TBH sometimes I forget that I didn’t always know these terms. That is until my clients stop me to be like, “girl, CTA wha?”, “transfer wha?”, “favicon who!?”

May this list (written in language you will actually understand) serve as your solve all for website terminology that you need to know or just plain ol’ want to figure out already.

CTA

AKA your Call to Action. What we in the business constantly refer to when we ask you what you want the users on your website to do. Your CTA could be to “book a class now” or “contact us” or “sign up for our newsletter”. Whatever it is – she’s your main gig and needs to be made crystal clear and given an awesome location (think top or bottom) on your website home page.

404

You know when you’re on a website and you click on a link and an error page shows up that tells you the page doesn’t exist? That’s the 404 page. Every website needs one – and there is no reason you can’t be cute about it adding a little gif or a phrase with a “whoopsie” wink that will lead the users back to your home page.

Favicon

That little branded graphic on your window tabs left-hand side. Now that you know they exist you’ll notice when a website doesn’t have one and how incomplete and unprofessional that looks.

SEO

AKA Search Engine Optimization. A way of optimizing your website so search engines can easily find you and catalogue your content correctly so you can be found by the right people.

SSL Certificate

Is a small file that is added to your site by your host to make your site secure. Every site needs one or you end up with a warning when new users try to get to your site that your “site is insecure”. This is especially important for websites that will be using ecommerce where personal details and card information are not only being sent but stored by the server.

Web Hosting

A hosting service is like your landlord that will allow you to pay rent to own a little space on the internet. This is not the same as your domain! This is a separate thing altogether. These landlords (hosts) also take care of maintenance around your data and monitor your site to continually make it secure.

Domain

The address of your site. Your domain needs to be purchased and then connected to your server so users can type in your domain and be directed to your site.

Want a list of where you should purchase your domain? Click here to read all about it.

Connecting your domain vs transferring your domain

When you connect your domain to your server you will continue to pay the service you originally purchased your domain from. So if you bought your domain from GoDaddy and have designed your site on Squarespace you will have to CONNECT the two together before your site can go live.

When you transfer your domain you are sending that address to a new home to be under new management. So if you originally purchased your domain from GoDaddy but want to manage it on a different site like BlueHost – you can transfer it, stop paying GoDaddy and start paying BlueHost instead.

Site Map or Site Architecture

A designers best friend. A site map is designed, created and sent for approval to you before any of the elements of your site are entered onto your website hosting platform. AKA before they are made live. It’s a great tool for you and for a designer because you can easily organize your information and build your strategy before the layer of buttons, hyperlinks, image sizes, widgets and optimization are built. Typically your Site Map will be delivered to you in a .pdf or .png file.

Site Link Delivery

Once your site is built your designer will send you a private link (or a Site Link) so that you can view and make suggestions to edit your site before connecting your domain, writing in your SEO, and launching your site to the world.

Navigation

The list of links that take users to the different pages of your site. These are typically at the top of a site or listed in a menu for easy navigation.

Have questions about terminology that hasn’t been listed above? Drop it in the comments and will add her in! xx