Alt Attribute & SEO Optimization

SEO Optimization images has become increasingly more important in SEO (Seo optimization) for websites. The ALT attribute is a critical step that is sometimes forgotten. This is often a lost chance of better rankings.

In Google's webmaster guidelines, they advise using alternative text for that images in your 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 can't begin to see the images.

Many webmasters and inexperienced or unethical SEOs abuse using this attribute, trying to stuff it with keywords, hoping to achieve a certain keyword density, which is not as relevant for rankings now since it once was.

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

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

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

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

The goal is to supply the same functional information that the visual user would see. The alt attribute text should be the "stand in" in the event that the image itself is not available. Think about this question: If you were to replace the look with the text, would most users get the same basic information, and would it create the same response?
Some examples:

 

Some SEO Optimization Tips

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

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

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

If it is meant to convey using a function, then the function is what should 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, make use of an empty alt (i.e. alt="") or perhaps a CSS background image to ensure that reading browsers do not bother users by uttering things like "spacer image".

Remember that it's the function of the image we're trying to convey. For example; any button images shouldn't range from the word "button" within the alt text. They should emphasize the action performed through the button.

Alt text should be based on context. Exactly the same image in a different context may need drastically different alt text.

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

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

Eye-Candy
Mood-Setting
Content and Function

I. Eye-Candy

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

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

II. Mood-Setting

This is the middle layer of graphics which might serve to set the atmosphere or set the stage as it were. These graphics aren't direct content and could 't be considered essential, but they're essential in that they help frame what's going on.

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

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

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

III. Content and Function

This is when the image may be the actual content. Always alt-ify content and functional images. Title and long description attributes may also be in order.
The main reason many authors can't figure out why their alt text isn't working is that they don't know why the pictures exist. You have to determined exactly what function a picture serves. Consider what it's about the image that's vital that you the page's intended audience.

Every graphic has a reason behind being on that page: because it either improves the theme/ mood/ atmosphere or it is critical to what are the page is attempting to explain. Knowing what the image is for makes alt text easier to write. And practice writing them definitely helps.
A way to look into the usefulness of alternative text is to imagine reading the page on the phone to someone. An amount you say when encountering a specific image to create the page understandable towards the listener?

Aside from the alt attribute you have a couple more tools available for images.
First, in level of descriptiveness title is in 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 not shown like a "tooltip" when focus is received via the keyboard. (So much for device independence). So make use of the title attribute only for advisory information.
Second, the longdesc attribute points to the Link to a complete description of an image. When the information found in a picture is important to the concept of the page (i.e. some important content would be lost when the image was removed), a longer description compared to "alt" attribute can reasonably display should be used. It can provide for rich, expressive documentation of 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 an 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 image - within the mind's eye, an analogy that is true even for that totally blind."

Although the 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 best just going with your gut instinct -- if it's not essential to incorporate it, and when you don't possess a strong urge to do it, don't include that longdesc.

However, if it's essential for the whole page to operate, then you've to add the alt text (or title or longdesc).

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

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

Image Search Engine Optimization Tips

Listed below are key stages in optimizing images:

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

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

Make sure that the written text at the image that is highly relevant to that image.
Again, don't lose an excellent chance to help your website together with your images searching engines. Use these steps to position better on all the engines and drive increased traffic to your site TODAY.

SEO Company

There is definitely an upward trend at the moment, in the area of proximity-based social networking and for many businesses, large and small, it’s a new concept to learn.

Many new apps are growing in popularity, such as newly launched Color, while other apps such as LoKast (which offers local file sharing from mobile to mobile) are developing to become even more accurate and efficient. While many organisations are now comfortable using social media purely online, combining this with physical location presents a new challenge altogether. The benefits are great, but only if you get it right.

Train your staff on the ground

One of the biggest challenges for many businesses now is to coordinate a social media strategy with staff across different business premises. I’ve heard quite a few stories where people have tried to redeem an offer on Facebook Deals or Foursquare, to find that the person behind the till has no clue what they’re talking about. Your staff out on the shop floor are now one of your biggest assets when it comes to online communication and for larger businesses particularly this presents a challenge.

They need to be trained on your company’s local social networking strategy, as well as being able to spot potential business and monitor online for questions or complaints they may be able to deal with. This training should start right away, even if you’re not yet implementing a local social media strategy.

Build a mobile team

I think that one of the most exciting things about proximity-based social networking is the possibility for local ‘crack-teams’ to identify and monitor customers in real-time and be in a position to offer a service, such as replacing a faulty product. This is particularly true for companies that may not have a physical location in stores.

As people raise their expectations of how companies approach them online, this will carry through to location-based networking as well. If you’re able to identify where your customers are and what problems they’re having, you should be in a position to be able to deal with them real-time. This will have a hugely beneficial effect on your reputation online and your actual customer experience.

Adapt the tools to suit you

It’s true that not every new location-based app or service will suit your business, but people will respond to those companies that find a way to use new tools to adapt and improve their existing business services. Think of Lokast for example, which allows people to create public profiles through a mobile app for the content they want to share, such as photos, music, links and contacts. You might not think that file sharing can really be used in a b2c context, but imagine that a company representative in your store has created a branded profile on Lokast. This can be used to share value-added content either with people already in your premises, or those nearby, enticing them in. A list of the best music to enjoy a relaxing cup of coffee with, or a selection of photos of your freshly baked cakes to bring people in. The potential to turn social networking completely on its head and truly integrate it with the physical is fascinating.

Claim the right listings

While it’s important to claim your online listings through tools such as Namechck, claiming your physical business presence is even more important.

