Alt Attribute & SEO Optimization

SEO Optimization images has become more and more essential in SEO (Search Engine Optimization) for websites. The ALT attribute is really a critical step that is often overlooked. This can be a lost chance of better rankings.

In Google's webmaster guidelines, they advise the use of alternative text for that images in your web site:

Images:. Use the alt attribute to supply descriptive text. Additionally, we recommend utilizing a human-readable caption and descriptive text around the image.

Why would they ask us to achieve that? The answer is simple, really; search engines have a similar problem as blind users. They cannot see the images.

Many webmasters and inexperienced or unethical SEOs abuse using this attribute, attempting to stuff it with keywords, looking to achieve a particular keyword density, which isn't as relevant for rankings now since it was previously.

On the other hand, high keyword density can, on some search engines, trigger spam filters, which might result in a penalty for the site's ranking. Even without such a penalty, your site's rankings won't benefit from this plan.
This method also puts persons who use screen readers at a greater disadvantage. Screen readers are software-based tools that actually read aloud the contents of what is shown on the screen. In browsing the web, the alt features of images are read aloud as well.

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

An ALT attribute should not be used as a description or a label to have an image, though many people use it for the reason that fashion. Although it may appear natural to assume that alternate text is a label or perhaps a description, it's not!

What used inside an image's alt attribute ought to be its text equivalent and convey the same information or serve the same purpose that the image would.

The thing is to provide the same functional information that the visual user would see. The alt attribute text should function as a "stand in" when the look is unavailable. Think about this question: If you were to replace the image with the text, would most users get the same basic information, and wouldn't it create the same response?
A few examples:

 

Some SEO Optimization Tips

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

If an image is meant to convey the literal contents of the image, then a description is suitable.

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

If it's meant to convey using a function, then the function itself is what should 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 merely a decorative role within the page, make use of an empty alt (i.e. alt="") or perhaps a CSS background image to ensure that reading browsers don't bother users by uttering things like "spacer image".

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

Alt text should be based on context. Exactly 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 the way it is going to 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 every image is required to meet the minimum WAI requirements, which are used since the benchmark for accessibility laws in UK and the remainder of Europe. They are also required to meet "Section 508" accessibility requirements in the US.

It is important 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 create a site visually appealing/attractive and (in many cases) fulfill the marketing departments. There is no content value (though there might be value to a sighted user).

Never alt-ify eye-candy unless there is something there that will boost the usability of the site for somebody using a non-visual user agent. Use a null alt attribute or background images in CSS for eye-candy.

II. Mood-Setting

This is actually the middle layer of graphics which might actually set the atmosphere or set happens as it were. These graphics are not direct content and could not be considered essential, but they're important in that they help frame what's going on.

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

For instance; Alt text that's identical to adjacent text is unnecessary, and an irritant to screen reader users. I suggest alt="" or background CSS images in such cases. But sometimes, it's vital that you get this content in there for those users.

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

III. Content and Function

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

Every graphic has a reason for being on that page: since it either improves the theme/ mood/ atmosphere or it is critical to what are the page is trying to explain. Understanding what the look 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. An amount you say when encountering a specific image to make the page understandable towards the listener?

Aside from the alt attribute you've got a couple more tools at your disposal for images.
First, in level of descriptiveness title is within between alt and longdesc. It adds useful information and may add flavor. The title attribute is optionally rendered through the user agent. Remember they are invisible and never shown like a "tooltip" when focus is received via the keyboard. (A lot for device independence). So use the title attribute just for advisory information.
Second, the longdesc attribute points to the Link to a full description of the image. If the information found in an image is important to the concept of the page (i.e. some important content will be lost when the image was removed), a longer description compared to "alt" attribute can reasonably display should be used. It can provide for rich, expressive documentation of the visual image.

It ought to be used when alt and title are insufficient to embody the visual qualities of an image. As Clark [1] states, "A longdesc is a long description of the image...The goal is to use any period of description essential to impart the facts of the graphic.

It wouldn't be remiss to hope that the long description conjures a picture - the look - in the mind's eye, an analogy that holds true even for that totally blind."

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

Oftentimes, you are best just going with your gut instinct -- if it's not necessary to incorporate it, and if you don't possess a strong urge to get it done, don't include that longdesc.

However, if it's essential for the whole 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 about the function of the image and it is context about the page.

The same image may require alt text (or title or longdesc) in a single spot, but not in another. If an image provides simply no content or functional information alt="" or background CSS images may be appropriate to make use of. However, if the image provides content or adds functional information an alt would be required and maybe a long description will be so as. In many cases this type of thing is really a judgement call.

Image Seo optimization Tips

Listed below are key stages in optimizing images:

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

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

Ensure that the text at the image that is relevant to that image.
Again, don't lose a great chance to help your site together with your images in search engines. Use these steps to rank better on all of the engines and drive increased traffic to your site TODAY.

Website Optimization

OwnLocal is a Y-Combinator bred startup that helps local newspapers survive on the Internet. OwnLocal swoops into small towns sprinkled across America’s less tech savvy plains and puts on quite a clever show. In no way are they grifters; but with their guaranteed promises of success, small town publishers don’t stand a chance.

Lloyd W. Armbrust, II, OwnLocal’s Founder and CEO, puts its technology in the hands of local publications, newspapers or television stations, so that they can then sell successful modern digital strategies like owning a website, blogging, SEO optimization, design, group deals and more to local businesses. In other words, OwnLocal acts like a web development department for local newspapers providing them with simple, sellable products including a white label daily deal product and a white label Yelp-like product.

“In rural America, small businesses would rather the Internet didn’t exist, but it does. We sell a package through their local newspapers that creates a website for them, writes relevant blog posts for them and pushes out media to Twitter and Facebook. So, we manage all of that for them but we do it through their newspaper.”

-Lloyd W. Armbrust

OwnLocal trains local media employees and shows them how to put on a “Web a la carte” presentation for small businesses even though the local businesses may have never heard of Groupon, Yelp or LivingSocial. To date, OwnLocal has powered more than 1,000 small businesses and over 100 publications.

OwnLocal also sells its product, “AdForge” as “the best print-to-digital ad conversion software in the world.” AdForge is designed to take print ads and put them on the web, on mobile and on tablets. AdForge easily converts print ads into clickable, shareable, printable, mappable and sendable digital ads.

Say you’re a lawyer or a plumber, OwnLocal will create websites optimized for search engines and deal with social media elements like blogging, tweeting and Facebooking, saving these small service businesses a lot of time and effort. Businesses can choose from a variety of different websites from simple splash pages to editable, manageable sites. OwnLocal then taps into its network of college students and stay at home moms to write the company’s blog posts. But again, all of this is through the local newspaper.

