos or launching environmental-focused public relations initiatives while pushing pollution limits does not jive with true sustainability. The companies mentioned here, however, offer genuine solutions that leave a lighter footprint.

Two Kinds of Green/> Such engagement can yield significant savings: One North American HSBC Climate Champion noticed that co-workers weren’t shutting down their PCs every night, wasting energy. Now, NightWatchman software automatically shuts down more than 6 million computers left on. During fiscal year 2010 in North America, the software coupled with an awareness program saved 4 million kilowatts per year of electricity and about 900 metric tons of carbon dioxide, which shaved $332,000 on energy bills.

At defense contractor Lockheed Martin, a Camden, Ark., building uses a software system to control lighting and air conditioning, leading to more than $200,000 in reduced costs and savings of 2,332 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually, according to the NEEF report. And at drugmaker Genetech,  green teams slashed the use of bottled water, saving the company $200,000 a year by using filtered water machines paired with reusable bottles, according to a white paper by Fleischer, “Green Teams: Engaging Employees in Sustainability.”

But benefits to a company can’t always be calculated in dollars.

“By creating an engaged employee base, we’re really putting it into hearts and minds of employees, and that’s going to be much more powerful and long-term than saying ‘you must turn off your PC,’” says Sharon Walck, senior vice president of sustainability at HSBC North America.

Investing in and teaching sustainable values to workers also boosts retention, according to NEEF, which is extremely important to large corporations. The foundation says losing and replacing a good employee can cost a company between 70 percent and 200 percent of that employee’s annual salary.

And, Badiane says, “employees who are motivated want to work for a company that has the same values.”

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Daily Kos: Fox <b>News</b> ties suicide to Obama speech

But with the other option being to talk about the Republican plan to abolish Medicare, apparently politicizing this young man's death looked a whole lot better to Fox News. Pathetic. (h/t Balloon Juice) ...

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Google <b>News</b> Blog: New Google <b>News</b> for Opera Mini

While the Google News team has been hard at work redesigning our service for smartphones, we've also been thinking about our milllions of users around the world who access the web not from a smartphone, but from a feature phone, ...

Roofing Companies Vancouver - 5 Questions to Ask yourself

Roofing Vancouver - Faq's

1. Repair or Replace?

There's no opinion like an expert opinion. Most contractors will provide you with a free estimate. Get a list of a couple trusted contractors and phone them well in advance of when you want to obtain your roof fixed to help you compare costs and opinions.

2. Beauty versus Practicality?

Discuss this together with your spouse or partner. (The kids could care less...at least the children.) Truth is, nobody wants an ugly roof just like nobody wants to be viewed with bed hair. If you've got a good quality roof and you simply need to do the repair, it's worth it to pay the price of the initial shingle instead of doing patchwork. A roof replacement doesn't happen frequently (we hope!) and so make a decision that suits you and your family well or it'll stand out just like a sore thumb everyday you decide to go home.

3. Should I replace the roof in order to sell the house for additional?

Think about this very carefully prior to making a choice. Depending on the roofing material you select, a new roof lasts anywhere from twenty, fifty, to one-hundred years! This means you have to look into the year from the roof that's currently too deep first. Are you at year 18 of the 20-year warranted roof or year 30 of a 50-year warranted roof? Obviously, the standard is the reason why the roof last longer, but when you're not likely to remain in your present home throughout your life, the higher expense might not be worth neglect the. Although a brand new roof can improve the value of your value, the increase may not be enough to cover neglect the and that's bound to hurt your wallet.

4. Is it a good idea that i can repair the roof myself?

Sure it is. But before you need to do, consult a specialist first. You can do it yourself, however, you shouldn't be considered a complete ‘lone ranger.' Depending on the extent of the repair, you may or may not change your mind. In either case, it will help to get a professional eye about the problem first and maybe even a free quote so you can do the math later and see if it's truly worth your time and effort, sweat, and money to become mister or miss fix-it.

5. When is a great time to get the roof replaced?

Weather may cause delays from days to weeks. Most people plan ahead to have their roof replaced in the summer once they know someone is going to be home during the day for a solid two weeks. Once you have this period in mind, make a call to a trusted contractor months in advance to obtain a quote. Some companies get reserved fast and chances are, they're the most reputable. Preparing in advance of the summer also provides you with time for you to discuss with many compare costs...especially if you want to have the roof done by a particular date.

 

The very best Roofing Contractor In Vancouver!

Is there a leak inside your home's roof? Perhaps you have lost shingles or tiles inside a storm? Have overhanging branches caused damage? Is your roof more than 20 years old and showing wear and tear? Are your gutters overwhelmed and draining poorly?

When the answer to any of these questions is "Yes" it is time to call the very best roofing contractor Vancouver - Crown Roofing & Drainage.

For over a century Crown Roofing continues to be the roofer of choice among our Vancouver neighbors. We provide complete roofing services, from emergency repairs and roof restoration, to complete roof replacement. All using the finest quality materials, installed with precision and also the highest level of customer service.

YOUR Vancouver ROOF DESERVES NO LESS!

