Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2009 Bob Fischer
After decades of neglect, the environment is starting to receive the attention it deserves, and with good reason. As a result, some homeowners are choosing to implement green designs into their kitchens, especially since the kitchen can use a lot of energy through appliances that constantly run and water that regularly drips.
Here are several tips for each category in your kitchen so that you can choose a green decorating scheme based on your needs and budget.
Green Appliances and Water Saving Technology
Energy Star appliances are getting a lot of attention, and with today's range of options and price ranges, upgrading your older appliances for more energy efficient options is viable. Energy Star appliances use anywhere from 10 to 50 percent less energy.
Don't overlook your kitchen faucet as a potential source of water-conservation. Especially if your budget doesn't include new appliances, consider choosing a kitchen faucet with an aerator. You'll have the same water pressure with less volume. A recirculation pump will keep your hot water in your tap, meaning no running the water for up to a minute waiting for hot water.
Big-Ticket Items Going Green
Cabinets and countertops are seminal components that affect the look of your kitchen. If you are considering the possibility of refacing your current cabinets, one popular option is choosing a hardwood that wasn't finished with urea-formaldehyde, which emits harmful gasses. You can also choose green materials such as wheatboard that is finished with nontoxic products.
Recycled quartz countertops are the most popular green option, and are engineered by DuPont, CaesarStone, Silestone, Zodiaq and IceStone. These recycled quartz countertops are antimicrobial, mold and heat resistant. They offer a wide range of color options with good color depth and a hint of sparkle that will complement any kitchen.
Green Underfoot
If you are considering updating your kitchen flooring, before you go the laminate flooring route, do some research into green options such as cork flooring, linoleum and bamboo or reclaimed hardwood. Bamboo is popular because it's easily renewable and has been improved to be more durable as well as to stand up better to moisture. Cork is environmentally friendly and you'll have a many options for color, just make sure you like the texture and look before committing.
Because linoleum is made from linseed oil, rosin and wood flour, it's durable and environmentally friendly to produce. If you are set on tile, consider purchasing recycled tile that was well preserved, perhaps a terra cotta for a warm, rustic look.
Don't Throw That Away!
Whether you are updating your entire kitchen or just several items, don't overlook how you dispose of the items you're replacing. After all, throwing your current appliances into the landfill won't justify buying Energy Star appliances. Instead, either sell or donate your used appliances (if in working condition). This way, someone else will reuse them and this will prevent them from clogging a landfill. The same goes for replacing cabinets and even countertops. If you're taking down your cabinets, take pictures first and try and sell the lot or donate to your local home improvement charity that will reuse your materials, such as Habitat for Humanity. This way, you'll have done your part for the environment.
About the Author:
Bob Fischer writes for Kitchen Designs Remodeling and he covers diverse topics such as kitchen design ideas and also various other components of kitchen design. Learn more at: http://www.KitchenDesignsRemodeling.com/
Read more of Bob Fischer's articles.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Kitchen Nightmares and Disasters
Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2009 Bob Fischer
We've collected some of the most prevalent kitchen nightmare topics and have compiled them into a list, for your viewing pleasure. Hopefully they will serve as useful information to help you avoid kitchen disasters.
1. "I installed my kitchen cabinets, after I put in my marble countertops. A row of cabinets accidentally fell on the marble, badly cracking countertop!"
2. "I had a great new years party, felt lazy and didn't want to clean up. Left opened bottles and glasses of wine on white marble countertop overnight; thought it was stain proof."
3. "My husband was away on an extended business trip and I decided to surprise him by replacing our outdated cabinets. In the demolition process, my contractor came across a hiden stash of videos, which changed my whole perspective on my husband."
4. "We were installing a center island in our kitchen, until a weak flooring structure and studs decided that the basement would be a better place."
5. "I bought what I thought was Absolute Black granite countertops until a few weeks later, I noticed that my hands contained black paint after leaning on the counter."