Today, OwnLocal announces its “Arcade” partnership with HeyZap, another YC startup, to bring more than 50,000 social and casual games to newspapers and local media. Rather than just having a few puzzle games like crosswords and Sudoku, newspapers will have access to games that reflect what their audiences have come to expect from social networks and social game sites. Initial launch partners include A.H. Belo Corp.‘s The Press-Enterprise and Impre Media, the largest Spanish language newspaper group in America as well as 25 other newspapers. OwnLocal expects that newspapers will see financial benefits, increased time-on-site and more return visits.

In York, Nebraska– a town with a population of 10,000– OwnLocal made The York News Times $140,000 last year. OwnLocal takes 30% and the newspaper gets the remaining 70% of revenues from its tech products sold. $100,000-300,000 is an easy number to make for local papers, says Armbrust.  OwnLocal doesn’t work with media outlets that have circulations less than 1,000. And its sophisticated system tell them exactly how much money they can make just from circulation numbers. Guaranteed revenue reports based on circulation for dying newspapers? Maybe dreams do come true.

“The community newspaper I worked at was purchased and sold to Gatehouse Media. I started thinking, what can we do? Is there a situation where you can make this product that’s all-encompassing that could make these newspapers money? I felt for these guys. Print is declining.”

–Lloyd Armbrust

Armbrust has worked in the newspaper industry for 11 years, including two years working on OwnLocal. His Co-Founder Jason Novack is the hardcore hacker in the pair. Armbrust says their main competitor, ReachLocal charges 5 times as much as OwnLocal because they utilize a network of 1,000 local sales reps.

To date, OwnLocal has received just under a million seed funding from Y Combinator, Baseline Ventures, Lerer Media Ventures, Paul Buchheit, Joshua Schachter and Alex Moore.

Search engine marketers and usability engineers want to understand why we go to websites and what we do after we arrive at a search results page. They ask questions like:

• Are we satisfied with where we landed?


• Did the engine provide accurate results listings?


• Was our click choice a positive one?


• Did we stay on the site or leave?


• If we left, what search result better matched what we wanted to find?


• Was it the search results or did we have a bad experience with the web page we landed on?

Both search engines and human factors related fields study our intent.

Author Matt Bailey points to the depth of the importance of intent in his new book, Internet Marketing: An Hour a Day.

“Search engines are integrating more multimedia and allowing deeper access to documents and media earlier in the search process. They are attempting to determine the intent of the searcher and deliver results accordingly.”

What is our intent? Why do we visit the Internet? Why do we use search sites such as Google and Youtube?

In a 2009 ComScore study (comScore, 2009), they found that “Nearly one out of every ten minutes a person spends online around the world is spent on a Google site.” This includes the search engine itself, Youtube, which they own, Google books, email, Google reader and more.

Clearly, marketers want to be sure their clients’ websites perform well in Google’s web properties. Not doing so can wreck the success of a business.

Search Behavior = People Who Search

Shortly after search engines and information sites appeared on the Internet, case studies zeroed in to understand why, who, where, when, where and how humans use them. Hot on the trail, too, were analysts interested in learning about site traffic, popularity, rank and how to make money from it.

Many of you were guinea pigs during the 1990’s when web page backgrounds were gray with black text, and animation, 3D images, scrolling text boxes, rotating banners and blinking images were all part of a typical user interface.

As fun as all those things were to create (I loved animating images), web designers had to buckle to user preferences.

Search engines learned what we really come to the Internet for. Perhaps search engine sites are not suitable for certain subject types when it comes to information searches. In order to improve search engine design and SEO marketing efforts, we try to understand user intent and goals for searching.

It’s been well established at this point that search engines are used by us to find information. What kinds of information are most popular?

A recent study from Australia on who uses search engines found that half of search engine queries were looking for a particular website, while the other 50% were split between ecommerce and popular culture searches.

The study also pointed to what is referred to as “leisure searches”. The findings present the idea of search sites not only for information gathering or shortcuts to web sites, but they’re also sources for leisure, with one in six of all searches estimated as being leisure searches.

The Australian study offered some surprising details for anyone wondering what we’re searching for, by subject. Adult site searches fell into the middle, with ecommerce being second, edged under a tad by popular culture topics. Health, weather, contemporary affairs and government are the least popular searches.

The study stood out from others because it included and factored in the lifestyle of their participants. This is different than user testing labs or Eye tracking tests. To their surprise, lifestyle choices had no measurable impact on the type of search queries. In fact, new questions were raised on user –searcher behavior.

For example, do Internet users tend to go to particular trusted web sites for information on healthcare, computing and contemporary affairs, rather than use search engines? Does the distribution of the most ranked subjects searched for represent user interests or the suitability of search engines for looking up certain types of topics?

Another study (Broder, 2002) narrows search engine user behavior as informational, navigational, transactional and leisure. Half the searches in the study were navigational and one-third, transactional. Half of all searchers know where they want to go.

What Does This Mean To Search Marketers?

The most obvious is that it’s time to accept usability studies into marketing strategy. And, user experience professionals can no longer devalue the role of search marketers. Both camps provide essential skills and expertise needed for web site projects.

A lot of what’s happening on the Internet is relationship building. The global community wants this so badly they invented social networking sites and social marketing to drive interest and generate revenue from these new site sources.

Emotional web design is no accident. We’re emotional beings. Empathy makes us connect with others.

“In life and business, focus on creating win-win situations. Look beyond the immediate sale in order to connect with customers as people.” – Steve Harper, The Ripple Effect.

Despite our developing mental models and creating user personas, we remain on the edge of understanding who uses our stuff. Wouldn’t it be grand if stakeholders got out of their offices and actually interacted with the people who use their websites?

I’ve often wished I could video people who multi-task at home, with one hand on a laundry basket, an ear to the cell phone and a hand reaching for the laptop nearby. What does that busy person search for and how? Can we make their experience less stressful?

Division between marketing and user experience will dissolve as both approaches discover they need each others’ data to do a better job for their clients.

There’s no question that a passion for usability and search engine marketing leads to their fascinating cousins, like information architecture, findability, captology, analytics and neurology. There’s also no question that money can be made by optimizing for and advertising in search engines.

Studying user behavior is a win-win for search engine technology, search marketing and website usability and human factors.

Cited Resources:

Broder 2002; A Taxonomy of Web Search (PDF)

Waller, Vivienne 2010; Not Just Information: Who Searches for What on the Search Engine Google?

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

Related Topics: Just Behave

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MLB leans toward extra replay for 2012, report says

Major League Baseball is leaning toward expanding replay for 2012 to include trapped balls and fair-or-foul rulings down the lines, a person familiar with the talks tells The Associated Press.

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ABC <b>News</b> Exclusive: Pat Tillman&#39;s Mom Wants General Stanley <b>...</b>

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As rumors of a later-than-usual iPhone launch for 2011 persist, a new report reveals that the notoriously secretive Apple is being even more careful than usual when dealing with overseas suppliers.



