(…You Can Actually Understand)

With an array of technical jargon and acronyms, understanding website terms can often feel like learning a new language. Linguistically, you may speak more than one language already but allow us to introduce you to another – technical language as it relates to websites. This guide will demystify this specialized language and empower you to make informed decisions and communicate effectively with professionals in the field. You’ll no longer be perplexed by terms like ‘SEO’, ‘responsive design’, or ‘CSS’. Armed with this knowledge you will confidently unlock the full potential of your website and navigate the digital world with greater ease. 

This is an ever-growing list that will be updated regularly, so make sure to bookmark it.  

API or Application Programming Interface is a set of rules that allows different software programs to communicate with each other. It’s like a middleman that provides a way for applications, such as the one your web browser operates on, to request and retrieve data from a server.  APIs come with documentation that explains how to use them, which includes the technical guidelines and available data points, ensuring security standards are met during operations.

Cache (pronounced like “cash”) is a technology used by your browser and web servers to store copies of files from websites you visit. This could include anything from HTML pages to images and scripts. The main goal of caching is to speed up your web experience by reducing load times. When you revisit a website:

• Your browser checks if it has a saved copy of the files (this is the cache)
• If it does, the browser loads from the cache rather than the original web server, making the page appear faster

Occasionally, you may need to clear your cache to see updated content or troubleshoot website issues.

Call to Action (CTA) is a button or link on your website that guides users to take the next step you want them to, such as “Buy Now,” “Sign Up,” or “Learn More.” It’s a pivotal part of the landing page and web design because it directly affects conversion rates. To ensure your CTA stands out more, use a contrasting color or size as well as imperative verbs to encourage action.

Cookies are small pieces of data that a web server sends to your browser. They help the website remember information about your visit, which can make your next visit easier and the site more useful to you. They play a crucial role in web functionality, such as keeping you logged into a website, and can also track your browsing activities to personalize your user experience. 

CSS or Cascading Style Sheets dresses up your HTML and controls how your website looks i.e. make it look pretty. It’s all about the style — from fonts and colors to spacing and layout. CSS is a cornerstone of frontend development, which is the part of web development that focuses on the user experience. Popular web builders like Squarespace often provide pre-written CSS to make development faster and more consistent.

Domains are your website’s address on the internet; think of them as your digital street name. Finding the right domain is like choosing a store’s location—vital for your site’s visibility. Your domain is typically a yearly cost that may vary based on where you purchase it and the domain extension (.com, .org, .net, etc.) you choose. For example awesomesite.com or awesomesite.net.

Ecommerce is a digital marketplace where you can buy or sell products online. It’s like shopping at a mall, but instead of physically going to a store, you’re browsing and purchasing items on your computer or smartphone. Merchants can create their own ecommerce site, set up an online store on an ecommerce platform like Shopify or Magento, or create a storefront on a marketplace like Amazon or eBay. Regardless of the method, all stores must have secure payment gateways to facilitate payments and comply with Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standards. This ensures that any data transferred between users and websites, or between two systems remains secure.

Favicon, which stands for “favorites icon,” is a small, iconic image that represents your website in a web browser’s tab, bookmark list, and history. Typically, it’s a condensed version of your logo or a symbol that resonates with your brand. Favicons are essential because they help users quickly identify your website among other open tabs or bookmarks, which is beneficial for brand recognition.

Footer Think of it as the basement of a webpage where essential information and links are stored. It’s typically where you’ll find legal details, like copyright information and privacy policy. You might also see a sitemap link in the footer. This is like a directory of all the pages within the website, designed to help users and search engines navigate the site.

Google Analytics is a service that tracks and reports website traffic. Utilizing this tool, you can see detailed statistics about who’s visiting your site, where they come from, and how they engage with your content. It’s essential to monitor your bounce rate, which is the percentage of visitors who leave your site after viewing only one page. This can help you understand and improve your site’s user retention.

Hosting refers to the service that stores your website’s files and makes them accessible to anyone online. It’s like renting space on a server. There are different types of hosting services:

• Shared hosting (cost-effective for small sites)
• Dedicated hosting (expensive but gives you a server all to yourself)
• VPS hosting (a middle ground between shared and dedicated)
• Cloud hosting (flexible and scalable)

Price points and features like bandwidth, storage space, and uptime guarantees will vary, so choose based on your site’s needs. My top two recommendations are Squarespace and Showit.

HTML or HyperText Markup Language is the skeleton of a webpage. It allows you to structure your content with elements like headings, paragraphs, links, and images. Think of it as the foundation of your website where every block has its place, and together they form the overall structure of your web pages. 

Https When you visit a website, you might notice it begins with either “http://” or “https://”. HTTP or Hypertext Transfer Protocol is the foundational protocol used for transmitting data on the internet. It defines how messages are formatted and transmitted, and how web servers and browsers should respond to various commands. The “s” in https stands for “secure”. It means all communications between your browser—like Google Chrome—and the website are encrypted. Encryption is like a secret code; only your browser and the website can understand it. Why is this important? Well, it helps keep your information safe. When you log into your bank or email, you don’t want someone else to see your password. Https ensures that even if someone intercepts the data you send, they can’t decipher it.