With many consumers engaging with companies through Facebook Places etc.. the last thing you want is not to be owning that relationship! Your business should be registered on the main location apps such as Foursquare, Gowalla and Yelp, Facebook Places and Google Places. This is also important in terms of SEO, if you’re building out the profiles properly and encouraging interaction. You should focus on only claiming the profiles that are right for you, and that you will build out by actively engaging on. I believe it leaves a very bad reaction for people if they find a profile that has been set up just to claim a name and where they can’t get any response. If you claim it, use it!

Use data to do better business

A distinct benefit of proximity-based networks is being able to access real data that can benefit your business. This data can be incredibly useful if you take the time to analyse it and improve your business practice as a result. While the numbers offered alone can be useful can be insightful, such as looking at how often people check in to your business, make sure you look a little bit deeper such as what deals were popular on a particular day, was there a higher number of check-ins than deal redemptions for certain offers?

You should be continually optimising based on the real, reliable data you can now access and this is very exciting for businesses of all sizes. This should also be the job of the people in the sales/marketing department, as well as working with people on the ground. Here you should combine the expertise of people who meet customers every day, with the knowledge and expertise behind the marketing/promotional strategy.

Don’t forget physical promotion

One thing that I think many businesses are over-looking is promoting their online presence in stores. Many people will be checking in of their own accord, but there is still an incentive for businesses to work on physical promotion of their local social profiles.

The benefit of a social interaction extends way beyond the one person that you engage with at that particular time. It means that you’re instantly creating a connection with their online community and this is very important for businesses now, particularly as people are building out communities based on location. Instead of it being seen simply as an endorsement of your business, it’s a notification to someone in the area that they should check you out.

Don’t undersestimate the importance of a simple sign, provided you’re giving people a reason to do something and explain it clearly. There’s nothing worse than a simple ‘find us on Facebook’ without any information on your page url or why people should look for you. This can also be used to educate people about new services they might not know about, that are in line with your brand.

Part of my work as a social media manager is to consistently seek out new folks to engage across various social media platforms.. As a full time B2B social media analyst, it stands to reason that most of the tweeps I’m going to seek out are other businesses. In my searching I’ve noticed a curious trend.

Most of us are familiar with the big three icons, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, as they are everywhere these days – television, print, business cards, and yes, company websites. Adding these icons to your site, in a prominent location, helps to drive traffic to your social media pages which ultimately keep your site visitors engaged with fresh content. After users like your page, or follow you, or subscribe to your YouTube channel they’ll receive a constant stream of posts, which will include your messages. This helps enhance your web presence, has tremendous SEO benefit, and encourages brand loyalty.

So why are so many prominent companies hiding their social media pages?

I often find I have to dig through a company website to find the icons, sometimes displayed on the “about us” or the “contact us” page. Sometimes they aren’t displayed at all, yet after doing a Google search I find that they do, indeed, have a Twitter or Facebook account. What’s up with that?

B.L. Ochman at AdAge pointed out recently that only 44% of the Fortune 50 display their Twitter icon on the homepage, and a sad 4% link to their blog. While I hate to speculate on why they withhold their accounts from this prominent real estate, their homepage, I have to admit that it appears as if they’re, well, above it. My experience, although anecdotal, reveals a trend which I’m coming to recognize. Often it is the Mom and Pops that get it, while the big corporate sites tend to, more often, omit their sharing features. Don’t get me wrong,  many, like my company, have them front and center. But some, hide, or worse, omit them altogether.

Maybe this is because Mom and Pops are used to talking with their customers on a day-to-day basis. They aren’t so far removed that they’re afraid to put themselves out there, and they aren’t afraid of what their customers will talk about. I wonder if sometimes corporations become fearful of the very thing that makes them great, their customers, and social media can amplify that. The thing to remember is, people are talking about your brand anyway, and offering social media spaces where you can engage in those conversations gives you more control, not less.

So if you’ve started social media pages for your company but have not cross connected them you are missing out on several benefits. Use these ideas to get started:

• Include your social media accounts in your email signature and on your business cards


• Add all your accounts with the icons to your homepage


• If you have a blog, add your Twitter and Facebook accounts there as well as a link back to your website


• Include your Twitter account on your Facebook Info page


• Include your website in your Twitter bio

By doing these simple things, you’ll reap the benefits of the social media presence you’re working hard to establish. If you don’t have a social media presence yet, well, that’s another post.

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Determination (the act of coming to a choice or of repairing or settling a objective,) it is actually this attribute alone which can make or break somebody, a neighborhood, or maybe a region. It is the attribute of determination which has set the bench craft company Aside from the rest of the competitors, earning it the leader of Gold Program venue advertising and marketing during the America. It happens to be this exact same determination that may in the long run make the bench craft company the leader within this field throughout the world, because they start to implement their really

highly effective online business product on the world wide scale.
There is certainly a need for such a market while in the promoting industry. Some customers and product makers opt for to concentrate their efforts in advertising and marketing to a demographic that could be specified to deliver the response that they want and need for their product or service. The most suitable way to generate a gradual and steady buyer base should be to advertise to a potential demographic that is certainly statistically probably the most secure and economically regular. The bench craft company gives you this ideal demographic consistently, in a great surroundings, presenting their purchasers products and services to this demographic inside preferred of configurations.
The golf courses that bench craft company labor together with, acquire goods and solutions at no additional expenditure. bench craft company sales force immediately finances the plan for every golf program by obtaining sponsors for each product or service. Neighborhood distributors and gamers inside neighborhood get sponsorship priority and golf course management will work closely with Bench Craft to recognize

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The ahead pondering Visionaries at bench craft company designed a method that garners the eye and participation of not merely its very own income employees, but the sponsors, golf program management and the membership and patrons.
To look for out more information about this Company in the New Millennium you possibly can communicate with the organization at: http://www.benchcraftcompany.com
Generate (the trait of becoming extremely inspired, the act of applying force to propel an item.)