6. "We paid our contractor 50% upfront for our new kitchen makeover, and after showing up for the first week, we never saw him again."
7. "We decided to hold my daughter's wedding reception at our home, and no sooner had I placed the massive wedding cake (which took two days to prepare) on the kitchen table, when the chandelier fell directly on the center. There was cake everywhere, it was completely ruined."
8. "I love big bay windows, and I've always wanted one in my kitchen. We installed one last year that covers most of our kitchen wall, and which overlooks our neighbor's pretty yard. We spent most of our time in the kitchen and it's very lovely, especially in the morning when many types of birds gather and frolic. But my dream turned into a nightmare recently when our neighbor, who is in his mid sixties, single and morbidly obese decided to put in a large hot tub in the back yard. Last month, he started hosting hot tub parties, which now appear to be happening every weekend. At about the same time, I started having really bad nightmares, which haven't stopped."
9. "We decided to paint the walls of our kitchen this year, and hired our babysitter's brother, who is very handy and an excellent painter. Unfortunately, he also supplements his income by walking dogs in the neighborhood, which he decided to do while on our project. Somehow no less than four dogs escaped his clutches and decided to take a thorough tour of our large home. Salmon-colored dog prints littered every nook and cranny of our house for days afterwards."
10. "When it came to ordering our flooring, I decided on wood and asked our contractor, an immigrant with a heavy accent, to look into wood flooring options for us." The next day we have 400 square feet of wool carpeting stacked outside our kitchen. He thought we said "wool."
About the Author:
Bob Fischer is a contributor for Kitchen Designs Remodeling who covers topics such as kitchen designs and also delves into the artistry of capturing compelling kitchen pictures. Learn more at http://www.kitchendesignsremodeling.com/
Read more Articles written by Bob Fischer.
Copyright © 2009 Bob Fischer
We've collected some of the most prevalent kitchen nightmare topics and have compiled them into a list, for your viewing pleasure. Hopefully they will serve as useful information to help you avoid kitchen disasters.
1. "I installed my kitchen cabinets, after I put in my marble countertops. A row of cabinets accidentally fell on the marble, badly cracking countertop!"
2. "I had a great new years party, felt lazy and didn't want to clean up. Left opened bottles and glasses of wine on white marble countertop overnight; thought it was stain proof."
3. "My husband was away on an extended business trip and I decided to surprise him by replacing our outdated cabinets. In the demolition process, my contractor came across a hiden stash of videos, which changed my whole perspective on my husband."
4. "We were installing a center island in our kitchen, until a weak flooring structure and studs decided that the basement would be a better place."
5. "I bought what I thought was Absolute Black granite countertops until a few weeks later, I noticed that my hands contained black paint after leaning on the counter."
6. "We paid our contractor 50% upfront for our new kitchen makeover, and after showing up for the first week, we never saw him again."
7. "We decided to hold my daughter's wedding reception at our home, and no sooner had I placed the massive wedding cake (which took two days to prepare) on the kitchen table, when the chandelier fell directly on the center. There was cake everywhere, it was completely ruined."
8. "I love big bay windows, and I've always wanted one in my kitchen. We installed one last year that covers most of our kitchen wall, and which overlooks our neighbor's pretty yard. We spent most of our time in the kitchen and it's very lovely, especially in the morning when many types of birds gather and frolic. But my dream turned into a nightmare recently when our neighbor, who is in his mid sixties, single and morbidly obese decided to put in a large hot tub in the back yard. Last month, he started hosting hot tub parties, which now appear to be happening every weekend. At about the same time, I started having really bad nightmares, which haven't stopped."
9. "We decided to paint the walls of our kitchen this year, and hired our babysitter's brother, who is very handy and an excellent painter. Unfortunately, he also supplements his income by walking dogs in the neighborhood, which he decided to do while on our project. Somehow no less than four dogs escaped his clutches and decided to take a thorough tour of our large home. Salmon-colored dog prints littered every nook and cranny of our house for days afterwards."
