The Importance of Wearing the Correct Bra Size

Introduction

Over the years as I matured my bra size increased, particularly after having babies. Before that I was a size 34 bust, but after giving birth I went up in size. After menopause my bust size increased again and I found my normal bra did not fit me anymore. One day I took the plunge and went into my local underwear store and had myself properly fitted and measured. To my shock I discovered I was no where near the size I thought I was. The statistics from research carried out suggests that 70% of women are wearing the wrong bra size and many of these women have never actually been measured at all and so simply buy what they assume to be their size.

What most women do not realise is that a ill fitting bra can affect their health and well being. If for instance the bra is the wrong size it might cause severe back and shoulder pain with the constant resistance to the pressure on those areas of the body. As in the example above, bust size and shape will alter with variations of weight and hormonal change. This in turn will require a change in bra size. Because a woman’s shape may be in a constant state of flux, regular fittings about every 6 months are highly recommended. But if that does not happen then it is best to be fitted every time a new bra is purchased to ensure that you get the correct size.

To Find the Correct Bra Size

The best way to check that you are wearing the correct size bra is to go to a shop or store that offers a professional bra fitting service. A specially trained fitter will measure you to work out your correct size. The method used is to take a tape measure and place it underneath the bust and around the rib cage so that it feels secure but not uncomfortable. If the number measured in inches is an even number you add four, if it is an odd number you add five to give you your bra band size.

Once the band size is established the next measurement to find is the cup size. This is done by placing the tape measure over the fullest part of the bust and around the back all at the same level. Again this should be firm but not too tight. Your cup size is the difference between the two measurements. For example if your bust size is the same as your bra band size you are an A cup, a 1 inch difference = B cup, 2 inches = C cup, 3 inches = D cup and so on. All measurements taken are really only used as a guide to bra size because bras size can vary greatly from manufacturers to manufacturers. Sometimes a very experienced trained professional can judge your bra size by eye and will not need to use a tape measure. Because women vary so greatly in shape and size it is not only the size of bra that is important, but also the type of support required and distribution of weight. A trained fitter will be able to offer you advice on the correct type of bra to suit your needs. Then there are support bras for exercise and strapless bras and corset bras for evening gowns etc, the list is endless.

If you don’t have yourself professionally measured then you could be compromising on a comfortable and correct fitting big bra fit.

Tips for ensuring correct bra fit:-

• If you find that your bra rides up your back it may be because it has stretched. Try tightening the bra with the hook and eye clasp or buying a smaller band size (32 instead of 34).
• If the opposite is the case and your bra is too tight try another band size up or even a bra that has a wider band fitting. You can get extra hooks to fit on the end of your current bra that will ease the tightness under the bust.
• Bulging sides can be remedied by wearing a bra that offers more cup coverage or is one band size bigger. 
• If you find that your bust is bulging out of the cups then you will probably need a larger cup or band size. (Unless of course that is the fashion statement you are aiming for!)
• For ladies who have larger busts, a bra with wider shoulder straps or even padded ones will give relief from sore shoulders.
• A sagging bust line can be overcome by choosing a bra that offers firmer support and avoiding stretchy fabrics. 
• An under-wired bra may give problems with soreness under the bust if not correctly fitted. In which some ladies prefer to wear a non-wired soft cup bra.
• Straps that slip usually mean they are too long so they can be shortened to resolve the problem. Otherwise choose a bra style with wider straps that will not slip down or buy a bra clasp to hold the straps together at the back

The Prevalence of Cancer

According to Cancer Research UK, breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in the UK and around 125 women a day are diagnosed with this particular form of cancer. Breast cancer rates have increased by 13% over the last ten years and one in nine women will develop breast cancer at some point in their lives. This may be due to the national screening programme, but early detection is vital for a good prognosis. Survival rates of five years or more after treatment is 80% and that means that there are a large number of women who require specialist bras especially after surgery.