It happens to be generate which has propelled the bench craft company to its place because the selection a person advertiser on golf course properties in the United states. It happens to be drive that enables Bench Craft to supply over 1400 golf course properties in through 43 states for their consumers promoting demands. But what’s driving this company to routinely be the achievement that it happens to be year soon after yr?
Bench Craft supplies marketing companies in a specialized market industry, golfers. This is a sough immediately after demographic for the reason that statistically this demographic has the greatest discretionary income in the region. This individual demographic also tends to become

by far the most economically stable during the nation. Among the many most effective solutions to get a client’s home business revenue and profits secure is to have their purchasers advertise to a buyer base that could be not merely economically stable, but constant also. It is amongst the

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The golf programs that bench craft company partners with, receive products and providers at no cost. bench craft company product sales group directly funds the procedure for each golf program by obtaining sponsors for every merchandise. Local distributors and gamers in the neighborhood acquire sponsorship priority and golf course management will work carefully with Bench Craft to spot potential sponsors. Bench Craft’s really

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So what's the

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advertisement year following yr by furnishing them together with the most detailed geographical protection with the nation, with above 1400 golf courses in around 43 states. Supported in addition by regional offices nationwide, Bench Craft out-performs the competitors in marketing their customer’s services to the folks which may and will utilize them.
The golf programs that bench craft company capabilities in concert with, obtain items and providers at no expenditure. bench craft company revenue force specifically money this product for every golf program by getting sponsors for each products. Community distributors and players within the neighborhood receive sponsorship priority and golf course management operates carefully with Bench Craft to discover probable sponsors. Bench Craft’s tremendously

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The phrase innovation is put to use a great deal; most often it will be utilized in a way that does not suit the actual definition within the phrase. Promotion and advertising and marketing specialists are particularly guilty of the tongue in cheek use of the phrase. So inside the spirit of this bench craft company isn't really heading to tout the phrase innovation to describe how they have managed to be the nation’s range on advertiser on golf course properties with the America. Bench Craft will not declare innovation on providing its shoppers along with the most in depth network of golf courses (1400 in 43 states) for their clientele to promote their products and services at. bench craft company is not claiming innovation with providing golf program properties just about the most seamless yet

valuable way of boosting their income stream by getting to be a Bench Craft spouse.
The golf programs that bench craft company will work along with, get products and solutions at no cost. bench craft company revenue force right money the program for each golf program by acquiring sponsors for each item.

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The bench craft company provides no excuses for your challenging function and perseverance that they commit themselves to so as to take care of themselves because the leader in nationwide onsite golf program house advertising and marketing. No excuses for providing their clientele together with the most thorough protection for their advertising and marketing greenback regardless if it be locally or nationwide. No excuses for providing golf program properties essentially the most seamless program for producing more

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The golf courses that bench craft company operates in concert with, obtain services and items at no expense. bench craft company income crew directly funds this program for each golf course by obtaining sponsors for each merchandise. Community vendors and players from the neighborhood get sponsorship priority and golf program management operates carefully with Bench Craft to recognize likely sponsors. Bench Craft’s remarkably

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Charlie Sheen’s use of technology and web 2.0 has earned him big dollars and a ‘winning’ formula for his own personal brand.

The Two And A Half Men star has greatly benefited from his own ability to embrace the internet, exploring all the marketing tools available to him. From breaking a twitter record, to hosting his own internet show on Ustream, the actor has done what few in Hollywood have ever achieved. Parody videos created by fans and websites dedicated to his one-liners are giving the actor non-stop free promotion and this in turn has created an audience of marketers for Charlie Sheen.

His infamous ABC interview gave birth to many of the viral video spoofs we have seen of his ‘radical’ behavior, which in turn, has fueled his twitter fan growth, and other media interview requests. With so many people discussing and sharing his antics, his own brand of controversy has been implanted onto the web, and has helped him sell tickets for his tour dates.

On top of that, Sheen’s regular updates with his fans on twitter provide a direct relationship and route to market. Sure that sounds a little cold, but he does have a following he can reach out to about his products.

Looking at what he did this week, Sheen took the next step in his own web fueled marketing campaign by making a self-parody video. This clever twist gave yet another viral hit to his name, as bloggers and social media re-posted and discussed how outrageous it was to see him spoof himself.

With many dates left on Charlie Sheen’s tour, the actor has a non-stop ‘Bi-Winning’ 24/7 marketing campaign, and other celebrities in the entertainment industry should learn from his online success.

Charlie Sheen’s use of technology and web 2.0 has earned him big dollars and a ‘winning’ formula for his own personal brand.

The Two And A Half Men star has greatly benefited from his own ability to embrace the internet, exploring all the marketing tools available to him. From breaking a twitter record, to hosting his own internet show on Ustream, the actor has done what few in Hollywood have ever achieved. Parody videos created by fans and websites dedicated to his one-liners are giving the actor non-stop free promotion and this in turn has created an audience of marketers for Charlie Sheen.

His infamous ABC interview gave birth to many of the viral video spoofs we have seen of his ‘radical’ behavior, which in turn, has fueled his twitter fan growth, and other media interview requests. With so many people discussing and sharing his antics, his own brand of controversy has been implanted onto the web, and has helped him sell tickets for his tour dates.

On top of that, Sheen’s regular updates with his fans on twitter provide a direct relationship and route to market. Sure that sounds a little cold, but he does have a following he can reach out to about his products.

Looking at what he did this week, Sheen took the next step in his own web fueled marketing campaign by making a self-parody video. This clever twist gave yet another viral hit to his name, as bloggers and social media re-posted and discussed how outrageous it was to see him spoof himself.

With many dates left on Charlie Sheen’s tour, the actor has a non-stop ‘Bi-Winning’ 24/7 marketing campaign, and other celebrities in the entertainment industry should learn from his online success.

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Deron Williams likes New Jersey Nets, open to extension

Deron Williams reportedly said that he likes the Nets and would be open to an extension.

