Alt Attribute & SEO Optimization

SEO Optimization images is becoming more and more important in SEO (Search Engine Optimization) for websites. The ALT attribute is a critical step that is sometimes forgotten. This is often a lost opportunity for better rankings.

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

Images:. Use the alt attribute to provide descriptive text. In addition, 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 isn't as relevant for rankings now since it was previously.

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

Imagine hearing a paragraph of text which is followed by repetitions of many keywords. The page would be far from accessible, and, to put it bluntly, would be found quite annoying.
What exactly is an Alt attribute?

An ALT attribute should not be used as a description or perhaps a label for an image, though many people use it in that fashion. Although it might seem natural to assume that alternate text is really a label or a description, it is not!

The words used inside an image's alt attribute ought to be its text equivalent and convey the same information or serve exactly the same purpose that 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" when the look is not available. Think about this: If you were to replace the look with the text, would most users get the same basic information, and would it generate the same response?
Some examples:

 

Some SEO Optimization Tips

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

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

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

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

Remember that it is the function from the image we're attempting to convey. For instance; any button images shouldn't range from the word "button" within the alt text. They ought to emphasize the action performed through the button.

Alt text should be determined by context. The same image in a different context may require drastically different alt text.

Attempt to flow alt text with the rest of the text because that's the way it will be read with adaptive technologies like screen readers. Someone hearing your page should hardly be aware that a graphic image is there.
Please remember that utilizing an alt attribute for each image is needed to meet the minimum WAI requirements, which are used as the benchmark for accessibility laws in UK and also the rest of Europe. They are also required 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 make a site visually appealing/attractive and (in many cases) fulfill the marketing departments. There is no content value (though there might be value to some sighted user).

Never alt-ify eye-candy unless there is something there that will enhance the usability from the site for someone 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 may serve to set the mood or set happens as it were. These graphics aren't direct content and could 't be considered essential, but they are important in they help frame what is going on.

Attempt to alt-ify the 2nd group as makes sense and it is relevant. There may be instances when doing so might be annoying or detrimental to other users. Then avoid it.

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

Usually this will depend on context. The same image inside a different context may require drastically different alt text. Obviously, content should always be fully available. How you use this case is really 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 may also be so as.
The reason many authors can't figure out why their alt text isn't working is they don't know why the images exist. You need to determined exactly what function an image serves. Think about what it's about the image that's important to the page's intended audience.

Every graphic has a reason behind standing on that page: since it either enhances the theme/ mood/ atmosphere or it is critical to what the page is trying to explain. Understanding what the look is perfect for makes alt text easier to write. And practice writing them definitely helps.
A method to check the usefulness of alternative text is to imagine reading the page over the telephone to someone. What would you say when encountering a particular image to make the page understandable towards the listener?

Aside from the alt attribute you have a couple more tools at your disposal for images.
First, in degree of descriptiveness title is within between alt and longdesc. It adds useful information and may add flavor. The title attribute is optionally rendered by the user agent. Remember they're invisible and never shown as a "tooltip" when focus is received via the keyboard. (A lot for device independence). So make use of the title attribute only for advisory information.
Second, the longdesc attribute points towards the URL of a complete description of an image. When the information contained in an image is essential towards the concept of the page (i.e. some important content would be lost if the image was removed), a longer description than the "alt" attribute can reasonably display should be used. It may 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 an image...The goal is by using any length of description necessary to impart the details from the graphic.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Image Search Engine Optimization Tips

Listed here are key steps in optimizing images:

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

Label the file extension. For instance, if 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 relevant to that image.
Again, don't lose an excellent chance to help your website together with your images searching engines. Begin using these steps to rank better on all the engines and drive increased traffic to your site TODAY.

Search Engine 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

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Bench Craft Company on the art of jobs

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

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

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

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

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

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Maya Moore quickly signs deal with Minnesota Lynx

The Minnesota Lynx have signed Maya Moore, the first pick in this year's WNBA draft.

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Great <b>news</b>: Working population percentage drops to three-decade <b>...</b>

Great news: Working population percentage drops to three-decade low.

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

ABC News' Jake Tapper reports: President Obama named retired General Stanley McChrystal to co-chair a White House commission on military families this week, but according to perhaps the most prominent military family of the last decade, ...

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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.

Apple should see a material dip, on top of the one that occurred
after I indicated that I was short the stock on March 16th. Before we
delve into my opinion, let’s peruse the news from 1 a.m. this morning:

WSJ: Apple Crunched in Nasdaq Rebalance- In
a move likely to ripple across the stock market, Nasdaq OMX plans to
announce a rare rebalancing of its Nasdaq-100 index, which will reduce
the big weighting of Apple, which currently makes up more than 20% of
the index.

Bloomberg: Apple’s Weight in Nasdaq-100 to Be Reduced as Microsoft, Cisco Are Raised

So, why do you think Nasdaq decides to reduce Apple’s weighting now?
Well, the competitive pressures that Apple faces are nigh guaranteed to
make it impossible for it to fulfill the pie in the sky expectations
that are being built for it.  That in combination with a 20% weighting
create a recipe for a guaranteed crash in the Nasdaq unless something
was done about it. Signs of heavy reliance on on or two products for 70%
of their profit, while sourcing the most important parts of those
products from their biggest competitors, were starting to show. iPad 2
supplies are tight due to Japan’s woes, and Apple does not have the
mobile computing product diversity to handle it like the 150 or so
Android competitors it is battling. This means much more than just a gap
in profits for the quarter. These companies are in race, and Apple is
being forced to give up some of its lead due to diversification issues –
issues that Android manufacturers (who are more diversified because
there are so many more of them from different places) don’t have, or at
least not to the extent that Apple does. Thus, Samsung, LG, Asus, HTC,
etc. will be rolling out to customers who may have had an Apple iPhone
or iPad.