"Apple is keeping its iPhone 5 cards extra close to the vest on this launch to avoid a falloff in iPhone 4 demand ahead of a refresh, especially given the February launch of the CDMA iPhone 4 with Verizon," Analyst Brian White with Ticonderoga Securities said in a note to investors on Friday. He believes that the iPhone 5 could still launch in June or July, as previous models have.



White noted that various rumors have pointed toward a launch later than June this year for the fifth-generation iPhone. One report from March alleged that Apple has not even begun ordering components for the anticipated "iPhone 5," and the device is slated to arrive in the company's 2012 fiscal year, which begins in late September.



And a third report alleged that Apple is working on a major revamp of iOS, its mobile operating system, for version 5.0. New features like cloud-based storage of music, photos and video are rumored to arrive in the update this fall, likely alongside new iPhone hardware.



But despite all of those reports, White isn't yet convinced that the iPhone 5 will be introduced later than its typical June or July timeframe.



"Although we do not have a smoking gun that definitively rules out a delayed autumn unveiling or one that supports a launch this summer, there is a pattern of activity in motion with the supply chain that makes us question a delayed launch," he said.



White also cited sources who indicated that iPad sales could reach up to 40 million units in calendar year 2011. And supply chain sources also indicated that disruption from the earthquake and tsunami disaster in Japan will actually end up benefitting Apple, as suppliers will "rush to support Apple at the expense of competitors."



The analyst already revealed earlier this week that Apple has been offering upfront cash payments to component suppliers in order to secure components in the wake of the disaster in Japan. Apple has apparently also been using a "three cover guarantee," referring to capacity, stock and price, to block out competitors and prevent them from building ample supply of devices.

China is a notoriously tough market for American brands. The last few years has seen tech giants like Google struggle to do business due to restrictive censorship and retail giants like Best Buy and Home Depot have found that heavy price competition makes it hard to gain a toehold. Yet, despite the conventional wisdom, Apple’s business in China is booming and it’s not lower prices but better presentation that’s driving their success.

The Chinese economy is having some of its best years ever due to the rising world demand for consumer electronics, much of which is manufactured in China’s city-sized factories. The Mercury News reports that this has led to the average Chinese citizen being more flush with cash than ever before and ready to spend it on what would previously be deemed as unaffordable luxury.

Paul French of Shanghai-based Access Asia indicates that the increase in middle class affluence is behind the increase in purchasing power. “There is now enough of an urban middle class with enough money to afford Apple products. Five years ago — or even two or three years ago — there weren’t enough of those people.”

Five years ago, Apple didn’t have a retail store in China, now it has four, including a stunning split-level glass and metal flagship store in Sanlitun, an area of Beijing known more for its nightlife than its retail outlets. Those stores aren’t barely surviving either, with $2.6 billion in revenue this year, four times what we saw last year from Apple in China. This should mean that Apple is fighting the price war well in China, offering its products for less than they can be purchased in the US, but that’s not actually true. In fact, Apple sells a comparatively specced 13-inch Macbook Air for $180 more in China than it does stateside.

This success seems to fly in the face of conventional wisdom, typically premium products have not sold well in cost conscious China. Some, like Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster, say that Apple will have to eventually compete on price or risk losing the Chinese consumer. “The iPhone is going to be huge in China. That’s a given.” he tells the Mercury News. “But if Apple wants it to flow out across China, it has to come up with lower price points.”

Yet Apple shows no signs of slowing down in the Chinese market, which is projected to account for 10 percent of Apple’s revenue within 5 years.

When asked, locals said that in a country where the people like to try products out before they purchase them, Apple is doing the best job of presenting those products. Apple’s retail stores offer the Chinese consumer a chance to test the products in a beautiful and visually stimulating atmosphere and those efforts are paying off with big sales numbers. This kind of attention to the senses and emotions of the consumer wasn’t pioneered by Apple of course, but they are one of the first major companies to bring that kind of experience to China’s city centers in a big way.

This difference in the way that the products are presented is doing its job in separating Apple’s products from the rest of the pack almost everywhere that its retail stores are located, but nowhere is that effect felt more than in China. A country where consumers are hungry for polished products presented in a stimulating atmosphere and they finally have the cash to afford them.

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It’s not such a wonderful time to be a doctor, patient, hospital, health plan or pharma company, but judging by the quality and quantity of entries received for this edition of the HWR, it’s a wonderful time to be a wonk.

A couple weeks ago CMS released draft rules for Accountable Care Organizations. Several bloggers weighed in on that development:

• Mark McClellan and Elliott Fisher at Health Affairs provide some historical context and argue that “those who care deeply about health care reform all have a common interest in the success of ACOs as a way of avoiding more classic fee-for-service payment cuts to providers.”


• On a more downbeat note, The Road to Health concludes, “Dr. Berwick and his colleagues at CMS appear to have taken the ACO concept and made it into a financial program that only delusional practice administrators, or physician organizations bent on financial self-destruction, could love.”


• The Healthcare IT Guy expects ACOs to be “far more lucrative and disruptive than Meaningful Use and likely to yield more patient quality improvements.”


• GE Healthcare puts the emphasis on ACO change management challenges: “Healthcare executives and management teams are left to focus on preparing their organizations for a cultural shift of seismic proportions.”


• HealthBlawg reviews the proposed rules and produces 8 takeaways. #2: “This is the Frankenstein regulation: A Medicare beneficiary must sit on the board of the ACO, CMS must approve all marketing materials before they are used.”

In the midst of the battle over funding the 2011 budget, House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan came out with a plan to radically restructure Medicare and Medicaid starting in 2012:

• The Apothecary likes much of what he sees and thinks the proposal may force Democrats to devise a credible plan of their own


• John C. Goodman’s Health Policy Blog contrasts PPACA and the Ryan plan. “Obviously, the path we are on leads to an impossible place. So the only question is whether we are going to get off the current path in a planned, orderly way or whether we are going to let unplanned chaos do the trick.”


• Wright on Health is less impressed and wonders, “if Rep. Ryan is so adamant about reducing the deficit, why is he cutting taxes for the wealthy and cutting programs for the poor and the elderly?”


• Managed Care Matters is decidedly unswayed. “If you were looking for real solutions to the health cost problem, you’re going to be sorely disappointed… Unfortunately, he’s fallen into the same trap his Democratic colleagues did with their version of health reform – the Ryan plan does little to address costs.”


• The Incidental Economist takes issue with Ryan’s plan to convert Medicaid to block grants and cut spending. “Should Medicaid be cut back, more people will be uninsured. Contrary to what some wish you to believe, those who become uninsured will suffer worse health outcomes”

As if the ACO rules and Ryan plan weren’t enough, there’s more on Medicare in the blogosphere:

• The Covert Rationing Blog –always good for a lighthearted pick me up– “asserts that we are one giant step closer to the day when it will become illegal for all Americans to spend their own money on their own healthcare.”


• Dr. Liberty discusses CMS’s deliberations on whether to pay for Provenge, a pricey prostate drug. “Decisions are made on the basis of politics, and the drive is to cover everything, leading to higher costs.”

