Alt Attribute & Search engine optimization

SEO Optimization images is becoming increasingly more important in SEO (Seo optimization) for websites. The ALT attribute is really a critical step that is sometimes forgotten. This can be a lost opportunity for better rankings.

In Google's webmaster guidelines, they advise the use of alternative text for the images in your 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 do that? The answer is easy, really; search engines have a similar problem as blind users. They cannot see the images.

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

On the contrary, high keyword density can, on some search engines, trigger spam filters, which might result in a penalty for the site's ranking. Even without this type of penalty, your site's rankings will not 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 items in what is shown on the screen. In browsing the net, the alt attributes of images are read aloud too.

Imagine hearing a paragraph of text which is followed by repetitions of many keywords. The page will be not even close to accessible, and, to put it bluntly, will be found quite annoying.
What is an Alt attribute?

An ALT attribute shouldn't be used like a description or perhaps a label for an image, though lots of people use it for the reason that fashion. Although it might seem natural to assume that alternate text is really a label or perhaps a description, it's not!

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

The thing is to supply the same functional information that a visual user would see. The alt attribute text should be the "stand in" in the event that the image is not available. Ask yourself this question: Should you replace the look using the text, would most users get the same basic information, and wouldn't it generate the same response?
A few examples:

 

Some SEO Optimization Tips

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

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

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

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

Some Alt Attribute Guidelines:

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

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

Keep in mind that it's the function of the image we're attempting to convey. For example; any button images shouldn't include the word "button" in the alt text. They ought to emphasize the action performed through the button.

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

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

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

Eye-Candy
Mood-Setting
Content and Function

I. Eye-Candy

Eye-Candy are stuff that serve no purpose apart from to create a site visually appealing/attractive and (oftentimes) fulfill the marketing departments. There is no content value (though there may be value to some sighted user).

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

II. Mood-Setting

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

Try to alt-ify the 2nd group as is sensible and is relevant. There may be instances when doing this might be annoying or detrimental with other users. Then avoid it.

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

Usually it depends on context. Exactly the same image inside a different context may need drastically different alt text. Obviously, content should always be fully available. How you go in this case is a judgment call.

III. Content and Function

This is when the image is the actual content. Always alt-ify content and functional images. Title and long description attributes can also be in order.
The reason many authors can't understand why their alt text isn't working is they don't know why the pictures exist. You need to figured out precisely what function a picture serves. Think about what it is about the image that's important to the page's intended audience.

Every graphic has a reason behind being on that page: since it either enhances the theme/ mood/ atmosphere or it is advisable to what the page is attempting to describe. Knowing what the look is for makes alt text simpler to write. And practice writing them definitely helps.
A way to check the usefulness of alternative text is to imagine reading the page on the phone to someone. What would you say when encountering a specific image to create the page understandable towards the listener?

Besides the alt attribute you have 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 by the user agent. Remember they are invisible and not shown like a "tooltip" when focus is received via the keyboard. (A lot for device independence). So use the title attribute only for advisory information.
Second, the longdesc attribute points to the Link to a complete description of the image. If the information found in a picture is essential to the concept of the page (i.e. some important content would be lost if the image was removed), an extended description compared to "alt" attribute can reasonably display ought to be used. It can offer rich, expressive documentation of a visual image.

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

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

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

Oftentimes, you are best just choosing your gut instinct -- if it's not essential to incorporate it, and when you don't possess a strong urge to do it, don't add 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 on the page.

Exactly the same image may require alt text (or title or longdesc) in one spot, although not in another. If an image provides absolutely 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 even a long description will be so as. Oftentimes this kind of thing is a judgement call.

Image Seo optimization Tips

Listed here 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. Stay away from underscores like a word separator, like for example "brilliant-diamonds.jpg";

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

Ensure that the written text nearby the image that's highly relevant to that image.
Again, don't lose an excellent chance to help your website with your images searching engines. Begin using these steps to rank better on all of the engines and drive increased traffic to your site TODAY.

Website Optimization

Note the Client companies are based in either the US or Canada and the “percentage of traffic outside key service areas” are based on each client’s target market.