As a result of the increased rates of breast cancer and manufacturers looking to specialise in new markets, the range of stylish Mastectomy bras and lingerie has grown considerably, so having had breast surgery does not mean that you can’t have stylish designer lingerie any longer.

Mastectomy Bra

Choosing lingerie after surgery where the breast or part of a breast has been removed can sometimes be quite difficult and there will naturally be a period of adjustment. Part of the rehabilitation will be to acquire a prosthesis to use in conjunction with a mastectomy Bra towards recovering the regular silhouette.

The amount of surgery you have had will determine the type of product you require. The prosthesis should match the natural remaining breast or if two are required they need to restore the natural outline. When going for a fitting for a mastectomy bra it is important to have the right prosthesis with you.

If you currently need full figure bras then it is even more important that you are correctly measured for a Mastectomy bra.

A Mastectomy bra is generally made from fabric that is designed to be more comfortable on sensitive and post-operative areas of skin, but this doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice style or elegance, and a wide range of beautiful post-surgery lingerie is available. These can be purchased as complete sets with matching bottoms. Apart from the different fabrics used, the main difference of a Mastectomy bra is that is has pockets to accommodate the prostheses and generally there will be a choice of a higher neckline and higher panels between cups. A Mastectomy bra will usually have adjustable straps for effective support. There is no need not to be stylish and feminine; bras with satin and lace trim also feature.

Where there is a bilateral mastectomy the bra will need to accommodate the natural breast in one cup and the prosthesis in the other. Ensure that you find a boutique with a qualified fitter to help you find exactly the correct size and fit to suit your shape. No prosthesis will look right if your bra does not fit properly and ideally the two should be fitted together.

Points to consider when choosing the correct mastectomy bra for you are:-

• The prosthesis must fill the bra cup properly so that it doesn’t pucker or be over stretched
• The underarm section is the same on both sides
• The breasts are evenly aligned.

Where only part of the breast tissue has been removed (lumpectomy) then there is only a need for a breast enhancer. There are a range of styles and shapes for partial reconstruction usually made from silicone.

Polypropylene beans mould into the shape of the bra to give a really natural look and the beans allow air to circulate making it cool and comfortable.

There is also a range of swimsuits and bikinis designed with discreet modifications for the beach such as pockets for the prostheses, slightly higher necklines and closer underarm fitting with pre-formed cups to give natural contour to the figure. Again these come in every shape and size and don’t mean that you have to sacrifice new fashions, but they can be slightly harder to find.

Maternity Bras

When women become pregnant they outgrow their ordinary everyday bras very early on in pregnancy. The breasts become bigger and heavier in the first few weeks so a good support bra of the correct size is vital. As the pregnancy develops the breast size continues to change and fluctuate so regular measuring and fittings will help with comfort and health. Many midwives and retail outlets advise against purchasing an underwired bra during pregnancy and although there is no concrete evidence to show that underwires are harmful during this time, there does appear to be some potential risk. The reason for this advice is that the rigid wires found in underwired bras may interfere with the natural changes in the size and shape of the breast and restrict the increased blood flow to, and possibly hinder, the developing milk duct system. This in turn could cause major pain, discomfort and possibly mastitis during the feeding stage.

A specialist lingerie retailer is most likely to have professional measuring staff and also stock the full range of maternity bra, nursing bra and post operative bra designs. 

To make sure you are wearing the best supporting bra a professional measuring and fitting service is a must during pregnancy. It is important that you are measured every 6 to 8 weeks so that your specially trained fitter can assess your changing shape and fit you accordingly. When you are buying a maternity bra it is important that it offers you great support with wide straps and side panels. A wide under bust band and a deep centre at the front will also enhance this support.