This is also another (of many) massive triumphs of BoomBustblog
research over that of the most esteemed Godman Sachs who put a $430
price target on Apple just as it was making all time highs and in direct
contravention to BoomBustBlog’s stated logic. See Shorting Apple and Why Software Developers Can Make More Money On Android Wednesday, March 16th, 2011

I have finally started dabbling with Apple
shorts and puts. My OTM S&P put positions were profitably stopped
out due to trailings yesterday when the market recovered some of its
losses. I have decided to use Apple in the place of the S&P puts
for the time being. Medium to long term, the trade is more evident and
obvious to anyone who is objective and follows BoomBustBlog. It is
significantly more risky shorter term. Alas, there are marginal gains
already, and once they accrue to the point of indemnifying my trailing
stop, I will add more. After I finish the current leg of my global real
estate research to be disseminated to institutions, I will offer
tidbits of the modeling (I have already offered subscribers significant
info on why I think Apple is a risky long play). From a contrarian
standpoint, it may be safe to go short with tight stops, after all
although Apple Gears Up To Combat The Margin Compression That Apparently Only It, Google & Reggie Middleton Sees Coming, we still have those guys over at West Street… Goldman’s
$430 Target, Screaming Buy On Apple At Its All Time High Is In Direct
Contravention To Reggie Middleton’s Logic – Who’s Right? Well, Who
Has Been More Right In The Past? I have taken The Challenge To Goldman Sach’s Apple Proclamation One Step

Farther, Apple’s Closed System Risks
Failure! Listen, everyone, regardless of what investment positions or
tech products you may have in your stable, needs to ask themselves the
appropriate “What if’s”. I have spurred the conversation with “Will Google Win The Mobile Computing War? Let’s Walk Through Where They Stand Now & How To Value Them”

Remember, I may not always be right, but it does pay to look at the track record…  Did Reggie Middleton, a Blogger at BoomBustBlog, Best Wall Streets Best of the Best? More attention should be paid to the little guy, after all by now it is Now Common Knowledge That Goldman’s Investment Advice Sucks!
Didn’t you get the memo? I’m sure many traders have spurned Apple due
to the Japanese market being cut off right at the launch of the iPad 2,
but the issues go deeper than that. I will cover it in depth at a later
date, though.

Additional thoughts on the Apple short:

1. Note For The Few Realistic Apple Bears… Wednesday, March 16th, 2011
2. Buffet on Apple – Common Sense! Monday, March 21st, 2011
3. Competition Heats Up In The Mobile Computing Space On Many Fronts – Prices Driven Down Once Again By The Big Players Tuesday, March 22nd, 2011
4. How the “I Love Apple, There Is No Other Fever” Adds To The Attractiveness Of An Ever So Unpopular Apple Short Monday, March 21st, 2011

And that Research in Motion short alert
given to subscribers is working like a charm – even more so if it get’s
caught in  NASDAQ storm: Research in Motion Drops 10% After Hours, Precisely As We Warned Two Months Ago – MARGIN COMPRESSION!!! Thursday, March 24th, 2011

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

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

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

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

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

One important thing about cities is their sex appeal — their magnetism. Places flourish when they attract people, resources, opportunities, and ideas, and match them to one another. Cities are much more than the built environment of roads and real estate. Cities are about relationships, and whether people have access to opportunities. Cities are one big dating game.

When cities lose their magnetism, the whole population suffers. The deterioration of Detroit began well before recent auto industry woes; its population plunge was confirmed by the latest Census. Some attribute decline to bad urban redevelopment schemes or corrupt politics that failed to improve schools or reduce crime. "A once-great American city today repels people of talent and ambition," a Wall Street Journal columnist wrote recently. A local leader told him, "It's been class warfare on steroids, and ... so many Detroiters who had the means — black and white — have fled the city."

Cleveland is another shrunken city with significant poverty. In the 1980s, Cleveland Tomorrow, a coalition of major company CEOs, sponsored downtown projects, including a new baseball stadium and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This attracted luxury apartment developments, luring the affluent to the center city and revitalizing it. But inner city ghettoes were barely touched, and the region continued to lose high-wage manufacturing.

There's a tale of two cities within many city borders: one rich, the other very poor. Dubai, a gleaming new city of luxury high rises, is ringed by hidden slums for temporary service workers from the underclass of Asian nations. In New York, the middle class, including young families, cannot afford to live in the city. Baton Rouge has affluent areas with some of Louisiana's best quality-of-life indicators and extreme poverty areas with some of the worst. Other divides include racial and ethnic enclaves that vary in opportunities — for example, minority entrepreneurs with promising business ideas who can't access mainstream sources of capital and support.

Cities should be connectors but can have connection problems. Cities are where all parts of life come together: jobs, health, education, environmental quality. Yet, in most cities, businesses, schools, hospitals, and city services still operate in silos. And the political boundaries of cities don't encompass their true extent or the flow of people, as the Brookings' Metropolitan Policy Center points out. IBM's Smarter Cities Challenge supports efforts to use technology for connected regional solutions.

Interdependence among urban issues makes vicious cycles worse. If there is no action on high youth unemployment or poor educational quality and high school dropout rates, then too many African-American males end up in prison. High crime rates make sections of cities undesirable, and neighborhoods deteriorate. Aging buildings and toxic environments then cause health problems, such as lead poisoning or asthma, which disproportionately affect inner city children. Children in poor health have trouble learning, learning problems are associated with school dropouts, and vicious cycles continue.

Pivotal investments can start virtuous cycles. The transformation of Miami from sleepy southern city to international trade hub and informal capital of Latin America was propelled by investments in a world class airport and a flood of immigrants from Fidel Castro's Cuba. Mayors and civic leaders took advantage of this to attract new businesses and tout Latin connections, as my book World Class describes. But progress stalls if benefits don't reach the grass roots, racial divides persist, and major institutions fail to collaborate. The Miami Foundation's emerging leaders program is designed to deploy diverse younger professionals for major civic projects.

Revitalizing cities requires national urban policy investments and social innovations on the ground. Leadership might come from:

• Enlightened mayors who build public-private partnerships or join Cities of Service, which align the city and non-profits around high-impact goals.



• Business leaders, such as former Miami Herald publisher David Lawrence, who rallied Miami-Dade County to vote for a tax increase (Yes to new taxes!) to create the Children's Trust, a fund to improve life for all children.



• Faith communities, such as Rev. Raymond Jetson's community organizing toward a coalition for "A Better Baton Rouge."



