Alt Attribute & Search engine optimization

SEO Optimization images is becoming increasingly more essential in SEO (Seo optimization) for websites. The ALT attribute is a critical step that is often overlooked. This is often a lost chance of better rankings.

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

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

Why would they ask us to do that? The answer is easy, really; search engines like google have a similar problem as blind users. They can't 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 as it once was.

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

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

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

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

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

 

Some SEO Optimization Tips

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

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

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

If it's meant 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 perhaps a CSS background image to ensure that reading browsers don't bother users by uttering things like "spacer image".

Keep in mind that it is the function of the image we are trying 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 ought to be based on context. The same image in a different context may require drastically different alt text.

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

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

Eye-Candy
Mood-Setting
Content and Function

I. Eye-Candy

Eye-Candy are things that serve no purpose other than to create a site visually appealing/attractive and (oftentimes) fulfill the marketing departments. There is no content value (though there might be value to a sighted user).

Never alt-ify eye-candy unless there's something there which will enhance the usability from the site for somebody using a non-visual user agent. Use a null alt attribute or background images in CSS for eye-candy.

II. Mood-Setting

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

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

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

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

III. Content and Function

This is when the look is the actual content. Always alt-ify content and functional images. Title and long description attributes can also be so as.
The main reason many authors can't understand why their alt text isn't working is that they don't know why the images are there. You need to figured out exactly what function a picture serves. Think about what it is about the image that's vital that you the page's intended audience.

Every graphic has a reason for being on that page: because it either improves the theme/ mood/ atmosphere or it is advisable to what are the page is trying to explain. Knowing what the image is for makes alt text simpler to write. And exercise writing them definitely helps.
A method to look into the usefulness of alternative text would be to imagine reading the page over the telephone to someone. An amount you say when encountering a specific image to make the page understandable to the listener?

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

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

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

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

In many cases, you're best just going with your gut instinct -- if it's not necessary to include it, and when you don't possess 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've to add the alt text (or title or longdesc).

What's necessary and what's not depends a lot about the function of your image and its context about the page.

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

Image Seo optimization Tips

Listed below 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. Stay away from underscores as a word separator, such as "brilliant-diamonds.jpg";

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

Make sure that the written text at the image that's highly relevant to that image.
Again, don't lose a great chance to help your site together with your images searching engines. Begin using these steps to position better on all the engines and drive increased traffic to your site TODAY.

SEO Optimization

The following is part of a multiple part series covering image optimization techniques. This article is intended for beginners through intermediate SEO’s; if this doesn’t pertain to you, you may want to skim as most of this will probably be review material for you.

Some of the big questions many people ask are why would they even want to perform image optimization? Doesn’t it just help people who want to steal or hotlink images? And is there really any meaningful traffic or links that you can get from image optimization? IMHO the answer is yes. Let’s say someone is going on a trip to Italy. They might do image searches for things to do or see in Italy and for famous Italian landmarks like the Leaning Tower of Piza, the Trevi Fountain, or St. Peter’s Basilica. Thanks to Google’s universal search results, images provide a way to get onto the first page (or, in some cases, the top result) and get a click through, an ad view, or adsense impression. It might even get a lead generation completion. Maybe you run a fish store. If a university professor or government agency needs a picture of a fish and your image result appears, and you allow your images to be reused in exchange for a link, this can be huge way to passively build links slowly over time (true story! It happened for a client I used to have). Now that we’ve got the why out of the way, let’s talk about the “how” of image optimization.

Filenames

This is one of the most basic elements of image optimization. If you have an image of blue widgets, I would name your image “blue-widgets.jpg” or “blue-widgets.gif”. You can use other formats like PNG, but I have gotten better results with “jpg” and “gif” files. You can use other characters like underscore as word delimiters, but I get better results with hyphens. You can run the words together if they are separate in other factors. I have found stemming plays a role (ie widget vs widgets), but you can get around it using other factors. I haven’t seen capitalization play a role, but I prefer to use all lower case because I usually use Apache servers and case sensitivity matters. If you are going to have multiple images of the same object-type, I suggest adding a “-1″, “-2″ onto the end.

Now, before the hate mail or hate tweets start, it is entirely possible to have an image rank without the keywords being in the file name–IF there are enough other factors in place. However, you should ask yourself why would you give up a chance to give a search engine a signal about what an image is about? If you work on a large ecommerce platform or other large database application, chances are good that your gold diamond earrings will have an image file name like “GDX347294.jpg” that corresponds to the item’s SKU or other internal classifier. So, yes, you will have to sacrifice the keyword for business reasons.

ALT Text

Let’s get the basic information out of the way: ALT text was designed for screen readers or visually-impaired people to know what they weren’t seeing. Your goal is to use it to satisfy the screen readers while being keyword focused enough for the search engines and without being a keyword stuffing spammer. Here’s an example of ALT text variations:

Keyword stuffed: discount hotel room paris france

ALT text only: Eiffel Tower

SEO optimized: Eiffel Tower from Louvre Bons Enfants hotel room

Striving to find a balance between pleasing the search engines and text readers can be a juggling act. If you are risky with some of your other SEO techniques, I’d play this on the safe side.

Headings and Bold Text

If image optimization for a particular image is important, I really like to optimize the image with bold or a heading tag of the term I’m chasing right above the image. I’ve found this really helps give a strong signal to the engines

The following is part of a multiple part series covering image optimization techniques. This article is intended for beginners through intermediate SEO’s; if this doesn’t pertain to you, you may want to skim as most of this will probably be review material for you.

Some of the big questions many people ask are why would they even want to perform image optimization? Doesn’t it just help people who want to steal or hotlink images? And is there really any meaningful traffic or links that you can get from image optimization? IMHO the answer is yes. Let’s say someone is going on a trip to Italy. They might do image searches for things to do or see in Italy and for famous Italian landmarks like the Leaning Tower of Piza, the Trevi Fountain, or St. Peter’s Basilica. Thanks to Google’s universal search results, images provide a way to get onto the first page (or, in some cases, the top result) and get a click through, an ad view, or adsense impression. It might even get a lead generation completion. Maybe you run a fish store. If a university professor or government agency needs a picture of a fish and your image result appears, and you allow your images to be reused in exchange for a link, this can be huge way to passively build links slowly over time (true story! It happened for a client I used to have). Now that we’ve got the why out of the way, let’s talk about the “how” of image optimization.

