When researching your new web site design or web development project you might come across some technical terms or buzzwords. This glossary can help you as a quick reference guide.

Accessibility

Taking into consideration people with disabilities in the initial stages of the web design project. It involves the optimisation of the web site. For example, a text-only version of a web site will make it easier for a visually impaired person to listen to its content using special software.

Blog

An online journal that is regularly updated.

Browser

This is the software we use every day to view web sites. Popular browsers are Microsoft Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox.

Cascading style sheets (CSS)

A computer code used to help dictate the font styles and attributes of a web site.

Content management system (CMS)

A web-based way for people without extensive technical knowledge to update content on their web sites.

Database-driven sites

A site that uses database technology is more dynamic than flat, static-sites, as certain changes to content and design can instantly be applied across the entire web site. A popular type of database technology is MySQL (pronounced ‘My sequel’).

Domain name

Your web site address (such as www.studiowide.co.uk).

E-Commerce

The buying and selling of goods and services via the internet. Examples include Play.com or Tesco.com and Amazon.

Eye tracking

Technology that tracks where people’s eyes travel across a screen, used to optimise web site design.

Forum

An online message board that allows visitors to create conversation ‘threads’ and reply to other messages.

HTML (HyperText Markup Language)

The underlying computer code used to display web sites.

Hosting company

The organisation that stores your web site and keeps it online.

Pixel

Short for picture element. The smallest element of an image. Graphics are often measured in pixel width.

RSS (Really Simple Syndication)

Often known as news feeds. RSS technology allows the syndication of content found on blogs and news sites. It saves subscribers having to visit each of their favourite sites, as their latest headlines and content can all be viewed via a news reader.

Search engine

A web site such as Google or Bing that searches other web pages.

Search engine optimisation (SEO)

The art of optimising your web site content so that it appears high up in search engine results pages.

SERP’s

Search engine results pages. These are the pages that are displayed to you when you undertake a keyword search via a search engine.

Social network

Web sites like Facebook and LinkedIn that make it easy for like-minded people to make friends, reacquaint with old colleagues and create and share messages or other content with them.

Tag

A key description applied to a piece of information such as blog entry or image.

Unique sessions

The measure of individual visitors to a web site.

Usability

How easy it is for people to find what they are looking for when moving around your web site.

User-centred design (UCD)

Web site design process that focuses on identifying and meeting the needs of the end-user.

Web 2.0

The latest generation of web sites whose technology makes it easy for users to create their own content, such as Facebook and Flickr.

W3C

The World Wide Web consortium, a group that develops and agrees on technical web standards.

Weblog

See blog.

Wireframe

A visual reference point that outlines where the main design elements will be placed on a web site. It may be as simple as a sketch on paper, or designed in something like Microsoft Word.

XML

Extensible Mark-up Language. Computer code that describes how data included on a web page, document or other file is structured (as opposed to how it’s displayed). This allows particular content to be intelligently used by other web sites or applications.