• Financiers, such as Tim Ferguson and Ron Walker, who co-founded Next Street to invest in inner city businesses.



• Social entrepreneurs, such as Hubie Jones, who wants to replicate a birth-to-college educational model like the Harlem Children's Zone in Boston.



• Community foundations with a strategic perspective, seeking integrated solutions across issues such as youth employment, education, health, and green plans.

The best social innovations will connect people and institutions, producing an infrastructure for collaboration. That social infrastructure will increase the sex appeal of cities by going beyond initial attraction to build lasting relationships for lasting improvements.

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Breaking tech <b>news</b>? Get email notifications as it happens. - TNW Voice

We're in the technology news business. To that end, if it's old, it isn't news. Given that you're reading this, chances are that you live, eat, sleep and breathe the tech lifestyle and want to get the news as soon as it happens. ...

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Breaking tech <b>news</b>? Get email notifications as it happens. - TNW Voice

We're in the technology news business. To that end, if it's old, it isn't news. Given that you're reading this, chances are that you live, eat, sleep and breathe the tech lifestyle and want to get the news as soon as it happens. ...

Roofing Companies Vancouver - 5 Inquiries to Really think

Roofing Vancouver - Frequently Asked Questions

1. Repair or Replace?

There's no opinion as an expert opinion. Most contractors provides you with a totally free estimate. Get a summary of a couple trusted contractors and phone them well in advance of when you wish to obtain your homes roof fixed so you can compare costs and opinions.

2. Beauty versus Practicality?

Discuss this with your spouse or partner. (The kids could care less...at least the young ones.) 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 just need to repair it, it's worth it to pay the cost of the original shingle instead of doing patchwork. A roof replacement doesn't happen frequently (hopefully!) and so make a choice that best suits you and your family well or it'll stick out just like a sore thumb everyday you go home.

3. Must i replace the roof in order to sell the house for more?

Consider this cautiously before making a decision. With respect to the roofing material you choose, a brand new roof can last anywhere from twenty, fifty, to one-hundred years! This means you have to check the year of the roof that's currently over your head first. Are you at year 18 of a 20-year warranted roof or year 30 of a 50-year warranted roof? Obviously, the quality is what makes the rooftop last longer, but when you're not likely to stay in your current home throughout your lifetime, the higher expense may not be worth neglect the. Although a new roof can improve the worth of your selling price, the increase may not be enough to pay for your investment and that's definitely going to hurt your wallet.

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

Sure it's. Before you do, consult an expert first. You can perform it yourself, but you shouldn't be considered a complete ‘lone ranger.' With respect to the extent of your repair, you might or might not convince you. In either case, it helps to obtain a professional eye on the problem first and perhaps even a free quote so you can do the math later and see if it's truly worth your time and effort, sweat, and money to be mister or miss fix-it.

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

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

 

The Top Roofing Contractor In Vancouver!

It is possible to leak inside your home's roof? Perhaps you have lost shingles or tiles inside a storm? Have overhanging branches caused damage? Is your roof more than Two decades old and showing its age? Are your gutters overwhelmed and draining poorly?

If the answer to any of these questions is "Yes" it's time to call the top roofing contractor Vancouver - Crown Roofing & Drainage.

For more than a century Crown Roofing has been the roofer of choice among our Vancouver neighbors. We offer complete roofing services, from emergency repairs and roof restoration, to accomplish roof replacement. All while using finest quality materials, installed with precision and the highest level of customer support.

YOUR Vancouver ROOF DESERVES Believe it or not!

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

NEIGHBORS HELPING NEIGHBORS.

One reason Crown Roofing continues to be probably the most successful roofing contractor in Vancouver is our resolve for our neighbors. We treat your house as if it were our own and we were creating a roof to protect our very own family. That's what neighbors do, and you can count on Crown Roofing being here to aid you and back our work. After all, we've been repairing and replacing roofs in Vancouver since 1902!

Obtain a FREE INSPECTION AND EVALUATION OF YOUR Vancouver ROOF.

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

 

Tacoma Roofer: Help your house be Beautiful

Very few people view the worth of a solid roof, your knowledgeable Tacoma Roofing contractor does. From top notch experience, they'll be able to let you know the reason why you need a strong, secure, and leak-free roof in your home.

The local Tacoma Roofer is knowledgeable how important a financial investment your house is for you, especially as it is a lasting one. Your home may have been damaged slowly over the years and you have to take steps to reduce this damage. For a number of people, keeping their property beautiful is also a matter of pride. There are those too who'd prefer to turn their property right into a economical and efficient living place. Your roof is an integral part of your property and plays a role in each of the aspects mentioned above. Because of this, you need to employ the services of qualified a Tacoma Roofing contractors.

Types of Roofs installed by a Tacoma Roofing contractor

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

Each kind of roof invites distinct problems, but they can all be easily taken care of with a trusted Tacoma Roofing contractor. It's imperative that you nip roof problems within the bud before they become too expensive or dangerous. You can schedule a scheduled appointment using the Tacoma Roofing company to take a look at your roof to see if you will find any issues or potential problems with it. If there are, they may be able to let you know how to approach them.

A Tacoma Roofer 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 cases you might want to replace them completely. Usually, whenever your gutters show signs and symptoms of trouble, your roof must also be inspected for problems. Whatever issues there may be, a skilled Tacoma Roofing contractor can examine them at length and suggest the remedy.

In case your gutters often clog too often, or you will find leaks along the walls of your house, it might mean that there is debris piled-up on the roof. Loose branches, piles of leaves, along with other light objects that 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, along with other kinds of rodents often build nest within the debris that collects on the roof. While these nests may look rather innocent, they are great at collecting moisture, which can lead to loose shingles, mold, and indoor leaks in your house. Additionally, it may also cause vermin infestation. Following a storm, your Tacoma Roofer will suggest that you inspect your roof for any signs and symptoms of debris or damage.