Filenames

This is one of the most basic elements of image optimization. If you have an image of blue widgets, I would name your image “blue-widgets.jpg” or “blue-widgets.gif”. You can use other formats like PNG, but I have gotten better results with “jpg” and “gif” files. You can use other characters like underscore as word delimiters, but I get better results with hyphens. You can run the words together if they are separate in other factors. I have found stemming plays a role (ie widget vs widgets), but you can get around it using other factors. I haven’t seen capitalization play a role, but I prefer to use all lower case because I usually use Apache servers and case sensitivity matters. If you are going to have multiple images of the same object-type, I suggest adding a “-1″, “-2″ onto the end.

Now, before the hate mail or hate tweets start, it is entirely possible to have an image rank without the keywords being in the file name–IF there are enough other factors in place. However, you should ask yourself why would you give up a chance to give a search engine a signal about what an image is about? If you work on a large ecommerce platform or other large database application, chances are good that your gold diamond earrings will have an image file name like “GDX347294.jpg” that corresponds to the item’s SKU or other internal classifier. So, yes, you will have to sacrifice the keyword for business reasons.

ALT Text

Let’s get the basic information out of the way: ALT text was designed for screen readers or visually-impaired people to know what they weren’t seeing. Your goal is to use it to satisfy the screen readers while being keyword focused enough for the search engines and without being a keyword stuffing spammer. Here’s an example of ALT text variations:

Keyword stuffed: discount hotel room paris france

ALT text only: Eiffel Tower

SEO optimized: Eiffel Tower from Louvre Bons Enfants hotel room

Striving to find a balance between pleasing the search engines and text readers can be a juggling act. If you are risky with some of your other SEO techniques, I’d play this on the safe side.

Headings and Bold Text

If image optimization for a particular image is important, I really like to optimize the image with bold or a heading tag of the term I’m chasing right above the image. I’ve found this really helps give a strong signal to the engines

seo optimization services

Bench Craft Company on the topic of music

Here is a roundup of important small business tips to start out your week on the right track. We’ve tried to collect some of the best resources to get you started but we’d love to hear from readers as well, so if you’ve got some tips or advice to add, please, as always, leave them in the comment section below. Enjoy!

Legal

Legal tips for your small business. From Jeffrey Fabian of Fabian LLC, serving small business and legal professionals, here are a collection of legal issues every small business must look out for. Consulting on legal matters with an attorney can be another important step, but remember that legal issues of all kinds come with the territory in small business, so be prepared. 365 Days of Startups

Ideas for maintaining your professional image. As a small business owner or entrepreneur, your online reputation is becoming more important every day. So what does a Google search say about you? If you don’t know yet, you should find out. Reputation has always been an important commodity in the business world. The Internet has made it more important than ever. Beware! Startup Professionals Musings

Customer Service

Tips for creating a more appealing product or service. You may think you’re giving your customers choices, but, in reality, you’re only handing them indecision. And perhaps an invitation to do nothing? Here’s an alternative. Give them a step-by-step on how to use your product. Tell them what to do and how to do it. And don’t worry if it doesn’t fit every customer’s needs. They’ll create the fit that’s right for them. Chris Brogan

Marketing

How to set yourself apart from competitors. Saying you’re better than your competitors just isn’t good enough (even if it’s true.) The question is what you can offer customers that is different from any one else in the market. Create a service no one else provides in exactly the same way, and you’ll have a marketing strategy that can work in the long run. Duct Tape Marketing

How to use “help marketing” to strengthen your business and brand. You can call this PR instead of marketing if you like, but no matter what you call it, it may be the best thing for your brand and business, if you do it right. Helping others including your customers is really what your business should be about anyway. So don’t be afraid to show your willingness to extend a helping hand. TechLunatic

Startup

How to seek help from business accelerators. Efforts to get new businesses up and running have increased in recent years and business accelerators in various forms are spreading across the country, according to this piece on the trend. Often these organizations offer “more help than funding” but can still be an important resource depending upon the nature of your startup. Bloomberg Businessweek

Taxes

How to prepare for tax compliance expenses in your small business. Ballooning tax regulations are a huge source of expense for small businesses, especially here in the U.S. It’s important for small business owners to consider the expenses related to tax compliance, since this is likely to be an ongoing burden for small business owners into the foreseeable future. WSJ

Last minute tips for last minute tax filers. If you’re doing your small business tax filings on your own, here are some last minute tips you may want to consider ranging from how to file an extension to how long to keep your tax records and more. If you want some last minute advice as the tax deadline closes in, why not take a few minutes and watch the video? BostoneHerald.com

Self-development

A new persription for stress and overwork: relax! Small business owners and entrepreneurs, like everyone else, experience burnout at times and can easily become overwhelmed with work. After all, when the final responsibility for everything falls upon you, there’s no one else to turn to. But experts now suggest that taking those breaks when necessary can be absolutely essential. Here’s more. The Globe And Mail

Tech

Tips for keeping your business technology up and running. Keeping your business technology alive and kicking is not just a luxury in today’s small business world. It is an absolute and vital necessity! So tips on keeping the critical tools you use to operate your business and serve your customers should always be a priority. Here are some tips you won’t want to forget. Jackrabbit.com Blog

From Small Business TrendsSmall Business News: Best Small Biz Tips Today

"Getting data privacy 'right' is an economic and social imperative. Trust and confidence in the security and privacy of the critical systems of our planet - especially the digital version of its central nervous system, the Internet - is foundational to individuals' continued engagement and reliance on such things as online commerce, e-health and smart grids. If individual consumers don't feel that their privacy and security are protected, they will not support modernization efforts, even though the capabilities of technology advancements are proven and the potential benefits to society are extensive.

"Here's an example of the tensions we face: The ability of smart grids to conserve resources relies on the ability of, and commitment from, consumers to monitor and modify their individual usage. An individual using a smart meter understands the difference in the cost of using electricity at peak versus non-peak hours and could opt to lower their usage during more costly time periods. At the same time, data from the meters can reveal sensitive information such as work habits, shower schedules, use of medical devices such as dialysis, and whether or not a house is occupied."