The rooftop of your Vancouver home is the very first line of defence against wind, rain, snow, ice along with other weather elements. Make sure it is up to the task. Among Vancouver Roofing companies, only Crown Roofing has got the depth of experience and successful track record to make sure your roofing system will be properly designed and installed.

NEIGHBORS HELPING NEIGHBORS.

One reason Crown Roofing has been the most successful roofing company in Vancouver is our resolve for our neighbors. We treat your house as if it were our very own and that we were creating a roof to safeguard our very own family. That's what neighbors do, and you will count on Crown Roofing being here to aid you and also back our work. In the end, we've been repairing and replacing roofs in Vancouver since 1902!

Obtain a FREE INSPECTION AND EVALUATION Of the Vancouver ROOF.

Go to the Roofers Vancouver for any FREE inspection and evaluation of your roof. Make sure you get the very best roof for the Vancouver home, at the best value. We build roofs to last!

 

Tacoma Roofing contractor: Make your Home Beautiful

Not many people view the value of a good roof, but your knowledgeable Tacoma Roofing contractor does. From top notch experience, they will be in a position to let you know the reason why you need a strong, secure, and leak-free roof on your home.

The local Tacoma Roofing company is knowledgeable how important a financial investment your house is for you, especially as it is a lasting one. Your home might have been damaged slowly over the years and you have to take steps to minimize this damage. For a lot of people, keeping their house beautiful is also a matter of pride. There are those too who'd prefer to turn their property into a economical and efficient living place. Your roof is a valuable part of your house and plays a role in each of the aspects mentioned previously. For this reason, you should employ the services of qualified a Tacoma Roofing company.

Kinds of Roofs installed by a Tacoma Roofing contractor

Among the more common kinds of roofs are asphalt shingles, steel or metal sheeting, fiberglass, slate and terra cotta tiles.

Each kind of roof invites distinct problems, but they can all be easily looked after with a trusted Tacoma Roofing contractor. It's imperative that you nip roof problems within the bud before they become too costly or dangerous. You can schedule a scheduled appointment with the Tacoma Roofer to take a glance at your roof to see if you will find any issues or potential problems with it. If there are, they might be able to tell you how to deal with them.

A Tacoma Roofing contractor Helps you to Build Strong Homes

The exteriors associated with a house, primarily the roof and gutters, face the onslaught of bitter and varying climate conditions, day after day. Painting, repairing, and cleaning gutters might be necessary. In some cases you might want to replace them completely. Usually, when your gutters show signs of trouble, your roof must also be inspected for problems. Whatever issues there might be, an experienced Tacoma Roofing contractor can examine them at length and suggest the remedy.

If your gutters often clog too often, or you will find leaks along the walls of your home, it might imply that there's debris piled up on the top. Loose branches, piles of leaves, and other light objects that are swept on your roof throughout a storm can all contribute towards damaging your roof, and these damages could be lasting. An educated Tacoma Roofing contractor will tell you that birds, mice, along with other types of rodents often build nest within the debris that collects on the top. While these nests may look rather innocent, they're great at collecting moisture, which can lead to loose shingles, mold, and indoor leaks in your home. In addition, it may also cause vermin infestation. After a storm, your Tacoma Roofing company will suggest that you inspect your roof for just about any signs and symptoms of debris or damage.

Reverse Damages with the Help of a Tacoma Roofer

However high quality the rooftop might be, it is going to wear out over time. There are shingles that are referred to as "25 year" or "30 year" shingles, but those numbers are only related to warranty made by the manufacturers. They seldom last that long. Realistically speaking, "25 year" shingles will not last more than fifteen to twenty years. Within an area that is prone to storms, shingles or the entire roof may need to be replaced every ten years. With a Tacoma Roofer, the price is going to be less than what you think.

If there you lose any shingles, or there is some damage to them, a Tacoma Roofing contractor will be able to help you. Damaged shingles can result in indoor leaks, as the substrate of the roof becomes subjected to the elements. Shingles that are loose or broken can slip off and pose a possible hazard to individuals standing below. Missing shingles create a gap that allows rain, wind, ice, and debris to build up under the adjoining shingles, which creates a "domino effect" that affects other shingles plus they become loose or broken. A thorough investigation is going to be produced by the local Tacoma Roofing company, if you give them a call track of your suspicions of loose or missing shingles.

Your Tacoma Roofer come in a position to tell you what are the smartest choice is for your homes roof. In case your roof is not inside a good condition, it is advised that you have it replaced completely. The Tacoma Roofer may take you through the various roofing options available to you that will suit your requirements and your budget.

Tacoma Roofing company: Enhancing your Home's Efficiency

Your homes roof shelters you from storms, sleet, and hail. By providing adequate ventilation, your homes roof protects your house from overheating, by holding in the heat, it keeps your house warm. That's why you ought to ready your roof from indoors as well as outdoors for just about any kind of weather emergency. A professional Tacoma Roofing company can provide help in this case.