Amid all the federal policy blogging, there’s still some room for technology talk:

• Healthcare Talent Transformation has had it with Health Net’s repeated goof up’s leading to loss of confidential data. Although it may seem like there’s not much the average person can do, the blog argues, “You can make an impact on the security of your sensitive data by conducting due diligence when it comes to your insurance provider.”


• The Healthcare Blog offers a video collage of the new Kaiser Permanente Center for Total Health. “The Center is  a pretty fascinating place–part tech and idea showcase and part meeting room. Certainly no other health care organization that I’m aware of has spent so much on a place designed to stimulate the imagination and enhance conversation–under the nose of the folks on Capitol Hill.”


• Meaningful HIT News features a podcast with mHealth Initiative’s Peter Waegemann, who’s shifted over from EMRs to ride the mobile wave


• Healthcare Economist delves into new papers that, “examined how to develop accurate algorithms to account for cancer stage in studies using claims data.”

It was encouraging to receive a couple submissions about  journalism:

• Disease Care Management Blog asks, “Is the kerfuffle over National Public Radio (NPR) the long delayed comeuppance for liberal bias run amok, or a narrow-minded attack on the inconvenient truths from journalistic excellence?” The blog reaches into the world of medicine and discusses of “framing” and its impact on patient decision making to provide an answer


• HealthNews ReviewBlog cites, “daily evidence of the need for improvement in health care journalism – especially when we see examples like hype of a tiny, preliminary study of strawberries for esophageal cancer.”

We always have room in the Health Wonk Review for some posts on medical ethics:

• Nuts for Healthcare looks at the pharma industry and concludes, “Doctors need to take a more definitive stand against the specter of industry influence. A good target? Industry sponsorship of continuing medical education.”


• Health Care Renewal is concerned that so-called government run programs are more private than we think. “The majority of Medicaid has been out-sourced to private health care insurance companies… We need to have some real discussions about the rise of corporatism in US health care, in other aspects of US society and around the world.”

And finally, a few odds and ends

• Workers’ Comp Insider provides resources for employers concerned about radiation exposure


• Colorado Health Insurance Insider chronicles the decline of bipartisanship in the creation of a health insurance exchange for that state. “Healthcare reform has become such a polarized topic that it’s difficult for lawmakers to have any stance other than for it or against it.  Even though the health insurance exchanges would be marketplaces that sell private health insurance, the word ‘exchange’ has been thrown around so much during the reform debates that many opponents of the PPACA see it as synonymous with ‘ObamaCare.’”


• Last week I went to a health care direct to consumer marketing conference to see former TimeWarner CEO Jerry Levin interviewed by OrganizedWisdom CEO Steve Krein. I also shared my thoughts in the video clip below

Thanks for reading the Health Wonk Review! The Incidental Economist hosts the next edition.

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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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Big Media Falls for GE <b>News</b> Hoax (Cont&#39;d) - Giovanni Rodriguez <b>...</b>

The Week takes a short look at what yesterday's GE news hoax may have actually accomplished: --"It was a glimpse of an ideal world." Idea here is that the fake storyline might have helped people imagine a world where businesses "biggest ...

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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) ...

Roofing Contractors Vancouver - 5 Questions to Consider

Roofing Vancouver - Frequently Asked Questions

1. Repair or Replace?

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

2. Beauty versus Practicality?

Discuss this with your spouse or partner. (The children could care less...at least the children.) The fact is, nobody wants an ugly roof just like nobody wants to be seen with bed hair. If you've got a great quality roof and you simply have to repair it, it's worthwhile to pay for the cost of the original shingle instead of doing patchwork. A roof replacement doesn't happen frequently (hopefully!) and thus make a decision that suits you and your family well or it'll stick out like a sore thumb everyday you go home.

3. Must i replace the roof so I can sell the house for more?

Consider this very carefully prior to making a decision. Depending on the roofing material you choose, a brand 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 the 50-year warranted roof? Obviously, the standard is the reason why the roof last longer, but when you're not planning to stay in your current home for the rest of your lifetime, the larger expense may not be worth your investment. Although a brand new roof can improve the value of your selling price, the increase might not be enough to pay for neglect the and that's bound to hurt your wallet.

4. Could it be advisable that i can repair the roof myself?

Sure it is. But before you need to do, consult an expert first. You can do it yourself, but you shouldn't be considered a complete ‘lone ranger.' With respect to the extent of your repair, you may or may not change your mind. Either way, it helps to get a professional eye about the problem first and perhaps even a free quote to help you do the math later and see if it's truly worth your time and effort, sweat, and money to be mister or miss fix-it.

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

Weather can cause delays from days to weeks. Most people prepare yourself to have their roof replaced in the summer when they have a friend will be home throughout the day for a solid fourteen days. Once you've this period in your mind, make a call to a trusted contractor months in advance to obtain a quote. Some companies get reserved fast and odds are, they're probably the most reputable. Planning ahead of the summer also gives you time to ask around many compare costs...especially if you need to possess the roof made by a particular date.

 

The very best Roofing Contractor In Vancouver!

Is there a leak in your home's roof? Have you lost shingles or tiles in a storm? Have overhanging branches caused damage? Is the roof more than 20 years old and showing its age? Are your gutters overwhelmed and draining poorly?

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

For more than a century Crown Roofing continues to be the roofer of preference 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 degree of customer service.

YOUR Vancouver ROOF DESERVES NO LESS!

The rooftop of your Vancouver house is the very first type of defence against wind, rain, snow, ice along with other weather elements. Be sure it is as much as the task. Among Vancouver Roofing companies, only Crown Roofing has got the depth of expertise and successful history to ensure your roofing system is going to be properly designed and installed.

NEIGHBORS HELPING NEIGHBORS.

One reason Crown Roofing has been the most successful roofing company in Vancouver is our commitment to our neighbors. We treat your home as though it were our very own and that we were creating a roof to protect our own family. That's what neighbors do, and you will count on Crown Roofing being here to aid you and 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.

Visit the Roofers Vancouver for any FREE inspection and evaluation of your roof. Give you the very best roof for your Vancouver home, in the cost effective. We build roofs to last!

 

Tacoma Roofing company: Help your house be Beautiful

Not many people view the value of a solid roof, but your knowledgeable Tacoma Roofing contractor does. From first hand experience, they'll be in a position to tell you the reason why you need a strong, secure, and leak-free roof on your home.

Your local Tacoma Roofing contractor is well aware how important a financial investment your property is for you personally, especially since it is a long term one. Your house might have been damaged slowly over the years and also you need to take steps to reduce this damage. For a number of people, keeping their property beautiful is another few pride. You will find those too who'd like to turn their property into a economical and efficient living place. Your roof is an integral part of your house and contributes to each one of the aspects mentioned previously. Because of this, you should employ the services of qualified a Tacoma Roofing contractors.