"I don't worry that the technology will have a negative impact on consumer privacy," wrote Mark Roberti, founder of RFID Journal in a June overview of the state of the RFID market where privacy is concerned. "Instead, I worry that ignorant legislators trying to score points with uninformed voters will pass laws that limit the many benefits RFID can deliver--and that is a much bigger threat to consumers."

Today's agreement in Europe appears not to be the kind of legislation Roberti feared. As a framework focused on self-reporting it may be too little, ultimately, but it's a start.

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Federal prosecutors deciding whether to try Bonds again

Federal prosecutors are deciding whether Barry Bonds should stand trial again.

bench craft company

Groundwater radiation level at nuke plant rises: TEPCO | Kyodo <b>News</b>

The concentration levels of radioactive iodine and cesium in groundwater near the troubled Nos. 1 and 2 reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant have increased up to several dozen times in one week, suggesting that toxic ...

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Apple releases iOS 4.3.2 for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch | iLounge <b>News</b>

iLounge news discussing the Apple releases iOS 4.3.2 for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch. Find more Apple news from leading independent iPod, iPhone, and iPad site.

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

So Apple invented video calling, right?

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

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

Do I need an Apple phone to use FaceTime?

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

Okay, so how do I use it?

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

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

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

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

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

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

More information at Apple’s FaceTime page.

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak said in an interview this week that he would consider returning to an active role at the company he helped start if asked.



During an interview in England this week, Wozniak said, "I'd consider it, yeah," when asked whether he would play a more active role if asked, Reuters reports.



Wozniak, Steve Jobs and Ronald Wayne founded Apple Computer in 1976. Wozniak left his full-time role with the company in 1987, but remains an employee and shareholder of Apple.



Since leaving Apple, Wozniak has been involved in a wide range of entrepreneurial and philanthropic endeavors. He currently serves as Chief Scientist for storage company Fusion-io.



Meanwhile, Jobs is currently taking an indefinite leave of absence to focus on his health, though he remains CEO of Apple and continues to be involved in strategic decisions.



Wozniak, who has widely been acknowledged as the technical genius behind Apple's early success, believes that he has a lot to offer the company he helped start, which went on to become the world's second-largest company in terms of market value.



"There's just an awful lot I know about Apple products and competing products that has some relevance, some meaning. They're my own feelings, though," Wozniak said during the interview.



When asked his opinion on Apple today, Wozniak praised the company for its track record with recent products. "Unbelievable," he said, "The products, one after another, quality and hits."



Even so, Wozniak admitted that he'd prefer Apple's devices to be more open, so he can "get in there and add [his] own touches." Last December, Wozniak revealed that he had purchased a DIY kit for the iPhone 4 and "modded" the device into the as-yet-unreleased white version.



"My thinking is that Apple could be more open and not lose sales," said Wozniak, while adding, "I'm sure they're making the right decisions for the right reasons for Apple."



Wozniak has been committed to openness since the beginning. In December, Wozniak told reporters that he didn't design the original Apple I to make a lot of money and had given the designs away for free after his former employer HP showed no interest in the computer.

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The Business Rusch: Royalty Statements

Kristine Kathryn Rusch

Imagine this:

Pretend you run a very large business.  The business has a lot of built-in problems, things not easily fixed.  You’re aware of the problems and are trying to solve them.  A decade ago, you actually had hope you could solve them.  It will simply take time, you thought, but back then, your business was a leisurely business.  Back then, you had no idea that the word “leisure” would leave your vocabulary and never return.

In that decade, your business has changed dramatically. Your corporate masters sold out to large conglomerates, so now you can no longer point to your small but steady profit as normal for your industry. The conglomerate doesn’t care.  All the conglomerate cares about is quarterly profits, which should rise steadily.

Your industry doesn’t work that way, but you do your best to make those quarterly balance sheets work for the conglomerate.  Unfortunately, that means any long-term outlook you used to have no longer works for your corporate masters.  Now you can only look one year ahead, maximum, because that’s all the focus the conglomerate will allow.

One of your business’s largest problem comes out of the nature of the industry itself. The success of each product cannot be replicated.  Just because you build one really good widget doesn’t mean that your next widget will sell at all.  Your business has a luck aspect to it, an unpredictability that no matter how much you plan, you can’t fix.

The other built-in problems mentioned above cause your prices to verge on too high.  If you solve the built-in problems, you might lose even more revenue, because most of those problems benefit the stores that sell your product. Those stores have made it clear they will not order from you if you take those harmful (to you) perks (to them) away.  So your prices hover at a point too high for an impulse purchase, even though your business does better when consumers can buy your product on impulse.

You have maintained this system for decades now, trying different ways to fix the built-in problems.  None of the solutions work, because the only way to fix the built-in problem would be to have an industry-wide change, one that all of the businesses in the industry agree to.  Unfortunately, if all of the businesses in the industry make that change, it will hurt stores, which will say that the industry businesses colluded to hurt their retail business—and sadly, the stores, under U.S. law, would be right.

So the easy solution is impossible, and all other solutions are half-assed.  You hang on and your business maintains a consistent, if unspectacular, profit year after year after year.

Then some changes hit your industry that force you to cut costs where you can.  Some of that cost cutting comes in employees.  You have to lay off necessary folk and hope that the remaining staff can pick up the slack.  These things have happened before, and you believe that you’ll be able to rehire in a few years.

Only this time, the economy “craters” and a global recession hits.  Every business loses much-needed revenue and products like yours, which are not necessities, sell to fewer and fewer consumers because the consumers have less disposable income.

You anticipate, cutting everything you can, dumping real estate, abandoning rent, maybe even negotiating your way out of some long-term contracts.  At the very end, though, you can’t prevent it: You cut staff to the bone.

Now, in some departments of your business, one person quite literally does the job that five people used to do as recently as a decade ago.  You have no flexibility left.

And then the industry you work in undergoes a technological revolution, one so big, so profound, that it changes the way business gets done.  Because you aren’t flexible, you adapt to the change late.  You can’t hire new employees to help with the shift without firing the remaining good, valuable (and dare we say it), unbelievably efficient employees that you kept when the recession started.  Yet your old employees can’t adapt to the new world.