10. "When it came to ordering our flooring, I decided on wood and asked our contractor, an immigrant with a heavy accent, to look into wood flooring options for us." The next day we have 400 square feet of wool carpeting stacked outside our kitchen. He thought we said "wool."
About the Author:
Bob Fischer is a contributor for Kitchen Designs Remodeling who covers topics such as kitchen designs and also delves into the artistry of capturing compelling kitchen pictures. Learn more at http://www.kitchendesignsremodeling.com/
Read more Articles written by Bob Fischer.
5 Tips for Planning a Staycation
Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2009 Laurel Vespi
Taking all of your vacation days is an important component of your peak performance at home and work. Vacations allow you to disconnect from your regular routine and then return rested and rejuvenated. If money or time is tight, a staycation is a great alternative to a traditional vacation. A staycation is simply a vacation taken at home. Following a few simple tips, you can enjoy the benefits of a holiday without having to pack your suitcase.
Here are 5 tips to make your staycation a success:
1. Be Enthusiastic
Your attitude about a staycation is critical to its success. If you are thinking that it is a second class version of the "real thing", then you will likely be somewhat unsatisfied with the experience. Decide what you want the focus of your staycation to be: relaxation, adventure, recreation, culture. Ask yourself what you want to get out of your time off. Consider what you like best about a traditional vacation and include that aspect in your planning.
2. Plan Your Itinerary
Lack of planning is one of the biggest reasons people are disappointed with a staycation. Think about the amount of planning that goes into a traditional vacation. Put the same amount of energy into planning this time off. Create an itinerary. Decide what activities you'd like to do, local attractions you might like to visit, or events you might like to attend.
3. Prepare Ahead
Lack of preparation is the other big reason people find staycations disappointing. The important thing to avoid is blurring the lines between regular household chores and your time off. Be strict about not picking away at your list of undone house jobs. Just like a traditional vacation, take care of tasks around the house ahead of time: tidy things up, stock up the refrigerator if you'll be eating at home, do the laundry.
4. Unplug From Work
The best way to get a break from work is to actually take a break, so unplug from the office during your staycation. Tell people you are going on holidays, create an absence message for your voicemail and email, leave your blackberry in the drawer. These suggestions apply to traditional vacations as well!
5. Treat It Like A Vacation
Approach your staycation in the same way you would a traditional vacation. Plan a start and end date. Take photos. Try new things. Visit different restaurants.
About the Author:
Laurel Vespi, certified life coach is best known as a masterful coach and sought after public speaker. She's passionate about teaching people how to stop waiting and start living a fun, satisfying and on fire life. Get Laurel's FREE report on Blissful Living at: http://www.stonecirclecoaching.com
Read more of Laurel Vespi's articles.
Copyright © 2009 Laurel Vespi
Taking all of your vacation days is an important component of your peak performance at home and work. Vacations allow you to disconnect from your regular routine and then return rested and rejuvenated. If money or time is tight, a staycation is a great alternative to a traditional vacation. A staycation is simply a vacation taken at home. Following a few simple tips, you can enjoy the benefits of a holiday without having to pack your suitcase.
Here are 5 tips to make your staycation a success:
1. Be Enthusiastic
Your attitude about a staycation is critical to its success. If you are thinking that it is a second class version of the "real thing", then you will likely be somewhat unsatisfied with the experience. Decide what you want the focus of your staycation to be: relaxation, adventure, recreation, culture. Ask yourself what you want to get out of your time off. Consider what you like best about a traditional vacation and include that aspect in your planning.
2. Plan Your Itinerary
Lack of planning is one of the biggest reasons people are disappointed with a staycation. Think about the amount of planning that goes into a traditional vacation. Put the same amount of energy into planning this time off. Create an itinerary. Decide what activities you'd like to do, local attractions you might like to visit, or events you might like to attend.