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Daily Kos: Fox <b>News</b> ties suicide to Obama speech

But with the other option being to talk about the Republican plan to abolish Medicare, apparently politicizing this young man's death looked a whole lot better to Fox News. Pathetic. (h/t Balloon Juice) ...

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Taptu allows iPad owners to “DJ your <b>news</b>” | VentureBeat

Anthony is a senior editor at VentureBeat, as well as its reporter on media, advertising, and social networks. Before joining ...

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We’ve been hearing all kinds of Chatter that the next version of Final Cut Pro will debut in Vegas at NAB next week.  Thing is, we hear this every year and Apple hasn’t really done a NAB properly in awhile.  That’s OK, we’ll take that we can get.

Rumors are flying that Apple will be using the Vegas Supermeet to announce the next version of Final Cut Pro. Supposedly, Apple will be taking over the entire event for their announcement, cancelling all other sponsors, including AJA, Avid, Canon, BlackMagic, Autodesk and others, who were set to give presentations.

Philip Bloom just confirmed with me that Canon has canceled his appearance at the Supermeet. Canon was told last night that Apple has demanded ALL “lecturn” or stage time exclusively. Some sponsors who were not using presenters may continue to sponsor the Vegas event, but none of them will be presenting on the stage. I can’t imagine any news that would warrant this kind of “take-over” other than to announce and demonstrate the next full version of Final Cut Pro and possibly an entirely newly designed FCS4.

(UPDATE: Avid confirmed that Supermeet (Michael Horton) told them last night that their sponsorship had been cancelled. According to Avid, “Apple doesn’t want anyone to have stage time but them.”)

Who’s up for Vegas?

We heard the first concrete details about Apple’s all new Final Cut Pro coming during Spring this year, and recently some new information has come to light. Final Cut Studio expert Larry Jordan was one of the people at Apple’s meeting, demonstrating the upcoming upgrade to the professional film-making software.

Jordan can’t say much about the upgrade, due to an NDA with Apple, but he did say it is a “jaw-dropper.” Besides the “jaw-dropper” part, the thing we are taking most from his blog post is the fact that Apple allowed him to write it up. It appears that Apple already considers the software public knowledge. Afterall, Apple CEO Steve Jobs did tell a 9to5mac reader to buckle up for it.

Thanks to Charlie Sanchez

Related articles

• Next Final Cut Pro is a “jawdropper,” Apple considers it public knowledge, and will it drop at NAB? (9to5mac.com)
• Apple says last Xserve orders shipping in April, here’s what’s next for XSAN (9to5mac.com)
• Nasdaq to cut Apple’s weighting in rebalancing (9to5mac.com)
• Feeling the heat, HP and Dell execs lash out at Apple, pray iPad will fail (9to5mac.com)
• Certain MacBook Pro models ‘unavailable’ for reservation at many Apple Stores (9to5mac.com)
• Apple asks Toyota to remove the Scion theme from Cydia (9to5mac.com)
• New Final Cut Pro hits Spring ’11 and it’s the “biggest overhaul yet” (9to5mac.com)
• iOS 5 pushed to the fall: major revamp, cloud-based, WWDC preview? (9to5mac.com)

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

So Apple invented video calling, right?

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

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

Do I need an Apple phone to use FaceTime?

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

Okay, so how do I use it?

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

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

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

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

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

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

More information at Apple’s FaceTime page.

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

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

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


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


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


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


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

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

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


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


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


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


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

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

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


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

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

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


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


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


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

It was encouraging to receive a couple submissions about  journalism:

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


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

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

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


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

And finally, a few odds and ends

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


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


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

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

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Google reported solid quarterly earnings this afternoon, but EPS was slightly below expectations and expenses were high. 

The expenses were apparently cause for investor concern, and shares have dropped more than 5% after hours.

In particular, cap ex spend was $890 million. Google explained most of that was related to the purchase of new buildings in Dublin and Paris.

Operating expenses were also up thanks in large part to the 10% one-time salary raise, which kicked in this quarter.

In a Q&A with investors during the earnings call, several analysts wondered if this level of expenditure is the only way Google can continue to grow revenue more than 20%. Execs tried to reassure them that Google is measuring and paying very close attention to the expense side of the equation.

The basics:

Gross Revenue of $8.58 billion was slightly better than expected and rose a strong 27% year over year.

Net Revenue of $6.54 billion slightly better than expected.

Adjusted EPS of $8.08 is slightly--slightly--below expectations of $8.13. Revenue was strong, so the key will be whether the earnings miss is the result of lower margins (bad) or, say, a higher tax rate (irrelevant).

Paid clicks growth was better than expected at 18% year over year (vs 15%-17% expectation). This is Google's key revenue unit, and better-than-expected unit growth is positive.

Revenue per click increased 8% year over year, at the high end of expectations.

Free cash flow was a solid $2.2 billion. Cash flow from operations was spectacular--$3.2 billion--but the company spent an astronomical $890 million on capital expenditures, much more than expected.  (What on earth are they spending all this money on?)

Product highlights: Android is getting 350,000 activations per day. Chrome now has 120 million users -- that means 120 million people who are more likely to be "locked in" to Google services. YouTube revenue is doubling every year, but still no concrete numbers to share.

Bottom line, Google remains robustly healthy.  27% year over year revenue growth in a company this size is extremely impressive, and the core search business is humming along. The high capital expenditures are a question and concern--it will be interesting to hear what the company says about them on the call.

Here are some slides from the deck Google used on its earnings call. Scroll past them for our live blog of the call itself.

You've got to love 27% growth from such an enormous base.

Traffic acquisition costs are looking good as well:

But this is what investors are worried about -- costs rising as a percentage of revenue, particularly R&D and sales and marketing. A lot of that is salary-related:

Here's another way of looking at it: operating margins are getting lower:

Here are our notes from the call:

4:27 ET:  We're waiting for the call to start. We'll see if Larry Page jumps on, since he just took over as CEO last week. He's reportedly investor and press shy, so we'll be curious to see how he performs.