Worse, this new world requires new systems.  You have to figure out new ways to produce your product.  You need to shoehorn these changes into the existing contracts with your suppliers.  You need an entirely new production crew because the old ways to produce your widgets are becoming obsolete.

And, most annoyingly, you need to develop an entirely new accounting system, because everything you’ve known, everything you’ve done, no longer applies in this brand-spanking new technological age.

But you can’t hire employees who can actually help you develop these systems.  Because those employees won’t earn you any money.  At best, they’ll prevent a loss of revenue. At worst, the systems they develop will cost you money because your suppliers, whom you pay a percentage of the retail price of the product they supply, will realize you’ve been inadvertently shorting them since the technological change hit at the same time as the beginning of the global recession.

In other words, to fix this problem, you will need to invest—in  new employees, in brand new technological systems, in new ways of doing business.  More importantly, you will have to take a huge loss as you make this change.  A loss that might eat into your profits for not one, not two, not three quarters, but maybe for two to three years, something your corporate masters will never, ever allow.

Better to close your eyes and pretend the problem doesn’t exist.  Better to hope no one notices.  Better to keep doing business as usual until profits rise, the recession ends, the world becomes wealthy again, and you can make the changes without causing a series of quarterly losses on your balance sheet.

Better to keep kicking this problem down the road until you retire or move to another company, preferably one which has already solved this problem so you don’t have to deal with it.

Does this scenario sound familiar? It should if you watch the evening news or read a daily newspaper.  Industry after industry suffers a variation of these problems, some caused by inefficiency, some by technological change, and all exacerbated by the worst recession to hit in the last eighty years.

But this blog deals with publishing, and what I just described to you is the situation at traditional publishers—the big publishers, the ones most people mistakenly call The Big Six (there are more than six, but leave it)—all over New York City.

Last fall, I dealt with these problems in depth.  Before you decide to comment on this post and tell me that traditional publishing will die (which I do not believe), read the first few posts I did in the publishing series, starting here.

I’m grappling with the changes in publishing just like everyone else is.  I knew that the changes—particularly the rise of e-publishing—would hit traditional publishing hard.  And it has, although not as hard as I initially thought.  As Publishers Weekly reported earlier in the month, traditional publishers have remained profitable in the transition so far.

The reasons why should sound familiar to those of you who read my earlier posts.  Publishers Weekly puts it succinctly:  “While the improvement in the economy helped all publishers in 2010, companies where profits improved all pointed to two main contributing factors—cost controls and skyrocketing e-book sales.”

Right now, e-books comprise about 10% of the book market, but some analysts believe that e-books will be as much as 50% of the e-book market by 2015.  Some see evidence that e-books will grow faster than that.  A month ago, a Barnes & Noble executive made news when he stated in a speech that e-books will “dominate the market” in 24 months.

We all know these figures are important.  Daily, writers tell me about their careers and then ask me if they should become independent publishers or go to traditional publishing.  As I’ve said repeatedly, I see no harm in doing both.

Earlier this month, however, I opened my mail to find a big fat warning sign of the future.  And if the problem that I—and hundreds of other writers—noted doesn’t get resolved, then traditional publishing will cease to be viable for all writers.

What happened?

I got a royalty statement for backlist titles of one of my on-going series.  The statement came from a traditional publisher.  Let me give you some background.

A few years ago, the publisher refused to buy the next two books in the series saying that while the series had some growth, the growth was not enough to justify the expense of a new contract.  I started writing some novellas in that series and publishing them in the magazine markets while I searched for a new publisher.

Then the e-book revolution hit, and as an experiment, I put up two of those novellas as e-books. Since they were the first two e-books I had ever done, the covers—in a word—sucked.  I did no promotion and no advertising, except to say in the cover copy that these e-books were part of this particular series.

In the first six months of 2010, those badly designed short novels sold about 300 copies each on Kindle, the only venue they were on at the time.  No advertising, bad covers, just hanging out waiting for buyers to find them.

I would occasionally check the Amazon sales ranking (that weird number you see on each book Amazon publishes, the thing they use to compile their hourly bestseller list).  Even though that ranking did not give me actual sales numbers, I did note that the sales of the novellas were less than the sales of the traditionally published e-books on Kindle in the same series.

In August, I wrote to the traditional publisher, asking that my rights revert.  The kind woman in rights reversal explained to  me that she couldn’t revert the book rights because the e-books were “selling too well” to revert.  Okay. All well and good. What I care about is getting books into the hands of my readers. I figured I would eventually be compensated for this.  I just had to wait until the royalty statement hit.

Which it did. At the beginning of this month.

How many e-books did the traditional publisher say I sold? 30.  That’s right. 30.

When the novellas, which had worse sales rankings from Amazon, sold 300 each.

That 30 number didn’t pass the sniff test for me.  So I talked with other writers who have books in the same genre with the same company. The writers I talked with also had some e-book savvy.

Guess what? They had been shocked by how low their e-book numbers were as well, especially in comparison with their indie published titles.  The indie books which had Amazon rankings indicating fewer sales sold more copies than the traditionally published books by a factor of ten or better.

Let me indulge in another sidebar for a moment.  I’m involved with four different indie publishers, two of which allow me to see the day-to-day operations, and one of which I own part of.  We’ve been having trouble setting up an accounting system that works efficiently for more than 100 different e-book titles.  The problem is, in short, that the ebook distributors report sales by publisher and then by title, and not by author, so if you’re published by AAA Publishing and your book is called  The Embalming and I also have an older book called The Embalming through AAA Publishing and they’re both in e-book, AAA Publisher will get sales figures on a daily basis for The Embalming. Which Embalming does that statement refer to?

Also, the e-stributors report at varying times throughout the year (some daily, some monthly, some quarterly), so if I want to know how many copies my book The Embalming sold in March of 2010, I can’t easily get that information because the info might not have been reported yet from some e-bookstore in some faraway country.

What all of the various indie publishers have figured out is that using a standard spreadsheet for each title is labor-intensive.  You can easily input data into a spreadsheet for one or two or even ten novels.  But when it comes to 50 or 100, the data-entry—figuring out what book belongs where and when (even if you use the estributor’s the computerized spreadsheet)—becomes prohibitive.