Types of Roofs installed by a Tacoma Roofing company

One of the more prevalent 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 be easily taken care of with a trusted Tacoma Roofer. It's imperative that you nip roof problems in the bud before they become too expensive or dangerous. You can schedule an appointment using the Tacoma Roofing company to consider a glance at your roof to see if there are any issues or potential problems with it. If you will find, they might be in a position to tell you how to deal with them.

A Tacoma Roofing company Helps to Build Strong Homes

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

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

Reverse Damages by using a Tacoma Roofer

However high quality the rooftop might be, it will eventually wear out with time. You will find shingles that are referred to as "25 year" or "30 year" shingles, but those numbers are just associated with warranty made by the manufacturers. They hardly ever 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 even the entire roof may need to be replaced every ten years. Having a Tacoma Roofer, the price will be less than what you believe.

If there you lose any shingles, or there is some damage to them, a Tacoma Roofer will be able to help you. Damaged shingles can result in indoor leaks, as the substrate of the roof becomes subjected to the sun and rain. Shingles that are loose or broken can slip off and pose a potential hazard to individuals standing below. Missing shingles produce 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 will be made by the local Tacoma Roofing company, if you give them a call track of your suspicions of loose or missing shingles.

Your Tacoma Roofer will be in a position to inform you what are the smartest choice is perfect for your homes roof. If your roof isn't in a good shape, it's advised that you have it replaced completely. The Tacoma Roofing company can take you thru the various roofing options available for you that will fit your requirements and your budget.

Tacoma Roofer: Improving your Home's Efficiency

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

To begin with, inspect your roof thoroughly for just about any and all type of damage, before the beginning of a year. The gutters ought to be clear, debris shouldn't be piled on or trapped under shingles, there should be no homes of squirrels or birds within the eaves or attic, and also the roof ought to be structurally sound. For that last part, you will need the help of your local Tacoma Roofer. It can be quite dangerous to climb onto the roof of your property. This is where the contractor from Tacoma Roofing company is available in. He'll check out the strength and security of your roof and shingles, and perform a general inspection of the entire roof structure, to make certain that it is in proper working order. They will be in a position to point towards issues that you need to keep close track of and problems you may not have spotted.

You'll need all the assist you to can get from the Tacoma Roofing contractor. You can help your roof by installing a gutter guard or leaf cover to help prevent debris from forming in your gutters. The extra weight of debris prevents the gutters from draining and can even tear them down. Look into the fasteners in your gutters and if they are loose, tighten them. Take steps to change worn screws and brackets. For those who have a chimney in your house, inspect the bricks and mortar signs and symptoms of wear. A trusted mason could be recommended by your Tacoma Roofer, if you will find any repairs to be done.

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

 

What is Difference Between Commercial Roofing Companies From Residential Roofing Companies

If you are considering 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 main one huge difference is that often times an industrial roofing company might have signed an agreement with and be obligated to some roofing union in in a position to work on union commercial jobs.

If this is the case then their labor costs will prohibit them from focusing on non union residential jobs. Beyond that, if your commercial roofing company hasn't signed an agreement 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 in general often run smaller companies and therefore, are more in a position to bid competitively on residential jobs, which are usually smaller than comercial jobs. In fact, often times residential roofing contractors will run one man operations, in which the contractor that you speak with may be the one that actually does the work on the building.

Also, liability insurance for commercial roofing is more expensive and a larger bond is required for a commercial roofing work which can make it not cost effective for any commercial roofer to complete residential roofing jobs.

Still one more factor is the fact that commercial jobs can operate on a tighter time period for just about any quantity of reasons, requiring an industrial contractor to train on a larger crew or crews which again makes smaller jobs not as profitable on their behalf.

 

Difference Between Commercial Roofing and Residential Roofing

Did you know that the roof of a house or building includes a huge effect on the entire structure itself? Damage caused to roofs due to natural or another disasters leads to a considerable lack of property everywhere. The type of materials accustomed to construct the rooftop which should be sturdy and long-lasting, the way where the roof continues to be installed as well as its timely maintenance are extremely crucial. There's two kinds of roofs that are utilized on all 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 done for apartments and houses, the truth is the differences tend to be more complex than that.

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

 

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

If your business is looking to have work done on its roof, you should use commercial roofing contractors which have an enthusiastic knowledge of any special needs that a business might have. As an example, a roofing job is often disruptive for that operation of economic as usual. For this reason, it may be essential for the company to become temporarily shut down, or the roofing to occur after business hours have ended. A roofer that understands these needs can work together with a business to make certain these types of issues are minimized.

First of all , a business must do when it's trying to find commercial roofing contractors is to find out who other businesses in the region will work through. Obviously, this information will 't be helpful whether it may come as an indicator from competitors, but there are circumstances by which it's not too difficult to find this information from suppliers or retailers. Since roofing is not an industry-specific service, this post is easily available.

It is a wise decision for just about any business to obtain touching at least three commercial roofing contractors to create bids on the price. In this manner, the company could obtain a better price. It is also vital that you make sure that each of the roofing contractors is licensed and bonded. This information can be found by getting touching the state contractor's board. This makes it possible to determine whether there have been any claims filed against the company previously.

When looking at bids, it is only as important to check out what services are being offered and which products is going to be used as it is to look at the overall cost. The prices can differ 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 wise decision to check on with the Better Business Bureau in order to find out if the business has been accredited, and if it has not, to at least see what its rating is.

 

Selecting a Commercial Roofer

When you are looking for a roofer for the commercial roofing project you need to look for a contractor who understands the special needs of the commercial roofing project. For example it may be harder to operate on a business during business hours so either the company has to be turn off for that repair or replacement or even the job has to be done after conventional business hours. Is the roofer you are considering to do the job ready to operate around your schedule constrictions that might involve working weekends or evenings?

When you begin your search for any roofing contractor not only do you need to answer those questions but you should also find someone which will perform a top quality job without a great deal of time delays. Going about finding someone can feel as an obstacle in itself but there are several ways to make the search easier.

Ask people around you for referrals and try to find at least three contractors to give you written bids on your job. Before you go any further you have to make sure that the contractors you are considering are fully licensed and bonded. An easy search with the state contractor's board will verify in case your roofer is licensed and when you will find any past judgments or claims against their license.

When you select three or four roofers to put 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 pretty much compared to next guy for a labor estimate. The greater detailed a written bid may be the more helpful it will likely be to focus on where the cost are going to be incurred. Don't, however, pick a roofer based solely on the bid price. Any low ball bids might be tempting to consider, but when they are low due to low quality workman ship it might not be worth it in the end.

As the saying goes, you generally get that which you purchase, if you are able to afford a mid-priced bid it's always smart to go up in your price range rather than down. Additionally you ought to decide your roofer depending on how professional they were and how comfortable you anticipate you will be dealing with them.

