A compelling online presence is a requirement for many industries, and environmental engineering is no exception. In fact, this statement made as much sense 10 years ago as it does today. Considering the rapid growth of social networking, mobile connectivity, and Cloud-based computing, engineering firms in all disciplines need to take the steps to properly brand their company online lest they run the risk of being an also-ran in their industry sector.

Let’s take a look at four easy ways to give your environmental engineering firm an online brand that gets noticed.

A LinkedIn Company Page is a Must

While LinkedIn is the dominant social network for individual professionals, companies and organizations are also able to set up their own LinkedIn pages. This is a great opportunity to gain additional publicity and networking for your company. Have members of your management team write articles on the site to position themselves and your organization as thought leaders in the world of environmental engineering.

Don’t Skimp on the Graphic Design

Spend extra resources on creating a company logo that gets your firm noticed. Leverage that design to re-architect the look and feel of your organization’s website. Remember that your website is still a vital aspect of your company’s online presence.

Don’t forget the Other Social Networks

While LinkedIn remains the most important social network for professionals, your company also needs a presence on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. An online marketing strategy must take advantage of the synergies between all four leading social networks. Sharing posts made on LinkedIn with your followers on the other networks extends their effectiveness.

Leverage Smart Usage of SEO

Smart use of search-engine optimization techniques helps to increase the reach of any posts and articles made by your company — anywhere on the Internet. Consider adding a blog to your website to provide more opportunities for potential customers to find your organization.

Expanding your company’s online brand is vital for your ultimate success. A competent and engaged workforce also plays a role. Talk to the engineering recruiting experts at The Talley Group for your staffing needs. As one of the top engineering staffing companies in Seattle, with a great supply of both Seattle engineering jobs and talented candidates, they can help ensure your organization’s success.

When one thinks of the traditional wind turbines for wind energy production, the image includes a towering massive structure, taller than the downtown skyscrapers. It has been essential to put these gigantic turbines in areas with much open space, in order to maximize the output in relation to the set up costs.

Up until now, vast stretches of rural farmland or urban wastelands have housed windmills, with sometimes hundreds of them placed creating turbine farms. The owners of these areas receive great incentives and rebates from the government for their efforts.

Now, several companies have created smaller turbines that could possibly even fit in our backyards. These turbines could work to power homes, farms and smaller businesses. The Small Wind Certification Council (SWCC) has approved two small wind turbines with more approvals coming.

The national certification process will generate sales of more of these turbines because now an everyday homeowner will be able to receive the same rebates and financial incentives as those wind turbine farmers. And whereas an older style large windmill cost over $60,000 to install, the investment in a smaller turbine will be more accessible to many.

In order to get certified the SWCC has to review the engineering design. The council looks at the mechanical engineering of the aerodynamics of the blades, and tests them in extreme conditions. These structures need to hold up after many years of pounding winds and weather, which can lead to corrosion.

The first two models to be certified are the Bergey Windpower Excel 10 and the Southwest Windpower Skystream 3.7. The Bergey has been around since the 1980s, and has endured much testing, so it was not difficult to provide certification for this wind turbine.

In order to test the turbines, much attention needs to be paid to the mechanical engineering simulations. The tests being done for the larger blades can also benefit the smaller turbine creators. The National Science Foundation has funded research including a virtual test environment where turbines can be tested through real, extreme weather condition simulations. These are looked at through a high-performance supercomputer platform.

This research will be essential in determining the design challenges for the next generation of these impactful turbines.

Contact The Talley Group for the latest positions in mechanical engineering and wind turbine technologies.