There is no denying that these days, everyone needs a website. Customers don’t turn to the Yellow Pages anymore. They turn to the internet to find the information they need. The only problem is, to most people, “web speak” might as well be something from another planet.

If you feel the same way, you are in luck! We have the translation you need to make sense of it all.

Banners 

Banners are graphic ads that you have on your website or elsewhere on the web, that advertise your products and services. Usually, these are hyperlinked to a form or shopping cart, to encourage your visitors to make contact or buy from you.

CMS

A CMS is also known as a Content Management System. It is a type of software that is located on your hosting account, which incorporates a template or skin (the visible part of your website) and a backend system that is linked to a database. CMS systems including WordPress and Joomla are the best platforms to create sites on, because they are easy to construct and change when necessary – unlike static sites.

CSS

CSS, or Cascading Style Sheets is web speak for code that tells your website what it should look like. Like html and JavaScript, CSS is a part of your website that is written by programmers. You may not be able to see it, but you can certainly see the effects!

Domain Name

Your domain name is your home on the web. It is the URL or web address that people type in to reach your page, and it is a big part of marketing and branding your business online. Choose your domain carefully!

Hyperlink 

Hyperlinks, also known as “links” are coded “bridges” that link one website to another, or one piece of text to another site. Links are one of the most important signals of website quality for search engines. Incoming links from quality sites indicate that your website is worth visiting, and internal links help your site to be indexed correctly so people can find you when they search.

Navigation

This is a fancy term for the menus and links on your site. Navigation is actually one of the more critical factors in a good website. Visitors will give up and go elsewhere fairly quickly if they can’t find the information they want in a short time.

SEO

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, and it is the practice of “tweaking” web pages so that they are as visible as possible to search engines. This may include adding meta data, formatting images and coding correctly, and making careful changes to the “architecture” of your website.

Site Map

A site map is a document that tells users or search engines where to find pages on your website, and how they are connected. Generally, the xml site maps search engines use, and the ones your website visitors want, are two very different things!

There are many other terms related to web design out there. Some are easy to understand, while some are more complex. If you do work with someone on a home builder marketing website, and they use terms you don’t understand, they should be able to explain what they mean, and how and if they apply to your business.