A lot of pregnant women find that they feel very hot during pregnancy and a bra that is mainly cotton will help let the skin breathe. Look for a bra that has at least 4 rows of hooks and eyes so that your bra can grow through your pregnancy with you. Make sure that the bra fits without the breast spilling over the top and that the cups fit comfortably. As with your everyday bra make sure that the centre front is lying snugly on your breastbone, and if it’s early in your pregnancy remember that your rib cage will expand so fit your bra on the tightest fastenings so that you have plenty of room for growth. The opposite will apply for maternity bras purchased later in pregnancy of course, fit on the loosest hook and eye so that when your rib cage shrinks after birth, you can tighten your bra accordingly.

Conclusion

During the early stages of a woman’s life she will need appropriate bras to suit each stage. During the early teenage years a more modest non wired bra is the most appropriate.

Later in adolescence where appearance is a serious business, a more fashionable good fitting bra to create a feminine silhouette can be worn.

In pregnancy a comfortable good supportive bra which has expanding fastenings allows for changes throughout the pregnancy without restriction and damage. Following the birth, a good nursing bra to allow for easy access needs to still support the breast as it fluctuates hourly during the day.

If women undertake vigorous exercise then it is doubly important she wears a good sports bra to reduce bounce as that stretches the pectoral muscles. Once this has occurred there is no way it can be rectified.

As a woman ages the breasts mature and so will need a good supportive structure that helps prevent sagging and yet retains a good outline. After menopause many women loose the full breast shape of their earlier years and at that point it is more important to find an appropriate type of bra that will help them feel good about themselves.

Many women have been unfortunate enough to have had a full or partial mastectomy in which case correct prosthesis and mastectomy bras are an essential part of the recovery programme.

Many women spend a great deal of time and money on hairdo’s, makeup and face pampering, yet often they neglect their greatest assets. Maybe it’s time we women start to think differently about the way we look after our bosoms’ and make sure they are clothed in comfortable, supportive and good looking items.

Dental Implants

Economy Stimulus Booster, well sort of

 

 

Pondering Crafty Annual Flowers

Annual flowers on the other hand are wonderful flowers to plant in your gardens. The best way to select the type of annual flowers that you want is to decide which flower varieties you want to see. These differences reflect the type of weather and soil conditions that these annual flowers will grow in.

Unlike other annuals these hardy annual flowers don’t like hot weather as they are not heat tolerant. You can even think about buying annual flowers. The half hardy annual flowers include torenia, snow-on-the-mountain, blue sage, strawflower, baby’s breath, candytuft, bells of Ireland, celoma, love-in-a-mist, and forget-me-nots.

Unlike tender annuals these half hardy annuals have no need of warm soil conditions for the seeds to begin sprouting. While some flower species can’t tolerate lots of hot summer weather the half hardy annuals may sometimes droop for the weather but they will perk up in the later summer months. Since these annual flowers grow well in warm climates you can expect to see them in all of their glory in the late spring and the warm months of summer. You will also have the added benefit of flowers that grow in different seasons adding a burst of color right through the year.

In the fictional form comic books like Batman comics are a firm staple for people of different ages. As the newest crime fighter Batman was a huge success.

To make the character more realistic Batman Comics showed Batman fighting his enemies as a vigilante using only his fighting skills, his strength and his intellect. He was portrayed as a man who was determined to fight crime in his way but one who still respects the laws of his home city of Gotham. The type of batman comics that you can consider have been around for some time. For most of the history of Batman his sidekick Robin is shown fighting alongside of Batman.

The various villains who appear in the Batman comics are also well known. The various Batman movies that many of us have seen are a testament to the popularity of this superhero and the ever growing legion of Batman fans.

Combining the best of modern technology with the sleek lines of tried and tested cars from the past, concept cars are often tentative feelers put out by automobile companies to test the waters before ‘diving’ into serious production. Concept cars were first introduced by designer Harley Earl of General Motors in the 1950s. Recognizing a winning horse when they saw one, General Motors further publicized the concept and their car, through its touring Motorama shows of that period. However, tempting as these concept cars may appear under the spotlight, many of them often undergo changes before being put on the production line by their manufacturers, and all of them are subjected to alterations that make them more suitable, and affordable, to their target markets.