Reverse Damages with the Help of a Tacoma Roofing company

However top quality the roof might be, it will eventually wear out over time. There are shingles that are known as "25 year" or "30 year" shingles, but those numbers are only related to warranty produced by the makers. They seldom require that long. Realistically speaking, "25 year" shingles will not last more than a few years. Within an area that's prone to storms, shingles or even the entire roof may need to get replaced every 10 years. Having a Tacoma Roofing contractor, the cost is going to be lower than what you believe.

If there you lose any shingles, or there is some harm to them, a Tacoma Roofer can assist you to. Damaged shingles can result in indoor leaks, as the substrate of the roof becomes exposed to the sun and rain. Shingles which are loose or broken can slip off and pose a potential hazard to people standing below. Missing shingles create a gap that allows rain, wind, ice, and debris to develop underneath the adjoining shingles, which creates a "domino effect" that affects other shingles plus they become loose or broken. A comprehensive investigation will be made by your local Tacoma Roofing company, if you call them track of your suspicions of loose or missing shingles.

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

Tacoma Roofing contractor: Enhancing your Home's Efficiency

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

To begin with, inspect your homes roof thoroughly for just about any and all sorts of kind of damage, prior to the beginning of the new season. 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 in the eaves or attic, and the roof ought to be structurally sound. For that last part, you'll need the assistance of your local Tacoma Roofer. It may be quite dangerous to climb to the roof of your house. This is where the contractor from Tacoma Roofer comes in. He'll read the strength and security of the roof and shingles, and perform a general inspection of the entire roof structure, to make sure that it is in proper working order. They'll be in a position to point to problems that you have to keep close track of and problems you may not have spotted.

You will need all of the assist you to could possibly get in the Tacoma Roofing company. You are able to 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. Check the fasteners on your gutters and if they're loose, tighten them. Take steps to change worn screws and brackets. For those who have a chimney in your home, inspect the bricks and mortar signs of wear. A trusted mason could be recommended by your Tacoma Roofing company, if there are any repairs to become done.

Tacoma Roofing company: Someone You are able to Count On
In the event that you realize or suspect that there is a problem, your Tacoma Roofing company should be contacted. They are able to use their knowledge and expertise to get your house back in ace condition by simply focusing on the rooftop. Your roof deserves attention. So give them a call today, so that they can get down to caring for your roof.

 

What is Distinction between Commercial Roofing Companies From Residential Roofing Companies

If you are hiring a roofing company to re roof your house 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 huge difference is that often times an industrial roofing company may have signed a contract with and be obligated to some roofing union in in a position to work on union commercial jobs.

If this is the situation 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 simply for commercial jobs and that means that their workers and equipment may not be in line with smaller residential jobs.

Residential roofing contractors generally often run smaller companies and therefore, tend to be more in a position to bid competitively on residential jobs, which are usually small compared to comercial jobs. In fact, often times residential roofing contractors will run one man operations, where the contractor that you talk to may be the one which actually does the job about the building.

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

Still an additional factor is that commercial jobs can run on a tighter time frame for any number of reasons, requiring a commercial contractor to train on a larger crew or crews which again makes smaller jobs less profitable on their behalf.

 

Distinction between Commercial Roofing and Residential Roofing

Did you know that the rooftop of a building has a huge impact on the entire structure itself? Damage caused to roofs due to natural or other disasters causes a considerable loss of property everywhere. The type of materials accustomed to construct the roof that ought to be sturdy and long-lasting, the way where the roof continues to be installed as well as its timely maintenance are extremely crucial. There are two types of roofs which are used on all of the buildings that we see around us: commercial and residential. Even though it might seem that commercial roofing is performed only for businesses or offices and residential roofing is performed for apartments and houses, in reality the differences are much more complicated than that.

Residential roofing is generally completed by just one hired contractor but commercial roofing typically takes a whole team to complete the job. The reason being a commercial roof is commonly larger in terms of sq ft than the usual residential roof.
Commercial roofs are necessary carefully keeping the nature and purpose of the building in your mind. For example, when there is a 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 apart from a chimney or two at most.
Commercial roofs tends to be flat in design to support further changes at a later period, whereas most residential roofs have peaks along with other architectural features like roof gardens.
Commercial roofing is much more expensive than residential roofing due to 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 completed in a short while. This really is one more reason why the gear used for residential roofs is often smaller and less costly too.
Commercial roof installations have a longer time to complete compared to residential roof installations and therefore are usually constructed in large sections. In this phase however, you should make sure that there are no leakages, cracks or other visible deterioration signs as it can certainly cause considerable harm to the entire building.
You should install the best roof for a building based on its purpose. Make sure that you hire a construction company that utilizes first class materials and it has the best equipment to do the job or neglect the may turn to be a huge loss later.

 

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

If your clients are looking to have work done on its roof, you should use commercial roofing contractors which have a keen knowledge of any special needs that a business might have. As an example, a roofing job is often disruptive for that operation of business as usual. Because of this, it may be necessary for the business to be temporarily shut down, or for the roofing to take place after business hours have ended. A roofer that understands these needs can work plus a business to make sure that these kinds of issues are minimized.

The first thing that a company must do when it is searching for commercial roofing contractors is to discover who other businesses in the region are working through. Obviously, this article 't be helpful whether it comes as a suggestion from competitors, but there are circumstances in which it is not too hard to locate these details from suppliers or retailers. Since roofing isn't an industry-specific service, this information is readily available.

It's a wise decision for any business to obtain touching at least three commercial roofing contractors to make bids on the price. In this manner, the business can often get a better price. It's also vital that you make sure that each one of the roofing contractors is licensed and bonded. These details are available by getting touching the state contractor's board. This assists you to determine whether there have been any claims filed against the company previously.

When looking at bids, it is just as vital to check out what services are being offered and which products is going to be used as it is to check out the overall cost. The prices can vary quite drastically, but as tempting as possible to choose the lowest bid, this isn't always the best option. Oftentimes, more costs now will mean fewer costs over time as a result of an undesirable roofing job. To further investigate the caliber of the work, it is a wise decision to check on using the Better Business Bureau in order to find out if the company has been accredited, and when it has not, to at least see what its rating is.

