Have you ever had this experience...
You're sitting in a meeting, your recent report went down a treat, the boss even laughed at a few of your jokes, everything is going well. Suddenly, someone throws in a fancy piece of web jargon.
Everyone else seems to understand but you're left confused and embarrassed, slowly but surely to you begin to sink down in your chair and question your entire career.
If this has been your experience fear not. Here's a list of common website development and other terms below to give you a helping hand.
Hosting is a service where individuals or businesses can rent space on a server to make their websites accessible on the Internet. It involves storing website files and data on the hosting provider's server, allowing visitors to access the site by typing in the domain name.
WordPress is a popular open-source content management system (CMS) that allows users to create and manage websites and blogs with ease. Launched in 2003, WordPress is known for its user-friendly interface, flexibility, and extensive plugin ecosystem, which enables users to customize their sites according to their needs. Check out our article WordPress Web Design, is it worth all the hype?
An online advertising service provided by Google. Adverts are displayed on Google's Search Engine Results page and websites in it's advertising network. Advertisers pay a fee each time a person clicks on their advert. A useful tool for businesses looking for quick ways to encourage website traffic.
CRO stands for Conversion Rate Optimization. It is the process of increasing the percentage of website visitors who take a desired action, such as making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or filling out a form. CRO involves analyzing user behavior, testing various elements on a website (such as layout, design, content, and calls-to-action), and making improvements to optimize the conversion funnel and ultimately improve the conversion rate.
An interactive blending of reality with digital information. Augmented Reality (AR) allows users to view, hear and feel reality with enhancements. A perfect example is the Apple Vision Pro.
A Content Management System (CMS) is an online tool that allows you to update and change a website with little or no technical knowledge. WordPress is a popular CMS.
A human-readable way to identify a website address. Computers look for websites using a set of numbers called an IP (internet protocol) address. IP addresses are ok for computers to remember but for us humans we need something with more of a ring to it.
A way to list your Business in Google's local search results. Google Business lets people find your business if they search in their local area. Details such as opening times, photographs and reviews can enhance your business listing.
The number of times your content is displayed on a search results page regardless of whether it was clicked or not.
A page where a user enters your website. Landing pages can be specifically designed attract users and funnel them into your key products and offerings.
Pay Per Click (PPC) is a form of Paid Search Engine Optimisation. Each time a user clicks on your advert you pay a fee.
A design standard that aims to make your website change or 'respond' to the device it is being viewed on. Responsive design allows people to get a tailored experience whether they are using a phone, tablet, desktop or other device.
Search Engine Optimisation. A digital marketing discipline that aims to put your website at the top of the search rankings for a given set of keywords.
Content that is sensationalized either through a tantilizing headline, image or some other means, with the sole intent of gaining clicks. Clickbait often makes unbelieveable promises only to deliver mediocre results. For example, a blog post entitled 'These 3 Easy Steps will Change your Life.'
Using social media or the internet to gain information from a large number of people on a specific subject.
A username on social media. A name chosen by a user to identify them on a social network such as X (formerly Twitter) or Instagram, for example @Google
A way to categorize topics on social media. Hashtags make it easier for people to search for other tweets about those topics.
An image, video, or other media, usually humorous, copied and spread across social media.
A website or app that allows people to communicate by posting comments, photos, videos or other media.
A person who posts content on social media with the aim of upsetting or antagonising other users. A troll engages in the practice of 'trolling'.
Stats about an audience such as age, location, interests etc. Demographics are useful to help you align your business offering with your target audience.
Creating highly engaging and shareable promotional content that encourages people to spread your message across social networks or the internet.
Sometimes called split testing, this is a way of testing which content works best on your website or app. (Ie: do people prefer headline A or headline B)
A planning system to encourage potential customers to become paying customers. Individuals are 'funnelled' through a series of stages from prospect to advocate.
A tool to help a business plan its marketing strategy based on Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.
A product feature that can be used to align it to your customers needs. For example High Quality, Eco-Friendly Shoe Polish.
A price that customers can use for comparison when buying. For example a designer jacket on sale: was £250 now £150. The initial price of £250 is the anchor, it tells the customer that they will save £100 if they buy this jacket.
Writing a piece of content connected to a trending news story to promote your business.
A tangible representation of your business. A brand can be made up of several parts including; a logo, typeface, colour scheme, tone of voice and other elements.
The combination of information 'info' and visual data 'graphic'. Infographics are great for breathing life into boring statistics, they are also highly shareable.
The space between letters or characters in a piece of text.
The space between lines of text. Wise use of leading can make text easier to read.
Portable Document Format (PDF) is a file format combining images and text that is universally recognised and easy to send.
A set of letters, numbers and other symbols designed in a particular style. For example Arial, Helvetica, Comic Sans.