The majority of concept cars seen at automobile exhibitions such as the Geneva Motor Show are the dream rides of automobile fans and racing enthusiasts, but are more often than not only show models made of wax, clay, metal, fibreglass and plastic. These concept cars are also designed each year. An interesting example of an old, operational concept car being brought back into service would be the 1954 Ford Lincoln Futura, which after having been stored in the North Hollywood car shop of George Barris came out of storage to rise to stardom as the Batmobile of the 1966 Batman series on the ABC Television Network.

On the same note, current examples for concept cars would be the Mercedes-Benz bionic car (this is said to combine the best of nature, technology and the ever popular DaimlerCrysler engine), the 2006 BMW Mille Miglia concept coupe (based on the earlier BMW 328 Touring coupe and the BMW Z4 M coupe), the Camaro Concept sports coupe (which follows the lines of the first Camaros) and the Chrysler Imperial Concept 2006 (a direct descendent of classic Imperial and Chrysler designs). However, some do escape the crusher and continue to live their lives in storage or on display in automobile museums.

The Designer Clothing And Accessory Revolution Is On!

I love clothes. Quality material, detailed construction and good design can make me quiver. There are large plastic bins stored here full of cocktail dresses, gowns, lingerie, dresses, blouses, coats, etc., – some designer, some just superbly made, very stylish clothing. Vintage silk hand rolled scarves with discreet designer names in the corners, vintage purses from chainmail to wood and plastic to petit point needlework, and vintage hats from the truly absurb little caps with 12″ or more bobbing things to the wide brim with hat band accented by a small gemmed pin. Clothes and accessories enough to carry you thru any occasion, taken from the decades between 1910 and 1970.

My clothes and shoes show that I care about my appearance. Don’t spend a fortune on designer shoes, only to have ugly feet! Shop for manicure and pedicure online and have pretty feet to go with those killer shoes.

Here are my best bets for fashionistas: Grace & Kelli. The boutique ambiance hints at the sticker shock here: Handbags from Ferragamo, Prada, Chanel, and Gucci can run more than $1,000, suits from Akris, Burgamo, and Diane von Furstenburg $100 to $300. But the 30- to 40-percent discount on the latest fashions lure many- and prices drop 25 percent after two months.

Don’t skimp on your handbag. There is nothing wrong with a designer handbag. There are a lot of advantages that you can get when you choose to purchase a Prada bag or a Gucci bag. Among these is the great quality of the material. But if your budget is limited, a replica Prada handbag is just as great as the designer bag. What is more, you can get two to three replica Hermes handbags with the hundreds of dollars that you have spent for a real Hermes handbag. Don’t forget to clothe your laptop in style! There are many source online for ladies laptop bags.

Even babies are in on the designer revolution. Have you seen the latest in baby furniture, like the babi italia cribs?

Women love designer stuff and women love bargains. Put together these two things, and you get a smart women who knows the value of quality designer products.

Information About Web Hosting Service Providers.

Web Hosting .one of the most important decisions a website owner will have to make. Here at eHostInfo we have taken some of the stress out of choosing a new host, we have listed our top 10 web hosting providers to choose from, or you can select from any of the categories below and you’ll find a range of web hosting companies and what they have to offer. Web hosting isn’t something you tend to think about everyday. It’s something you purchase when you first get an idea for a site, you set up, and then hopefully forget. Web Hosting server disk space is where you store your website files by using an Web Host. Bandwidth is the speed of the roads to access your site.

