So often government statistical sites are rich in data but hard to navigate and decipher. No longer can this be said for Eurostat, the official compiler and publisher of just about all things statistical for the European Union, with the release of Statistics Explained.

Using a Wiki-type platform, Statistics Explained makes European data more easily accessible and understandable, with charts and graphs along with any background needed for understanding the numbers, links to related information, and a glossary of terms.

Statistics Explained currently features over 700 articles. To find the information you need, browse by statistical theme, category, or use the search engine.

It's rare that a website can successfully fill the needs of both novices and expert users, but

BrowserShots lets you virtually look over the shoulder of your website visitors, any of whom may be using a different web browser and operating system. These differences can have an impact on their experience with your brand.

Submit your web address, choose your screenshot options, then wait a few moments while the system works its magic. You'll be presented with screenshots of your web page as it appears on the browser(s) you selected.

You can select the specific operating systems and browser versions you want to test (from over 80 choices). You can also specify special settings such as screen size (width), color depth (bits per pixel), Java enabled/disabled, Javascript enabled/disabled/version, or Flash enabled/disabled/version.

Handy when you want to verify your website appears as you planned -- even for a visitor without the latest and greatest in operating systems or web browsers -- Browsershots.org can find a place in any DIY web designer's toolbox.

Where can you find a greenhouse gas report and tools on consumer spending trends all in one place? Try the Conference Board. The Conference Board is an independent membership organization that “publishes information and analysis, makes economics-based forecasts and assesses trends, and facilitates learning by creating dynamic communities of interest.”

Its programs include: CEO/C-Suite, Citizenship & Sustainability, Economics, Human Resources, Leadership Development, Risk Management, and more. Each program includes relevant news, reports, and tools. For example, you can download the greenhouse gas report from the Citizenship & Sustainability program, or use tools to find consumer spending trends in the Marketing program.

While some content requires purchase, there is a large quantity of free content offered by The Conference Board. To check it out, visit http://www.conference-board.org/.

Use the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE) to identify state, local, utility, and federal incentives and policies that promote renewable energy and energy efficiency. DSIRE is actually two databases – one on renewable energy and one on energy efficiency – that you can search individually or simultaneously. There’s also a section with information on federal incentives.

You can find incentives using an interactive map, or use DSIRE’s summary maps or summary tables. Summary maps include grant programs for renewables, loan programs for renewables, rebate programs for renewables, PACE financing, and more. Summary tables include financial incentives for renewable energy, financial incentives for energy efficiency, and rules, regulations and policies for both.

There is also a library of reports, technical papers, and articles authored by DSIRE staff. To access the incentive maps, tables, and reports, visit DSIRE at http://www.dsireusa.org/.

If you’ve got long URLs that you’d really like to share, use bit.ly to shorten them first. bit.ly is a simple URL shortener that also allows you to share media files (i.e., photo or video) by uploading them to the site.

Just paste any long link into the box on bit.ly and click shorten. Better yet, sign up for a free account to get real-time statistics and a complete history for your bit.ly links, as well as set up your saved preferences.

bit.ly offers a number of tools, such as bit.ly twitter search, sidebar bookmarklet, browser extensions, a blog, and more. You can even sign up for a pro version of the service if you desire additional functionality and customization. Visit http://bit.ly/ and try it today.

You’re the Boss: The Art of Running a Small Business, from the New York Times, is a collection of resources to assist you with your small business.

Resources include articles and columns, a toolkit, guides, multimedia, case studies, and a small business advisor section organized by topic.  There’s even a business plan competition list that’s regularly updated with business plan competitions and related events.

To use these resources, visit You’re the Boss: The Art of Running a Small Business online at http://www.nytimes.com/pages/business/smallbusiness/index.html.

If you’re looking for a powerful online mapping tool, use PolicyMap to “capture data in visually powerful ways through custom maps, tables, and reports.”

Users can create and save data maps for their area(s) of interest, including neighborhoods, zip codes, cities, states, and more. Users can also create tables to compare data across locations or to study data over time, or they can create reports about specific geographies or locations.

PolicyMap is available at various subscription levels. There’s a free level, as well as standard, premium, and even student subscription levels. The free level includes datasets such as Census, Postal Service, FBI’s city crime rates, County Business Patterns, HUD, and more. Find out more about this innovative geographic information system at http://www.policymap.com/.

Use the Career Guide to Industries to find information on occupations, training and advancement, earnings, job prospects, and more for dozens of industries.

Search by topic using the “Search CGI” box available on every page, browse the industry links provided on the left navigation bar, or see a list of all industries at http://www.bls.gov/oco/cg/cgindex.htm. You can also access links to information about the job market in each state at http://www.bls.gov/oco/cg/cgjobout.htm.

The Career Guide to Industries is a companion to the Occupational Outlook Handbook; both publications are provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

If you’re looking for a source of education-related statistics, visit the Institute of Education Sciences’ National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).

NCES is part of the U.S. Department of Education and the Institute of Education Sciences. It is the primary organization that collects, analyzes, and reports on education-related data in the United States. NCES reports complete statistics on the condition of American education and education activities internationally.

In addition to education statistics, NCES also provides other tools, such as the ability to search for schools, colleges, and libraries, or use the college navigator to identify schools that best meet the user’s criteria. You can access NCES at http://nces.ed.gov/.