Finally your cost will be different depending on what type of roofing material you choose as well as the cost to haul your old roof to the landfill. Should you be looking for places to cut 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 the long run, as well as on commercial buildings they may be really low maintenance. Plus given that they can be placed along with a current roof, you don't have to possess the old one removed and hauled away, that make a large effect on your cost.

Selecting a comerical roofing company in your local area, does not have to be a difficult task. To learn more, visit http://www.vancouverroofers.net

 

Seattle Roofing Companies - How to locate The very best

In the home of rain and sleet, commercial coffee and grunge, and the famous space needle, you can find a house that will suit you. Seattle, Washington could be a good place to build a home, however, you need Seattle roofing contractors to help you out. Your roof is, in the end, the crowning glory of your home, as well as your strongest line of defense against the elements. You need to have something which isn't just created to last, but built to attract making your house more beautiful

Harsh Weather

Why are roofing contractors so important within this part of the country? Because Seattle is usually bombarded by rain and other harsh weather conditions, you'll need a roof that may withstand all the forces of nature. With this thought, you need people who know the Seattle weather best, and who understand what materials can best get into your roof in order for it to last far longer in the region. In addition to all this, you need to blend with the rest of the houses inside your living area, which means you cannot simply get whatever roof you please.

In most these aspects, a Seattle roofing contractors should be able to assist you. 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 try to escape 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 that are suited to keep you safe against harsh extremes of Seattle weather. This means that if you are a DIY kind of guy or gal, you'll have to go through a large amount of legwork in order to get the task done.

However, a Seattle roofer can perform all the jobs for you personally and provide you with a package that may save you money and time. Because contractors operate under licenses and purchase materials in large quantities, they can get discounts on building materials that you would not otherwise get if you were buying merely for your own home.

Roofing Associations

Most roofing contractors also belong to roofing organizations that are bound by strict guidelines and standards. When they do well on the roofing job, they are able to showcase their roofing contractors association; when they do poorly, they are able to ruin the trustworthiness of their roofing contractors association and keep other contractors inside the association from getting good roofing jobs. There is a lot of pressure to do well, to help you be confident that prefer a roofing job completed in Seattle, you can get a contractor from a roofing association to assist you.

For instance, Seattle Roof Brokers operates with over five hundred roofing contractors within the Puget Sound. This group has over fifty years of roofing experience and experience dealing with Seattle roofing contractors, so it knows what kind of roofing you would like. The Roof Brokers group can put you in contact with the contractor that you need so that you do not have to search for contractors individually.

What Should You Demand from Your Contractor?

Whenever you finally get a contractor within the Seattle area, you must do lots of research on the roofing contractors themselves. Request a summary of previous companies or persons the contractor caused in order to get a clear look at the roofing contractor's work ethics and roof quality. Your roofer must also have the appropriate working licenses and city licenses required by the Seattle city government.

Select a Seattle roofing contractors that insures its employees, and that has courteous workers who will respect your thinking and ensure that the needs are met. Make sure that you get the best value for your money: if you are not satisfied with the job, you need to be guaranteed either money-back, or a free, new roof. Moreover, you also require the workers to get the job done on time, so be strict with your deadlines - and find a contractor that's as strict as you are.

You'll need guarantees and warranties in your roof, so locate a contractor that may meet your financial allowance and roofing needs. If you get in touch with good Seattle roofing contractors, you can be guaranteed a great roof along with a better house right in this fantastic city.

Choosing the proper Roofing Contractor Company for Replacing Your homes roof

The shingles inside your roof degrade and you're simply minded to find a roofing contractor to replace the them. Maybe you have already known as a few and 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 look at when searching for the best roofing contractor.

Where's the roofing contractor located? You should hire a roofer that's local. Chances are you will get the next step of service if the roofing company can be found near your home or comes with an office near your residence.
References. To determine the reliability of the contractor, references ought to be provided of the previous customers who're willing to vouch that excellent service was received. This should 't be the only real factor in deciding upon your future roofing contractor as some may claim they value the privacy of their clients and don't wish to bother them. If this sounds like the situation, ask for business related references. The places that supply the contractor with supplies can reveal the amount of materials and regularity of supplying the contractor to help determine their stability.
So how exactly does the roofer company handle complaints? There are a multitude of issues that can arise during the progress of the roofing replacement. Ask what their process is for handling complaints if they arise. It's also a great idea to get a past client reference who had a complaint that was resolved towards the satisfaction of the client.
Terms of payment. What are the terms of payment for the job? What is the down payment and amount due upon completion? While it is certainly reasonable that the substantial payment be produced before a contractor begins work on a project, it is highly recommended that full payment is not made until after the entire job is completed.
Written contract. All terms of the roofing replacement should be place in an itemized contract. No part of the contracting job should depend on verbal assurances.
Bonding. You will find stuff that will go wrong with roofing installations that wind up costing a substantial amount of money to repair. Should this happen on your roofing replacement, you'll feel a great deal better understanding that your roofing contractor is bonded. This can provide the funds to fix whatever mistakes were made. Find a roofing contractor that is bonded.
Manufacturer Warranty. Quality materials for roofing typically come with a warranty. You should verify that there is actually a warranty on the materials being installed. Request a copy from the warranty.
Length of Time running a business Just how long has got the company you're interviewing experienced business? A brief in time business may reflect instability. When the contractor has been around business under 3 years, verify how long they've been in the industry. A brand new contractor might have many years experience focusing on roofs before they form their very own business. Seek a company that's been around for three or more years, or where the contractor has had a lot more years performing roofing replacements. This again 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 roofing contractor should know what permits are required for fixing your roof. They should be aware of how to obtain these permits for you. Ask the contractor whether they will have the permits necessary to repair the roof.
Liability. If a worker becomes injured, who's responsible for the workers comp? If the contractor's equipment damages your home, who's responsible for the repairs? A good contractor will give you certificates of insurance for liability and worker's compensation before they begin repairing 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 within this article for verifying whether the contractor is credible should also be applied to subcontractors. You should get the names and license amounts of all subcontractors. You need to verify whether each subcontractor is also insured which means you aren't held responsible for their accidents.
Pending Legal Actions. You should verify whether there are any legal actions against the contractor. This is not only necessary for verifying whether the roofing company is legitimate (credible roofing companies should not have to defend themselves in court), it's also important because a lost lawsuit might lead to the contractor to visit bankrupt. For those who 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's responsible for getting rid of the waste generated from the roof being replaced? Will your contractor handle every aspect of this? Can there be one more 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 very best means of roof replacement and maintenance. Find a roofer with a high standard of education regarding their trade.
Replacing your roof is a significant investment. It makes sense to ask serious questions before using a roofing contractor. Here are some more tips that you ought to consider when choosing the very best roofer for your upcoming roofing replacement.

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

 

To your SEO needs, you can check out Vancouver web design and Vancouver SEO company

It cannot be denied how the internet is just about the biggest financial market nowadays. Practically it is all totally anchored on the net. To date, there are many than 182 million sites online but still counting. If all these websites offers opportunities to earn money, think of the limitless opportunities that can be based in the internet. Moreover, using the emergence of web sites, the requirement of internet hosting and Search| Engine Optimization is significantly defined.