For instance, if a client only services the US only, any traffic outside the US would be traffic outside their service area.

Evaluating Your Own Traffic For Relevance

To use our own web design and Internet marketing business as an example, we service both Canada and the US, but were getting 24% of our traffic from other international countries. Big portions of that traffic were companies looking to sell their services to us.

These international visitors would fill in our web forms and call us to inquire, untimely skewing our website analytics data by not giving us a real understanding of how our website was performing to quality prospects.

A solution had to be implemented to significantly reduce the amount of resources we were dedicating to people outside our service areas.

Ultimately, we didn’t want to be contacted from people we couldn’t help. The four possible solutions we considered were:

1. Create a custom report in Google Analytics to filter out the unwanted data (reporting related)


2. Adjust the content of our website (website related)


3. Block the traffic from specific Countries from viewing our website (server related)


4. Don’t change anything.

Option #1

When evaluating the first solution, creating a custom report to filter out this data in Google Analytics, this would clear up our analytics data. Implementing a filter would provide a more realistic picture of quality prospects we could service in our geographic area instead of those prospects or solicitors in other counties we don’t service.

This option didn’t run the risk of blocking any traffic or robots that we do want. It’s also a simple filter to add in Google Analytics. We set up another Profile with the country exclusions filters. A new Profile was the preferred approach, rather than going through the extra steps of creating Custom Reports.

However, setting up analytical filters doesn’t fully resolve the issue, since these visitors could still access our site, fill in web forms, and contact us, ultimately wasting resources that we could dedicate elsewhere.

It wouldn’t give us a true picture of what was going on. It also wouldn’t resolve the problem – we didn’t want to be contacted by companies from some outside countries.

Option #2

Updating the website content to say you only service a specific area is another solution that we considered.  This would inject more geo-targeted keywords into your site, which would help in local SEO. Adding a graphical map, drop-down options and/or links that allow the visitor to select their country would help qualify visitors.

Some of the downfalls of this option include spending a much higher amount of time to implement versus the other options. The success of this would also be dependent on how honest the visitor is.

Assuming visitors are reading your website content, adding geo-targeted keywords into your site would set a clearer expectation of service area delivery. However, this option still doesn’t resolve the issue of sharing contact information that allows unsolicited visitors to contact us and invalid web form data.

Option #3

How about blocking or filtering visitors automatically based on their IP address? When considering to block website visitors by IP it’s important to first evaluate the reliability of the IP address(es). The accuracy of an IP list is over 99.5% on a country level and 80% on a city level. The smaller the location, the less reliable the IP address.

Internet Service Providers change IP addresses they designate to customers. Some change them more frequently than others, which is why you want to keep the database of IPs updated. Scheduling a monthly update is typically a good routine if city level IP authentication is required. Country level is much more static.

The benefit of blocking the country via IP address would not only clean up analytical data, but also ensure our sales funnel was more efficient and provide a more accurate picture of real prospects in all systems. We needed to consider other issues in this approach.

One concern was the potential for a search crawler coming from an IP in the location we were planning on blocking. For example, there was a possibility that Google’s search crawler would also be blocked if it came from the same country. The implementation of this option is more technical. One would need to obtain a list of IP addresses for the desired locations and update the websites htaccess file.

In our example, the inquiries from some countries became so frequent that we couldn’t ignore it any longer. After much debate, we decided to ban the countries; however, we would only ban one at a time to evaluate the effects.

For instance, one of the largest traffic sources, accounting for approximately 20% of this, was from India, a market we don’t service. These Indian visitors were companies looking to sell their services to us.

We executed the ban in the polite Canadian way. We also implemented the Google Analytics profile with the country filter to monitor future website statistics versus the past.

Those visitors that came from our blocked list would land on a different page that displayed a nice message. It read: “Thank you for visiting. However, we don’t provide services in your area.”

In sum, the tests have gone over very well. Banning the country from our website has significantly cut down the number of unsolicited calls, emails and web form requests. It also gave us a much more accurate picture of how our website was performing within our own target market and service area.