 

Picking out a Commercial Roofing Contractor

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

When you start your search for a roofing contractor you don't only have to answer those questions but you should also hire a company that will perform a high quality job with no lot of time delays. Going about finding someone can seem as an obstacle by 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 provide you with written bids in your job. Prior to going any more you need 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 if your roofer is licensed and if you will find any past judgments or claims against their license.

Once you select 3 or 4 roofers to place bids, you should get ready for that bids to be widely varied. Roofers will have brand preferences which will vary and may element in more or less compared to next guy for any labor estimate. The more detailed a written bid may be the more helpful it will be for you to see where the cost are going to be incurred. Don't, however, select a roofer based solely about the bid price. Any low ball bids might be tempting to take, but if they're low due to poor quality workman ship it might not be worthwhile ultimately.

As they say, you generally get that which you purchase, if you are able to afford a mid-priced bid it certainly is 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 just how comfortable you anticipate you will be dealing with them.

Finally your cost will vary depending on what type of roofing material you select along with the cost to haul your old roof to the landfill. If you are looking for places to chop corners in your roof, rather than cutting labor set you back may want to inquire about metallic roof option. Metal roofs could be economical and efficient making them overall money savers for that long run, as well as on commercial buildings they can be really low maintenance. Plus since they can be put on top of a current roof, you don't need to have the old one removed and hauled away, that make a large effect on your cost.

Choosing a comerical roofing company in your local area, doesn't have to be a difficult task. To learn more, visit http://www.vancouverroofers.net

 

Seattle Roofing Contractors - 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 which will suit you. Seattle, Washington could be a great place to build a home, but you need Seattle roofing contractors to help you out. Your roof is, in the end, the crowning glory of your house, as well as your strongest line of defense against the elements. You must have something which is not only created to last, but built to attract making your home more beautiful

Harsh Weather

Why are roofing contractors so important in this part of the country? Because Seattle is often bombarded by rain along with other harsh climate conditions, you'll need a roof that may withstand all the forces of nature. With this in mind, you'll need individuals who be aware of Seattle weather best, and who know what materials can best go into your homes roof for it to last far longer in the area. On top this, you need to blend with the rest from the houses in your living space, which means you cannot simply get whatever roof you please.

In most these aspects, a Seattle roofers should be able to assist you. All you need to do is search for Seattle roofing contractors online to be able to obtain the best bang for your buck without wondering when the contractor will suddenly try to escape with it and then leave you roof-less.

Why the Contractor Model Works

If you wish to set up your roof by yourself, you'll have to buy a whole lot of materials, secure permits and licenses, and obtain materials which are suited to help you stay safe against harsh extremes of Seattle weather. This means that if you are a DIY kind of guy or gal, you'll have to undergo a good deal of legwork to get the job done.

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

Roofing Associations

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

For instance, Seattle Roof Brokers operates with over 500 roofing contractors within the Puget Sound. This group has over half a century of roofing experience and experience dealing with Seattle roofing contractors, so it knows what kind of roofing you want. The Roof Brokers group can hook you up using the contractor that you'll require so that you do not have to search for contractors individually.

What In the event you Demand out of your Contractor?

Whenever you finally obtain a contractor within the Seattle area, you need to do a lot of research on the roofing contractors themselves. Request a list of previous companies or persons that the contractor worked with to get a definite look at the roofing contractor's work ethics and roof quality. Your roofing contractor should also have the appropriate working licenses and city licenses needed by the Seattle city government.

Select a Seattle roofers that insures its employees, which has courteous workers who will respect your opinions and make sure that your needs are met. Ensure that you obtain the best bang for your buck: if you're not satisfied using the job, you need to be guaranteed either money-back, or perhaps a free, new roof. Moreover, you also need the workers to find the job done promptly, so be strict with your deadlines - and find a contractor that's as strict when you are.

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

Selecting the Right Roofing Contractor Company for Replacing Your Roof

The shingles inside your roof need replacing and you're simply minded to locate a roofer to replace the them. Perhaps you have already known as a few and are evaluating which contractor for your upcoming roof repair. How do you select the best contractor for caring for your roof? Here are several things you should look at when looking for the best roofing contractor.

Where's the roofer located? It is important to hire a roofing contractor that's local. Then you will receive a higher level and services information when the roofing company can be found near your house or comes with an office near your residence.
References. To determine the toughness for the contractor, references should be provided of the previous customers who are prepared to vouch that excellent service was received. This should not be the only real element in deciding upon your future roofing contractor as some may claim they value the privacy of the clients and don't wish to bother them. If this is 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 assist determine their stability.
How does the roofer company handle complaints? There are a multitude of issues that can arise during the progress of a roofing replacement. Ask what their process is for handling complaints if they arise. It is also an excellent idea to get a past client reference who had a complaint which was resolved to the satisfaction from the client.
The payment schemes. Do you know the terms of payment for the job? What's the deposit 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 isn't made until following the entire job is finished.
Written contract. All the roofing replacement ought to be place in a written contract. No the main contracting job should depend on verbal assurances.
Bonding. There are stuff that can go wrong with roofing installations that wind up costing quite a bit of money to repair. Should this happen in your roofing replacement, you'll feel a great deal better knowing that your roofing contractor is bonded. This will supply 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's actually a warranty on the materials being installed. Request a duplicate of the warranty.
Period of time running a business Just how long has the company you're interviewing been in business? A short in time business may reflect instability. If the contractor has been around business less than three years, verify just how long they've actually been in the industry. A brand new contractor may have a long time 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 many more years performing roofing replacements. It can shouldn't be the only factor, all of us have to start sometime. Balance this with referrals and the other points raised in the following paragraphs.
Appropriate Permits. A Seattle roofer ought to know what permits are required for fixing your roof. They must be conscious of how you can obtain these permits for you. Ask the contractor whether or not they will have the permits necessary to repair the rooftop.
Liability. If a worker becomes injured, who's responsible for the workers comp? If the contractor's equipment damages your home, who is responsible for the repairs? A good contractor will provide certificates of insurance for liability and workers comp before they begin fixing your roof.
Subcontractors. Verify if the contractor is going to be using subcontractors. If that's the case, it is highly recommended that everything contained within this article for verifying whether the contractor is credible also needs to be applied to subcontractors. You should get the names and license amounts of all subcontractors. You should verify whether each subcontractor can also be insured which means you are not held responsible for their accidents.
Pending Legal Actions. It is important to verify whether there are any legal actions against the contractor. This is not only essential for verifying if the roofing company is legitimate (credible roofing companies should not need to defend themselves in the court), it is also important just because a lost lawsuit could cause the contractor to visit bankrupt. For those who have designed a substantial down payment for services immediately before the company goes bankrupt, you can lose many 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 an additional cost for disposing of this waste?
NRCA Membership. Membership in local or national roofing associations, such as the NRCA, shows resolve for staying current with the most effective methods for roof replacement and maintenance. Find a roofing contractor having a high standard of education regarding their trade.
Replacing your homes roof is a significant investment. Celebrate sense to ask serious questions before using a roofer. Here are a few more tips that you ought to consider when choosing the best roofing contractor for your upcoming roofing replacement.