What we need is a cloud-based system that can be queried.  For example, the system should easily answer these two questions: How many copies did KKR’s The Embalming sell worldwide in March; and how many copies did KKR’s The Embalming sell through Kobo’s out-of-country distribution channels?  Right now, no spreadsheet program can answer that information easily from a pool of 100 titles and various e-book outlets without a lot of man-hours of data entry.

Traditional publishers—and indie publishers, for that matter—don’t have the staff with the ability to organize this wealth of information. Still, traditional publishers must —by contract— report the information to the best of their ability on royalty statements.

To do so, they revert to an old pre-computer accounting method.  The method existed back when there was too much data to be quickly processed. We all learned it in school.  They used little snippets of data to estimate, often using an algebraic equation that goes something like this:   If The Embalming sold (x) copies in January and e-books sales rose on a trajectory of (y) copies over a six-month period of time, then (x) times 6 adjusted for (y) equals the number of sales of The Embalming.

Close enough.  And frankly, I would be satisfied with that, if the number the publisher had come up with wasn’t so wildly off.

For me, in the instance with the traditional publisher I mentioned above, the difference between 30 copies per title and 300 copies per title is pennies on the dollar.  It’s not worth an audit.

But I never think in small terms.  My training in three fields—journalism, history, and the extrapolative field of science fiction—forces me to think in terms of the future.

Right now, e-book rights are a subsidiary right, negligible and relatively unimportant.  Between two and five years from now, e-book rights will become the dominant book right.

If traditional publishers do not change their accounting methods now, then these accounting methods will end up costing writers hundreds of thousands of dollars per year.  (In some writers’ cases, millions of dollars.)

Those of you who have any knowledge of journalism have just looked up and asked, Why the hell did Rusch bury her lead? That’s the story: publishers are screwing writers on e-book royalties.

But those of you who have had journalism careers know why I buried that lead.  When I was a news director faced with a reporter who had brought me information like the information I gave to you above, I would have said, Sounds like a good story.  But it’s all supposition.  Now get me something concrete.  Somthing I can use.

So that’s what I tried to do.  Last week, I contacted dozens of traditionally published writers who also had put up some backlist on their own in electronic format.  The writers who had the information handy responded with actual numbers.  The writers who didn’t told me that they had worried about their royalty numbers when the statements arrived, but had no real proof that anything had gone awry.

I also spoke to some trusted agent friends, several lawyers who are active in the publishing industry, a few certified public accountants, and other professionals who see a lot of publishing data cross their desks, and I asked those people if they had heard of a problem like this.

To a person, they all confirmed that they had. All spoke off the record, none with numbers.  A few hinted that they couldn’t talk because of pending action.

In other words, I got the confirmation I needed, just nothing that a reputable journalist could print.  Most people spoke to me on what’s called deep background, confirming my theory, and giving me some suggestions of places to look, and people to contact.  Several people, mostly writers, spoke on the record, but rather than using their information in isolation, I’ve chosen to keep their statistics confidential and to only go with mine.

Frankly, what I’ve learned is this:

Right now, some—and I must emphasize some, not all—traditional publishing houses are significantly underreporting e-book sales.  In some cases these sales are off by a factor of 10 or more.

This is a problem, but at the moment, not a serious one.  When e-books are 10% of the market, we’re talking a relatively insignificant amount of money per author. As one long-term writer said to me, “Ever since I got into this business, I expect my publisher to screw me on the sales figures.  This is no different.”

If you don’t understand that writer’s point of view, read the trust-me post I wrote a few weeks ago.

In the past, I would have agreed with that writer.  But I don’t in this instance.  We’re at an important moment in publishing.  We have the opportunity to change the behavior of traditional publishers.  We can, with an effort, get them to change their accounting practices.

The reason I started the blog post the way I did is this: I wanted to explain, before I got to the heart of this post, how traditional publishing works.  I wanted understanding before I worried some of you.

Because here’s the truth: traditional publishers are not indulging in a criminal act. They’re doing the best they can out of necessity.  They see no reason to spend precious dollars revamping their accounting systems to accommodate e-publishing when those dollars can be used elsewhere in the company.  Especially when an accounting change will cost them money, and might lead to payouts that will hurt quarterly profits for months to come.

It’s up to writers—and writers organizations—to force publishers to allocate those scarce dollars to develop systems for accurate e-book accounting.

If you are a traditionally published author, do not—I repeat, do not—write a blistering letter to your publisher accusing him of stealing your money.  Instead, contact any writers organization you belong to and point that organization to this blog.

What needs to happen is this: writers organizations need to band together and order group audits of e-book sales on behalf of their traditionally published authors.  One organization cannot handle the cost of this group accounting alone.  It’s better to have all of the writers organizations work in concert here.

A group audit of all the traditional publishers in various publishing divisions will force an accounting change—and that’s all we need.  But we need it before e-books become the dominant way that books are sold.

If you’re a traditionally published author who has also produced some self-published e-books and you want to do more than contact your organization, do this:

1. Look over all of your royalty statements.  Compare your indie e-book sales to your traditionally published e-book sales.  Make sure your comparison is for the same time period. For example, do not compare January 2011 sales to January 2010.

2. Compare similar books.  It’s best if you have books in the same series, some indie published and some traditionally published.  If you don’t have series books, then compare books in the same genre only.  Comparing romance sales to science fiction sales will not work because romance novels always outsell sf novels.

3. If you see a discrepancy, report that—with the numbers—to your writers organization.  Be clear in the letter you send to your organization as to what level of involvement you want in this issue.  Are you only there to provide background information? Will you take part in a group audit? Will you work on this project?

I’ll be honest.  I’m not going to participate in any group action.  Even though I’ve published with every single major publisher in New York, I only have two books caught in this problem.  I’m more interested in getting the rights in those books reverted than I am in insignificant back royalties.

If I was still a reporter, I would spend the month or two going after this story with a vengeance. But I am not.  In  nonfiction, I am just your humble blogger, stirring up the pot.  My career is in fiction, and I have found no problem with the publishers of my frontlist books.  I also have six novels with firm deadlines that won’t allow me to take time away from fiction writing to pursue this.

So all I can offer is a blueprint.

If you’re a reporter who specializes in the publishing industry and you want to tackle this story, e-mail me privately.  I’ll tell you what I can without revealing confidential sources.