Search Engine Optimization is actually the operation of increasing the visibility of a internet site. As such, if you want your web site to become visible to visitors, you ought to seek for Seo agency. The optimization strategy considers how search spiders work and what folks usually and what keywords they will use. The main objective of SEO is making sites visible in search sites from the natural or organic way.

Search engines optimization or natural search engine marketing is really a expression used in describing unpaid, algorithm-driven outcomes of any particular engine. Put simply, organic SEO uses natural strategies in achieving serp's ranking. While there are two camps with which search engine optimization companies may fall to, and these would be the 'White Hat' as well as 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 which could literally dictate the success or failure of an web business. Since search sites often modify their algorithms, organic SEO is not super easy in any way. When search bots modify their algorithms, factors that permit your web site to look in front of prospects are decayed too. Thus, so that you can deal with these changes, SEO tactics and techniques should be employed.

It will always be ethical to use search engines engine optimization since search sites nowadays are becoming extremely advanced that they'll easily determine whether a web site is attempting to control their search indexes. Thus it is empirical to make use of search engine marketing practices which can be carried out a way that appear natural.

The approaches used by organic search engine optimization and artificial SEO are actually significantly different. Basically, organic SEO uses content compared to artificial SEO's technical loopholes. Moreover, natural seo provides attracting links instead of linking schemes used by artificial SEO. Natural SEO also creates valuable resource contrary to artificial SEO's algorithm chasing. With all these, it's possible to clearly realise why search engines engine optimization is preferable over artificial seo. Even though latter could be more difficult and complicated, it creates favorable results which are beneficial for any site. Fortunately, there are plenty of Vancouver SEO companies today that provide the organic method in affordable rates and packages.

Search engine marketing Appears in this area

At one time when seo was actually not required.

Whilst late as a decade ago, in the event you created a Web page anywhere, Google indexed it and you gained visibility in its search results. Your page has been in one of the free "estates" where anybody could put in a page and Google didn't mind. It may also provide been a pure affiliate page without original content and Google still indexed it.

Situations are unrecognizably different now.

Affiliate pages with "cookie-cutter" content duplicated everywhere might never get to the Google index; the same fate is probably for those pages you throw in on the free-for-all website. As well as "proper" websites with your personal website name didn't achieve visibility one of the proliferating sites in millions.

These would not have mattered, with the exception of a very important factor. It absolutely was Google that provided the bread and butter for that countless small enterprises that could not afford expensive marketing campaigns. If the site was one of the top few sites the appeared before a searcher's eyes when see your face searched for your product, you got hundreds as well as a large number of visitors, many of whom even bought your product or service.

Search engine optimization (SEO) entered the scene. Search results specialists "reverse-engineered" to spot the factors that Google consider for showing websites at the top of its search results pages. These factors were then consciously incorporated into your Web pages in the hope that Google will show your internet site one of the primary ten results it showed on the first page.

Weight loss of one's competitors adopted seo practices, things became difficult again. Your role begun to slip in case your competitors did the SEO better. SEO battles became serious fights with every dirty trick working.

There was "black hat" SEO practitioners who showed one page to search engines and another to human visitors. As search engines were not bothered with readability, you might fill the "search engine" page with pure gibberish, but gibberish designed in wherein the engine dutifully indexed high.

A war of wits followed between unscrupulous SEO practitioners and appearance engines. Google changed its ranking algorithms regularly to operate around practices that allowed low value content to seem near the top of its search results. All things considered, Google's success depended on providing value to searchers, not merchants. And SEO practitioners created new tricks.

We'll look at search engine marketing inside a series of articles, starting by having an look and feel at on-line or Internet marketing.

 

For your SEO needs, you should check out vancouver web site design and Vancouver SEO company.

 

Cedar Roofing: Advantages

Cedar shakes are only about the most great looking shakes on the market today. Frequently designed from red-colored cedar around the coniferous forests of northwestern United States, they're just the best roof covering materials for proprietors who prefer supplying their roofs an organic look.

Unique cedar shingles are naturally resistant to the weather, this is the key answer why cedar shingles are widely-used generally all over various climatic conditions. They're generally available in a couple of specific qualities. A minumum of one is the shingle made out of red cedar while the other is produced out from the bright white variety. Red cedar shakes are designed from tight-grained particles that will be previously saturated with tannic acidity that experts say is definitely an all-natural additive. Red cedar shingles which might be drizzled with creosote to prevent corrosion and therefore are desirable to homeowners simply because give a rich and unique turn to one's property or home.

It is critical to observe that red cedars usually change dark-colored if exposed continuously to seaside weather. Consequently, sea side homes have to have white cedar shakes. Red cedar shingles are generally a lot more expensive in comparison to white cedar types, despite the fact that cost factor doesn't diminish its reputation in anyhow. They may be preferably perfect for classic New England houses while white cedar shingles are image ideal for bungalows and bungalows which have been built-in Nantucket design.

Over time, classic cedar shakes have mislaid in a spot to synthetic shingles that emulate the cedar appear. Superior systems are utilized to make these kind 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 several superior ones give a much cooler inside during summer months and a warmer inside during harsh winters.

Cedar shakes, mostly obtainable in honey, cinnamon, and silvery gray colors, need several amount of repairs and maintenance. They might require initial procedure before installation. White cedar shakes by way of example, might be treated with bleaching oil which must be done virtually every six to seven years to boost their durability.

Cedar shakes and cedar shingles are either CCA treated or otherwise CCA treated. CCA stands for chromated copper arsenate. CCA can be a chemical that stops the rise of mold, mold and fungus therefore it helps keep insects from eating away your personal wonderful cedar roof. CCA cedar could make your homes roof stay longer, but CCA just isn't A hearth TREAMENT. Cedar that has been fire treated is available, however your roofing company need to special order it. CCA treated cedar shingles cost 15 - 20% greater than non-CCA cedar. Most cedar roofs are usually not CCA treated.

Cedar shakes and cedar shingles are excellent, plus they are additionally a good purchase. Information of terms for example CCA, advanced quality, # 1, blue label and black label will allow you to find the right cedar roof for your personal home.

Elite Roofing & Home Improvements, LLC provides more information about shingles, cedar shakes, fiberglass shakes and more. Elite Roofing & Home Improvements, LLC is affiliated with the nation's Roofers Association.

You can learn 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's one of many oldest roofing products which includes continued to be constantly in use inside the more than 100 years. As much as new roofing materials remain developed, cedar shakes still endear themselves to numerous. Below is really a comparison research into the cedar roof versus an asphalt roof.