Web hosting is the service that allows your website to be viewed on the Internet. Such services will usually cost a small monthly fee, and may be included in the services provided by the web designer you?ve hired to create your website. Web hosting is an internet storage service that gives individuals, organizations, and businesses the ability to publish web sites on the web. Hosting services provide (normally for a small fee) space on their web servers that clients can “rent” to store personal web sites. Web Hosting News will take you to the home of our coverage of the most important news affecting the web hosting industry. Find Web Hosting allows you to search among premier web hosting providers and sort by country name, country and web hosting category.

Web hosting that’s reliable and affordable? Then choose EarthLink as your web host and StarterSite as your web hosting service. Web Hosting Case reviews best web hosting companies and their packages to provide you a source of finding affordable web hosting service. Here you will find best web hosting companies that offer cheap web hosting and dedicated servers, image and file hosting, business and ecommerce web hosting. Web Hosting Jury is a web hosting reviews site but with a difference. All the hosting reviews on our site are reviews submitted by past or present customers of that particular web host.

Shared web hostingdiscount offer is open to new customers who purchase Web hosting service, which is offered for one, three, and twelve-month terms. At sign-up, customers choosing the three-month term will be billed for three months’ service, with the first three months charged at the discounted rate.

Web hosting service is so important to us, to the blogger and also to the person who have a business in the net world. Webhosting is the one and the most important tool or requirement to build our site and our business. Shared web hosting is a type of hosting service that allows organization to provide their website accessible through the internet. There are many companies doing this process. Web hosting uptime can be monitored and maintained a few ways. There are services that provide 24/7 monitoring.

Web hosting service empowers you and anyone with a computer and internet connection to own a piece of cyberspace. In your space, you can have news, bulletins, documents, data, files (your web site) and your own post office (mail server) to accept mail, all in the context of you or your business. Web hosting service services are really a very critical component of having a very good online traffic. After going through the complicated process of designing a web site, the next step is to look for a very reliable web host that takes your website to new heights. Web hosting are generally for the companies to outsource network infrastructure to a hosting company. But many internet service providers offer this service free to their subscribers.

Web hosting is actually one of the most important things to be considered in this modern world of internet. When you are planning to launch your personal or business website then web hosting providers come into the picture. Web hosting service Choice is a free research guide to help you choose the right web host for your personal or business site. They have a learning center to help you learn everything about webhosting. Web hosting is actually one of the most important things to be considered in this modern world of internet. Proper hosting of the website should be done before it is to be used.

Web hosting service has become common these days. Designing the new website for the company can be done easily through professionals and experts. Shared web hosting choice greatly helps in finding the right web hosting site. They provide a complete research guide which gives complete information for Web hosting. Web hosting choice are just figuring the best online Web hosting services available in market. Web hosting Geeks also provides reviews and ratings of various web hosts available in the internet. This website is entirely free to access and you can find many useful articles related to Web hosting.

 

The History of Antique Jewellery

Antique jewellery is a popular choice with the discerning buyer. This article explains how antique jewellery varied in different eras and was influenced by the culture and fashion of that time, each period having its own individual characteristics.

Late Georgian Jewellery (1760-1837) – This was a time of worldwide turbulence with wars and revolutions. The style of jewellery was often small and light pieces, such as short necklaces with motifs. It was also common for the jewellery to feature diamonds or other precious stones.

Victorian Jewellery (c 1837-1900) – This was a time of change with the advent of the industrial revolution and social reforms. This era saw the rise of the middle classes who created a demand for jewellery to be mass produced.

During the mid 1800s, the tendency was for jewellery to be larger. Queen Victoria was romantic in nature and this was reflected in the design of jewellery that featured hearts and flowers. In the late 1800s there were discoveries of large diamond deposits and this led to this type of jewellery becoming more popular.

Art Nouveau Jewellery (c 1895-1915) – The Art Nouveau period emerged near the end of Queen Victoria’s reign and was mainly influenced by a return to craftsmanship. There was more of an emphasis on design quality over the material used. This led to a trend towards using semi-precious stones such as amethyst and opals.