First of all, inspect your roof thoroughly for any and all sorts of kind of damage, before the beginning of the new season. The gutters ought to be clear, debris should not be piled on or trapped under shingles, there should be no homes of squirrels or birds within the eaves or attic, and the roof should be structurally sound. For that last part, you will need the help of your local Tacoma Roofing contractor. It can be quite dangerous to climb to the roof of your property. This is when the contractor from Tacoma Roofing contractor is available in. He will check out the strength and security of your roof and shingles, and perform a general inspection of the entire roof structure, to make sure that it is in proper working order. They'll be in a position to point to problems that you have to keep close track of and problems you may not have spotted.

You will need all the help you can get in the Tacoma Roofing company. You are able to help your roof by installing a gutter guard or leaf cover to assist prevent debris from forming inside your gutters. The additional weight of debris prevents the gutters from draining and may even tear them down. Check the fasteners on your gutters and when they are loose, tighten them. Take steps to alter worn screws and brackets. If you have a chimney in your home, inspect the bricks and mortar signs of wear. A reliable mason can be recommended because of your Tacoma Roofing company, if you will find any repairs to be done.

Tacoma Roofing company: Someone You are able to Count On
In the event that you realize or suspect that there's a problem, your Tacoma Roofing contractor ought to be contacted. They can use their knowledge and expertise to obtain your house in ace condition by simply working on the rooftop. Your homes roof deserves attention. So give them a call today, to enable them to get down to working on your roof.

 

What is Difference Between Commercial Roofing Companies From Residential Roofing Companies

If you are getting a roofing company to re roof your home or building then you may be wondering what the differences are between residential roofing companies and commercial roofing companies. To begin with, the one big difference is usually that times an industrial roofing company may have signed an agreement with and become obligated to a roofing union in in a position to focus on union commercial jobs.

If this is the situation then their labor costs will prohibit them from working on non union residential jobs. Beyond that, if your commercial roofing company hasn't signed a contract with a union they may be outfitted just for commercial jobs which of course means their workers and equipment might not be in line with smaller residential jobs.

Residential roofing contractors generally often run smaller companies and therefore, are more in a position to bid competitively on residential jobs, which are usually smaller than comercial jobs. Actually, quite often residential roofing contractors will run one man operations, where the contractor that you simply talk to could be the one that actually does the job on the building.

Also, liability insurance for commercial roofing is more expensive and a larger bond is required for a commercial roofing work which will make it not economical for a commercial roofing contractor to do residential roofing jobs.

Still an additional factor is the fact that commercial jobs can operate on a tighter time frame for any number of reasons, requiring an industrial contractor to employ a larger crew or crews which again makes smaller jobs not as profitable on their behalf.

 

Distinction between Commercial Roofing and Residential Roofing

Did you know that the roof of a building has a huge effect on the entire structure itself? Damage caused to roofs because of natural or another disasters leads to a considerable lack of property everywhere. The kind of materials accustomed to construct the roof which should be sturdy and long lasting, the manner where the roof continues to be installed and even its timely maintenance are very crucial. There are two kinds of roofs which are utilized on all of the buildings that we see around us: commercial and residential. Even though it might seem that commercial roofing is done only for businesses or offices and residential roofing is performed for apartments and houses, the truth is the differences tend to be more complex than that.

Residential roofing is generally completed by just one hired contractor but commercial roofing usually takes an entire team to accomplish the job. The reason being an industrial roof is commonly larger when it comes to sq ft than a residential roof.
Commercial roofs need to be made carefully keeping the character and reason for your building in mind. For example, if there is a restaurant in the building then external components like ventilation systems, smoke stacks and pipes is going to be required. Residential roofs usually do not have such components apart from a chimney or two at most.
Commercial roofs tends to be flat in design to support further changes at a later period, whereas most residential roofs have peaks and other architectural features like roof gardens.
Commercial roofing is a lot more expensive than residential roofing because of the special tools, materials and safety equipment that are needed onsite. Often the patching or maintenance work is done in segments unlike for any residential roof in which the repair or replacement work can be completed in a short while. This is one more reason why the gear employed for residential roofs is often smaller and less costly as well.
Commercial roof installations have a longer time to complete in comparison to residential roof installations and therefore are usually constructed in large sections. In this phase however, you should ensure that there aren't any leakages, cracks or any other visible wear and tear signs as it can certainly cause considerable harm to the entire building.
You should install the best roof for a building based on its purpose. Ensure that you hire a construction company that utilizes top notch materials and it has the best equipment to do the job or your investment may turn out to be a huge loss later.

 

Commercial Roofing Contractors: How to purchase a Qualified Commercial Roofing Company

If your business is seeking to have work done on its roof, you should use commercial roofing contractors that have a keen knowledge of any special needs that the business might have. As an example, a roofing job is often disruptive for that operation of economic as always. Because of this, it might be necessary for the business to be temporarily shut down, or the roofing to occur after business hours have ended. A roofing contractor that understands these needs can work plus a business in order to make sure that these types of issues are minimized.

First of all , a company should do when it is trying to find commercial roofing contractors is to discover who other businesses in the region are working through. Obviously, this information will not be helpful whether it may come as a suggestion from competitors, but you will find circumstances in which it is not too hard to locate these details from suppliers or retailers. Since roofing isn't an industry-specific service, this post is easily available.