One slightly curious note: the call isn't being broadcast on YouTube as it has in the past.

4:31: Larry will join at the beginning of the call. It's also Patrick Pichette, CFO. Two of the new senior VPs are on board as well -- Susan Wojcikci (advertising), Jeff Huber (local and commerce). Plus Nikesh Arora, the chief business officer, who's  been on past calls.

4:33: Page notes 27% revenue growth. Tremendous improvements still ahead. Now he's talking management changes.

"Everything we told you last quarter has happened." He's managing day to day operations as CEO. Eric Schmidt is on government and partner outreaches -- last quarter he was in Germany, Brazil, Argentina, and Spain. Sergey working "very intensively" on a few projects.

4:34: Also made changes to simplify their org structure. He's thanking Jonathan Rosenberg, who's been on most of these past calls.

That's about it. Now it's on to Pichette.

4:35: Expenses show the 10% across the board raise for the first time.

Gross revenue up 27%, $8.6B. It actually rose 2% quarter to quarter -- and last year Google had the Nexus One goosing revenue. Plus this year the disaster in Japan.

Google Network revenue up 19%. Negatively impacted by loss of search distribution deal, plus search quality improvement -- spam control. It always serves us well.

Other revenue was down 10% year over year to $269 million. That's mostly Google Apps and Enterprise Search, a very small business.

Aggregate click growth up 18% year to year, and 4% from last quarter. The shift from offline to online is driving that.

4:40: International revenue was 53% of total.

TAC was 25% of total revenue, $2.2B.

Overall opex totaled $2.8m, including stock-based compensation.

Opex increase is primarily payroll, some advertising.

Op margin 37.6%

Headcount up 1,900 during the quarter. total 26,316 employees.

Capex is facilities, data centers. Facilities driven by purchases of buildings in Dublin and Paris. Capex is "lumpy from quarter to quarter" depending on when it wants to make capex investments.

4:43. Boasting about Android, fastest growing mobile OS, and Chrome, fastest growing browser. Pushed frontier of mobile search which is adding to overall search volume. YouTube "win win" platform for content owners and users.

Second half of 2010, grew 25% year to year. This quarter 27%. Compared to comp of 23% a year ago. "We are building multibillion dollar businesses" and confident now is the time to invest. Discipline.

4:45: Local and commerce SVP Jeff Huber.

Ambitious hiring this quarter by design. 2011 will be biggest hiring in history, hired 1,900 this quarter. Core and growing businesses are doing well, so "who wouldn't want to invest in this business." Over half the "Nooglers" who joined will be in new areas like YouTube, Chrome, Enterprise.

Search: improving quality. Launched over 90 quality improvements, including changes to ranking algorithms. Impacted about 12% of queries, and addressed over 80% of sites that users reported.

Had adverse affect on revenues on SOME SITES in Display network. But improving search is always the best thing to do in the long run.

Personal, as in building around people. Launched the +1 button, easier to share results. "This is just the beginning" more personal search coming soon.

Mobile traffic up 500%+ over last two years.

350,000 Android devices activated per day. Recently launched in-app billing.

Chrome: users "very valuable". Investing in Chrome marketing. Now more than 120m daily users, more than 40% added in last year.

Chrome OS "also going well" and look forward to launching devices later this year.

Enterprise: growing across businesses and schools. New deals, reseller agreements. University of Texas, Boston U.

Pleased our ITA deal closed, travel search lots of room for innovation there.

Huber is now thanking Jonathan Rosenberg as well. "Friends and colleagues for over 15 years. He will be missed"

4:49: Now it's Susan Wojcicki.

Lots to be excited about in ads. Search is still core, but big oppty for growth.

"How can we search the perfect ad for every query?" New creative types, new ways for advertisers to set up campaigns. Product Listing Ads, introduced Q4 last year.

Display advertising: bought DoubleClick 3 years ago, lot of integration, lot of progress. Display Network up 5x since acquisition, doubling annually in Brazil, UK, and Japan.

Display advertisers either performance oriented (conversions) and brand oriented (awareness). Launched new stuff for brand advertisers, like Display Ad Network Reserve -- buy premium inventory on a guaranteed basis. Also tools to measure effectiveness of campaigns -- not just clicks.

Ad Exchange -- transaction volume has tripled in past year, 2/3ds of that inventory bought via real-time bidding.

YouTube: revenue doubling year over year, shared with more than 20k content partners. The more money we make for them, the more engaging stuff they upload.

AdMob: over 150 million iOS and Android devices, up 50% in last four months.

Advertisers starting to run mobile-only campaigns. Incorporating local -- how far are you standing away from the advertiser's location right now?

4:55: Pichette taking over again for Q&A.

Q: Opex up 45% year over year excluding traffic acquisition cost. Is this kind of spending required to retain 20%+ revenue growth? Or one-off?

A. Clearly the effect of the one-time salary change. Salary increase flows through to other stuff like 401(k) and vacation, so disproportionately felt in first quarter. "Nooglers" as well. One-time step change in labor, but after that regular.

Marketing has increased since last year because it's providing great returns. Both customer acquisition and key products like Chrome.

Still disciplined: quarterly reviews to get your next funding.

Q. What about marketing costs? What's going on?

A. Professional services. Chrome -- really pushing the web. When they get Chrome, instead of having to look for Google, they get it. It's there already. "Everybody who uses Chrome is a guaranteed locked-in user of Google."

Q. How does Larry view the company differently than it was?

A. Position hasn't changed. We're a tech company, focused on users, looking for products that can affect billions of people. Computer science helping find problems for billions of people.