3. Prepare Ahead
Lack of preparation is the other big reason people find staycations disappointing. The important thing to avoid is blurring the lines between regular household chores and your time off. Be strict about not picking away at your list of undone house jobs. Just like a traditional vacation, take care of tasks around the house ahead of time: tidy things up, stock up the refrigerator if you'll be eating at home, do the laundry.
4. Unplug From Work
The best way to get a break from work is to actually take a break, so unplug from the office during your staycation. Tell people you are going on holidays, create an absence message for your voicemail and email, leave your blackberry in the drawer. These suggestions apply to traditional vacations as well!
5. Treat It Like A Vacation
Approach your staycation in the same way you would a traditional vacation. Plan a start and end date. Take photos. Try new things. Visit different restaurants.
About the Author:
Laurel Vespi, certified life coach is best known as a masterful coach and sought after public speaker. She's passionate about teaching people how to stop waiting and start living a fun, satisfying and on fire life. Get Laurel's FREE report on Blissful Living at: http://www.stonecirclecoaching.com
Read more of Laurel Vespi's articles.
Don't Destroy Your Online Marketing Results with Bad Website Design
Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2009 Paul Marshall
So, you've embarked on a search engine advertising program, maybe even SEO. Whether you're doing this on your own or using an online marketing consulting firm, there are key points to become aware of.
If you miss these, you won't increase conversions.
What good is a Number 1 organic search engine ranking or AdWords ad listing, if you don't have increased sales or if you don't generate more sales leads?
Too often, we get all focused about the Internet marketing -- the ads, the offer -- that we don't think the whole process through step-by-step and consider the experience our website visitors will be having.
If we did, we'd be thinking "big picture" and we would head off some of these potential problems before they occur.
Overcoming Your Website Visitors Anxiety
When people come to our website it's natural for them to feel anxiety. After all, look at all the cr*p on the Internet today, all the too-good-to-be-true products and services.
But when you and I offer REAL products or services, we have to overcome that concern, even if we're treating our site visitors fairly and not making outrageous claims.
So, how can you overcome these anxieties?
1. Offer more than a 1-page website. Credible companies have multi-page websites, including Privacy Policy, Terms of Use | Service and About Us pages.
They also have more than 1 page about their products or services.
I'm surprised by the number of 1-page websites I see from companies using infomercials to advertise their products. Often, they have the purchase form right on their home page, their only page (and often their page isn't secured for credit card ordering).
Websites that are only 1-page don't seem credible. And having the purchase form right on the home page comes across as very pushy!
Doesn't this type of site seem all about the company and NOT about their customers? Why would we want to buy from that type of company?
What kind of online marketing consulting firm did these companies use...or did they use any??
2. Next to any sign up or contact form buttons clearly state that you don't sell your customers' private information and link to your Privacy Policy page.
3. Effectively communicate what your Value Proposition is, also called your Unique Selling Proposition. If you don't know why someone should buy your product or service versus your competitors', now is the time to figure it out. (And by the way, based on my experience, if you don't know this, you're not alone, by any means.)
But our websites have to be about more than just us. They have to be about our visitors. What's in it for THEM, to do business with us? What unique voids in the marketplace can we fill?
As a Small Business Owner, Personally Relate to Your Site Visitors and Communicate Directly with Them
People don't buy from websites, they buy from people! So, how can you apply this to your own website?
1. For many small businesses and solo proprietorships, their website text should speak to your visitors directly in first person.
This should be written from the voice of the Owner or President. They shouldn't use third person, institutional-sounding language, getting rid of "we" and "our", using "I" instead, speaking first person, in an actual conversation. Don't try to sound like you're Microsoft!
And while your at it, be careful about overuse of words about you...whether "I", or those words, "we", "our" or "us".
Check out the WeWe calculator (Google: wewe calculator). Make sure to focus on customer-focused words and NOT on words about you or your company.