It is a wise decision for any business to obtain in touch with at least three commercial roofing contractors to make bids on the price. In this way, the company can often obtain a better price. It is also important to make sure that each of the roofing contractors is licensed and bonded. These details are available by permitting in touch with the state contractor's board. This also assists you to determine whether there has been any claims filed from the company previously.

When looking at bids, it is only as vital to look at what services are now being offered and which products is going to be used because it is to check out the overall cost. The costs can vary quite drastically, but as tempting as possible to go for the cheapest bid, this isn't always your best option. In many cases, more costs now will mean fewer costs over time due to an undesirable roofing job. To further investigate the quality of the work, it is a good idea to check on with the Bbb in order to see if the company has been accredited, and when it's not, to a minimum of see what its rating is.

 

Selecting a Commercial Roofer

When you're searching for a roofer for the commercial roofing project you need to find a contractor who understands the special needs of a commercial roofing project. For example it can be harder to work on a business during business hours so either the company needs to be turn off for that repair or replacement or the job needs to be done after conventional business hours. Is the roofer you are considering for the job willing and able to operate around your schedule constrictions which might involve working weekends or evenings?

When you start your research for any roofer not only do you have to answer those questions however, you also want to find someone which will do a top quality job without a lot of time delays. Going about finding someone can seem as an obstacle by itself but there are several methods to make the search easier.

Ask people around you for referrals and try to find a minimum of three contractors to give you written bids in your job. Prior to going any further you need to ensure that the contractors you are thinking about are fully licensed and bonded. A simple search using the state contractor's board will verify if your roofer is licensed and when there are any past judgments or claims against their license.

When you select three or four roofers to place bids, you need to prepare yourself for that bids to be widely varied. Roofers will have brand preferences that will vary and may factor in more or less compared to next guy for any labor estimate. The more detailed a written bid is the more helpful it will likely be to focus on in which the cost are going to be incurred. Don't, however, select a roofer based solely on the bid price. Any low ball bids may be tempting to take, but if they're low because of low quality workman ship it might not be worth it in the end.

As they say, you generally get what you purchase, if you are able to afford a mid-priced bid it certainly is smart to go up in your price range instead of down. Additionally you ought to decide your roofer based on how professional they were and how comfortable you anticipate you'll be dealing with them.

Finally your cost will vary depending on which kind of roofing material you select along with the cost to haul your old roof towards the landfill. Should you be looking for places to chop corners on your roof, rather than cutting labor cost you might want to inquire about metallic roof option. Metal roofs can be economical and energy efficient which makes them overall money savers for that long term, as well as on commercial buildings they can be very low maintenance. Plus since they can be put on top of an existing roof, you don't have to have the old one removed and hauled away, which can make a large impact on your cost.

Selecting a comerical roofing company in your local area, doesn't have to be a struggle. For more information, visit http://www.vancouverroofers.net

 

Seattle Roofing Contractors - How To Find The very best

In the home of rain and sleet, commercial coffee and grunge, and the famous space needle, you can find a home which will suit you. Seattle, Washington could be a great place to build a house, however, you need Seattle roofing contractors to assist you. Your roof is, after all, the crowning glory of your home, as well as your strongest line of defense from the elements. You need to have something which is not only created to last, but built to attract making your home more beautiful

Harsh Weather

How come roofing contractors so important in this part of the country? Because Seattle is usually bombarded by rain along with other harsh weather conditions, you need a roof that may withstand all of the forces of nature. With this in mind, you'll need individuals who be aware of Seattle weather best, and who understand what materials can best go into your roof in order for it to last far longer in the area. In addition to all this, you need to blend with the remainder from the houses in your living space, so you cannot simply get whatever roof you please.

In all these aspects, a Seattle roofers will be able to help you out. All you need to do is look for Seattle roofing contractors online to be able to get the best value for your money without wondering if the contractor will suddenly run away with it and leave you roof-less.

Why the Contractor Model Works

If you want to set up your homes roof on your own, you will have to buy a good deal of materials, secure permits and licenses, and get materials which are suited to help you stay safe against harsh extremes of Seattle weather. Which means that if you're a DIY kind of guy or gal, you will have to undergo a large amount of legwork in order to get the task done.

On the other hand, a Seattle roofer can perform all the jobs for you personally and provide a package that may save you time and money. Because contractors operate under licenses and buy materials in bulk, they can get discounts on building materials that you would not otherwise get if you were buying merely for your own personel home.

Roofing Associations

Most roofing contractors also belong to roofing organizations which are bound by strict guidelines and standards. If they do well on their roofing job, they can showcase their roofing contractors association; if they do poorly, they can ruin the trustworthiness of their roofing contractors association and keep other contractors inside the association from receiving targeted roofing jobs. There is lots of pressure to complete well, so you can be reassured that prefer a roofing job completed in Seattle, you can aquire a contractor from the roofing association to help you out.

For example, Seattle Roof Brokers operates with over 500 roofing contractors in the Puget Sound. This group has over half a century of roofing experience and experience working with Seattle roofing contractors, therefore it knows what type of roofing you want. The Roof Brokers group can put you in contact using the contractor that you need so you do not have to search for contractors individually.