Payment. Don't create a full payment for services unless all work is finished.
Inspection. Do not create a full payment without having done a final inspection of services rendered.
Workers liens. Don't fully pay for the roofing replacement job until worker's lien releases have been obtained.
Oral Agreements. No agreement ought to be made verbally without backing up in writing. All points that are important to you ought to be produced in writing.

 

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

It is true that the worldwide web is just about the biggest financial market nowadays. Practically it is all totally anchored on the web. Up to now, there are more than 182 million web sites in the internet whilst still being counting. If each one of these websites offers possibilities to earn money, just think of the limitless opportunities that may be perfectly located at the internet. Moreover, using the emergence of sites, the requirement of website hosting and Search| Engine Optimization is significantly defined.

Search engine marketing is basically the operation of helping the visibility of the web site. As a result, if you want your web site to become visible to visitors, you ought to search for SEO Company. The optimization strategy considers how search spiders work and what people usually and what keywords they'll use. The key objective of Search engine optimization is making internet sites visible searching sites through the natural or organic way.

Search engines optimization or natural seo can be a expression used in describing unpaid, algorithm-driven outcomes of any particular engine. In other words, organic SEO uses natural strategies in achieving search results ranking. While there are 2 camps that search engine optimization companies may fall to, that will be the 'White Hat' and also the 'Black Hat', organic SEO would not come under the 'Black Hat' camp.

Organic search engine optimization is a highly specialized and complex practice which could literally dictate the failure or success of an internet business. Since search sites often modify their algorithms, organic SEO just isn't super easy in any way. When search bots modify their algorithms, factors that enable your web site to look before potential clients are decayed also. Thus, so that you can cope up using these changes, SEO tactics and techniques should be employed.

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

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

Search engine marketing Appears to the picture

There was a time when search engine optimization was actually not essential.

Whilst late like a decade ago, in the event you made a Web site anywhere, Google indexed it and also you gained visibility in their search engine results. Your page could have been within 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; exactly the same fate is likely for those pages you toss in over a free-for-all website. As well as "proper" websites with your own website name didn't achieve visibility on the list of proliferating sites in millions.

These would not have mattered, with the exception of one thing. It absolutely was Google that provided the bread and butter for that countless small enterprises that could not afford expensive marketing campaigns. If your site was on the list of top few sites the appeared before a searcher's eyes when that individual searched for your products, you've got hundreds and even 1000s of visitors, a lot of whom even bought your products or services.

Search engine optimization (SEO) entered the scene. Internet search engine specialists "reverse-engineered" to identify the factors that Google consider for showing websites near the top of its search results pages. These factors were then consciously incorporated into your Web pages with the hope that Google will show your website among the first ten results it showed about the first page.

As more and more of the competitors adopted search engine optimization practices, things became difficult again. Your situation began to slip if 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 look engines and another to human visitors. As engines like google weren't bothered with readability, you could fill the "search engine" page with pure gibberish, but gibberish developed 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 look at the top of its search results. In the end, Google's success depended on providing value to searchers, not merchants. And SEO practitioners came up with new tricks.

We will look at search engine optimization in a number of articles, starting off with an overall look at on-line or Web marketing.

 

For the SEO needs, you can check out vancouver web design and Vancouver SEO company.

 

Cedar Roofing: Advantages

Cedar shakes are simply about the most eye appealing shakes currently available. Frequently designed from red-colored cedar on the coniferous forests of northwestern United States, they're only the best roofs materials for proprietors preferring supplying his / her roofs an organic look.

Unique cedar shingles are naturally resistance against the weather, that's the key answer why cedar shingles are widely-used generally around various climatic conditions. They're generally for sale in a couple of specific qualities. A minumum of one may be the shingle made from red cedar even though the other is produced right out of the bright white variety. Red cedar shakes are designed from tight-grained particles which can be previously saturated with tannic acidity that experts say is definitely an all-natural additive. Red cedar shingles which might be dipped in creosote to avoid corrosion and therefore are desirable to homeowners given that they add a rich and unique look to one's property or home.

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

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

Cedar shakes, mostly for sale in honey, cinnamon, and silvery gray colors, need several amount of repairs and maintenance. They might need initial treatment solution ahead of installation. White cedar shakes for instance, might be addressed with bleaching oil which ought to be done virtually every six to seven years to improve their durability.

Cedar shakes and cedar shingles can be CCA treated or otherwise not CCA treated. CCA means chromated copper arsenate. CCA is really a chemical that stops the increase of mold, mold and fungus so that it helps maintain insects from eating away your personal wonderful cedar roof. CCA cedar could make your homes roof stay longer, but CCA is NOT A fireplace TREAMENT. Cedar which has been fire treated is available, your roofing company need to special order it. CCA treated cedar shingles cost 15 - 20% more than non-CCA cedar. Most cedar roofs usually are not CCA treated.

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

Elite Roofing & Small remodels, LLC provides detailed information about shingles, cedar shakes, fiberglass shakes and much more. Elite Roofing & Small remodels, LLC is connected to the National Roofers Association.

Uncover more about cedar shingles, and get 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 the oldest roofing products which includes always been constantly used inside more than 100 years. Just as much as new roofing materials carry on being developed, cedar shakes still endear themselves to a lot of. Below can be a comparison research into the cedar roof versus an asphalt roof.