JavaScript breathes life into your website, allowing for dynamic content and interactive elements. If HTML is the body and CSS the clothing, JavaScript is the personality. It’s what lets you add functionality to your pages, changing content on the fly, and reacting to user actions.

Landing Page is a page that’s crafted specifically for a marketing or advertising campaign and serves one primary purpose: to convert visitors into leads or customers. The landing page is all about focused design and strategic content to guide you toward taking action—whether that’s signing up for a newsletter, registering for an event, or making a purchase. It generally does not have the typical website navigation elements like headers or footers, to keep you from getting distracted. The success of a landing page is often measured by its conversion rate, which is the percentage of visitors who take the desired action. A high conversion rate indicates that the landing page is effectively persuading users to complete the goal.

Mobile-first design means designing for the smallest screen first and working up to larger screens. This is a strategy that ensures that your website is accessible and usable for the majority since mobile internet consumption is predominant.

Plugins Imagine a plugin as an app that you install on your website to add new features or enhance functionality without changing the core coding. Just like smartphone apps, plugins offer specific services or features—whether it’s adding a photo gallery, a contact form, or improving SEO. You don’t need to be tech-savvy; most plugins come with an interface to set them up with simple clicks. Remember, while plugins can be incredibly helpful, using too many can slow down your site, so choose wisely and keep them updated to ensure security and performance.

Responsive design is the approach to web design that makes web pages render well on a variety of devices and window or screen sizes. The goal is to make sure your users’ journey through your site feels intuitive and natural, regardless of the device they’re using. Some key elements of responsive design include dynamic content, flexible grids and media queries. 

Sitemap is a file where you provide information about the pages, videos, and other files on your site, and the relationships between them. Search engines like Google read this file to more intelligently crawl your site. A sitemap can be a list of URLs on your site that serves as a roadmap for search engine crawlers, ensuring that every page gets indexed efficiently.

SEO or search engine optimization involves tailoring your website to the criteria of search engines like Google or Bing so as to improve your site’s visibility. SEO can largely be broken into two parts: Content Strategy means creating high-quality content that aligns with what people are searching for and promoting it. Here’s where strategies like keyword research and backlinking are essential. Images also need to be optimized for SEO. Rename your image to describe what it is about instead of using the default camera file name Technical SEO pertains to the non-content elements that improve a site’s readability and help search engines crawl and index your site more efficiently. Key aspects include Site Architecture and Server Optimization

SSL Certificate is like a digital ID card for your website. It’s a way for your website to prove it’s really who it says it is. When you see a padlock icon next to the URL in the address bar, that means SSL protects the website you are visiting. SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer, a security protocol that creates an encrypted link between a web server and a web browser. This encryption ensures that any data transferred between users and websites, or between two systems, remains impossible to read. It’s like sending a letter in a sealed envelope instead of a postcard, your message is more secure and can’t be read by anyone else except the intended recipient.

URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is essentially the address that takes you to a particular website or page. It helps with navigation between web pages and is a fundamental component of the internet’s functionality. There’s a unique URL for every web page, image, or document on the internet. 

Here’s a simple breakdown:

Protocol: Often appears as ‘http://’ or ‘https://’

Domain Name: This is the core of the URL, for instance, ‘example.com’. 

Path: Following the domain name, this part specifies a particular page or resource on the website.

Here is how you might typically see it:

https://www.annemuchine.com/blog

|_____| |____________| |_______|

Protocol   Domain Name    Path

Website Builder is a platform that allows you to construct a website without the need to understand coding languages like HTML or CSS. Imagine it as a set of pre-made puzzle pieces that you can click into place. Most website builders like Squarespace and Showit offer a drag-and-drop feature. It’s intuitive; you see something you like, you grab it, and you place it where it fits on your web page. To make it even easier, you can use a template. These are pre-designed page layouts that you can customize. Want a bold homepage or a sleek gallery? Pick a template and tweak it to your taste. Planning to sell products? Look for a builder with eCommerce capabilities that allow you to build an online store, manage inventory, and process payments.

Website Optimization means improving various aspects for better performance and speed. It’s about making your site work efficiently and quickly using practices such as minification reducing the code of your CSS, JavaScript, and HTML) and image compression 

301 redirects are used to permanently move a page’s URL to another location. If you change your domain name or a specific page’s URL, a 301 redirect will send users and search engines to the new URL. This helps maintain the backlinks for SEO value of the original page by transferring it to the new URL.

404 page appears when someone tries to reach a page on your site that doesn’t exist, usually due to a mistyped URL or a page that has been removed. It’s important to customize your 404 page to guide users back to your site’s working pages and prevent potential frustration that might lead them away from your site.

Other terms to note are Privacy Policy, GDPR, & Terms & Condition. As explored further on this blog.

Wrapping up on Website Terms.

While this list is a solid start, the world of web development and design is always evolving, so stay curious and keep expanding your lexicon.

Remember, every expert was once a beginner. Your continued interest in understanding web terminology will not only enhance your ability to communicate in the tech space but also boost your confidence when making decisions related to your website or online presence.

Feel free to revisit this list whenever you need a refresher. As you finish this section, give yourself a pat on the back—you’ve completed an important chapter in your web literacy journey!