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Sometimes, tech jargon can be confusing, so we’ve put together a handy glossary of terms related to website design, hosting, graphic design, and SEO. If you come across a word or phrase you don’t recognize, check here—or let us know, and we’ll happily add it. Our goal is to make this a useful resource for you!
Whether you’re launching your first site or managing updates to an existing one, understanding the tech jargon can make all the difference. This glossary breaks down the most common web terms into plain, simple language—so you can feel more confident in conversations about your website and make informed decisions without getting lost in the lingo.
A 404 error is what users see when a webpage can’t be found.
Too many 404 errors can hurt user trust and SEO rankings if not handled properly.
ADA compliant means a website meets accessibility standards for users with disabilities.
It ensures inclusivity and avoids potential legal issues while improving usability for all.
A text box at the top of a web browser where users can enter a website’s URL to access it.
The address bar is used for navigating to specific web pages and often doubles as a search bar for finding information online.
Alt text is a description added to images that can be read by screen readers or show when images don’t load.
It improves accessibility and helps search engines understand your site’s visual content.
Anchor text is the clickable text in a hyperlink.
Using keyword-rich anchor text helps with SEO and improves navigation clarity.
The server-side development focusing on databases, scripting, and website architecture that users do not see directly.
It powers the functionality of a website, enabling features like user accounts, databases, and server logic.
The amount of data that can be transmitted over an internet connection in a given amount of time.
Higher bandwidth allows for faster data transfer, improving website performance and user experience.
The percentage of visitors who leave your website after viewing only one page.
A high bounce rate could indicate poor user experience, irrelevant content, or slow loading times.
Brand guidelines are a set of rules for maintaining consistency in a brand’s visual and messaging elements.
They ensure a cohesive brand identity across all platforms and materials.
A broken link is a hyperlink that no longer leads to a valid webpage.
Too many broken links can frustrate users and hurt your site’s SEO performance.
A hacking attempt using repeated password guesses to access your site.
It can expose your site to threats without strong security in place.
A cache stores copies of website files so they can load faster for repeat visitors.
It improves website speed and performance, leading to a better user experience.
A CTA is a prompt on your website that encourages users to take a specific action, like “Contact Us.”
Strong CTAs help guide visitors toward conversions and business goals.
A stylesheet language used to describe the presentation of a document written in HTML or XML.
CSS controls the visual appearance of a website, including layouts, colors, and fonts, enhancing user experience.
A content management system (CMS) is software that allows users to create, manage, and modify website content without needing specialized technical knowledge.
It is used to simplify website management by providing tools for editing, organizing, and publishing content through an intuitive interface.
Small pieces of data stored on a user’s device by the web browser while browsing a website.
Cookies are used to remember information about the user, such as login status or preferences, improving the browsing experience.
A dated design is a website that looks old or out of sync with current trends.
It can reduce credibility and make your brand seem outdated to potential clients.
A dedicated IP is an exclusive internet address assigned to a specific website.
It improves performance, enhances security, and is essential for some e-commerce functions.
A unique IP address assigned to your specific website or server.
Improves email deliverability and is needed for certain security features.
DNS is like the phonebook of the internet—it translates domain names into IP addresses.
Without DNS, users would have to remember numerical IP addresses instead of easy-to-use domain names.
A domain name is your website’s address on the internet, like www.example.com.
It makes it easy for users to find your site without needing to remember a complicated IP address.
eCommerce refers to the buying and selling of goods or services online.
It allows businesses to reach a global audience and generate sales 24/7.
A drag-and-drop WordPress page builder plugin for designing custom layouts.
It makes website design easy without needing to write any code.
An email address is a unique identifier used to send and receive electronic messages, like name@example.com.
It provides a professional and reliable way for people to communicate with you or your business.
An email client program is software used to send, receive, and manage email.
It organizes email communications and often provides advanced tools for productivity.
A favicon is the small icon that appears in a browser tab next to your page title.
It reinforces brand identity and helps users quickly locate your site among open tabs.
A firewall is a security system that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing website traffic.
It helps protect your site from hackers, malware, and other online threats.
A form submission is when a user fills out and sends information through a form on your website.
It allows you to collect leads, inquiries, or feedback and keep users engaged with your business.
The practice of producing HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for a website or web application so that a user can see and interact with them directly.
It ensures that the visual and interactive aspects of a website are user-friendly and function correctly across different devices and browsers.
A developer skilled in both front-end and back-end development, capable of handling all aspects of website creation.
Full-stack developers can oversee the entire development process, ensuring seamless integration between the front-end and back-end.
Google’s suite of cloud-based productivity tools like Gmail, Docs, and Drive.
It makes real-time collaboration and file sharing easy for teams and businesses.
A hero image is a large, eye-catching banner image placed at the top of a website’s homepage.
It creates a strong first impression and helps communicate your brand message immediately.
A reference in a document that links to another section of the same document or to another document entirely.
Hyperlinks facilitate easy navigation between different pieces of content, enhancing the interconnected nature of the web.
The standard markup language used to create and structure content on the web.
HTML is the foundation of all web pages, defining the structure and layout of a webpage.
A programming language that enables interactive web pages and is an essential part of web applications.