If you think that way, Chrome, Android, search all make sense. The 70/20/10 is very alive. "Search is the next billion dollar business." 90 improvements on one side, 40 on the other -- search still in our infancy. Mobile, display, enterprise.

10% is commerce, social, stuff that's nascent. Strategy same core lenses, same products that serve billions of people.

Q. But financially? Any meaningful difference?

A. No. Build great products, same financial discipline.

Q. More about opex. Customer acquisition in Chrome, salespeople. Do you think your 20%+ growth rate would be achievable without these costs? Will you still get the growth without the costs?

A. Strategy in context of last 4 to 5 quarters. Trajectory of revenue growth, 23%, 25%, 27%. We're funding revenue growth with discipline. "Carpe diem, it's there to take."

Q. Imagine display is $20B based on various figures. Right now you're at 10% or so. How big can that be? And as display gets bigger, how does that affect margins?

A. Search unique with very very high margins. Display more paperwork. But still very good margin product. "All of those dollars I want." Plus great "symbiotic" relationship -- display ads now showing up in search.

Could say that display was stalled at $50 to $60B because video wasn't there. YouTube helps reach 23 to 24% more consumers. Efficiency of Web applied to video. All efforts trying to build that display, rich media and video. Every profitable dollar of revenue is good.

Q. What about social data? You don't run social network. Do you need it for search?

A. Jeff Huber -- it's important, we use 200+ signals for ranking search today. It's one of many inputs. Assets that apply to that, we do have large number of users coming to our door every day. Considerable percentage logged in, using multiple products.

Pichette: launch of +1 is commitment to get every signal. Continued focus on social as one of 200 signals.

Q. Does Chrome give you any signals you can integrate into search results?

A. Huber -- will be part of story over time, personalized today. Chrome experience, can sign into Chrome, will sync info across computers.

Q. Where are those bold steps to control expenses? We don't see it. And is social really just one of 200 variables?

A. On expenses, you see ramp-up on one side. Guarantee you everybody who has cost center has to demonstrate productivity. Data center, incredibly steep. Sales force. We always think of cost per x. Cost per bit for data centers. Even food, everybody has productivity curve.

Google is growing 25% year over year from a $25B base. Tide coming with it, but every element of the company is "scrubbed and scrutinized." The unit costs haunt many of my managers.

Huber now on social: one of many signals. We regularly measure and tune.

Pichette again: expenses, we really want to lay the ground clear on these issues.

Q. Search algo changes -- how does that affect search ads and cost per click? And what's driving display ad revenue growth -- ad units or more targeting?

A. Huber: 12% of queries affected. Was Web search only, not ads. NO effect on CPC. Did affect display network, but focus is on user experience.

Wojcicki: Can buy audiences, target more effectively. It's both. End to end platform to enable buying across the Internet for all advertisers and all publishers.

Pichette: Some properties tuned to display like YouTube, but entire Web is more powerful than any single prop.

Q. What about tablet share -- is it as important as smartphone share?

A. Jeff Huber: tablets doing well, lot of growth in that segment. Dynamics -- hybrid between mobile and desktop when you look at user behavior. Optimistic about Honeycomb. Xoom was product of the show at CES in January. More products, more innovation.

Enable advertisers to target tablets, which will help that segment.

Q. Employee bonuses and social -- define success?

A. This is an internal matter. We focus a strategy across many platforms, we wanted to signal to employees that social is an important signal and worth investing. No further comment.

Q. Search important, but engagement might be more important. Have you looked at 70/20/10 and think about shifting to build greater engagement? Look at how other products and services can be integrated in?

A. Web in general, how platforms are growing, we're focusing in areas where engagement matters. Local, mobile, YouTube, all about engagement. Mobile, Chrome. Technology fuels engagement. At highest level, search itself is more engaged today than it was 3 years ago. It's part of our strategy.

Q. Engagement through frequency rather than share of time.

A. When you are in YouTube, you're spending more time in YouTube. Android phone, now visiting and in town, additional signals sharing with friends etc.

Q. Does Chrome give you potential to create unique products, apps, content services?

A. Huber: great opportunities in that. Chrome Web Store -- same model as Android Market, bringing it to that platform.

Q. How much is a mobile user worth today, and how do you think about larger acquisitions?

A. Can't answer about mobile user. Look at our focus, we're very excited about mobile. Great potential there. Monetization side -- click to call ads. Locally targeted ads, ability to engage users where they are. Smartphone will be way people do everything -- inform, entertain. It will merge.

Q. Do you think value can go up order of magnitude in 3 years?

A. Wojcicki: very early in what mobile can do. Will grow overall opportunity, overall pie.

Nobody is going to say a substantive thing about acquisitions.

We haven't found big one that will significantly accelerate our growth. We have a really focused agenda, don't want massive distraction. Google is a specific culture --- big acquisition must be both financially sensible and cultural fit. "That's a pretty high bar to pass."

Q. Non cost-per-click ads -- what kind of growth are you seeing? And does Google have a video strategy outside of user-generated content?

A. We have new people on board with YouTube to expand beyond user-generated.

Huber: user-generated is huge. But we're interested in "long-form premium content," another area is developing content of, by, and for new medium being created. Next New Networks acquisition was there.

Wojcicki: we're allowing advertiser to bid with CPA (cost per action) then Google figures out CPC (per click) in background. Also CPM (per impression). Depends on whether advertisers are more performance or ad-driven. As we introduce new kinds of ads for brand advertising, CPM will become a bigger deal.

Q. How bad was Japan? You also said 350k Android activations per day -- can you give breakdown smartphone v tablet and US v international?

A. Our first response to the events was to help the Japanese community. People finding people and disaster recovery. Focus on community, not optimizing revenue.

Tons of searches, by the way, but not monetizable searches. Japan is great market for us. Historically they bounce back fast. We can't predict how will rebound on advertising, but it's a 1st world economy that will recover.