What In the event you Demand from Your Contractor?

Whenever you finally get a contractor within the Seattle area, you must do lots of research about the roofing contractors themselves. Request a list of previous companies or persons that the contractor caused in order to get a definite view of the roofing contractor's work ethics and roof quality. Your roofing contractor must also possess the appropriate working licenses and city licenses needed by the Seattle city government.

Pick a Seattle roofers that insures its employees, and that has courteous workers who will respect your opinions and make sure that the needs are met. Make sure that you obtain the best value for your money: if you are not satisfied using the job, you have to be guaranteed either money back, or a free, new roof. Moreover, additionally you need the workers to get the job done promptly, so be strict together with your deadlines - and find a contractor that is as strict as you are.

You need guarantees and warranties in your roof, so look for a contractor that can meet your financial allowance and roofing needs. If you achieve touching good Seattle roofing contractors, you can be guaranteed a good roof along with a better house in this fantastic city.

Selecting the Right Roofing Contractor Company for Replacing Your homes roof

The shingles inside your roof degrade and you're simply minded to locate a roofer to replace the them. Maybe you have already known as a few and therefore are evaluating which contractor to use for your upcoming roof repair. How can you choose the best contractor for working on your roof? Here are a number of things you should consider when searching for a legitimate roofer.

Where is the roofing contractor located? You should hire a roofer that is local. Then you will receive the next step of service when the roofing company is located near your house or has an office near your residence.
References. To look for the toughness for the contractor, references should be provided of the past clients who're prepared to vouch that excellent service was received. This will 't be the only factor in deciding upon your future roofer as some may claim they value the privacy of the clients and do not desire to bother them. If this sounds like the case, request business related references. The locations that provide the contractor with supplies can reveal the amount of materials and regularity of supplying the contractor to help determine their stability.
How does the roofer company handle complaints? There's a multitude of problems that can arise throughout the progress of the roofing replacement. Ask what their process is perfect for handling complaints if they arise. It is also an excellent idea to receive a past client reference who had a complaint which was resolved to the satisfaction of the client.
The payment schemes. Do you know the the payment schemes to do the job? What is the deposit and amount due upon completion? Even though it is certainly reasonable that the substantial payment be made before a contractor begins work on a project, it is strongly advised that full payment is not made until following the entire job is finished.
Written contract. All terms of the roofing replacement should be put in an itemized contract. No the main contracting job should depend on verbal assurances.
Bonding. You will find stuff that will go wrong with roofing installations that end up costing quite a bit of money to repair. Should this happen on your roofing replacement, you will feel a great deal better knowing that your roofer is bonded. This will supply the funds to fix whatever mistakes were made. Look for a roofing contractor that's bonded.
Manufacturer Warranty. Quality materials for roofing typically have a warranty. You should verify that there's actually a warranty about the materials being installed. Request a duplicate of the warranty.
Length of Time running a business How long has got the company you're interviewing been in business? A brief amount of time in business may reflect instability. If the contractor has been in business under three years, verify just how long they have been in the industry. A brand new contractor may have many years experience focusing on roofs before they form their very own business. Seek a business that's been around for 3 or more years, or where the contractor has already established many more years performing roofing replacements. It can should not be the only factor, everyone has to start sometime. Balance this with referrals and the other points raised in the following paragraphs.
Appropriate Permits. A Seattle roofer should know what permits are needed for repairing your roof. They should be aware of how you can obtain these permits on your behalf. Ask the contractor whether or not they will have the permits necessary to repair the roof.
Liability. If your worker becomes injured, who is responsible for the workers comp? When the contractor's equipment damages your home, who's liable for the repairs? A great contractor will provide certificates of insurance for liability and worker's compensation before they begin fixing your roof.
Subcontractors. Verify whether the contractor is going to be using subcontractors. If that's the case, it is strongly advised that everything contained in this article for verifying whether the contractor is credible also needs to be relevant to subcontractors. You need to get the names and license amounts of all subcontractors. You need to verify whether each subcontractor is also insured so you are not held responsible for their accidents.
Pending Legal Actions. You should verify whether there are any legal actions against the contractor. This is not only essential for verifying whether the roofing company is legitimate (credible roofing companies should not have to defend themselves in the court), it is also important just because a lost lawsuit could cause the contractor to visit bankrupt. If you have made a substantial down payment for services immediately prior to the company goes bankrupt, you could lose thousands of dollars and not have your roofing completed.
Material Disposal. Who is responsible for getting rid of the waste generated from the roof being replaced? Will your contractor handle all aspects of this? Is there an additional cost for getting rid of this waste?
NRCA Membership. Membership in local or national roofing associations, such as the NRCA, shows resolve for staying current with the most effective means of roof replacement and maintenance. Look for a roofer having a high standard of education regarding their trade.
Replacing your roof is a significant investment. It makes sense to inquire about serious questions before working with a roofer. Here are some more tips that you should consider when choosing the very best roofing contractor for the upcoming roofing replacement.

