The Ultimate Web Terms Glossary 2023

Hosting, hyperlinks, HTTP’s and other whatsit. As a team that specialises in website design, we surely throw these terms around a lot on a typical day at work. But if you’re just someone who happens to visit websites frequently, seeing or hearing these terms you have no idea about can be a bummer.

The world of web development is filled with buzzwords, jargon and terms that are used a lot by developers, marketers and designers alike. It may feel pretty intimidating. We don’t want to keep you feeling flustered, so we’re keeping you in the loop with some of the most common web terms. These are bite-sized explanations that’ll give you clarity, and a better experience when surfing the web. 

403 Error

A 403 Error, otherwise known as 403 Forbideen Error usually happens when the server doesn’t allow you to access certain content on that website. Oftentimes a problem with the website itself, you can try to clear cache, reload the page or disconnect from a VPN (if you are using one). If it still persists, then there’s not much that can be done.

404 Error

A 404 Error is typically triggered when a web content is no longer available or has been moved to another URL. It’s like hitting a dead end on a search. Other reasons this may happen are when a URL has been typed wrongly, the server isn’t running or the connection is broken.

A/B Testing

Also known as split testing, this method is when you compare two or more versions of an output to see which one performs better. When one conducts an A/B Testing, they can find ways to improve a user’s experience. You may hear this term in social media management speak, in terms of what social media content plans work.

Accessibility

This refers to designing and developing websites and digital content to be usable and accessible to people with disabilities, and it is an important aspect of creating inclusive and user-friendly digital experiences for all. Some ways to make a website more accessible is to ensure the contrast between the font and background is clear enough, adding captions for users with hearing impairments and also ensuring that your website’s written content is understandable enough for the cognitively impaired.

Address Bar

The address bar can be found on the top part of a window. This is where you can type the website you want to visit.

Alt Text

This is an accessibility feature used by screen readers and is dedicated to users who have visual impairments. Alt Text is the text description added to images added in a website. This also helps in SEO as search engines find it easier to understand what the contents of a website is. 

Back-end

The back-end is where the databases and servers live. For things that concern structure, how content is organised, and security, the back-end houses it all. This is basically the things that users can’t see. 

To work on the back-end, developers make use of programming languages such as Java, Python, PHP or Ruby.

Backlinks

These are links used as signals by Google to determine if a website is credible or not. These are links that lead one website to another. Your websites will have better chances at ranking if your website gets more valuable backlinks from credible websites.

Backup

Backups are simply spare copies of your files, databases, or information which are stored in another location away from the original files. Having backup copies of your files prevents data loss whenever a website encounters an issue. ‍

Blog

Blogs are web logs, displayed in a reverse chronological order. Also known as online journals, blogs are either stand alone websites, or a page of a larger website aimed to provide valuable information that caters to viewers across different interests.  

Breadcrumbs

Breadcrumbs are link trails that show the users the information hierarchy of a website. This improves the user’s experience and promotes structure in a website.

Browser

This is a software program that displays and navigates through websites by translating HyperText Markup Language codes into readable content with the use of HyperText Transfer Protocol. Popular examples of a browser are Google, Safari and Firefox.

Bounce Rate

A website’s bounce rate is the percentage of users that visit a website and leave immediately without doing any action. The lack of action (such as filling forms, making a purchase or staying in the blog page to read written content) and short amount of stay is the reason behind this term (“bounce”).

One of the factors that affect the bounce rate is the speed of a website. The average bounce rate is between 20% and 70%. ‍

Cache

Cache are used by browsers to store codes, files, contents and links. It does this to avoid repetitively downloading the same files each time a user visits a website. Remember to regularly clean your browser data to avoid loading issues and filling up your disk space.  

CSS (Cascading Style Sheets)

These are sets of codes that styles the web content. They describe how elements will be rendered across different media such print, paper and even in speech. CSS codes set the look and feel of a website.