2. Include your picture on your Web pages.
For a larger small business trying to make that personal connection with their website visitors, try the idea used by the nutritional supplement company Lumina. (Google: Lumina Health Contact Us)
In this execution, notice how Lumina gets you to relate to their customer service department. I still remember it was John I spoke with and that's been over 1 year ago that I called them!
Again, people buy from other people, not from websites.
For us as small businesses, why should we sound large, pretending to be something we aren't? And why should we run from our advantage of being small: low overhead, friendly, personal service and accountability, among other advantages.
Make Each Step in Your Marketing a Smooth Handoff from One Step to Another
Whether you're using AdWords, SEO, or both, make sure your title and description matches the experience your website visitor will have when they come to your landing page.
Quite often when I'm Coaching my small business owner clients or performing online marketing consulting, I find the wording for their organic listing or AdWords ad says one thing and their landing page says something that doesn't sound the same.
This causes confusion is the best case scenario. In the worst case, it causes a lack of trust. Dangerous!
We should understand our products or services. And we know what we want our visitors to do on our site.
Our potential customers may not understand either. We need to think like them, when we explain what we have to offer them and how to use our website to take advantage of what we have to offer.
And when "shifting" from one page to another, we need to hand-off from one page to another naturally and smoothly, like a car with a smooth automatic transmission.
Don't advertise one offer in AdWords or organic search, only to have your landing page sound like it was written for another advertising offer. I see this problem a lot!
Often times, having an affordable online marketing consulting firm reviewing what you're doing can offer easy, inexpensive fixes that can yield big improvements in your search engine advertising and SEO conversions.
Your Action Plan
Let's review what we've talked about.
First, overcome visitors anxieties by offering a multi-page website which answers questions about your company and your services or products, while inspiring confidence in your company. Effectively communicate your Value Proposition.
Second, personally relate to your site visitors. Avoid using the wrong words that may put off your site visitors. Use your picture on your Web pages.
Third, hand-off from one page on your website and one step in your selling process to another smoothly and naturally. We should understand what we want our site visitors to do, but they won't unless we make the process really clear.
Whether your using an online marketing consulting firm or doing the work yourself, if you take these steps, your search engine optimization | advertising plan will convert at a MUCH higher rate, when you take these steps.
About the Author:
Marketing online since 2004, Paul Marshall can help you market on a budget. He's an Online Marketing Consulting expert offering marketing services (and d-i-y Coaching). You can learn more about Paul on his Internet Marketing LinkedIn profile and at Strategic Web Marketing.net.
Copyright © 2009 Paul Marshall
So, you've embarked on a search engine advertising program, maybe even SEO. Whether you're doing this on your own or using an online marketing consulting firm, there are key points to become aware of.
If you miss these, you won't increase conversions.
What good is a Number 1 organic search engine ranking or AdWords ad listing, if you don't have increased sales or if you don't generate more sales leads?
Too often, we get all focused about the Internet marketing -- the ads, the offer -- that we don't think the whole process through step-by-step and consider the experience our website visitors will be having.
If we did, we'd be thinking "big picture" and we would head off some of these potential problems before they occur.
Overcoming Your Website Visitors Anxiety
When people come to our website it's natural for them to feel anxiety. After all, look at all the cr*p on the Internet today, all the too-good-to-be-true products and services.
But when you and I offer REAL products or services, we have to overcome that concern, even if we're treating our site visitors fairly and not making outrageous claims.
So, how can you overcome these anxieties?
1. Offer more than a 1-page website. Credible companies have multi-page websites, including Privacy Policy, Terms of Use | Service and About Us pages.
They also have more than 1 page about their products or services.
I'm surprised by the number of 1-page websites I see from companies using infomercials to advertise their products. Often, they have the purchase form right on their home page, their only page (and often their page isn't secured for credit card ordering).
Websites that are only 1-page don't seem credible. And having the purchase form right on the home page comes across as very pushy!