Considerations For Blocking Traffic By Location

If you’re considering this strategy, some factors to consider when filtering visitors include:

• Why do you want to filter website traffic?


• Which locations would you want to filter?


• How much traffic do you currently get from locations outside your service area?


• How important is this traffic?


• How to funnel visitors outside your service areas?


• The accuracy of the IP addresses locations in mind.


• Effects of non-human visitors.

A few months after we implemented this, we received a direct mail package that contained pens with our logo on them from a company that wished to sell us branded pens.

Guess what it said under our logo? “Thank you for visiting. However, we don’t provide services in your area.” We had a good laugh. Someone obviously didn’t read what they printed. It was evidence that our website block was working and a nice souvenir.

The key takeaway, as always, is monitor your traffic and conversions. Track where your quality traffic is coming from and decide for yourself if you should block the traffic of certain countries. Make sure to proceed with caution to ensure that you are not missing some opportunities.

Think outside of the box for other ideas of how you can use that traffic. Perhaps referring the traffic to a partner or creating a unique service for specific markets is another option to consider.

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

Related Topics: 100% Organic - Search Engine Optimization Tips | SEO: General

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Game Informer has heard from multiple sources that Nintendo will unveil its new home console at this year's E3 – or maybe even sooner.

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UPDATE: As of 4:30 p.m. EST, Fox has apparently pulled the article in question from their site.

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Video calls were a mainstay of classic sci-fi films, and even today there’s something almost magical about seeing your friends and family on the screen of a portable device. Video calling has been around for some time, but it’s only really in the past year or so that its got more attention among regular users. That’s thanks in no small part to Apple and FaceTime, as found on the iPhone 4, iPad 2 and other gadgets from the company’s range. Read on as we give FaceTime the full SlashGear 101 treatment!

So Apple invented video calling, right?

No, not at all, though they did do a lot to make it easier to use – just as long as you have the right hardware. Video calling is actually a part of the 3G standard, which – if the carrier and whatever phone you’re using supports it, which isn’t the case in the US – has been available since around 2003. Unfortunately a combination of high pricing, poor understanding by users, mediocre quality and patchy reliability meant this form of video calling has never really taken off.

Apple’s FaceTime takes advantage of the company’s tight control over the iPhone, iPod touch, iPad and MacBook software, which has allowed it to polish the video calling experience to the point where everyday use is possible. Now FaceTime is available to anybody at the touch of an on-screen button.

Do I need an Apple phone to use FaceTime?

Not necessarily a phone, but definitely something with the Apple logo. FaceTime was first supported on the iPhone 4, which was Apple’s first mobile device with a front-facing camera (i.e. one that looks at the user, rather than out the back of the handset). The latest iPod touch and iPad 2 both have front-facing cameras and FaceTime support as well, and Apple has released a FaceTime app for its Mac and MacBook computers so they can join in the fun as well. FaceTime comes free on the mobile devices and the very latest Macs, and is a $0.99 download from the Mac App Store for earlier Mac owners.

Okay, so how do I use it?

It’s pretty simple, just as Apple was aiming for. On the iPhone you make a voice call in the normal way and then tap the FaceTime button on-screen to switch to video. On the iPod touch and iPad 2, you start a video call in the FaceTime app. You’ll need an Apple account in order to make and receive calls, since that’s used as the “phone number” for devices other than the iPhone 4.

Currently, FaceTime video calls can only be made when you have a WiFi connection, not when you’re using the mobile network for data. That’s a limitation Apple has put in place itself, though the company has said it is working on removing it in the future.

I’m not into Apple, can I video call with something else?

You certainly can, though the process gets a bit trickier. Various apps are available for Android and other mobile phone platforms which promise video calls, sometimes over not only WiFi but the 3G mobile networks too. That means you can make video calls when away from your home network or a WiFi hotspot, as long as your signal is strong enough.