Pros of Cedar Roofing shingles

Cedar shakes bring about much better air circulation inside entire home. The shingles enable the where you can breathe well without trapping moisture around. This assists to maintain the dwelling of the house who is fit longer. Cedar Shakes are durable and strong. They enjoy a greater capacity bugs. A cedar shingle roof will stand up well towards the various weather onslaughts. Storms, hurricanes, powerful winds and flying debris will barely damage the outer lining of one's cedar roof. The color matures beautifully using the passing years, making it even more desirable. A cedar roof adds a definite charm to your house. Cedar is quickly for sale in lumber yards as well as doesn't need a large amount of expertise or specialized tools to install.

Cons of Cedar Shakes

If rot takes hold, you'd be compelled to change the entire lot. It's not easy extracting only the affected pieces. They could have been nailed down in a way that each elimination proves difficult. Cedar Shingles don't endure well to constant wetting. If you live within an area where rainfall is heavy or frequent, cedar shingles aren't a fantastic choice. Frequent wetting causes mold or mildew to set in. Replacement and repair might be a costly business. Your very best self protection against constant wetting would be to use wide overhangs. Also, should your property is shaded by many trees or nearby buildings, cedar shingles tend to develop mold. You will be compelled to replace them earlier than you planned. Cedar Shingles tend to be more flammable than asphalt shingles. Many areas use a building code set up that restricts cedar shingles to lessen the danger of fire. To set up a cedar shake roof, you'll want your budget about the higher side. Frequent maintenance can be essential to keep your roof who is fit. Mildew and rot are ever-constant threats to some cedar roof.

Pros of Asphalt Shingle Roof

An asphalt roof is one of the most affordable to get and install. These come in various designs and colours, ranging from a regular, flat use a 3-dimensional look. Asphalt shingles have a superior effectiveness fires unlike cedar roofing. An asphalt roof can certainly lessen the risk of fires due to flying embers. Asphalt roofs are easier and cheaper to install than cedar. They are also low maintenance roofs.

Cons of Asphalt Shingle Roof

Algae is more susceptible to grow on asphalt roofing than cedar shingles. It causes the cover to develop somewhat from the stain which spoils the look. You may get an anti-algae coating done in your asphalt shingles but this adds to the cost. In terms of stability, an asphalt roof is much more apt to be blown off by strong winds when compared to a cedar roof.

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

 

How to locate Good Vancouver Search engine optimization

The number of online businesses and e-commerce sites is constantly on the rise because everybody knows that it can bring in a lot of profits. This has also brought about a whole new sort of services that assist companies within attaining their set goals as well as making them develop. Amongst these are the Vancouver Search engine optimization; since the Search engine optimization market is fairly young you will notice that any kind of Search engine optimization Vancouver organization won't be greater than a decade aged. But you may rest assured that they actually understand what they need to do to get a business developing.

In case your business relies heavily on the web to get people to your site and to obtain conversion rates, you need assistance searching motor optimisation or SEO because it is additionally recognized. When people put a search in their favorite internet search engine, the most likely matches arrive at the very top. If you wish to draw visitors to your site or online business, you have to go ahead and take help of the Vancouver SEO company to obtain to the top of these search engine results. The SEO Vancouver services provided is going to be well worth the money spent and will also be viewing the actual returns shortly after.

However, attaining a high position on the internet may not continually be an easy task and much more therefore if yours is an extremely aggressive business which they frequently make reference to as a niche. It is no wonder then that you need all of the assist that you can get. If you don't have the response to "What is actually SEO?Inch then you need in order to very first educate yourself on the topic. Your smartest choice would be to leave the task to those who realize it greatest; the Search engine optimization Vancouver professionals at the Vancouver Search engine optimization company. You will have to shell out some cash however, you will enjoy the actual rewards as time go by.

The SEO Vancouver professionals will start upon keyword research which is usually the actual starting point of Search engine optimization. You need to know the type of phrases or phrases which potential prospects would be typing in to Search engines to get at your website. The actual Vancouver SEO company is going to do this tedious task for a person as they possess a much better concept about how individuals start their own queries. You, from you have to give them a much better understanding regarding your business plus some basic key phrases on which they'd perform their own research.

In case your Search engine optimization campaign begins with keywords selection, then its link building which rss feeds seo; any good Vancouver SEO company can help you understand. The optimal method for your site to rank high for any provided key phrase would be to possess a great link building strategy created for this. The secret is to leave your own link on higher ranked websites. The actual Search engine optimization Vancouver experts will explain the most typical way of carrying this out would be to publish content articles that contains the desired key phrases in the proper percentage in order to article directory sites along with backlinks to your website within the authors resource box.

What exactly have you been awaiting? Take the assistance of the actual Vancouver Search engine optimization company the following; the actual Search engine optimization Vancouver experts can make your company develop so that you can reap greater earnings.

 

Dependable Search engine optimization For Your Company within Vancouver

Professional advanced Vancouver SEO services help you to come in the top listing of the actual search results to attract visitors. Moreover, the site visitors associated with organic results will be keen to purchase items which providers will end up being helpful in your business.

You'll need Search engine optimization Vancouver to benefit your business by helping you to get the most visibility from the search engine as well as therefore getting more visitors to your internet site. With the help of search engine listings, these types of services will hugely assist your internet site get in touch with the world of individuals accessing internet and therefore, sketching more and more visitors to your internet website. Once the website has started producing traffic to this, your business may reap advantages as the website will end up probably the most searchable on the top search engines like google.

A business needs these kinds of providers since the SEO professionals have the basic understanding and understanding of how you can get it done. A person as the website owner may spend time on internet dealing with weblogs, forums, and other materials. Nevertheless, you need to focus on other aspects of your internet website and Search engine optimization experts concentrate almost all their efforts on Search engine optimization since this is the things they're doing best.

The actual Search engine optimization businesses guarantee to improve more traffic to your site regularly by giving you an assurance that after individuals look for services or products, your internet website comes on the top of most sought after search engines like google like Google, Google, MSN as well as America online.