JavaScript adds interactivity to websites, improving user engagement and functionality.
Load time is the amount of time it takes for a webpage to fully display on a user’s browser.
Faster load times improve user experience and can positively impact search engine rankings.
A logo is a visual symbol representing a company, often including its name or a unique design.
It’s the cornerstone of your brand identity and helps with recognition and trust.
Maintenance mode is a temporary screen that displays when a website is undergoing updates or changes.
It informs visitors that your site is temporarily unavailable and prevents broken experiences during edits.
Snippets of text that describe a page’s content; they don’t appear on the page itself but in the page’s code.
Meta tags help search engines understand the content of a page, influencing SEO and how pages are displayed in search results.
A subscription service with Microsoft’s apps like Word, Excel, and Outlook.
It keeps your tools updated, connected, and accessible across all your devices.
Mobile optimization means designing your website to work well on smartphones and tablets.
Most web traffic comes from mobile devices, so a mobile-friendly site helps keep users engaged.
A navigation menu is a set of links that helps users move between different pages of a website.
Good navigation improves usability and helps users quickly find the information they need.
Microsoft’s email, calendar, and contact management application.
It’s widely used for business communication and integrates with other Microsoft tools.
A permalink is the permanent web address (URL) for a specific page or blog post on your site.
Clear and consistent permalinks improve SEO and make your content easier to share and navigate.
A plugin is a piece of software that adds new features or functionality to your website.
Plugins allow your site to grow and adapt without needing custom coding, saving time and money.
A registrar is a company that manages the reservation of domain names on the internet.
They ensure your domain is active, secure, and properly registered for public use.
A web design approach that ensures a website looks and functions well on all devices, from desktops to smartphones.
With mobile traffic making up the majority of web usage, a responsive design ensures your website reaches and engages all users effectively.
A search engine is a tool like Google or Bing that helps users find information online.
It’s the primary way most users discover websites and online content.
The page displayed by a search engine in response to a user’s query, listing relevant results.
Appearing prominently on SERPs increases visibility and can drive more traffic to a website.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the practice of optimizing a website to rank higher in search engine results.
It drives more organic traffic to your site, helping you reach your target audience effectively.
Spam form submissions are fake or irrelevant entries sent through your website forms.
They waste your time, clutter your inbox, and may indicate your site needs better form protection.
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is a protocol that encrypts data between a website and its users
It protects sensitive information and builds trust by showing your site is secure.
A security certificate that encrypts data between a website and its visitors.
It builds trust and is required for showing the secure padlock in browsers.
A sticky header stays at the top of the screen as a user scrolls down a webpage.
It keeps important navigation links visible, improving site usability and accessibility.
A theme is a collection of templates and styles that define the design and layout of a WordPress website.
Choosing the right theme helps your site look professional and function well across devices.
Typography refers to the style, arrangement, and appearance of text on a website.
Good typography improves readability and helps convey your brand’s tone and professionalism.
A Uniform Resource Locator, URL, is the unique web address used to identify and locate a specific resource on the internet. For example, https://fullscopecreative.com is a URL.
A URL directs web browsers to the exact location of a webpage, file, or service on a server.
The overall experience of a person using a website or application, focusing on ease of use and satisfaction.
Good UX design leads to higher user satisfaction, retention, and conversion rates.
The space where interactions between humans and machines occur, particularly the visual elements of a website or application.
Effective UI design makes navigation intuitive, enhancing the overall user experience.
A username is a unique identifier used to log into accounts or systems.
It helps secure and personalize access to online tools and platforms.
A web browser is software used to access and display websites.
It translates the code behind websites into the visual pages users interact with.
A service that provides storage space and access for websites on the internet.
Without web hosting, a website cannot be accessed by users on the internet.
A web server is a computer that stores website files and delivers them to users over the internet.
Without a web server, your website wouldn’t be accessible to anyone online.
The footer is the section at the bottom of every page, often containing links, contact info, and legal notices.
It helps users navigate your site and provides easy access to important information.
Website hosting is the service that stores your website files and makes them accessible online.
Without hosting, your website wouldn’t be available to visitors on the internet.
The amount of server space your website files and media can use.
It affects how much content you can store and how your site performs.
Automatic copies of your website data saved each week.
They allow easy recovery if something breaks or gets deleted.
A widget is a small block that adds content or functionality to your WordPress site, often in sidebars or footers.
Widgets make it easy to customize your website without needing to code.
A visual guide that represents the skeletal framework of a website or application.
Wireframes help in planning the layout and functionality of a site before full-scale development begins.
A popular content management system used to build and manage websites.
It’s user-friendly, flexible, and powers over 40% of all websites online.
The WordPress admin section is the backend area where you manage your website’s content, settings, and features.
It’s the control center for keeping your WordPress site updated and functional.
A WordPress system update installs the latest core software enhancements and fixes.
It keeps your site secure, compatible with plugins, and running efficiently.
Ongoing updates to the WordPress core software for security and performance.
They fix bugs, close security holes, and keep your site running smoothly.
Chris and his team are the best local web designers. They are great with details, patient with business owners (like myself) who are horrible with technology. They actually took the time to sit down and teach me how to use wordpress. Full scope understands small business because they are one