Skype, Fring and Qik are all among the companies offering video calling apps, though their effectiveness often varies on a phone-by-phone basis. Not all phones have front-facing cameras, either, though they’re becoming more common on the latest handsets. A future SlashGear 1010 feature will look at the best video calling apps if FaceTime isn’t your thing.

Apple has said it plans to open up FaceTime to other manufacturers, so that non-Apple phones can make and receive calls too, but so far there’s no sign of that actually happening.

More information at Apple’s FaceTime page.

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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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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 ...

bench craft company

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 ...

Roofing Contractors Vancouver - 5 Questions to Really think

Roofing Vancouver - Faq's

1. Repair or Replace?

There's no opinion as an expert opinion. Most contractors provides you with a free estimate. Get a summary of a few trusted contractors and phone them well in advance of when you wish to obtain your 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 viewed with bed hair. If you've got a great quality roof and you simply need to repair it, it's worthwhile to pay the cost of the initial shingle rather than doing patchwork. A roof replacement doesn't happen very often (we hope!) and thus make a decision that suits you and your family well or it'll stand out like a sore thumb everyday you go home.

3. Must i replace the rooftop in order to sell the house for additional?

Consider this very carefully before making a choice. With respect to the roofing material you choose, a brand new roof lasts between twenty, fifty, to one-hundred years! This means you have to look into the year from the roof that's currently over your head 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 if you're not likely to stay in your current home for the rest of your lifetime, the larger expense may not be worth your investment. Although a new roof can improve the value of your selling price, the rise may not be enough to pay for neglect the and that's bound to hurt your wallet.

4. Is it advisable that i can repair the rooftop myself?

Sure it's. Before you need to do, consult an expert first. You can perform it yourself, however, you shouldn't be considered a complete ‘lone ranger.' Depending on the extent of the repair, you might or may not change your mind. In either case, it will help to obtain a professional eye on the problem first and perhaps a free quote so you can do the math later and see if it's truly worth your time and effort, sweat, and cash to become 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 plan ahead to have their roof replaced in the summer once they have a friend is going to be home throughout the day for any solid two weeks. Once you've this period in your mind, create a call to some trusted contractor months ahead of time to get a quote. Some companies get booked up fast and odds are, they're probably the most reputable. Preparing in advance from the summer also gives you time to ask around more and compare costs...especially if you need to possess the roof done by a specified date.

 

The very best Roofing Company In Vancouver!

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

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

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

YOUR Vancouver ROOF DESERVES Believe it or not!

The roof of your Vancouver home is the very first line of defence against wind, rain, snow, ice along with other weather conditions. Make sure it is as much as the job. Among Vancouver Roofing companies, only Crown Roofing has got the depth of experience and successful history to make sure your roofing system is going to be properly designed and installed.

NEIGHBORS HELPING NEIGHBORS.

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

Obtain a FREE INSPECTION AND EVALUATION OF YOUR Vancouver ROOF.

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

 

Tacoma Roofing contractor: Help your house be Beautiful

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

The local Tacoma Roofing contractor is well aware how important an economic investment your house is for you, especially since it is a lasting one. Your home might have been damaged slowly over the years and you need to take steps to minimize this damage. For a number of people, keeping their house beautiful is also a few pride. You will find those too who'd prefer to turn their house right into a economical and efficient living place. Your roof is an integral part of your house and plays a role in each one of the aspects mentioned above. Because of this, you need to employ the expertise of qualified a Tacoma Roofer.

Types of Roofs installed with a Tacoma Roofer

Among 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, however they can all be easily looked after with a trusted Tacoma Roofer. It's vital that you nip roof problems within the bud before they become too expensive or dangerous. You can schedule an appointment with the Tacoma Roofing contractor to consider a look at your roof to see if there are any issues or potential problems with it. If there are, they may be able to let you know how to deal with them.

A Tacoma Roofing contractor Helps to Build Strong Homes

The exteriors of any house, primarily the roof and gutters, face the onslaught of bitter and varying weather conditions, day after day. Painting, repairing, and cleaning gutters might be necessary. In some cases you might want to replace them completely. Usually, when your gutters show signs of trouble, your roof also needs to be inspected for problems. Whatever issues there might be, an experienced Tacoma Roofing company can examine them in detail and suggest the remedy.