If you’re a traditionally published writer, please follow the steps above.

If you’re an indie-only writer, stop gloating and for heavens’ sake don’t tell me or anyone else that this is proof traditional publishing is dead.  The majority of writers don’t want to self-publish, even when told how easy and financially beneficial it is.  They want a traditionally published novel.

Here’s what I believe: If a writer wants to publish traditionally and can secure a contract, then that writer should be treated fairly, with accurate sales reporting and good royalty rates.

Let me state again for the record.  I do not believe that anyone in traditional publishing is setting out to screw writers on this issue.  I do believe the scenario I wrote in the first 800 words of this blog: I think traditional publishers are overwhelmed and stretched to the limit.  Accurate e-book sales reporting is not even on their radar.

Right now, changing the accounting system is not high on their priority list.  It’s up to the writers—acting in concert through their writers organizations—to make accurate e-book sales reporting and accurate e-book royalty accounting a number-one priority in publishing houses across the country.

Let’s work together to solve this glitch before it becomes an industry-wide disaster for writers—anywhere from two to five years from now.

Last week, a few of you asked in e-mail why I have a donate button on this blog.  Also, last week, this blog marked its two-year anniversary. Every Thursday for two years without a miss, I have published an article on freelancing, business, writing or publishing (and sometimes on all four of those topics).  For the first 18 months, those blog posts were part of a book I was writing called The Freelancer’s Survival Guide (which, even though it’s now published, is still available for free on this website).

Initially, I had hoped to make my publishing articles into a book as well, but the industry is changing too fast.  I cannot make the publishing articles into a book that will be accurate in the short time it takes to produce.  So when this month rolled around, I did the numbers like I always do.  When I do a strict economic analysis, I am losing about $100 per week on each post—even with donations.  That’s because I can’t leverage these posts into any other income source.

However, I always ask the next question: am I getting something besides money out of these blogs? Right now, I am.  I would be doing the same research, the same work, and the same analysis with or without the blog.  I would be discussing the changes with my writer pals.  But I would lose the week-to-week contact with writers all over the world, who comment on the blog or in e-mail, sharing their own stories.

And that would be a significant loss.  It more than makes up for the financial loss.  But the donate button is here to minimize some of the financial damage, and to encourage me in busy or difficult weeks to carve out the time to write my post.

I hope that answers the question.  As always, I appreciate the feedback and all of the support.

“The Business Rusch: Royalty Statements” copyright 2011 by Kristine Kathryn Rusch.

 

 

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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Roofing Companies Vancouver - 5 Inquiries to Really think

Roofing Vancouver - Frequently Asked Questions

1. Repair or Replace?

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

2. Beauty versus Practicality?

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

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

Consider this very carefully prior to making a decision. Depending on the roofing material you choose, a brand new roof lasts anywhere from twenty, fifty, to one-hundred years! This means you have to look into the year 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 roof keep going longer, but when you're not likely to stay in your present home throughout your lifetime, the larger expense might not be worth neglect the. Although a brand new roof can enhance the worth of your value, the rise may not be enough to pay for your investment and that's bound to hurt your wallet.

4. Could it be a good idea for me to repair the roof myself?

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

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

Weather can cause delays from days to weeks. Most people plan ahead to have their roof replaced in the summer when they have a friend is going to be home throughout the day for any solid fourteen days. Once you have this era in your mind, create a call to a trusted contractor months ahead of time to get a quote. Some companies get reserved fast and odds are, they're probably the most reputable. Preparing in advance of the summer also provides you with time for you to ask around more and compare costs...especially if you need to have the roof done by a specified date.

 

The very best Roofing Contractor In Vancouver!

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

When the response to these questions is "Yes" it's time to call the top roofing company Vancouver - Crown Roofing & Drainage.

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

YOUR Vancouver ROOF DESERVES Believe it or not!

The rooftop of your Vancouver home is the very first type of defence against wind, rain, snow, ice and other weather conditions. Be sure it's up to the job. Among Vancouver Roofing companies, only Crown Roofing has got the depth of experience and successful track record to make sure your roofing system will be properly designed and installed.

NEIGHBORS HELPING NEIGHBORS.

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

Obtain a FREE INSPECTION AND EVALUATION Of the Vancouver ROOF.

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

 

Tacoma Roofing contractor: Help your house be Beautiful

Very few people understand the worth of a solid roof, but your knowledgeable Tacoma Roofer does. From first hand experience, they'll be able to let you know why you need a strong, secure, and leak-free roof in your home.

The local Tacoma Roofer is well aware how important a financial investment your house is for you, especially since it is a lasting one. Your home may have been damaged slowly through the years and also you have to take steps to minimize this damage. For a lot of people, keeping their property beautiful is another few pride. You will find those too who'd prefer to turn their house right into a cost effective and efficient living place. Your roof is a valuable part of your property and plays a role in each of the aspects mentioned previously. For this reason, you should employ the expertise of qualified a Tacoma Roofing contractors.

Kinds of Roofs installed with a Tacoma Roofer

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

Each type of roof invites distinct problems, however they can be easily looked after by a trusted Tacoma Roofing contractor. It's imperative that you nip roof problems in the bud before they become too costly or dangerous. You are able to schedule an appointment with the Tacoma Roofing company to take a glance at your roof to see if you will find any issues or potential problems with it. If there are, they might be in a position to let you know how to deal with them.

A Tacoma Roofing contractor Helps to Build Strong Homes

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

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

Reverse Damages with the Help of a Tacoma Roofing contractor

However high quality the roof may be, it is going to wear out over time. There are shingles that are referred to as "25 year" or "30 year" shingles, but those numbers are just related to warranty made by the makers. They seldom require that long. Realistically speaking, "25 year" shingles won't last more than a few years. In an area that is prone to storms, shingles or even the entire roof should be replaced every ten years. With a Tacoma Roofer, the cost will be lower than what you believe.

If there you lose any shingles, or there's some damage to them, a Tacoma Roofer can assist you to. Damaged shingles can result in indoor leaks, as the substrate from the roof becomes exposed to the elements. Shingles that are loose or broken can slip off and pose a potential hazard to people standing below. Missing shingles create a gap which allows rain, wind, ice, and debris to develop under the adjoining shingles, which results in a "domino effect" that affects other shingles and they become loose or broken. A thorough investigation is going to be produced by the local Tacoma Roofer, should you call them track of your suspicions of loose or missing shingles.

