Web Design Lingo for Beginners: A Simple Guide to Website Terms

If you’ve ever had a conversation with a web designer and thought, “I have absolutely no idea what they’re talking about,” you’re not alone.

H1. H2. DNS. Hosting. Plugins. SSL. Responsive design. SEO.

It can feel like learning an entirely new language just to get your business website online.

The good news? You don’t need to become a web developer to understand your website. As a small business owner, you just need to know what the important terms mean and why they matter to your business.

So, here’s a simple guide to some of the most common web design terms you’re likely to hear.

Domain Name

Your domain name is your website address.

For example:
yourbusiness.com.au

It’s what people type into their browser to find your website. Think of your domain as your street address on the internet.

Why does it matter?

Your domain is an important business asset, so ideally you should own and control it yourself.

If a web designer or marketing company registers your domain for you, make sure you know who owns it and that you have access to the account.

Hosting

Website hosting is where your website’s files are stored.

Think of it like the block of land your website sits on. Your domain is your address, while your hosting is the space where your website actually lives.

Without hosting, there’s nowhere for your website to live.

Why does hosting matter?

The quality of your hosting can affect things like:

• Website speed
• Security
• Reliability
• Performance
• Backups
• How quickly your website loads

Cheap hosting isn’t always a bargain if it causes your website to run slowly or experience frequent problems.

DNS

DNS stands for Domain Name System.

Don’t worry, you don’t need to understand the technical details. The easiest way to think about DNS is as the signposts that tell the internet where your website and email should go.

Your domain can have different DNS records that point visitors to your website host and direct your emails to your email provider.

This is why changing hosting or email providers can sometimes involve DNS changes.

CMS

A CMS, or Content Management System, is the platform you use to manage your website content.

One of the most popular CMS platforms is WordPress.

A CMS allows you to log into your website and make changes without needing to code everything from scratch.

For example, you might use it to:

• Add a new page
• Edit text
• Upload images
• Add blog posts
• Update products
• Change your contact details

WordPress

WordPress is a website platform used by millions of websites around the world.

It gives you the foundation for your website, while themes, plugins and page builders can be added to customise how it looks and works.

One important thing to understand is that WordPress isn’t your hosting.
Your WordPress website still needs to be hosted somewhere.

Theme

A WordPress theme controls much of the visual appearance and layout of your website.

It can control things such as:

• Fonts
• Colours
• Page layouts
• Headers
• Footers
• Buttons
• Blog layouts

Some themes are highly customisable, while others are designed for very specific types of websites.

Plugin

A plugin is an add-on that gives your WordPress website additional functionality.

Think of plugins like apps for your website.

You might have a plugin for:

• Contact forms
• SEO
• Security
• Online payments
• WooCommerce
• Backups
• Caching
• Spam protection

Plugins are incredibly useful, but they also need to be maintained.
Outdated or poorly configured plugins can create security and compatibility problems.

Responsive Design

Your website needs to work on more than just a desktop computer.

Responsive design means your website automatically adapts to different screen sizes.

That includes:

• Desktop computers
• Laptops
• Tablets
• Mobile phones

A website can look fantastic on a large monitor but be frustrating to use on a phone.

That’s why mobile responsiveness is an important part of good web design.

SSL Certificate

You’ll often see a little padlock next to a website address.

That’s associated with SSL, which helps encrypt the connection between your browser and the website.

You’ll also see websites using:
https://

rather than:
http://

SSL is an important part of website security and is especially important if your website collects personal information, enquiries or payments.

SEO

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation.

It’s the process of improving your website so search engines such as Google can better understand your content and potentially show your website to people searching for your products or services.

SEO can involve things such as:

• Website structure
• Page titles
• Headings
• Meta descriptions
• Content
• Internal links
• Image optimisation
•  Technical performance
• Local SEO

SEO isn’t a magic button you switch on. It’s something that should be considered when your website is being planned and built.

The Big Takeaway

You don’t need to become a web developer to understand your website. But you should understand the basics.

Your website is an important part of your business, so you should know:

Who owns your domain?
Where is your website hosted?
Who has administrator access?
How is your website backed up?
Who looks after updates and security?
Is your website mobile-friendly?
Is your website set up for SEO?
What happens if something breaks?

These aren’t just technical questions. They’re business questions. Because your website might be the first place a potential customer interacts with your business and you don’t want something as simple as an outdated plugin, broken contact form or expired SSL certificate getting in the way of a sale.

Still confused by website jargon?

That’s exactly why having a web designer you can actually talk to is useful.

You shouldn’t need to understand every piece of technical terminology to have a great website. You just need someone who can explain what matters, why it matters and what needs to be done.

Need help with your WordPress website? Studio 5 Creative can help with website design, edits, SEO and ongoing website maintenance.