Most consumers agree that they can “make a positive difference by purchasing products from socially or environmentally responsible companies,” according to a report from the Center for Media Research. Yet 1 in 4 say they can’t tell if a product is green or whether the product lives up to its claims. A news site or blog can provide links and tools to help consumers find information and verify environmental green claims.
Becoming a one-stop, localized green resource for your community of readers is a smart move, and one that is likely to be “sticky” and keep readers coming back.
Start with links to Underwriters Laboratories Go Green site and the USDA’s Alternative Farming Systems Information Center, for example. Add sites like these to your site’s linkroll (list of links in a sidebar): the Energy Star.gov site or widget (more about widgets in a minute); the USDA organic seal on food and cosmetics; the Green Seal (or in Canada, EcoLogo) on household cleaning products; and the Forest Stewardship Council logo on wood and paper products, and you add value for your readers. These sites are national or global in scope, so you also need to localize some site features.
Widgets can help localize site features, like a map or calculator, for example. A widget is a bit of computer code, a mini-program, that is “embedded” into the code of an existing site. With or without a programmer, you can add widgets to your site. Search for “green widgets,” choose one that fits your community of readers, copy the “embed code” into your site’s code, and you’ve added a customizable feature to your site. A widget might let a user search a large database by ZIP code, for example, giving each user a custom list of green recyclers near her home.
If you’ve embedded a video, you can embed a widget. Most blogging software lets you add widgets with ease. Widipedia has a green widget gallery and Widgetbox.com has a Green Channel with descriptions and links to widgets you can embed on any site. Be selective with these, because widgets are like statistics. They can lie or mislead, depending on their input. Some sites provide “make your own widget” wizards if you like to “do it yourself.”
Localize content for your readers with maps of where to buy biodiesel or where to find environmentally friendly lodging in your area or when they travel. With a basic knowledge of HTML you can make custom Google maps for your site like this one from the Richmond Food Collective. The importance of local search grows as online search becomes the preferred way to “let your fingers do the walking” for many people.
The consumer survey also found that 67 percent of consumers purchase green products even in hard economic times. Over half will pay more for a green version of a product. Create a “shopping list” that shows where green items are available locally. Work with local merchants to advertise green products and offer coupons on your site, a potential source of revenue.
Green calculators are available from the National Wildlife organization, Green Electronics, and other sites. Green Printer Blog provides widgets for business owners. These tools let a business measure and improve an organization’s sustainability bottom line.
With Earth Day approaching, create conversations with your community of readers by encouraging them to submit locations for maps, links, photos and recipes. Plant the features on your site for Earth Day. Nurture them year round to grow your audience.