Edwardian Jewellery (c 1901-1915) – The reign of Kind Edward was a time of fashion, elegance and sophistication and this was reflected in the design of the jewellery during this era. Diamonds, rubies and emeralds were fashionable and jewellery featured elaborate designs.

Art Deco Jewellery (c 1920-1935) – This is a design era which emerged after the First World War. There was a period of prosperity after the war and this led to a trend for using precious stones in jewellery. Jewellery design in this period was influenced by Cubist modern art and features geometric shapes and symmetry.

Retro Jewellery (c 1935 – 1950) – This period included the depression of the 1930s, the Second World War and the prosperity that followed it. This resulted in many different jewellery designs and themes. A good deal of the post war antique jewellery is influenced by Hollywood and tends to feature bold and elaborate designs. Antique designer jewellery from this era is also very popular with collectors, such as antique diamond rings made by Cartier and Tiffany.

 

Win a Custom Harley – Act Quickly

I was reading with interest today that Harley Davidson is holding a sweepstake providing entrants with a unique opportunity to design and win a custom 2009 Harley motorcycle.

If you’ve always fancied your chances as a designer then you have the opportunity to try out an interactive web tool which enables you to build your very own custom bike.  How cool is that?

You can choose from any of Harley’s current models and custom options.  When completed you can park the bike in a garage and get a print out of each and every component used along with the price.  I can’t help but wonder how much you could spend?  In fact, I can’t wait to try it out.  Entries close 6 November so you’ve no time to lose.

Contestants can enter the “Build It and Win It Sweepstakes” by following these steps:

1. Go to www.harley-davidson.com/customizer and click on “Launch the Customizer.”
2. Create a profile and log-in to a personal profile “Garage.”
3. Choose a 2009 Harley-Davidson model, and then select a stock or pre-customized bike.
4. Choose the Genuine Motor Accessories to add to that bike.
5. When the motorcycle is saved in a personal profile “Garage,” the contestant is automatically be entered into the motorcycle sweepstakes.

Nice one Harley.

Sadly there will only be one winner and if it doesn’t happen to be you then you could check out our used Harley Davidsons for sale store where you can choose from a selection of more affordable used Harleys.  Perhaps a used Harley Sportster or a used Harley Softail would suit.

 

Website design accessibility

1. Does My Website Have To Be Accessible in 2008?

You do have a responsibility at some level, whether or not you are the designer or the commissioner of the website, to ensure your website design does not discriminate against disabled visitors to your site.

2. So what happens if your website design is not accessible?

Unsurprisingly, you leave yourself open to criticism, bad press and and more seriously legal action if your site is not accessible.

3. What level of compliance should your website design meet?

No case has been brought to court in the United Kingdom to date, so there is no case law guidance. In any event, case law can only provide broad guidance – what websites have to do may vary from site to site. What is important, however, is the outcome: the DDA requires that you make what it refers to as “reasonable adjustments”, to your services to ensure that a person with a disability can access that service. This means making changes to websites – which offer 24 hour service, and a variety of features not available via, for example, a telephone service – so that disabled people can use them.

4. Web Accessibility Opinion

Basically, you need to make sure your site is built to W3C standards for good website design. That means valid html and valid css. It means passing Priority 1 W3C WCAG (Google it!) at least. It means well formed website code (i.e. without errors) and simple and correct use of technologies. Actually – this is fairly simple to do for an experienced web designer – do not accept that you need to pay more for accessible web design – it should come as standard, part of good practice web design. You could go one step further and ask “vision impaired” testers to test drive the site. Finally, you need to listen to your web site visitors. If someone contacts you about the inaccessibility of your web site – then fix it!

There’s a business case and moral obligation to make your site as accessible as you can. There are over 8 Million people registered as having a disability in the UK, and a lot of them use the net – do you really want to ignore them? Prosecutions have been successful in Australia and the US – it will happen in the UK, just not any time soon – so don’t worry too much about prosecution – and don’t listen to the snake oil salesman who want your hard earned cash for total website redevelopment!

