Glossary

The web tech industry is full of jargon. Our aim is to simplify and explain the terminology related to web design services you need to know, in plain English.

Hosting

Backup: A copy of website data that is stored separately from the original, allowing for recovery in case of data loss, corruption, or server failure.
Cloud Hosting: A type of web hosting that utilizes multiple servers to host websites, allowing for scalability, reliability, and flexibility, as resources can be adjusted based on demand.
Content Delivery Network (CDN): A network of distributed servers that deliver web content to users based on their geographic location, improving loading speed and performance for global audiences.
DNS (Domain Name System): A hierarchical system that translates domain names into IP addresses, allowing users to access websites using easy-to-remember names instead of numerical addresses.
DNS Management: DNS management is the process of overseeing and controlling the Domain Name System (DNS) settings for a domain, including configuring DNS records like A, CNAME, MX, and TXT records. Effective DNS management ensures that a domain is properly directed to the correct web servers, email servers, and other online resources, facilitating smooth and reliable access for users.
Domain Name: The human-readable address of a website that users enter in their browser to access it, typically consisting of a name and a top-level domain (TLD) like .com or .org.
FTP (File Transfer Protocol): A standard network protocol used to transfer files from a client to a server over the internet, commonly used for uploading website files to a hosting account.
Load Balancer: A tool that distributes incoming web traffic across multiple servers, improving the availability and reliability of web applications.
Managed Hosting: A web hosting service where the provider takes care of the technical aspects, including server maintenance, security, and updates, allowing clients to focus on their website content.
Name Servers: Name servers are specialized servers that handle the translation of domain names into IP addresses within the Domain Name System (DNS). They store DNS records for a domain, directing traffic to the appropriate web server and enabling users to access websites using human-readable addresses instead of numerical IP addresses.
SSL Certificate: A digital certificate that provides authentication for a website and enables an encrypted connection, ensuring secure data transfer between the server and users.
Shared Hosting: A type of web hosting where multiple websites share the same server resources, making it a cost-effective option for individuals and small businesses with low traffic.
VPS (Virtual Private Server) Hosting: A hosting option that uses virtualization technology to provide dedicated resources on a shared server, offering more control and flexibility compared to shared hosting.
Web Hosting: A service that provides individuals and organizations with the technologies and services needed to make their website accessible on the internet, allowing users to store their website files on a server.

Marketing

A/B Testing: A method of comparing two versions of a web page or ad to see which performs better, used to optimize conversion rates and user experience.
Bounce Rate: The percentage of visitors who leave a website after viewing only one page without taking any further action.
Brand: A brand is a unique identifier for a company, product, or service, encompassing its name, logo, design, and overall image in the eyes of consumers. It represents the values, personality, and reputation of the entity, influencing customer perceptions and loyalty through the experience and emotional connection established with the audience.
Brand Awareness: The extent to which consumers are familiar with a brand and its products, often measured through social media mentions, search volume, and surveys.
CPC (Cost Per Click): The amount an advertiser pays for each click on their ad, typically used in PPC advertising models.
CTR (Click-Through Rate): The percentage of people who click on a specific link or ad compared to the number of times it was shown (impressions).
Call to Action (CTA): A button or link designed to encourage a user to take a specific action, such as signing up or making a purchase.
Content Marketing: A strategy focused on creating, publishing, and distributing valuable content to attract and engage a target audience, ultimately driving profitable actions.
Email Marketing: A strategy that uses email to send targeted messages to customers and prospects, aiming to build relationships, promote products, and generate sales.
Engagement Rate: A metric that measures how actively users interact with content, often through likes, comments, shares, and clicks on social media.
Funnel: The stages a customer goes through in the journey from awareness to purchase, often visualized as a funnel to represent the narrowing audience.
Google Analytics: A web analytics tool that tracks and reports website traffic and user behavior, providing insights into visitor demographics, sources, and engagement.
Impressions: The number of times an ad or piece of content is shown to a user, regardless of whether it was clicked.
Landing Page: A standalone web page created specifically for marketing or advertising campaigns, designed to convert visitors into leads or customers.
Lead Generation: The process of attracting and converting potential customers (leads) into prospects, often through content, offers, and marketing campaigns.
Mobile Optimization: The process of ensuring that a website or campaign is fully functional and visually appealing on mobile devices, improving user experience and SEO.
Organic Traffic: The visitors that come to a website naturally through search engine results, rather than through paid advertising.
PPC (Pay-Per-Click): A model of internet advertising where advertisers pay a fee each time their ad is clicked, commonly used in platforms like Google Ads.
Paid Traffic: The visitors that come to a website through paid advertising campaigns, such as Google Ads or social media ads.
Retargeting: A form of online advertising that targets users who have previously visited a website or interacted with content, aiming to encourage them to return or convert.
Social Media Marketing: The use of social media platforms to promote a brand, engage with customers, and drive traffic and sales through organic or paid efforts.

