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Web Glossary
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- – Domain
- Your domain name, also known as the URL, is your official web name.
This is the name you purchased, and the name that vistors will link to, or just type directly into the url space.It always starts with, http (hypertext transfer protocol) and ends with the appropriate extension; .com, .net, .org, .edu, etc. (.com is for commerce, .net for network, .org for organization, .edu for educational institutions, .gov for government,...)
- – WWW.
- World Wide Web - we're all connected now.
It's been a revolution, and here we are. (revolting, isn't it? - sorry!)
- – FTP
- File Transfer Protocol - transferring files from your computer to the web. When your site is ready to be online, this is the method by which you get it up there.
- – Host
- You purchase a domain name (like mintzwebdesign.com), but a host is like a landlord. You pay them a monthly 'rent'. They have the servers that hold your information, and through these servers you connect to the internet and publish your site.
- – HTML
- HyperText Markup Language - the basic web language. You may be looking at images and text, but the computer is reading html in order to send it to you.
- – Upload –– Download
- Uploading a file is putting it online, transferring it from your local computer to the wide world. This is usually done via FTP (file transfer protocol)
Downloading a file (or files) is transferring a file from the internet to your 'local' computer.
- – Designer –– Developer
- Designer
The designer works with you to conceptualize your website, so that it is engaging and truly reflects you and your organization. The designer will also 'build' the site, often working with a developer.
Developer
A developer is master of the code. It's the backbone of any site, the engine that makes it do all the magic.
- – Navigation
- Navigation is how you get from one place to another. On the web it takes the form of a list of pages with a hierarchy to put it in order.
- – Wireframe
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A drawn out version of your site. It looks like a family tree in it's hierarchical nature. This is how and where you decide what goes where, and what pages link to each other.
I have made some larger versions of these wireframes to use in planning your site.
I have also created an interactive version that fun to work with, and you can change your mind as often as you want, until you have what you like. Try this online
Interactive Wireframe
- – File extensions – .gif, .jpg, .doc, .xls, .pdf
- A file extension is what comes after the "dot" in the title of a document or image. It may not sound like much, but your document may not open without the proper extension. There are many other image extensions, but .gif, .jpg and sometimes .png are the only ones that go on the web.
- – .gif and .jpg (and .png)
- These are the 'extensions' that are used for images. These three are the only image types that can go on the web.
An image won't get on the web unless it has an appropriate extension.
GIF stands for graphic interface format,   but the easiest way to remember is
that a gif is usually a simple image, and mostly flat solid tones. (like text images)
Photographs are almost always .jpg's.
It captures the graduated tones.
- – File extensions – .gif, .jpg, .doc, .xls
- A file extension is what comes after the "dot" in the title of a document or image. It may not sound like much, but your document may not open without the proper extension. There are many other image extensions, but .gif, .jpg and sometimes .png are the only ones that go on the web.
- – Meta Tags
- A website is actually written in code, and there are specific parts for specific functions. There are many aspects to SEO (search engine optimization) most of which depend of 'keywords', the words you use, and the order in which they are used. Meta tags are some of the keywords used in the code.
The 2 main ones are: "description", and "keywords".
The keywords are the words or phrases (a short phrase counts as a keyword) that you think your user will most likely use to search for you. They should be as specific as possible. 'shoes' is not a good keyword, because it is so unlikely that such a broad category name would lead someone to your boutique.
- – Search
- Searching is what a viewer does when they want to find something online, by entering words or phrases (keywords) into a search engine like google. When you are searching, you should try to use the most specific words to take you where you want to go.
- – Inbound Marketing
- This is when your customers seek you out, rather than you advertising to them. It is generally accomplished through giving helpful information on your site or blog,
 and attracting attention with social media.
- Hubspot is a company in the Boston area specializing in this.
www.hubspot.com
- – SEO
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Search Engine Optimization is the 'art' of developing a site using the words that will be searched for to find what you have to offer.
Here's the crucial factor in the search conundrum - you don't need to be found by everyone in the world. (most of us don't, anyway) So, you 'optimize' your site so you'll get found by the people who want to find you, and by those you are looking to attract.
- – Social Media/Networking
- These are online networks connecting you with people you want to work with, play with, etc. The most popular are twitter, facebook, and linkedIn. There are many more, and each has it's own kind of community. It's important to be on a few sites and to choose wisely.
- – Blog, or Web log
- A blog is an online diary of sorts. It is updated often, and interactive, in that you can write and get comments from your readers. The most popular online programs for this are wordpress and typepad. Here's mine - "The Insightful Web".
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