My New Website

Introduction
When I decided I needed a website for my business I had no idea of the planning involved. Like most people, I thought web design meant deciding on the graphics and the look of the pages and then by some magic it would all happen.

I have a friend who is in the business of web design and website development so I approached him for a quote. As a complete novice who is computer literate up to a point, I was amazed at the depth of initial questioning required to find out exactly what my requirements were.

I had no idea about the various aspects and the structure of the site and I found it mind blowing when I learned about the amount of work involved. So I thought other people would be interested to know more about this complicated process and I have asked my friend to supply the technical information for this article.

Stages in the Process

Target Audience
Before building a website there are important questions to consider. I was asked who would be my potential audience. Who are my customers likely to be? Would they be children, businesses, home owners, sales people, parents or teenagers and so on?

The objective of the website
Then I was asked, what was the objective of my website?
Did I want to sell services on line or use it to market my business and get more leads for possible customers? Maybe I would want to use it as an online brochure to showcase products. Another possibility was to use the website to foster a community so that I was in contact with other like-minded people, with chat rooms, online discussion and being supported by advertising on the site.

I hadn’t quite realised the scope of a website but as I was asked these questions it became clear that a lot of careful planning went into the preparation before building a website.

How to be Found on the Web
One of the first questions I was asked was, ‘Do you want it to be found by Google the main search engine?’ If I did then there was a whole process of establishing Keywords. So finding the best keywords are vital if you want to be found in Google. Generally most users only look at the top ten results so you will also want to promote your website to get on this page for your chosen keywords. By using a keyword research tool you can find the single most popular keyword for your industry.

Your Domain Name
Choosing a domain name is often quite a problem because every name you initially come up with will almost certainly have been taken. Domain names ending in .com are by far the most popular and internationally recognised; the snag is that it’s very popularity means that the majority of the shorter names have already been registered.
So looking at names with endings such as .net; .co.uk or .info may be able to provide you with the domain name you would like to have. When choosing your domain name it is very important to include one or more of your keywords if possible as this can apparently help with search engine rankings. So although the name of your business is the obvious choice for a domain name, it is not necessarily the only option.

Creating a Site Map
The importance of creating a site map is to get it clear in your mind of all the pages you will have on your website so you can prepare the content for each page and begin to design the flow through the website, such as when a user adds a product to their basket, then enters their delivery and billing address and makes the credit card payment in the correct order.

The aim is to make the site as user friendly as possible so that there are no barriers to getting into the website. For that reason often user name and passwordz are set for the customer so that they are not put off making a purchase by having to register.

For a non e-commerce site things are simpler with a contact form which allows you to receive enquiries by email without publishing your email address on the website, thus avoiding junk email.Web forms can also validate the information before you receive it, so ensuring that the phone number provided does not contain words, and that the email address is in the correct format, for example. These things may sound very technical to us lay-folk but I assure you everything has to be decided in advance before starting on the construction of the site.

Copy
The next stage is preparing the content. This is not the design of your website – just the words and visuals you want to have one each of the pages.

Having gathered all the previous information you will need to decide what imagery you want to use within the website content. As we all know, a picture speaks a thousand words and remains in people’s memory far longer than just words.

For each image you could also have a caption, as the caption of an image is the next ‘most read’ words on the page after the page title. Images and their captions need to be clickable. When you click on a picture it should take you to the next stage of the process such as the sale page or placing an enquiry if your website is for lead generation.

Navigation
Another important consideration when building a website is how you want your navigation to work. You can have links within the content of your website, in the text, so there are not just links from the menu. You will need to decide whether the links will open into a new window, retaining your original page open. Next time you go online, you will realise how much thought has gone into the way in which a website works.