If your gutters tend to clog too often, or there are leaks across the walls of your house, it might mean that there is debris piled-up on the top. Loose branches, piles of leaves, and other light objects which are swept onto your roof during a storm can all contribute towards damaging your homes roof, which damages can be lasting. An educated Tacoma Roofer will tell you that birds, mice, and other types of rodents often build nest within the debris that collects on the top. While these nests may look rather innocent, they're great at collecting moisture, be responsible for loose shingles, mold, and indoor leaks in your house. In addition, it may also cause vermin infestation. After a storm, your Tacoma Roofing company will suggest that you inspect your roof for any signs of debris or damage.

Reverse Damages by using a Tacoma Roofing company

However high quality the rooftop may be, it will eventually wear down with time. You will find shingles that are known as "25 year" or "30 year" shingles, but those numbers are just associated with warranty produced by the manufacturers. They seldom require that long. Realistically speaking, "25 year" shingles will not last more than fifteen to twenty years. Within an area that is vulnerable to storms, shingles or the entire roof should be replaced every 10 years. Having a Tacoma Roofing contractor, the price will be less than what you believe.

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

Your Tacoma Roofer will be in a position to tell you what are the smartest choice is for your homes roof. In case your roof isn't in a good condition, it's advised that you have it replaced completely. The Tacoma Roofer can take you through the various roofing possibilities to you that will fit your requirements and your budget.

Tacoma Roofing company: Enhancing your Home's Efficiency

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

First of all, inspect your roof thoroughly for any and all type of damage, before the beginning of a year. The gutters should be clear, debris shouldn't be piled on or trapped under shingles, tthere shouldn't be homes of squirrels or birds within the eaves or attic, and the roof should be structurally sound. For your last part, you will need the help of the local Tacoma Roofer. It can be quite dangerous to climb onto the roof of your property. This is when the contractor from Tacoma Roofer 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 to problems that you need to keep close track of and problems you may not have spotted.

You'll need all of the help you could possibly get from the Tacoma Roofer. You can help your roof by installing a gutter guard or leaf cover to help prevent debris from forming in your gutters. The additional weight of debris prevents the gutters from draining and may even tear them down. Look into the fasteners in your gutters and when they're loose, tighten them. Do something to change worn screws and brackets. If you have a chimney in your home, inspect the bricks and mortar signs and symptoms of wear. A reliable mason could be recommended because of your Tacoma Roofing contractor, if there are any repairs to be done.

Tacoma Roofer: Someone You Can Count On
When you know or suspect that there is a problem, your Tacoma Roofing contractor should be contacted. They are able to use their knowledge and expertise to obtain your home back in ace condition simply by focusing on the rooftop. Your homes roof deserves attention. So call them today, to enable them to conclude working on your roof.

 

What is Distinction 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 can be wondering what are the differences are between residential roofing companies and commercial roofing companies. To begin with, the one big difference is usually that times an industrial roofing company might have signed an agreement with and become obligated to some roofing union in able to focus 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 a commercial roofing company has not signed a contract having a union they might be outfitted just for commercial jobs and that means that their workers and equipment may not be consistent with smaller residential jobs.

Residential roofing contractors in general tend to run smaller companies and hence, tend to be more capable of bid competitively on residential jobs, which are usually small compared to comercial jobs. In fact, quite often residential roofing contractors will run one man operations, where the contractor that you talk to could be the one that actually does the job on the building.

Also, liability insurance for commercial roofing is more expensive along with a larger bond is needed for a commercial roofing work which can make it not cost effective for any commercial roofer to do residential roofing jobs.

Still one more factor is the fact that commercial jobs can run on tighter time period for just about any number of reasons, requiring a commercial contractor to employ a larger crew or crews which again makes smaller jobs less profitable on their behalf.