SEO

Anchor Text: The clickable text in a hyperlink that provides context about the linked page, influencing both user experience and SEO value.
Backlink: A hyperlink from one website to another, which serves as a vote of confidence that can improve the linked site’s authority and search ranking.
Black Hat SEO: Unethical SEO practices that violate search engine guidelines, such as keyword stuffing and link schemes, aiming for quick ranking boosts.
Canonical URL: A canonical URL is the preferred version of a web page that search engines should index when there are multiple pages with similar content. It is specified using a rel="canonical" link element in the HTML header, helping to prevent duplicate content issues and consolidate ranking signals to the designated URL.
Content Optimization: The process of improving web content to enhance its relevance and value to users and search engines, often involving keyword placement, formatting, and readability.
Duplicate Content: Content that appears on multiple URLs, which can confuse search engines and dilute the ranking potential of a website.
Keyword: A specific word or phrase that users enter into search engines, which digital marketers target in SEO and PPC campaigns to drive traffic.
Keyword Research: The process of identifying and analyzing search terms that users enter into search engines, helping marketers choose relevant keywords for content and campaigns.
Local SEO: A strategy focused on optimizing a website to appear in local search results, often important for businesses targeting specific geographic areas.
Long-Tail Keyword: A more specific, less common keyword phrase that tends to have lower search volume but higher intent and conversion rates.
Meta Tags: HTML tags that provide information about a web page to search engines, including meta titles, descriptions, and keywords for SEO purposes.
Off-Page SEO: Techniques used to improve a website’s position in search rankings through external factors, such as backlinks, social media presence, and online reputation.
On-Page SEO: The practice of optimizing individual web pages to improve their rankings and user experience, focusing on elements like content, meta tags, headers, and images.
Page Speed: The amount of time it takes for a web page to load, which is a crucial factor for user experience and search engine ranking.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization): The process of optimizing a website to improve its visibility and ranking on search engine result pages.
SEO Audit: A comprehensive evaluation of a website’s SEO performance, identifying strengths and weaknesses in areas such as content, technical aspects, and backlink profile.
SERP (Search Engine Results Page): The page displayed by a search engine in response to a user’s query, listing relevant websites, ads, and featured snippets.
Schema Markup: A form of microdata that helps search engines understand the content of a webpage better, often resulting in enhanced search results features like rich snippets.
Technical SEO: Technical SEO refers to the optimization of a website’s infrastructure to improve its visibility in search engine results. It includes practices such as enhancing site speed, ensuring mobile-friendliness, optimizing crawlability and indexing, using structured data, and improving website security. The goal of technical SEO is to create a solid foundation that supports content and on-page SEO efforts, ensuring that search engines can easily access and understand the site.
White Hat SEO: Ethical SEO practices that follow search engine guidelines, focusing on long-term, sustainable improvements to rankings and user experience.

Web Design

ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act): The ADA is a U.S. law enacted in 1990 that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and public accommodations. The act aims to ensure equal access and opportunity for individuals with disabilities, including provisions that require websites and digital content to be accessible to all users.
Above the Fold: The portion of a webpage visible without scrolling, typically the most critical for engaging users.
Accessibility: The practice of designing websites so that all users, including those with disabilities, can interact with the site easily.
CMS (Content Management System): A platform that allows users to create, manage, and modify content on a website without needing to code (e.g., WordPress).
CSS (Cascading Style Sheets): A language used to style and layout HTML elements, controlling things like colors, fonts, and spacing.
Cache: A stored version of a web page or resources that helps reduce load times by retrieving previously loaded data.
Color Scheme: The selection of colors used in a website’s design to create visual harmony and brand identity.
Content Hierarchy: The organization of content in a way that presents the most important information first, guiding users through the page.
Dark Mode: A design setting that inverts the typical light background and dark text color scheme, making the interface easier on the eyes in low light.
Favicon: A small icon associated with a website, typically displayed in the browser tab.
Flat Design: A minimalist design style that avoids textures, gradients, and shadows, emphasizing clean lines and simple, solid colors.
Form Validation: The process of ensuring that the data entered by users into forms meets required formats and conditions before submission.
Grid System: A structure of columns and rows used to organize content on a page and create a consistent layout.
HTML (HyperText Markup Language): The foundational language used to structure web pages and their content.
Hamburger Menu: A compact navigation icon represented by three horizontal lines, commonly used on mobile devices to toggle a hidden menu.
Hero Image: A large, attention-grabbing image placed at the top of a webpage, often accompanied by a headline or call to action.
Hover State: A visual effect triggered when a user moves their mouse over an interactive element, such as a button or link.
Infinite Scroll: A web design technique where more content loads automatically as the user scrolls down the page, often used in social media feeds.
JavaScript: A programming language used to add dynamic functionality to websites, such as animations, interactivity, and API integrations.
Lazy Loading: A technique that delays loading images or other resources until they are needed, improving initial page load times.
Media Query: A CSS technique that applies styles based on the properties of the device, such as screen size, allowing for responsive design.
Modal: A popup window or overlay that focuses the user’s attention on a specific task or message without navigating away from the page.
Parallax Scrolling: A design technique where background images move slower than foreground content, creating a sense of depth and immersion.
Progressive Web App (PWA): A type of web application that behaves like a native app on mobile devices, offering features like offline access and push notifications.
Responsive Design: A design approach that ensures websites look good on all devices and screen sizes, adjusting layouts and elements accordingly.
Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG): A vector image format used for high-quality graphics that scale well without losing clarity.
Typography: The style and arrangement of text on a web page, including fonts, spacing, and alignment.
UI (User Interface): The design of the visual elements a user interacts with, including buttons, forms, and navigation menus.
UX (User Experience): The overall experience a user has while interacting with a website or app, focused on usability, accessibility, and satisfaction.
Viewport: The visible area of a web page on a user’s screen, varying depending on device size and browser window dimensions.
WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines): WCAG are a set of international guidelines developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) to ensure that web content is accessible to people with disabilities. The guidelines provide recommendations for making content perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust, aiming to create an inclusive online experience for all users.
Whitespace: The empty space between elements in a design, used to create a clean, organized, and balanced layout.
Wireframe: A basic layout or blueprint of a web page, used to plan the structure and content placement before design and development. These can be done with pencil on paper, or online tools.