Website Design
Finally we come to the design of your website. I asked my friend in Nottingham web design to comment about this and he says it is one of the most difficult stages of the process because it’s subjective. What one person might like, another person might not like. If you are setting up a website for yourself alone then you will probably have some idea of what you want to see on the site. But if, as so often happens, the website is for a large corporation there will be inputs from many people or departments and you can be sure that they will never all agree!

There are a number of ways to approach web design but ultimately you need to create a design brief for the designer(s) to work from. Look at other websites and your competitor’s websites to find out what you like or dislike. The design brief should give reference to the logo, any existing brand guidelines or schemes and fonts and colour schemes, and should also detail which pages of the website that the designer is being tasked with creating visuals for.

The very best results will be achieved by using a graphic designer, and beware – not all graphic designers are the same. A graphic designer who designs specifically for print is working in a different discipline than a graphic designer who designs for screen and specifically the web. So choose your designer carefully, look at other work that person has done and determine whether or not you like their style.

If you are working in the big time and budget allows, use multiple graphic designers who have all been given the same design brief and request three concept designs from each designer. If the client themselves also do a graphic design, even if it’s a back of the envelope scribble, you will then have 10 concept designs. The next step is to get them all together and select the preferred elements from each design. Then give the work to the preferred graphic designer to work up as the final artwork.

The artwork should be finalised and agreed on by everybody before development of the site begins.

Production
Finally the preparation has been done and the site is ready to be built. Now for the more technical stuff! You will need to have decided which programming language to use to build the website. There are two main types for developing a website, one is Unix based, and the other is Windows based. Each one has pros and cons. If you are starting from scratch then it probably won’t matter, so you can go with the preference of your professional doing the work. My website is built on the Unix platform (apparently!) which is the same as many of the more well known websites such as Ebay, Facebook, Google and Amazon. Also your website hosting must be compatible with the development language with which your website is built.

Accessibility and Compliance
The website has to meet the current standards for website coding and doing so insures that disabled users, such as the visually impaired, can still access the entire website if they are using a screen reader.

Website Development
The best way to develop a website is on the web Server where the site is going to live. This way, those involved in reviewing the work can see work in progress and provide feedback throughout the development.

Unforeseen items
There are always some things that arise in any project which you suddenly realise you have forgotten, so no matter how well the website designer prepares and asks the right questions, there will always be a last minute change or addition. The main aim is to minimise the number of glitches that might arise because they aren’t calculated in and they could cause extra costs and delays on the date of the web site going live.

Going live
The moment of excitement comes when your site finally is published to the internet and you see the results of all the thought that has gone into the whole process. I was over the moon to see my barn conversions website go live. As soon as the site has gone live there is no substitute for real world testing though, so ask as many of your friends and colleagues to view the website from their own offices and give you their thoughts.

Reporting and Monitoring
Once your website is up and running, you will want to know how many people visit your website and from that number how many actually buy the products or place an enquiry. From these statistics you can work out the ratio of visits to sales and gradually make changes to improve the ratios. There are some reliable statistics packages such as Google Analytics or Web-Stat.com which allow you to collect and review website visitor data in near real time. All you need to do this is to have a small block of code inserted into each web page on your site.

Another useful service that Web-stat.com provides is to monitor the website and warn you by email or text message if the site goes down.

Marketing
Once the website is live there are lots of things you can do to market your product or service. The first step is to submit it to the search engines and at the same time write articles, and press releases. Getting links to the site from forums, blogs and other social networking spaces are other options. For more on this subject ask your developer about SEO

Conclusion
Wheww. What an amazing amount of work! I hadn’t realised when I started the process of getting a website up and running, how complicated it all is and how many factors you have to consider before even designing the website. The word web design is really a misnomer, as people often think it’s just about the graphic design on the home page, and the branding of the product. Unless you are a computer buff, most people have no idea how much goes into designing and building a website and the systems that support the work you want it to do. I hope that this article will give readers an understanding and insight into the whole process of website development from start to finish.

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