Huber: Android. Not going to answer the question. But we have strong partnerships in Europe, Japan, Korea, and international is growing. Android is relatively early on in tablets, Honeycomb just came out. Big innovations coming.

 

 

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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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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.

Roofing Companies Vancouver - 5 Inquiries to Wonder

Roofing Vancouver - Frequently Asked Questions

1. Repair or Replace?

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

2. Beauty versus Practicality?

Discuss this with your spouse or partner. (The children could care less...at least the children.) The fact is, nobody wants an ugly roof the same as nobody wants to be seen with bed hair. If you've got a great quality roof and you just have to repair it, it's worth it to pay the price of the original shingle rather than doing patchwork. A roof replacement doesn't happen very often (we hope!) and so make a choice that suits you and your loved ones well or it'll stand out like a sore thumb everyday you decide to go home.

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

Consider this very carefully prior to making a decision. With respect to the roofing material you choose, a new roof lasts between twenty, fifty, to one-hundred years! This means you have to check the year of the roof that's currently too deep first. Are you at year 18 of a 20-year warranted roof or year 30 of a 50-year warranted roof? Obviously, the standard is the reason why the rooftop keep going longer, but when you're not planning to remain in your current home for the rest of your lifetime, the larger expense may not be worth your investment. Although a new roof can improve the worth of your value, the rise may not be enough to cover neglect the and that's definitely going to hurt your wallet.

4. Could it be advisable for me to repair the rooftop myself?

Sure it is. Before you do, consult an expert first. You can perform it yourself, but you shouldn't be a complete ‘lone ranger.' Depending on the extent of the repair, you may or may not convince you. Either way, it helps to get a professional eye on the problem first and maybe a free quote to help you do the math later and see if it's truly worth your time and effort, sweat, and cash to be mister or miss fix-it.

5. Just when was a good time to find the roof replaced?

Weather may cause delays from days to weeks. Most people plan ahead to have their roof replaced in the summer when they have a friend will be home throughout the day for a solid fourteen days. Once you've this era in mind, make a call to a trusted contractor months ahead of time to get a quote. Some companies get reserved fast and odds are, they're the most reputable. Preparing in advance of the summer also gives you time to discuss with more and compare costs...especially if you want to possess the roof made by a specified date.

 

The Top Roofing Contractor In Vancouver!

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

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

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

YOUR Vancouver ROOF DESERVES NO LESS!

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

NEIGHBORS HELPING NEIGHBORS.

One reason Crown Roofing continues to be 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 that we were creating a roof to safeguard our own family. That's what neighbors do, and you will 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.

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

 

Tacoma Roofing company: Make your Home Beautiful

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

Your local Tacoma Roofer is knowledgeable how important a financial investment your property is for you personally, especially as it is a lasting one. Your home may have been damaged slowly through the years and you have to take steps to reduce this damage. For a lot of people, keeping their property beautiful is also a few pride. You will find those too who'd like to turn their property right into a cost effective and efficient living place. Your homes roof is an integral part of your house and contributes to each of the aspects mentioned above. For this reason, you need to employ the services of qualified a Tacoma Roofing contractors.

Kinds of Roofs installed by a Tacoma Roofer

Among the more prevalent kinds 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 all be easily looked after with a trusted Tacoma Roofer. It's imperative that you nip roof problems in the bud before they become too expensive or dangerous. You can schedule a scheduled appointment with the Tacoma Roofing contractor to take a look at your roof to determine if you will find any issues or potential problems with it. If there are, they might be in a position to tell you how to approach them.

A Tacoma Roofing company Helps to Build Strong Homes

The exteriors associated with a house, primarily the roof and gutters, face the onslaught of bitter and varying weather conditions, every single day. Painting, repairing, and cleaning gutters might be necessary. In some instances 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 might be, an experienced Tacoma Roofer can examine them in detail and suggest the remedy.

In case your gutters often clog all too often, or you will find leaks across the walls of your house, it might imply that there's debris piled-up on the top. Loose branches, piles of leaves, along with other light objects that are swept on your roof throughout a storm can all contribute towards damaging your homes roof, and these damages could be lasting. A knowledgeable Tacoma Roofing company will tell you that birds, mice, and other kinds of rodents often build nest in the debris that collects on the top. 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 home. Additionally, it may also cause vermin infestation. Following a storm, your Tacoma Roofer will claim that you inspect your roof for any signs of debris or damage.

Reverse Damages with the Help of a Tacoma Roofing contractor

However top quality the rooftop might be, it will eventually wear out over time. You will find shingles which are referred to as "25 year" or "30 year" shingles, but those numbers are only associated with warranty produced by the makers. They seldom last that long. Realistically speaking, "25 year" shingles won't last a lot more than a few years. In an area that is prone to storms, shingles or even the entire roof should get replaced every ten years. With a Tacoma Roofing company, the cost is going to 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 lead to indoor leaks, since the substrate from 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 build up under the adjoining shingles, which creates a "domino effect" that affects other shingles and they become loose or broken. A comprehensive investigation is going to be made by your local Tacoma Roofing company, should you call them up with your suspicions of loose or missing shingles.

Your Tacoma Roofing contractor come in a position to tell you what are the best option is for your roof. If your roof isn't in a good shape, it's advised you have it replaced completely. The Tacoma Roofing contractor can take you through the various roofing possibilities for you that will fit your requirements and your budget.

Tacoma Roofing company: Enhancing your Home's Efficiency

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

To begin with, inspect your roof thoroughly for just about any and all kind of damage, prior to the beginning of the year. The gutters ought to be clear, debris shouldn't be piled on or trapped under shingles, tthere shouldn't be homes of squirrels or birds within the eaves or attic, and the roof should be structurally sound. For that last part, you will need the assistance of your local Tacoma Roofing company. It may be quite dangerous to climb onto the roof of your house. This is where the contractor from Tacoma Roofing company comes in. He will 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 will be in a position to point towards problems that you have to keep close track of and problems you may not have spotted.