Code

Codes help developers to write in a language that the program will be able to understand. They’re written for a variety of purposes. 

Cookies

These are small text files that are stored on a user's computer by a website. Cookies are usually found popping up when you visit websites, and are used to remember the user's preferences or login information. 

Content Management System (CMS)

A software application that allows users to create, manage, and publish digital content, such as text, images, and videos, on a website. These are where websites are built!

Developer

A developer is a person who writes code to create software, applications, websites, or other digital products. They are experts with the capability to write in different languages.

Domain

A website’s domain is the unique name that identifies it on the internet. Examples of these are google.com or facebook.com.

E-commerce

Electronic commerce is the buying and selling of goods or services using the internet. This typically involves online shopping, electronic payments, and the exchange of digital information.

Email Service Provider (ESP)

ESP’s are companies that provide email marketing services, such as managing email campaigns, sending mass emails to subscribers, and tracking email open rates and click-through rates. These typically provide tools for designing email templates, managing email lists, and analyzing email performance. Mailchimp and Gmail are some of the most widely used ESP’s out there.

Hosting Provider

These are companies that provide server space and other services to host websites on the internet.

Hosting

Hosting refers to the way of storing a website's files and data on a server that is connected to the internet, so that the website can be accessed and viewed by internet users around the world. To put it simply, this is like the land you will build your house on (which is your website).

HTML 

Hypertext Markup Language is the standard language used to create web pages and display content on the internet.

Favicon 

A small icon displayed in the web browser's address bar or next to the page title, which is used to identify a website. They are usually tiny versions of a website or brand’s logo that help you identify what website it is that you have open on your tabs.

Front End 

The front end is the part of a website that users interact with directly, such as the layout, design, and content. This is where a visitor gets directed when they enter a website address and enter it. 

Homepage

This is the main page of a website, typically the first page that users see when they visit the website. 

Hyperlink 

This is a clickable link on a webpage that takes the user to another page or website. Hyperlinks are usually marked in blue and an underline.

Javascript

Javascript is a type of programming language commonly used to create interactive features and dynamic content on web pages.

Landing Page

A landing page is a standalone web page that a visitor “lands on” when they click a link. These are commonly used for marketing purposes that wish to elicit actions from anyone who visits the page in terms of making a purchase, subscribing to a service or newsletter.

Plug-in 

Plug-ins are software components that add specific functionality to a website or application, such as a video player or social media integration. An example of where you can find these is on Chrome’s Web Store.

Repository

A repository is a storage location for digital files, code, or other data. This is typically used for version control or collaboration.

Search Engine Results Page (SERP)

This is the page that displays the results of a user's search query on a search engine. It usually consists of multiple pages.

Server 

A computer system that’s a combination of software and hardware, servers provides resources and services to other computers on a network, such as hosting web pages or storing data.

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

Search Engine Optimization is the practice of optimising a website's content and structure to improve its visibility and ranking on search engines. There are four main types of SEO such as on-page SEO, off-page SEO, Local SEO, and Technical SEO. 

SSL Certificates

Secure Sockets Layer certificates is an important layer of protection that every website needs. These are used to encrypt data transmitted between a website and its users, provide secure communication and prevent data theft or tampering.

Widgets

Widgets are small applications or tools that can be added to a website to provide additional functionality or content, such as a weather widget or a social media feed.

Uniform Resource Locator (URL) 

Uniform Resource Locator is the address that identifies a specific webpage on the internet. It typically starts with "http://" or "https://" and includes the domain name and path to the specific page.

Conclusion

Finding things and information on the internet has been more exciting than ever before. Learning a thing or two about the most commonly used web terms is worth looking into because it helps you understand what you are looking at online, and it can also possibly steer you clear of any suspicious websites that may do you and your personal information any harm. 

Also, if you’re someone who’s a business owner ready to invest in a website, learning about these terms will definitely help you get your point across when you’re talking to your developer or if you’re needing help in troubleshooting anything that went wrong.