Pros of Cedar Roofing shingles

Cedar shakes contribute to greater air circulation within the entire home. The shingles permit the home to breathe well without trapping moisture around. This assists to maintain the dwelling of the house who is fit for extended. Cedar Shakes are durable and strong. They enjoy a higher capacity bugs. A cedar shingle roof will fully stand up well towards the various weather onslaughts. Storms, hurricanes, powerful winds and flying debris will barely damage the surface of your cedar roof. Along with matures beautifully with the passing years, which makes it even more desirable. A cedar roof adds a distinct charm to your residence. Cedar is instantly for sale in lumber yards and need a lots of expertise or specialized tools to put in.

Cons of Cedar Shakes

If rot begins, choosing compelled to alter the entire lot. It is not easy extracting only the affected pieces. They could happen to be nailed down in a fashion that each elimination proves difficult. Cedar Shingles don't last well to constant wetting. If you reside in a area where rainfall is heavy or frequent, cedar shingles aren't a great choice. Frequent wetting causes mold or mildew to set in. Replacement and repair is actually a costly business. Your better protection against constant wetting should be to use wide overhangs. Also, should your home is shaded by many trees or nearby buildings, cedar shingles tend to develop mold. You'll be compelled to change them sooner than you planned. Cedar Shingles will be more flammable than asphalt shingles. Many areas have a very building code in position that restricts cedar shingles to lessen the danger of fire. To setup a cedar shake roof, you must have your budget concerning the higher side. Frequent maintenance may also be necessary to maintain the roof who is fit. Mildew and rot are ever-constant threats for some cedar roof.

Pros of Asphalt Shingle Roof

An asphalt roof is among the least expensive to purchase and install. They come in various designs and colours, which range from a regular, flat use a 3-dimensional look. Asphalt shingles have a high effectiveness fires unlike cedar roofing. An asphalt roof can in fact decrease the risk of fires brought on by flying embers. Asphalt roofs are easier and cheaper to put in than cedar. They're also low maintenance roofs.

Cons of Asphalt Shingle Roof

Algae is more susceptible to grow on asphalt roofing than cedar shingles. It causes the rooftop to build up somewhat of the stain which spoils the look. You can get an anti-algae coating done in your asphalt shingles but this increases the cost. In terms of stability, an asphalt roof is more likely to be blown off by strong winds when compared to a cedar roof.

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

 

How to locate Good Vancouver SEO Services

The number of internet sites and e-commerce sites is constantly increasing simply because everybody knows that it may bring in lots of earnings. It's also brought about a whole new sort of services that really help businesses within achieving their goals and making them develop. Amongst fundamental essentials Vancouver Search engine optimization; because the SEO market is pretty young you will notice that any kind of SEO Vancouver organization won't be greater than a decade old. But you may be assured that they actually know what they need to caused by get your business growing.

If your business depends on the web to get people to your site and to get conversion rates, you certainly need assistance in search engine optimization or even Search engine optimization as it is additionally known. When people place searching within their preferred internet search engine, probably the most likely fits arrive at the top. If you want 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 to the top of these search results. The actual SEO Vancouver providers supplied will be worth the money spent and you will be seeing the actual results shortly following.

However, achieving a top rank in the search engines may not always be always easy and much more therefore if yours is a very aggressive industry that they often refer to as a market. It's no surprise then that you need all the assist that exist. If you don't have the response to "What is SEO?" you will want to very first understand the subject. Your smartest choice would be to depart the task to people that realize it best; the actual SEO Vancouver professionals at the Vancouver SEO company. You'll have to shell out some money but you will enjoy the benefits as the years go by.

The actual Search engine optimization Vancouver experts will begin on market and keyword research which is usually the actual starting point associated with Search engine optimization. You need to know the kind of words or even key phrases which potential prospects would be typing into Search engines to get at your website. The actual Vancouver SEO company will do this particular tedious task for you because they possess a better idea about how people go about their queries. You, from you need to give them a better knowing regarding your company plus some fundamental key phrases which they'd perform their research.

If your Search engine optimization marketing campaign starts with keywords choice, then its link building that feeds search engine optimization; any good Vancouver SEO company will tell you this. The perfect way for your site to position high for any provided keyword is to have a excellent backlink building technique designed for this. The secret is to depart your own hyperlink on higher rated websites. The actual SEO Vancouver experts will explain the most common way of doing this is to publish articles that contains the desired key phrases within the proper percentage to article directory sites along with links back aimed at your website in the resource box.

What exactly are you waiting for? Go ahead and take help of the Vancouver Search engine optimization company the following; the actual Search engine optimization Vancouver professionals will make your company grow so that you can reap higher earnings.

 

Reliable Search engine optimization For Your Business within Vancouver

Expert advanced Vancouver Search engine optimization help you to come in the very best list of the search results to appeal to visitors. Furthermore, the site visitors of natural outcomes is going to be eager to purchase products and these services may prove to be useful when you are your business.

You need Search engine optimization Vancouver to benefit your business through allowing you to get the most presence from the internet search engine and therefore getting more visitors to your web site. With the help of search engine listings, these types of services will hugely help your web site get in touch with the world of people accessing web and thus, drawing more and more traffic to your web website. When the web site has begun generating traffic to it, your company will enjoy benefits as your web site will become probably the most searchable on top search engines.

A business requirements such services since the SEO professionals have the basic understanding and knowledge of how to do it. You since the website owner can spend some time on the internet going through weblogs, forums, and other materials. However, you need to concentrate on additional facets of your internet site as well as SEO professionals focus all their initiatives on Search engine optimization because this is the things they're doing greatest.

The actual Search engine optimization companies guarantee to improve more traffic to your web site regularly giving you an assurance that when people look for products or services, your web website occurs the top of the majority of desired search engines like Google, Search engines, MSN and America online.

Quite simply, to enhance web visitors and presence, it is vital that the website should obtain updated continually. The entire process of seo is not the one-time attempt. A successful Search engine optimization service consists of advertising, position, web site promotion, link exchanges and much more. In order to hold the modifications to SEO techniques and strategies daily, professional SEO services preserve skilled as well as technically experienced SEO experts, site designers, copy writers, Search engine optimization editors, marketing specialists as well as project supervisors.

An expert as well as result-oriented seo support includes the following:
. Research as well as statement pre-optimization ranking
. Search phrase choice as well as optimization
. Competition evaluation statement
. Description of labels
. Designed link web page creation
. Optimization of pictures
. Keyword-rich content material building
. Search engine optimization copy writing
. Hyperlink strategies
. Code
. Internet search engine submissions

Search engine optimization businesses also provide the actual support associated with keyword research. These types of businesses will look at the clients' web sites and their competition and will search for suitable key phrases. They adopt the most appropriate methodology which will make sure on the internet visibility as well as exposure.

Now, let's mention the benefits that will help an company's web site get to the top of a search engine.
• Customized SEO answer
• Long term top ratings in search engines
• Greater web site traffic and online sales
• Global business protection
• Corporate company identity
• Recommendations for company development
• Follow-up support
• Optimum results