Web Development

AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML): A technique for making asynchronous web requests without reloading the page, allowing dynamic updates to web content.
API (Application Programming Interface): A set of rules that allows different software applications to communicate with each other, often used to connect a web app to external services.
Back-end: The server-side of a website, where databases and server logic operate behind the scenes.
Back-end: The server-side of a web application responsible for managing databases, application logic, and serving content to the front-end.
CI/CD Pipeline: A series of automated steps involved in building, testing, and deploying code, often used to streamline development and ensure reliable software releases.
CORS (Cross-Origin Resource Sharing): A security feature implemented in web browsers that controls how resources from different origins (domains) can be requested by web applications.
Continuous Deployment (CD): A practice where code changes are automatically deployed to production after passing the automated testing phase, ensuring quick and reliable updates.
Continuous Integration (CI): A practice where developers frequently integrate code changes into a shared repository, followed by automated testing and builds to detect issues early.
Cookie: A small piece of data stored on the client’s browser by a website, often used for session management, user preferences, and tracking.
Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF): A security attack where an attacker tricks a user into performing actions on a web application without their consent, often by exploiting authentication tokens.
Cross-Site Scripting (XSS): A security vulnerability where an attacker injects malicious scripts into a trusted website, potentially compromising the security of users.
DOM (Document Object Model): An interface that represents a web page as a tree structure, allowing developers to manipulate the content, structure, and style using JavaScript.
Framework: A pre-built structure that developers use to build and maintain web applications, such as Laravel for PHP or React for JavaScript.
Front-end: The client-side part of a website, where users interact with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to view and navigate the site.
Front-end: The client-side of a web application where users interact, typically involving HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for the interface and behavior.
HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol): The protocol used to send and receive data between a client (browser) and a web server, forming the foundation of data communication on the web.
JSON (JavaScript Object Notation): A lightweight data format used to send and receive data between a server and a web application, often used in REST APIs.
MVC (Model-View-Controller): A software design pattern that separates an application into three main components: the model (data), the view (UI), and the controller (logic).
Microservices: An architectural style where a web application is broken into smaller, independent services that communicate over a network, each responsible for specific functionality.
NPM (Node Package Manager): A package manager for JavaScript that helps developers install, share, and manage dependencies in their web development projects.
NoSQL: A type of non-relational database that stores data in formats like documents or key-value pairs, commonly used for scalable and flexible data models.
Node.js: A JavaScript runtime built on Chrome’s V8 engine that allows developers to use JavaScript for server-side programming and build scalable network applications.
REST (Representational State Transfer): An architectural style for building APIs, where data is accessed and manipulated through HTTP requests like GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE.
SQL (Structured Query Language): A language used to communicate with and manipulate databases, including operations like querying, updating, and managing data.
SQL Injection: A security vulnerability where an attacker inserts malicious SQL code into a query to manipulate a database, potentially gaining unauthorized access to data.
SSR (Server-Side Rendering): A rendering process where the web server generates the HTML for a page and sends it to the browser, improving performance and SEO.
Session: A server-side storage mechanism that stores information about a user’s interaction with a web application, often used for authentication and state management.
Single-Page Application (SPA): A web application where the entire page is loaded once, and subsequent content is dynamically updated without a full page reload, improving user experience.
Version Control: A system for tracking changes to source code over time, allowing multiple developers to collaborate and maintain a history of modifications (e.g., Git).