Payment. Do not make a full payment for services unless all jobs are finished.
Inspection. Don't create a full payment without doing your final inspection of all services rendered.
Workers liens. Do not fully purchase the roofing replacement job until worker's lien releases happen to be obtained.
Oral Agreements. No agreement should be made verbally without backing it up in writing. Every point that are vital that you you should be made in writing.

 

For the SEO needs, you can examine out Vancouver web site design and Vancouver Search engine optimization company

It is true the cyberspace has become the biggest financial market nowadays. Practically things are anchored on the web. Up to now, there are more than 182 million web sites online whilst still being counting. If each of these websites offers the possiblility to generate income, just think of the limitless opportunities that can be perfectly located at the internet. Moreover, with the emergence of web sites, the need for web hosting and Search| Engine Optimization is significantly defined.

Seo is actually the process of increasing the visibility of your internet site. As such, if you'd like your web site being visible to visitors, you should search for SEO Company. The optimization strategy considers how search spiders work and what folks usually and what keywords they will use. The key objective of Search engine optimization is making web sites visible in search sites through the natural or organic way.

Search optimization or natural search engine marketing is really a saying used in describing unpaid, algorithm-driven results of any particular engine. In other words, organic SEO uses natural strategies in achieving search results ranking. While there are 2 camps with which search engine optimization companies may fall to, and these are the 'White Hat' and the 'Black Hat', organic SEO would never belong to the 'Black Hat' camp.

Organic search engine optimization is really a highly specialized and complex practice that may literally dictate the failure or success of the internet business. Since search sites often modify their algorithms, organic SEO just isn't very easy at all. When search bots modify their algorithms, factors that enable your web site to seem in front of prospects are drastically changed also. Thus, so that you can deal with one of these changes, SEO tactics and techniques has to be employed.

It will always be ethical to use search engine optimization since search sites nowadays have grown to be extremely advanced they can easily see whether a web site is trying to manipulate their search indexes. Thus it's empirical to utilize seo practices that are completed in a way that appear natural.

The approaches used by organic search engine optimization and artificial SEO are really significantly different. Basically, organic SEO uses content when compared with artificial SEO's technical loopholes. Moreover, natural search engine marketing provides attracting links instead of linking schemes employed by artificial SEO. Natural SEO also creates valuable resource contrary to artificial SEO's algorithm chasing. Effortlessly these, you can clearly realise why search engine optimization is preferable over artificial seo. Although the latter could be harder and complicated, it creates favorable results that are very theraputic for any site. Fortunately, there are tons of Vancouver SEO companies today that provide the organic method in affordable rates and packages.

Search Engine Optimization Appears to the picture

Once when search engine marketing was actually not essential.

Whilst late as a decade ago, in the event you developed a Web page anywhere, Google indexed it and also you gained visibility in their search results. Your page might have been with a free "estates" where anybody could put in a page and Google didn't mind. It might also provide been a pure affiliate page with no original content and Google still indexed it.

The situation is unrecognizably different now.

Affiliate pages with "cookie-cutter" content duplicated everywhere might never reach the Google index; exactly the same fate is probably for all those pages you add in on a free-for-all website. As well as "proper" websites with your own domain name did not achieve visibility one of the proliferating sites in millions.

These wouldn't have mattered, aside from one thing. It had been Google that provided the bread and butter for the countless smaller businesses that may not afford expensive marketing campaigns. If the site was among the top few sites the appeared before a searcher's eyes when see your face searched for your product, you have hundreds as well as thousands of visitors, many of whom even bought your products.

Search engine optimization (SEO) entered the scene. Search results specialists "reverse-engineered" to spot the factors that Google consider for showing websites towards the top of its serp's pages. These factors were then consciously integrated into your Web pages in the hope that Google can have your website the primary ten results it showed about the first page.

As more of one's competitors adopted seo practices, things became difficult again. Your position started to slip if your competitors did the SEO better. SEO battles became serious fights with every dirty trick being employed.

There was "black hat" SEO practitioners who showed one page to search engines and another to human visitors. As engines like google are not bothered with readability, you could fill the "search engine" page with pure gibberish, but gibberish developed in a way that the engine dutifully indexed high.

A war of wits followed between unscrupulous SEO practitioners and search engines. Google changed its ranking algorithms regularly to be effective around practices that allowed low value content to look near the top of its serp's. After all, Google's success depended on providing value to searchers, not merchants. And SEO practitioners developed new tricks.

We will take a look at search engine optimization in a number of articles, starting by having an overall look at on-line or Internet marketing.

 

To your SEO needs, you can check out vancouver website design and Vancouver SEO company.

 

Cedar Roofing: Benefits

Cedar shakes are just about the most eye appealing shakes on the market today. Frequently designed from red-colored cedar around the coniferous forests of northwestern Usa, they're just the best roofs materials for proprietors who prefer supplying his or her roofs a natural look.