Doesn't this type of site seem all about the company and NOT about their customers? Why would we want to buy from that type of company?
What kind of online marketing consulting firm did these companies use...or did they use any??
2. Next to any sign up or contact form buttons clearly state that you don't sell your customers' private information and link to your Privacy Policy page.
3. Effectively communicate what your Value Proposition is, also called your Unique Selling Proposition. If you don't know why someone should buy your product or service versus your competitors', now is the time to figure it out. (And by the way, based on my experience, if you don't know this, you're not alone, by any means.)
But our websites have to be about more than just us. They have to be about our visitors. What's in it for THEM, to do business with us? What unique voids in the marketplace can we fill?
As a Small Business Owner, Personally Relate to Your Site Visitors and Communicate Directly with Them
People don't buy from websites, they buy from people! So, how can you apply this to your own website?
1. For many small businesses and solo proprietorships, their website text should speak to your visitors directly in first person.
This should be written from the voice of the Owner or President. They shouldn't use third person, institutional-sounding language, getting rid of "we" and "our", using "I" instead, speaking first person, in an actual conversation. Don't try to sound like you're Microsoft!
And while your at it, be careful about overuse of words about you...whether "I", or those words, "we", "our" or "us".
Check out the WeWe calculator (Google: wewe calculator). Make sure to focus on customer-focused words and NOT on words about you or your company.
2. Include your picture on your Web pages.
For a larger small business trying to make that personal connection with their website visitors, try the idea used by the nutritional supplement company Lumina. (Google: Lumina Health Contact Us)
In this execution, notice how Lumina gets you to relate to their customer service department. I still remember it was John I spoke with and that's been over 1 year ago that I called them!
Again, people buy from other people, not from websites.
For us as small businesses, why should we sound large, pretending to be something we aren't? And why should we run from our advantage of being small: low overhead, friendly, personal service and accountability, among other advantages.
Make Each Step in Your Marketing a Smooth Handoff from One Step to Another
Whether you're using AdWords, SEO, or both, make sure your title and description matches the experience your website visitor will have when they come to your landing page.
Quite often when I'm Coaching my small business owner clients or performing online marketing consulting, I find the wording for their organic listing or AdWords ad says one thing and their landing page says something that doesn't sound the same.
This causes confusion is the best case scenario. In the worst case, it causes a lack of trust. Dangerous!
We should understand our products or services. And we know what we want our visitors to do on our site.
Our potential customers may not understand either. We need to think like them, when we explain what we have to offer them and how to use our website to take advantage of what we have to offer.
And when "shifting" from one page to another, we need to hand-off from one page to another naturally and smoothly, like a car with a smooth automatic transmission.
Don't advertise one offer in AdWords or organic search, only to have your landing page sound like it was written for another advertising offer. I see this problem a lot!
Often times, having an affordable online marketing consulting firm reviewing what you're doing can offer easy, inexpensive fixes that can yield big improvements in your search engine advertising and SEO conversions.
Your Action Plan
Let's review what we've talked about.
First, overcome visitors anxieties by offering a multi-page website which answers questions about your company and your services or products, while inspiring confidence in your company. Effectively communicate your Value Proposition.
Second, personally relate to your site visitors. Avoid using the wrong words that may put off your site visitors. Use your picture on your Web pages.
Third, hand-off from one page on your website and one step in your selling process to another smoothly and naturally. We should understand what we want our site visitors to do, but they won't unless we make the process really clear.
Whether your using an online marketing consulting firm or doing the work yourself, if you take these steps, your search engine optimization | advertising plan will convert at a MUCH higher rate, when you take these steps.
About the Author:
Marketing online since 2004, Paul Marshall can help you market on a budget. He's an Online Marketing Consulting expert offering marketing services (and d-i-y Coaching). You can learn more about Paul on his Internet Marketing LinkedIn profile and at Strategic Web Marketing.net.
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