10 Website Terms You Need to Know Pt. 2

June 3, 2021

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Tips & Tricks

Web Design


A few months ago, we shared a list of terms you should know when embarking on a new website project. After some thought, we thought it would be helpful to build off of that list and share an additional 10 terms that will most likely come up throughout the duration of your website’s development.

Anchor text

The text a link uses to refer to your site. This can make a big difference in your site’s search engine results. See also: Backlink.

Backlink

Backlinks are links from other sites back to your own. They’re sometimes also referred to as “trackbacks” (especially on blogs). Backlinks have a huge impact on your sites search rankings. Lots of backlinks from high-ranking sites can greatly improve your search engine results, especially if those links use keywords in their anchor text.

CMS (Content Management System)

Also known as a CMS, the Content Management System is a backend tool for managing a site’s content that separates said content from the design and functionality of the site. Using a CMS generally makes it easier to change the design or function of a site independent of the site’s content. It also (usually) makes it easier for content to be added to the site for people who aren’t designers.

DNS

Stands for Domain Name Service (alternately Domain Name System or Domain Name Server). Basically, it’s the thing that converts IP addresses into domain names. DNS servers are provided with the IP address of your web server when you assign your domain name to those servers. In turn, when someone types your domain name into their web browser, those DNS servers translate the domain name to the IP address and point the browser to the correct web server

eCommerce
Short for electronic commerce. It’s the buying and selling of goods online, through websites. Products sold through e-commerce can be physical products that require shipping, or digital products delivered electronically.

 

Meta Data
Meta data is the data contained in the header that offers information about the web page that a visitor is currently on. The information contained in the meta data isn’t viewable on the web page (except in the source code). Meta data is contained within meta tags.
Meta Tag

A meta tag is an HTML tag used to include meta data within the header of your web page.

Resolution
Refers to the physical number of pixels displayed on a screen (such as 1280×1024). Unlike in print, display resolution does not refer to the number of pixels or dots per inch on a computer screen, as this can be changed by changing the resolution of the screen (which, of course, does not change the physical size of the screen). The resolution of an image, however, is often referred to in terms of pixels per inch, though this has very little effect on how the image is displayed on screen.

 

Responsive

A responsive (mobile responsive) website has a layout that resizes and readjusts based on the size of the screen it’s being viewed on. This means whether someone is viewing your site on a mobile device or a 30″ screen they’re getting the same experience, and your website is being served up perfectly to them.

Staging Site
A staging site, or a testing/best site, is the final testing platform for a site before it goes live. The site will have the full back-end system and content management tied into it and generally the final content tweaks are made here so when the site is pushed live it’s 100% complete.