Quite simply, to enhance web site traffic and visibility, it is vital that a website should obtain up-to-date continually. The entire process of search engine optimization is not a one-time try. An effective Search engine optimization support consists of advertising, ranking, site promotion, hyperlink exchanges and much more. To be able to hold the changes to SEO methods and strategies daily, professional Search engine optimization preserve experienced and officially skilled SEO experts, web site creative designers, copywriters, Search engine optimization publishers, marketing professionals and project supervisors.

An expert as well as result-oriented search engine optimization support includes the following:
. Research and statement pre-optimization position
. Search phrase selection and optimization
. Competitors analysis report
. Explanation associated with labels
. Designed link page development
. Optimization associated with images
. Keyword-rich content creating
. SEO copywriting
. Hyperlink campaigns
. Code
. Search engine distribution

SEO businesses also provide the support associated with keyword research. These types of organizations will look in the customers' internet sites and their competition and will look for appropriate key phrases. These people adopt the best methodology which will ensure on the internet visibility and exposure.

Right now, let us mention the benefits that will help an organization's web site get to the surface of the search engines.
• Personalized Search engine optimization solution
• Long-term best rankings searching engines
• Greater web site traffic and online product sales
• Worldwide business protection
• Corporate business identification
• Recommendations for company development
• Follow-up service
• Optimum results

 

'Counter-Terror' Policy Targets Uyghurs

2011-04-07
A new report says China uses the threat of terrorism to crack down on Uyghurs in Xinjiang.

AFP
Uyghur men and women chat outside a mosque in Urumqi, July 17, 2009.

China's anti-terrorism policy deliberately targets ethnic minority communities such as Uyghurs and Tibetans struggling for greater autonomy, according to a white paper by a rights group.

The policy equates terrorism with groups pushing for more self-governing rights, is too broad in scope, and shirks international human rights commitments, said the Hong Kong and New York-based Human Rights in China (HRIC).

The paper looked into human rights concerns within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a regional intergovernmental organization which includes China and five other member states-Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan-with a total population of 1.5 billion people.

It said the SCO approach to counter-terrorism, modeled on China'sThree Evils doctrine, and highlighting principles of territorial integrity, noninterference in internal affairs, and social stability, contributes to supporting repressive regimes at the expense of human rights.

A failure to demand accountability from the SCO undermines the effectiveness and integrity of the international system in countering terrorism and advancing rule of law, peace, and security, HRIC said.

"China's approach to counter-terrorism is the Three Evils doctrine, and it links terrorism with separatism and extremism," HRIC director Sharon Hom said in an interview.

"This Three Evils approach is overbroad, highly politicized, and while not exclusively applied only to ethnic minority groups, it is regularly applied to Uyghurs and Tibetans in its practice."

Hom said other SCO member states follow China's lead by recognizing Xinjiang and Tibet as inalienable territories of China and repatriating its ethnic minorities who seek asylum within their borders.

"China has enormous clout in the SCO, and you can also see it in the ways in which the other SCO member states and the SCO will completely parrot China's line and China's policy on these two so-called autonomous regions."

Treatment of Uyghurs

The HRIC white paper said it found "serious issues" concerning China's treatment of Uyghurs, including the principle of non-refoulement and potential use of torture during interrogations.

Regulations specific to Xinjiang became part of China's domestic counter-terrorism legal framework in December 2009 when provincial-level lawmakers revised the region's Comprehensive Management of Social Order.

Through the revisions, Chinese authorities were ordered to specifically crack down on the three threats of "terrorism, separatism, and extremism" in the aftermath of the July 2009 ethnic violence in Urumqi which left hundreds dead, according to official media reports.

HRIC called the amendments "unique" to Xinjiang, adding that "such singular focus by the Chinese government ... suggests that the concept of terrorism has been applied in a biased fashion, with the Uyghur community the subject of intense scrutiny and suspicion."

It noted that while China does face real threats of terrorism, "the limited involvement of Uyghurs in terrorist acts cannot serve as justification of widespread repression throughout [Xinjiang] or the labeling of peaceful Uyghur activists under the rubric of the Three Evils."

Adherence to rules

But despite its reliance on the Three Evils doctrine, HRIC wrote, China continues to claim that it is acting to "firmly uphold and fulfill the resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council," according to a statement by the Chinese Ministry of Public Security (MPS).

Under U.N. rules, China pledged to oppose the "arbitrary widening" of the scope of fighting terrorism and identifying terrorism with any specific ethnic group or religion.

"The Three Evils doctrine undermines this principled approach and, in doing so, compromises human rights guaranteed under international law, and international counter-terrorism efforts as a whole," HRIC said.

HRIC recommended that Beijing narrow its "Three Evils"-based approach to national security and reformulate its definition of terrorism.

On June 24 last year, Chinese authorities announced they had broken up a "terrorist" ring of a Uyghur separatist group, the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), after arresting more than ten of its members involved in an alleged major plot against China.

The announcement said that information leading to the arrest had been obtained through the investigation of 20 "individuals of Chinese citizenship" who had been deported to China on December 20, 2009-the exact date that Cambodia deported 20 Uyghurs seeking asylum following the July 5 ethnic unrest in Urumqi.

The statement also indicated that several of the alleged ETIM members had confessed to participating in a wide array of terrorist activities during interrogation.

Human Rights Watch said in February that the Cambodian government has a "dismal track record" of deporting refugees granted asylum status by the UNHCR, particularly those from neighboring countries such as China and Vietnam.

Ethnic tensions

Millions of Uyghurs-a distinct, Turkic minority who are predominantly Muslim-populate Central Asia and the Xinjiang region.

Ethnic tensions between Uyghurs and majority Han Chinese settlers have simmered for years, and erupted in riots in July 2009 that left some 200 people dead, according to the Chinese government's tally.

Uyghurs say they have long suffered ethnic discrimination, oppressive religious controls, and continued poverty and joblessness despite China's ambitious plans to develop its vast northwestern frontier.

Chinese authorities blame Uyghur separatists for a series of deadly attacks in recent years and accuse one group in particular of maintaining links to the al-Qaeda terrorist network.

Reported by Mamatjan Juma for RFA Uyghur service. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
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