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