Website terminology glossary
There’s a lot of tech-speak around website projects, so here are common terms explained
A
Analytics
A tool that helps you see how many people visit your website and what they do on it.
Alt Text
A short description added to images to help search engines and accessibility tools understand them.
B
Backup
A saved copy of your website that can be restored if something goes wrong.
Blog
A section of your website where you can publish articles, news or updates.
C
CMS (Content Management System)
A system that lets you update your website content yourself. WordPress is a CMS.
Contact Form
A form visitors can use to send enquiries through your website.
Cookie
A small file stored in a visitor’s browser to help websites remember information.
D
DNS
Domain name servers – these point your domain to the hosting for your website.
Domain Name
Your website address, such as yourbusiness.co.uk.
Drag and Drop Builder
A visual system for building websites by moving blocks and sections around.
E
Ecommerce
A website that allows you to sell products or services online.
F
Footer
The bottom section of a website, usually containing contact details and useful links.
G
Google Analytics
A free Google tool used to track website visitors and activity.
Google Search Console
A Google tool that helps monitor how your website appears in search results.
H
Header
The top section of a website, usually containing the logo and navigation.
Hosting
The service that keeps your website online and accessible.
Homepage
The main page visitors usually see first on your website.
I
Internal Link
A link from one page of your website to another page on the same website.
K
Keyword
A word or phrase people type into Google when searching online.
L
Landing Page
A page designed to encourage visitors to take a specific action, such as making an enquiry.
M
Metadata
Information behind the scenes that helps search engines understand a webpage.
Mobile Responsive
A website that automatically adapts to phones and tablets.
N
Navigation
The menu system used to move around a website.
O
On-page SEO
The process of improving website pages to help them rank better in Google.
P
Page Speed
How quickly your website loads for visitors.
Plugin
An add-on that adds extra functionality to a WordPress website.
Q
Query
A piece of WordPress code that essentially retrieves information from the database and displays it on your site.
R
Responsive Design
A website layout that adjusts to different screen sizes.
S
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)
The process of improving your website so it appears more often in Google searches.
SSL Certificate
A security feature that protects your website and displays the padlock icon in browsers.
Schema
Extra information added to a website to help search engines understand the content.
T
Template
A pre-designed layout used as a starting point for building websites.
Technical SEO
The behind-the-scenes optimisation that helps search engines crawl your website properly.
U
URL
The address of a webpage.
W
Web Hosting
The service that stores your website files and keeps your website live online.
WordPress
The world’s most popular website platform used to build and manage websites.
X
XML Sitemap
A file that helps search engines discover your website pages.
Y
Yoast
A popular WordPress plugin used for SEO.
Z
Z-index
A piece of code that arranges content in layers, for example, z-index:1 would be below z-index-2.
Need help bringing these website terms to life? Contact Webworthy today for a free consultation and let us handle the tech-speak while you focus on growing your business.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it important to understand website terminology?
Understanding website terminology helps you communicate more effectively with web developers and designers, make informed decisions about your online presence, and feel confident when discussing your website project.
What are the most important website terms for beginners to know?
The essential terms for beginners include domain name (your website address), hosting (the service keeping your site online), CMS (content management system like WordPress), and SSL (security certificate). These form the foundation of any website.
How often should I back up my website?
You should back up your website at least weekly, or more frequently if you regularly update content. Many hosting providers offer automatic daily backups, which is recommended for business websites.