Unique cedar shingles are naturally resistant to the sun and rain, this is the key answer why cedar shingles are widely-used generally throughout various climatic conditions. They're generally available in a few specific qualities. A minumum of one will be the shingle made from red cedar even though the other is produced out of the bright white variety. Red cedar shakes are made from tight-grained particles that will be previously saturated with tannic acidity that experts say is definitely an all-natural additive. Red cedar shingles that will be dipped in creosote to avoid corrosion and therefore are desirable to homeowners simply because they add a rich and unique check out one's property or home.

You need to remember that red cedars usually change dark-colored if exposed continuously to seaside weather. Consequently, sea side homes need to have white cedar shakes. Red cedar shingles are generally a much more expensive when compared with white cedar types, although cost factor doesn't diminish its reputation in anyhow. They may be preferably perfect for classic Northeastern houses while white cedar shingles seem to be image ideal for bungalows and bungalows which have been integrated Nantucket design.

Through the years, classic cedar shakes have mislaid out in a point to synthetic shingles that emulate the cedar appear. Superior systems are used to make these kinds of shingles use a for a longer period life-span in comparison with unique cedar shingles. Most include advanced UV inhibitors and also have about 5 decades of steady guarantee. These shingles are often great insulators and many superior ones offer a chilly inside during summer months plus a warmer inside during harsh winters.

Cedar shakes, mostly for sale in honey, cinnamon, and silvery gray colors, need several quantity of repairs and maintenance. Needed initial treatment solution in front of installation. White cedar shakes for example, could be given bleaching oil which needs to be done nearly every six to seven years to enhance their durability.

Cedar shakes and cedar shingles can be CCA treated or not CCA treated. CCA means chromated copper arsenate. CCA is really a chemical that stops the rise of mold, mold and fungus so that it helps maintain insects from eating away your own wonderful cedar roof. CCA cedar will make your homes roof keep going longer, but CCA just isn't A fireplace TREAMENT. Cedar that has been fire treated can be acquired, but your roofing company must special order it. CCA treated cedar shingles cost 15 - 20% more than non-CCA cedar. Most cedar roofs are usually not CCA treated.

Cedar shakes and cedar shingles are fantastic, and they are another good purchase. Information of terms such as CCA, advanced quality, # 1, blue label and black label will allow you to pick the right cedar roof for use on your home.

Elite Roofing & Small remodels, LLC provides detailed information about shingles, cedar shakes, fiberglass shakes plus more. Elite Roofing & Home Improvements, LLC is affiliated with the National Roofers Association.

Discover more about cedar shingles, and acquire more articles and resources about cedar shakes at cedar roof shingles and shakes website.

 

Cedar Shingle Roof Vs Asphalt Shingle Roof

A cedar shingle roof remains highly coveted by homeowners. It really is among the oldest roofing products which has stayed constantly used within the more than 100 years. Just as much as new roofing materials carry on being developed, cedar shakes still endear themselves to numerous. Below can be a comparison analysis of the cedar roof versus an asphalt roof.

Pros of Cedar Roofing shingles

Cedar shakes contribute to much better air flow inside entire home. The shingles enable the the place to find breathe well without trapping moisture around. It will help to keep up the structure of the home in good shape for extended. Cedar Shakes are durable and strong. They enjoy a greater resistance to bugs. A cedar shingle roof will fully stand up well for the various weather onslaughts. Storms, hurricanes, powerful winds and flying debris will barely damage the outer lining of your cedar roof. The colour matures beautifully using the passing years, which makes it even more desirable. A cedar roof adds a distinct charm to your residence. Cedar is instantly accessible in lumber yards as well as doesn't demand a lots of expertise or specialized tools to set up.

Cons of Cedar Shakes

If rot takes hold, you would be compelled to change the whole lot. It's not easy extracting just the affected pieces. They could happen to be nailed down in a fashion that each elimination proves difficult. Cedar Shingles don't endure well to constant wetting. If you live in an area where rainfall is heavy or frequent, cedar shingles aren't an ideal choice. Frequent wetting causes mold or mildew setting in. Replacement and repair is actually a costly business. Your very best protection against constant wetting is always to use wide overhangs. Also, in case your property is shaded by many trees or nearby buildings, cedar shingles tend to develop mold. You will end up compelled to replace them earlier than you planned. Cedar Shingles will be more flammable than asphalt shingles. Many areas use a building code set up that restricts cedar shingles to reduce the chance of fire. To create a cedar shake roof, you need to have your financial allowance in regards to the higher side. Frequent maintenance may also be essential to keep the roof in good shape. Mildew and rot are ever-constant threats with a cedar roof.

Pros of Asphalt Shingle Roof

An asphalt roof is probably the most inexpensive to get and install. These come in various designs and colours, including an ordinary, flat use a 3-dimensional look. Asphalt shingles have a high capacity fires unlike cedar roofing. An asphalt roof can certainly decrease the risk of fires caused by flying embers. Asphalt roofs are easier and cheaper to set up than cedar. Also, they are low maintenance roofs.

Cons of Asphalt Shingle Roof

Algae is much more vulnerable to grow on asphalt roofing than cedar shingles. It causes the top to produce somewhat from the stain which spoils the appearance. You can get an anti-algae coating completed in your asphalt shingles but this increases the cost. When it comes to stability, an asphalt roof is more likely to be blown off by strong winds compared to a cedar roof.

