From the basics of hits, blogs, and forums, developing a website for the Internet requires the savvy site owner, webmaster, or web publisher to keep on top of a continuously evolving language of technology, content management, marketing, optimization, and social media terms and phrases. While this “language” continues to grow, this glossary is a compilation of some of the oldest, most standardized, tried and true, and commonly used terms in that language.
Click on this link to find the Glossary Entries From Analytics to Forums (A to G)
Click on this link to find the Glossary Entries From Header to Pay Per Click (H to R)
Web Design and Internet Publishing Terms (S to Z):
Search Engine - A website that allows users to type in a keyword or phrase related to a given subject and view a list of descriptions and links to other web pages related to those keywords and phrases
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) - Strategic use of particular words or phrases (likely to be used in a search query) when developing web content. This technique increases the likelihood that a search engine will find the target content and rank it higher in the results list when those particular words/phrases are searched for.
Server - A piece of computer hardware that stores data for websites and other Internet activities, and connects directly to the Internet to provide access to the data it’s storing.
Service Box - An affiliate advertising, or other web content form, that offers users the opportunity to search for other information or compare rates for a particular service (airfare, hotel rates, etc.).
Sidebar -Denotes an area of text or graphics located on the sides of a web page or pages
Sidebar Ads - An ad usually square or a vertical rectangle (skyscraper), placed in either the left or right columns of a web page.
Sidebar Content - Additional content related to the main story (show times and ticket prices for a play reviewed in the main story).
Skyscraper - A tall slender rectangular advertisement or service box.
Social Media - A broad range of websites, and new media platforms focused on transmitting information trough social interactions (from one person to another through informal networks and communities of practice).
Style – A piece of HTML coding that tells a web browser how to display certain elements (color, font, graphics, etc.) of a web design.
Templates - Pre-programmed designs for a web page or pages that only need to be filled with content and uploaded to be considered complete.
Traffic - The number of users visiting a particular page over a given period of time. This is often expressed in “hits”, “page views” or “unique visitors” (“uniques”)
Tweet - A single 140-character posting on Twitter
Twitter - A micro-blogging service that let’s someone post a short message (not to exceed140-characters) to a group of followers.
Unique Visitors (“uniques”) - The number of first time visitors to a site over a given period of time.
URL (Uniform Resource Locator) - The unique identifier for a particular bit of Internet content. The URL identifies the access method and location of the item in question.
V - No Entries
Web Design - The organization, layout, navigation scheme, and visual structure of a website.
Web Designer - The person who creates and programs the look, layout, styles, and functionality of a website.
Web Host(ing) - A company that stores the components of a web design on their server and registers the website (domain name), I.P. address, and server location so that all inquiries for that site are directed to the appropriate files on the correct server.
Webmaster – The administrator of a website. Often the web designer as well, this person usually receives all email, inquiries, forms, and comments about the site, and controls access to the online files.
Webpage – An individual screen of content or HTML file on a website. Regardless of length, as long a the user does not click through to another webpage, no matter how far they scroll down a page they are still on the same webpage of content.
Website – A group of individual webpages organized around a common theme, design, and navigation system.
WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) – An type of easy, intuitive web design program that allows users to literally point, drag and drop, and insert elements of a web design without having to “code” the design in HTML.
X - No Entries
Y - No Entries
Z - No Entries
In the rap[idly changing world of the Internet it’s important to know the language and terminology commonly used online. This understanding is critical in getting the most out of the online experience. For website owners, entrepreneurs, and web developers, much of the lingo can be picked up online, but it helps to have a solid grounding, or a handy reference when an unknown word or phrase pops up.
References & Additional Reading:
- About the Web - http://www.about-the-web.com/shtml/glossary.shtml
- Case Western Reserve IT Services - http://www.case.edu/help/webglossary.html
- Net Lingo - http://www.netlingo.com
- Netsmartz - http://www.netsmartz.org/safety/definitions.htm
- W3Schools - http://www.w3schools.com/site/site_glossary.asp
Glenn Kaufmann - Having moved every four years up to the age of 12, I've always been something of a restless soul ready to take on the next big thing. I ...
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