You'll need all of the assist you to can get in the Tacoma Roofing contractor. You can help your roof by installing a gutter guard or leaf cover to assist prevent debris from forming inside your gutters. The extra weight of debris prevents the gutters from draining and may even tear them down. Check the fasteners on your gutters and when they're loose, tighten them. Do something 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 can be recommended because of your Tacoma Roofing contractor, if there are any repairs to become done.

Tacoma Roofing contractor: Someone You are able to Rely on
In the event that you realize or suspect that there is a problem, your Tacoma Roofing company should be contacted. They can use their knowledge and expertise to obtain your home back in ace condition by simply working on the roof. Your homes roof deserves attention. So give them a call today, to enable them to conclude caring for your roof.

 

What is Difference 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 main one big difference is that often times an industrial roofing company may have signed an agreement with and become obligated to some roofing union in in a position to focus 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 a commercial roofing company has not signed a contract with a union they may be outfitted simply for commercial jobs and that means that their workers and equipment may not be consistent with smaller residential jobs.

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

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

Still one more factor is the fact that commercial jobs can operate on a tighter time period 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.

 

Distinction between Commercial Roofing and Residential Roofing

Are you aware that the roof of a building has a huge effect on the whole structure itself? Damage caused to roofs because of natural or other disasters leads to a considerable loss of property everywhere. The type of materials used to construct the roof that ought to be sturdy and long-lasting, the manner where the roof has been installed as well as its timely maintenance are extremely crucial. There are two types of roofs that are used on all the buildings that people see around us: commercial and residential. Although it may seem that commercial roofing is performed only for businesses or offices and residential roofing is performed for apartments and houses, the truth is the differences are much more complex than that.

Residential roofing is usually completed just by one hired contractor but commercial roofing usually takes an entire team to complete the job. This is because a commercial roof tends to be larger in terms of square feet than the usual residential roof.
Commercial roofs need to be made carefully keeping the character and reason for your building in mind. For instance, if there is a restaurant in the building then external components like ventilation systems, smoke stacks and pipes will be required. Residential roofs tend not to have such components apart from a chimney or two at most.
Commercial roofs is commonly flat in design to accommodate further changes in a later period, whereas most residential roofs have peaks along with other architectural features like roof gardens.
Commercial roofing is much more expensive than residential roofing due to the special tools, materials and safety equipment that are needed onsite. Usually the patching or maintenance jobs are completed in segments unlike for any residential roof in which the repair or replacement work could be completed in a short while. This is one more reason why the equipment used for residential roofs is often smaller and less costly too.
Commercial roof installations take a extended period to accomplish in comparison to residential roof installations and therefore are usually constructed in large sections. During this phase however, you should make sure that there are no leakages, cracks or any other visible deterioration signs as it can cause considerable damage to the entire building.
It is important to install the right roof for any building based on its purpose. Ensure that you hire a construction company that uses top notch materials and has the best equipment to do the job or your investment may turn out to be considered a huge loss later.

 

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

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

First of all , a business should do when it is searching for commercial roofing contractors is to discover who other businesses in the region are working through. Obviously, this information will not be helpful if it may come as a suggestion from competitors, but you will find circumstances in which it is not too hard to find this information from suppliers or retailers. Since roofing is not an industry-specific service, this information is readily available.

It's a good idea for just about any business to obtain touching at least three commercial roofing contractors to create bids on the price. In this way, the company can often obtain a better price. It is also important to make sure that each of the roofing contractors is licensed and bonded. These details are available by getting touching the state contractor's board. This also makes it possible to determine whether there has been any claims filed from 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 look at the total cost. The prices can differ quite drastically, but as tempting as it can be to go for the cheapest bid, this isn't always the best option. Oftentimes, more costs now means fewer costs over time due to an undesirable roofing job. To further investigate the caliber of the job, it is a wise decision to check using the Better Business Bureau in order to find out if the company has been accredited, and if it's not, to at least see what its rating is.

 

Selecting a Commercial Roofing Contractor

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

When you start your search for any roofing contractor not only do you need to answer those questions but you should also find someone which will do a high quality job with no great deal of time delays. Going about finding someone can feel like an obstacle in itself but there are some methods to make the search easier.

Ask people around you for referrals and try to find a minimum of three contractors to provide you with written bids in your job. Prior to going any further you have to make sure that the contractors you are thinking about are fully licensed and bonded. A simple search using the state contractor's board will verify in case your roofer is licensed and when there are any past judgments or claims against their license.

Once you select 3 or 4 roofers to place bids, you should prepare yourself for that bids to become widely varied. Roofers may have brand preferences which will vary and may factor in more or less than the next guy for a labor estimate. The greater detailed an itemized bid may be the more helpful it will be to focus on in which the cost are going to be incurred. Don't, however, select a roofer based solely on the bid price. Any low ball bids may be tempting to take, but when they're low because of poor quality workman ship it might not be worth it ultimately.

As they say, you generally get that which you purchase, so if you can afford a mid-priced bid it certainly is smart to increase in your price range rather than down. Additionally you ought to decide your roofer depending on how professional these were and how comfortable you anticipate you will be working with them.

Finally your cost will be different depending on which kind of roofing material you select as well as the cost to haul your old roof towards the landfill. Should you be looking for places to cut corners on your roof, instead of cutting labor cost you may want to ask about a metal roof option. Metal roofs can be economical and energy efficient making them overall money savers for that long term, as well as on commercial buildings they may be really low maintenance. Plus since they can be placed along with an existing roof, you don't need to have the old one removed and hauled away, that make a big effect on your cost.

Selecting a comerical roofing company nearer your home, doesn't have to be a struggle. To learn more, visit http://www.vancouverroofers.net