 

Difference Between Commercial Roofing and Residential Roofing

Are you aware that the roof of a building has a huge effect on the whole structure itself? Damage caused to roofs because of natural or another disasters causes a considerable loss of property everywhere. The kind of materials accustomed to construct the roof which should be sturdy and long lasting, the way in which the roof has been installed and even 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. Although it may seem that commercial roofing is performed just for businesses or offices and residential roofing is done for apartments and houses, in reality the differences tend to be more complex than that.

Residential roofing is generally completed by just one hired contractor but commercial roofing typically takes an entire team to accomplish the job. The reason being a commercial roof is commonly larger when it comes to square feet than the usual residential roof.
Commercial roofs need to be made carefully keeping the character and purpose of your building in your mind. For example, if there is a restaurant within the building then external components like ventilation systems, smoke stacks and pipes will be required. Residential roofs usually do not have such components other than a chimney or two at the most.
Commercial roofs is commonly flat in design to accommodate 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 jobs are completed in segments unlike for a residential roof in which the repair or replacement work could be completed in a short time. This is one more reason why the gear used for residential roofs is often smaller and less costly too.
Commercial roof installations have a extended period to complete compared to residential roof installations and therefore are usually constructed in large sections. During this phase however, you should make sure that there aren't any leakages, cracks or other visible wear and tear signs as it can certainly cause considerable harm to the entire building.
You should install the right roof for any building depending on its purpose. Ensure that you hire a construction company that uses first class materials and it has the right equipment to do 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 clients are seeking to have work done on its roof, you should work with commercial roofing contractors that have a keen knowledge of any special needs that the business might have. For example, a roofing job can often be disruptive for the operation of economic as usual. Because of this, it might be necessary for the company to be temporarily shut down, or for the roofing to occur after business hours have ended. A roofer that understands these needs can function together with a business to make sure that these types of issues are minimized.

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

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

When looking at bids, it is just 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 total cost. The costs can differ quite drastically, but as tempting as possible to choose the cheapest bid, this is not always the best option. In many cases, more costs now will mean fewer costs over time due to a poor roofing job. To further investigate the quality of the work, it's a wise decision to check on with the Bbb to be able to find out if the company continues to be accredited, and when it's not, to at least see what its rating is.

 

Selecting a Commercial Roofing Contractor

When you're looking for a roofer for the commercial roofing project you need to find a contractor who understands the special needs of the commercial roofing project. For instance it may be harder to operate on the business during business hours so either the company needs to be shut down for the repair or replacement or even the job has to be done after conventional business hours. May be the roofer you are considering to do the job ready to work around your schedule constrictions which might involve working weekends or evenings?

When you begin your research for any roofing contractor not only do you have to answer those questions however, you should also hire a company which will perform a top quality job without a lot of time delays. Going about finding someone can seem as an obstacle in itself but there are several methods to make the search easier.

Ask friends and family for referrals and then try to find at least three contractors to give you written bids on your job. Prior to going any more you have to make sure that the contractors you are considering are fully licensed and bonded. An easy search using 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 should get ready for the bids to be widely varied. Roofers will have brand preferences that will vary and could factor in more or less compared to next guy for any labor estimate. The more detailed an itemized bid is the more helpful it will likely be for you to see where the cost will be incurred. Don't, however, select a roofer based solely on the bid price. Any low ball bids may be tempting to take, but if they're low because of poor quality workman ship it might not be worthwhile ultimately.

As they say, you generally get what you purchase, so if you can afford a mid-priced bid it certainly is a good idea to increase within your budget rather than down. Additionally you should select your roofer depending on how professional these were and just how comfortable you anticipate you'll be working with them.

Finally your cost will vary depending on what type of roofing material you select as well as the cost to haul your old roof towards the landfill. Should you be looking for places to chop corners in your roof, instead of cutting labor set you back might want to ask about a metal roof option. Metal roofs could be cost effective and efficient making them overall money savers for that long run, and on commercial buildings they may be really low maintenance. Plus given that they can be put along with an existing roof, you don't need to have the old one removed and hauled away, which can make a large effect on your cost.

Choosing a comerical roofing company nearer your home, doesn't have to become a struggle. For more information, visit http://www.vancouverroofers.net