Your Tacoma Roofer come in a situation to inform you what are the best option is perfect for your homes roof. In case your roof is not in a good condition, it is advised that you have it replaced completely. The Tacoma Roofing contractor may take you thru the different roofing possibilities to you that will fit your requirements and your budget.

Tacoma Roofing company: Improving your Home's Efficiency

Your roof shelters you from storms, sleet, and hail. By giving adequate ventilation, your homes roof protects your house from overheating, by holding in the heat, it keeps your house warm. That's why you ought to ready your roof from indoors in addition to outdoors for any sort of weather emergency. A professional Tacoma Roofing company can offer help in this situation.

To begin with, inspect your homes roof thoroughly for just about any and all type of damage, prior to the beginning of the year. The gutters should 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 also the roof ought to be structurally sound. For that last part, you'll need the assistance of the local Tacoma Roofing contractor. It may be quite dangerous to climb onto the roof of your house. This is when the contractor from Tacoma Roofer is available in. He'll read the strength and security of the roof and shingles, and do a general inspection from the entire roof structure, to make sure that it's in proper working order. They'll be able to point towards problems that you need to keep an eye on and problems you might not have spotted.

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

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

 

What is Distinction between Commercial Roofing Companies From Residential Roofing Companies

If you are considering getting a roofing company to re roof your house or building then you may be wondering what are the differences are between residential roofing companies and commercial roofing companies. To begin with, the main one huge difference is that often times an industrial roofing company may have signed a contract with and become obligated to some roofing union in able to work on union commercial jobs.

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

Residential roofing contractors generally tend to run smaller companies and hence, are more in a position to bid competitively on residential jobs, which tend to be small compared to comercial jobs. Actually, often times residential roofing contractors will run one man operations, in which the contractor that you simply speak with may be the one which actually does the job about the building.

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

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

 

Difference Between Commercial Roofing and Residential Roofing

Did you know that the roof of the house or building has a huge effect on the entire structure itself? Damage caused to roofs because of natural or another disasters causes a considerable lack of property everywhere. The type of materials used to construct the roof which should be sturdy and long-lasting, the way where the roof has been installed and even its timely maintenance are very crucial. There's two kinds of roofs that are used on all the buildings that we see around us: commercial and residential. Even though it might seem that commercial roofing is done just for businesses or offices and residential roofing is done for apartments and houses, the truth is the differences are much more complicated than that.

Residential roofing is generally completed by just one hired contractor but commercial roofing usually takes a whole team to accomplish the task. The reason being an industrial roof tends to be larger in terms of sq ft than the usual residential roof.
Commercial roofs need to be made carefully keeping the nature and reason for the building in mind. For example, if there is a restaurant within the building then external components like ventilation systems, smoke stacks and pipes is going to be required. Residential roofs usually do not have such components other than 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 because of the special tools, materials and safety equipment which are needed onsite. Often the patching or maintenance jobs are completed in segments unlike for any residential roof where the repair or replacement work can be carried out a short time. This really is another reason why the gear used for residential roofs is usually smaller and less expensive as well.
Commercial roof installations have a extended period to accomplish compared to residential roof installations and therefore are usually constructed in large sections. During this phase however, you should ensure that there aren't any leakages, cracks or any other visible deterioration signs as it can certainly cause considerable damage to the entire building.
You should install the best roof for any building based on its purpose. Make sure that you hire a construction company that uses first class materials and has the right equipment for the job or neglect the may turn to be considered a huge loss later.

 

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

If a business is looking to have work done on its roof, it is important to work with commercial roofing contractors which have an enthusiastic knowledge of any special needs that the business might have. As an example, a roofing job is often disruptive for that operation of economic as usual. Because of this, it may be necessary for the company to become temporarily turn off, or the roofing to take place after business hours have ended. A roofer that understands these needs can work together with a business in order to make sure that these types of issues are minimized.

The first thing that a company should do when it is trying to find commercial roofing contractors is to find out who other businesses in the region will work through. Obviously, this information will not be helpful if it comes as an indicator from competitors, but you will find circumstances in which it is not too hard to find these details from suppliers or retailers. Since roofing is not an industry-specific service, this post is readily available.

It is a good idea for any business to get in touch with at least three commercial roofing contractors to create bids on the price. In this manner, the business can often get a better price. It is also important to ensure that each one of the roofing contractors is licensed and bonded. This information can be found by permitting touching their state contractor's board. This assists you to determine whether there has been any claims filed against the company previously.

When looking at bids, it is only as important to check out what services are now being offered and which products is going to be used as it is to check out the overall cost. The costs can vary quite drastically, but as tempting as it can be to choose the cheapest bid, this is not always your best option. Oftentimes, more costs now means fewer costs in the long run due to an undesirable roofing job. To further investigate the caliber of the work, it's a good idea to check with the Better Business Bureau in order to find out if the business has been accredited, and when it's not, to a minimum of see what its rating is.

 

Selecting a Commercial Roofer

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

When you start your research for a roofer you don't only need to answer those questions but you also want to hire a company which will perform a high quality job without a great deal of time delays. Going about finding someone can feel like an obstacle in itself but there are some methods to result in the search easier.

Ask people around you for referrals and then try to find at least three contractors to give you written bids in your job. Before you go any more you need to ensure that the contractors you are considering are fully licensed and bonded. A simple search with the state contractor's board will verify in case your roofer is licensed and if you will find any past judgments or claims against their license.

When you select three or four roofers to place bids, you should get ready for that bids to be widely varied. Roofers may have brand preferences which will vary and may element in more or less compared to next guy for a labor estimate. The more detailed an itemized bid may be the more helpful it will likely be for you to see where the cost are going to be incurred. Don't, however, select a roofer based solely on the bid price. Any low ball bids might be tempting to take, but when they are low due to low quality workman ship it might not be worthwhile in the end.

As they say, you generally get what you pay for, so if you can afford a mid-priced bid it's always smart to increase within your budget instead of down. Additionally you ought to decide your roofer based on how professional they were and just how comfortable you anticipate you'll be working with them.