Uncover more about cedar roofing materials, and obtain more articles and resources about cedar roofing shakes at cedar roof shingles and shakes website.

 

How to find Great Vancouver SEO Services

The amount of online businesses as well as e-commerce sites is actually constantly increasing because everyone knows that it may bring in lots of earnings. It's also caused a whole new sort of services that assist businesses within achieving their set goals and which makes them grow. Among fundamental essentials Vancouver SEO services; because the Search engine optimization industry is fairly youthful you will find that any kind of SEO Vancouver organization will not be greater than a 10 years old. However, you can rest assured that they certainly know what they have to caused by get a company growing.

If your company relies heavily on the web to get visitors to your website and also to get conversion rates, you need help searching motor optimization or even SEO because it is additionally known. When individuals place a search within their favorite search engine, the most likely fits arrive at the top. If you wish to draw traffic to your website or online business, you need to take the help of the Vancouver Search engine optimization company to help you get up of those search results. The Search engine optimization Vancouver providers provided is going to be well worth the cash spent and you will be seeing the returns not long following.

Nevertheless, attaining a high rank on the internet may not always be always easy and more so if your own is an extremely aggressive industry that they often refer to as a niche. It's no surprise after that that you need all the assist that exist. If you do not possess the answer to "What is SEO?" then you need to first educate yourself on the subject. Your smartest choice is to depart the job to people that realize it greatest; the actual Search engine optimization Vancouver experts in the Vancouver SEO company. You'll have to shell out some money but you will enjoy the actual rewards as time pass.

The actual SEO Vancouver professionals will begin on keyword research that is usually the starting point associated with SEO. You need to know the type of phrases or phrases which potential customers will be typing in to Google to get to your website. The actual Vancouver SEO company will do this tiresome job for a person as they have a much better concept about how exactly people go about their own queries. You, from you need to give them a better knowing regarding your business plus some basic keywords which they'd perform their own study.

In case your Search engine optimization campaign starts with keywords choice, then its link building which rss feeds seo; worthwhile Vancouver Search engine optimization company can help you understand. The optimal way for your website to position higher for a given keyword is to possess a excellent link building technique designed for this. The trick is to leave your hyperlink on high ranked websites. The Search engine optimization Vancouver professionals will tell you that the most typical method of carrying this out would be to submit content articles containing the desired key phrases in the proper percentage to article directory sites along with links back aimed at your website within the resource box.

So what have you been awaiting? Take the help of the Vancouver Search engine optimization company right here; the actual Search engine optimization Vancouver professionals can make your business develop so that you can reap higher earnings.

 

Reliable SEO Services For Your Company in Vancouver

Expert advanced Vancouver SEO services enable you to are available in the very best listing of the actual organic search results to attract visitors. Moreover, the site visitors of organic results is going to be eager to buy items and these providers may end up being helpful in your company.

You need SEO services Vancouver to benefit your organization by allowing you to make the most visibility from a internet search engine and thereby getting more traffic to your internet site. With the help of search engine rankings, these services will hugely assist your web site get in touch with the field of individuals being able to access web and therefore, drawing more and more visitors to your internet site. When the web site has started generating traffic to this, your business will reap benefits as the website will become the most retrieveable on top search engines.

A business needs such providers as the SEO professionals have the basic knowing and knowledge of how you can do it. A person as the website owner can spend some time on internet dealing with weblogs, forums, and other materials. Nevertheless, you have to concentrate on additional facets of your internet site as well as SEO experts concentrate almost all their efforts upon Search engine optimization because this is the things they're doing greatest.

The actual SEO companies promise to improve more traffic to your web site on a regular basis by giving an assurance that after individuals look for products or services, your web website comes on the top of the majority of sought after search engines like Google, Search engines, MSN and AOL.

In other words, to improve web visitors and presence, it is crucial that the website should get updated continually. The process of seo is not a one-time attempt. A successful SEO service consists of marketing, position, site marketing, hyperlink exchanges and much more. To be able to contain the modifications to Search engine optimization methods and techniques every day, professional Search engine optimization maintain skilled as well as technically experienced SEO specialists, site designers, copywriters, SEO editors, advertising specialists as well as task managers.

An expert and result-oriented search engine optimization service consists of the following:
. Study and report pre-optimization position
. Key phrase choice as well as optimisation
. Competition evaluation report
. Explanation associated with tags
. Designed hyperlink page development
. Optimisation of pictures
. Keyword-rich content material building
. Search engine optimization copy writing
. Link campaigns
. Code
. Internet search engine distribution

Search engine optimization businesses also provide the support of market and keyword research. These businesses will look at the clients' internet sites as well as their competition and can search for appropriate keywords. They follow the best strategy which will make sure on the internet visibility and publicity.

Right now, let us point out the advantages that will help a good company's site get to the surface of a search engine.
• Customized Search engine optimization solution
• Long term best rankings in search motors
• Higher web site traffic and online sales
• Global company protection
• Business business identity
• Suggestions for business development
• Follow-up support
• Maximum returns