Finally your cost will vary based on what type of roofing material you select as well as the cost to haul your old roof to the landfill. Should you be looking for places to cut corners in your roof, instead of cutting labor set you back might want to inquire about a metal 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 may be very low maintenance. Plus since they can be placed on top of an existing roof, you don't have to possess the old one removed and hauled away, which can make a large impact on your cost.

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

 

Seattle Roofing Companies - How to locate The very best

In your home of rain and sleet, commercial coffee and grunge, and also the famous space needle, you can find a house that will suit you. Seattle, Washington could be a great place to construct a house, but you need Seattle roofing contractors to help you out. Your roof is, in the end, the crowning glory of your home, and your strongest line of defense against the elements. You need to have something that is not only built to last, but created to attract and make your house more beautiful

Harsh Weather

How come roofing contractors so important within this part of the country? Because Seattle is usually bombarded by rain along with other harsh weather conditions, you need a roof that may withstand all the forces of nature. With this in mind, you need people who be aware of Seattle weather best, and who know what materials can best get into your homes roof in order for it to last far longer in the region. On top this, you need to blend with the rest from the houses in your living space, so you cannot simply get whatever roof you please.

In most these aspects, a Seattle roofing contractors should be able to assist you. All that you should 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 run away with it and then leave you roof-less.

Why the Contractor Model Works

If you wish to put up your homes roof by yourself, you will have to purchase a whole lot of materials, secure permits and licenses, and get materials that are suited to keep you safe against harsh extremes of Seattle weather. This means that if you're a DIY sort of guy or gal, you'll have to go through a large amount of legwork in order to get the task done.

However, a Seattle roofer can do all the jobs for you personally and provide you with a package that may save you money and time. Because contractors operate under licenses and purchase materials in bulk, they can get discounts on building materials that you'd not otherwise get should you be buying merely for your own home.

Roofing Associations

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

For instance, Seattle Roof Brokers operates with over five hundred roofing contractors within the Puget Sound. This group has over fifty years of roofing experience and experience working with Seattle roofing contractors, so it knows what kind of roofing you want. The rooftop Brokers group can hook you up using the contractor that you need so 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 must do lots of research on the roofing contractors themselves. Request a list of previous companies or persons the contractor caused in order to get a definite view of the roofing contractor's work ethics and roof quality. Your roofing contractor should also possess the appropriate working licenses and city licenses needed by the Seattle city government.

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

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

Choosing the proper Roofer Company for Replacing Your homes roof

The shingles inside your roof need replacing and you are minded to locate a roofing contractor to change the them. Perhaps you have already called a few and are evaluating which contractor to use for your upcoming roof repair. How do you choose the best contractor for caring for your roof? Listed here are a number of things you should look at when looking for the best roofer.

Where is the roofing contractor located? It is important to hire a roofer that's local. Chances are you will get a higher level and services information if the roofing company is located near your house or has an office near your residence.
References. To look for the toughness for the contractor, references ought to be provided of their previous customers who are willing to vouch that excellent service was received. This will not be the only real element in choosing 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 locations that provide the contractor with supplies can reveal the amount of materials and regularity of supplying the contractor to help determine their stability.
How does the roofer company handle complaints? There are a large number of issues that can arise during the progress of a roofing replacement. Ask what their process is perfect for handling complaints if they arise. It's also a great idea to receive a past client reference who had a complaint which was resolved towards the satisfaction from the client.
Terms of payment. Do you know the the payment schemes to do the job? What's the down payment and amount due upon completion? While it is certainly reasonable that the substantial payment be made before a contractor begins work on a project, it is highly recommended that full payment is not made until following the entire job is completed.
Written contract. All terms of the roofing replacement should be put in an itemized contract. No part of the contracting job should depend on verbal assurances.
Bonding. There are stuff that will go wrong with roofing installations that end up costing quite a bit of money to fix. Should this happen on your roofing replacement, you'll feel a whole lot better understanding that your roofer is bonded. This can supply the funds to repair whatever mistakes were made. Find a roofing contractor that's bonded.
Manufacturer Warranty. Quality materials for roofing typically come with a warranty. You should verify that there's actually a warranty about the materials being installed. Request a copy of the warranty.
Length of Time in Business How long has got the company you're interviewing been in business? A brief amount of time in business may reflect instability. When the contractor has been in business less than 3 years, verify how long they have actually been in the industry. A brand new contractor may have many years experience working on roofs before they form their own business. Seek a company that has been around for three years, or where the contractor has already established many more years performing roofing replacements. It can shouldn't be the only real factor, everyone has to begin sometime. Balance this with referrals and the other points raised in this article.
Appropriate Permits. A Seattle roofer should know what permits are required for repairing your roof. They must be aware of how to obtain these permits for you. Ask the contractor whether they will obtain the permits necessary to repair the roof.
Liability. If your worker becomes injured, who's responsible for the workers comp? If the contractor's equipment damages your house, who's liable for the repairs? A good contractor will provide certificates of insurance for liability and worker's compensation before they begin repairing your roof.
Subcontractors. Verify if the contractor will be using subcontractors. If so, it is highly recommended that everything contained within this article for verifying if the contractor is credible should also be relevant to subcontractors. You should get the names and license amounts of all subcontractors. You should verify whether each subcontractor is also insured so you are not held liable for their accidents.
Pending Legal Actions. You should verify whether you will find any legal actions from the contractor. This is not merely necessary for verifying if the roofing company is legitimate (credible roofing companies shouldn't need to defend themselves in the court), it's also important just because a lost lawsuit might lead to the contractor to go bankrupt. If you have designed a substantial deposit for services immediately prior to the company goes bankrupt, you could lose many thousands of dollars and never have your roofing completed.
Material Disposal. Who is responsible for disposing of the waste generated from the roof being replaced? Will your contractor handle every aspect of this? Is there an additional cost for getting rid of this waste?
NRCA Membership. Membership in local or national roofing associations, like the NRCA, shows resolve for staying up to date with the most effective means of roof replacement and maintenance. Look for a roofer having a high standard of education regarding their trade.
Replacing your roof is really a significant investment. Celebrate good sense to inquire about serious questions before working with a roofing contractor. Here are some more tips that you ought to consider when choosing the very best roofing contractor for your upcoming roofing replacement.

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