Common Web Terminology (Jargon) Explained
Understand The BASICS.....So That You Can Go Further
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Affilliate Marketing
An internet marketing scheme whereby a merchant, such as Amazon, gives you permission to sell their products and/or services on your website. When joining the scheme you are given a piece of Affiliation (Membership) HTML Code from the merchant that you put inside your web pages. That code is normally turned into a link or button representing a product/service.
You earn money, based on a percentage of sales, as an affiliate whenever someone clicks on your coded link/button and buys a product/service from the merchants store (online shop). The percentage of sales (commission) is normally less than 5% but can be more depending on the affiliation scheme.
Blog
A blog is a Website Log (as in a Log Book) or Diary website - A piece of software that emulates web pages (known as blog pages) that allows you to easily
write and publish articles/comments into those pages without any knowledge of website programming (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Etc) and website design. One of
the reasons why a blog is the preferred choice of many.
These days the Blog is becoming more and more like a "proper" website with features such as Import Media (audio, video and images) and RSS Feed. Widgets
(Gadget/Tools) are one benefit of a blog. The overall benefit is that no programming skills are need.....initially!!
Browser
A Web Browser is a piece of software that you use to view web pages, amongst other things, from the internet. Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, Chrome, Safari, K-Meleon, Avant and Maxthon are all web browsers. For website design and website programming it is recommended you download the major browsers for testing purposes - Major Browsers: Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, Chrome and Safari.
Conversion Rate
Conversion Rate is basically the percentage of "just viewing" visitors you have managed to turn into "taken action/bought something/joined membership" visitors. An average conversion rate is normally between 2 and 5 percent, depending on the type of business and its marketing strategies, so don't be too disappointed!
Cost Per Click
CPC is the amount of money an advertiser pays a company each time one of their advertisements is clicked on. So if an advertiser is using Google Adwords to create advertisements they might only pay 5 Pence to the Google Company each time someone clicks on one of their google adwords created advertisements. If no one clicks on an advertisement, even though it is being displayed, the advertiser does not pay anything to the Google Company.
Domain Name
A Domain Name is made up of a sub-domain name (i.e. websitecreationhelp) and an extension name (top level domain) such as .com, .eu. .co.uk and so on.
Therefore making websitecreationhelp.com for example. My full domain name is www.websitecreationhelp.com. Domain Names are normally used by website
owners, hosting companies and the like but may be asked of you if you are filling out an online form whereby it states Domain Name? or Domain? as one
of the questions. Ignore the question if it does not apply to you of course.
Also See: Web Terminology
Freeware
Freeware is copyrighted software that has been released by the software author(s) for free, unlimited, usage. Meaning. You can use the software for free,
as long as you like, but you must respect the copyright.
Software classed as Freeware is usually the first release made by the software author(s). If enough people like the software the author(s) will normally
develope it into Shareware (Pay-For software). Your Free-ware version will still be Freeware though - It will still be free to use for an unlimited time.
The Shareware version will normally contain bug fixes and better, extra, features therefore making the Freeware version a little dated and buggy. From
Shareware, and even from Freeware, the software might be developed into a fully Commercial piece of software - Boxed and Sold in the shops.
Also See: Free Downloads
Flame
Flame is a term normally used in forums, denoted by a wafting flame icon, to mean the topic is hot for the wrong reasons! Someone within that topic has been scorched (badly shamed/told off!) usually when a post has turned into a misunderstanding or nasty argument. In these scenarios you are advised to stay well clear. Adding your opinions/thoughts, and therefore fueling the flame, can mean you ruin your own valuable reputation on that forum. Also, do not let others drag you into the flame.
FTP / FTP Client
File Transfer Protocol - A protocol (file transfer method/format/structure) that allows the transfer of files from your computer to your website
(public_html) folder for example. This is normally done with the aid of a FTP Client, which a file transfer program basically that does all the neccessary
authorisations - Username & Password authorisations between your computer and the ftp server (the computer storing your website files/your web hosting
account's computer).
More Info: Install FileZilla FTP Client
Internet
The Internet, also known as the World Wide Web, is a group (network) of computers that are connected together via the telephone line. When your modem/router dials the internet it is actually dialing your Internet Service Providers (ISP's) computer, which is known as a Server. So if your ISP is BT your modem/router dials the BT server (computer) which then serves your computer's needs by allowing it to connect to other computers in the group (network).
This enables your computer and its software (i.e. web browser and email client) to download (save) files and view web pages that are stored on other computers in the group, with the help/connection from your ISP's computer (server). There are many other things you can do once you are connected to the internet (group of computers).
Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer, which comes as part of the Windows operating system, is known as a Web (Website/Internet) Browser because it allows you to browse
(search for and view) the contents of a website, web page by web page. It does this by using its window as a preview pane. So if you go to the website
www.websitecreationhelp.com for example Internet Explorer will allow you to see the contents of that website, one web page at a time.
Internet Explorer can be used for other things as well, such as uploading and downloading files via FTP (File Transfer Protocol) - It cannot connect to
a ftp server that use security though, such as FTPES. Other web browsers include Firefox (Mozilla), Chrome (Google), Opera (Opera Software) and Safari
(Apple) amongst others.
Internet Service Provider
An Internet Service Provider (ISP) is a company that supplies you with an Internet Connection (i.e. Dialup or Broadband Connection), so that your computer can be connected to other computers over the telephone line (over a network/group of worldwide computers). See INTERNET above for more information.
Link
A website link (also known as a HyperLink, short for HyperText Markup Language Link or HTML Link) is a piece of text, normally blue in colour and underlined, that when clicked on can take you to a new web page, to another part of the current web page, to a downloadable file or whatever. The HyperLink does not have to be blue or underlined though. It can be customized as an Image instead. HyperLinks are useful in Tutorials, in Documents and for Downloadable Files for example whereby they serve as page/text markers and navigators.
Page Rank
PageRank is an algorithm and technology that is used by the Google search engine to weigh up what the importance of a specific web page is. A web page
can be given a page rank between 1 (low) and 10 (high). So, in theory, the higher the page rank the better chance that web page has of appearing on page
one of Google's search results.
The main factor for calculating a web page's ranking is how popular it is; How many times it has been linked to by other web pages (either from within
your own website or from someone elses). Hence why linking is all the rage.
The idea is to get all your web pages highly linked so that your website then has an overall high page rank, which is very difficult to achieve. An
"Average Website" is normally ranked between 0 (unranked) to 4. To see your website's page rank simply enter the following URL into your web browser.
It allows you to check individual web pages (URLs) as opposed to just the website domain name.
Page Rank URL: http://www.prchecker.info/
Pay Per Click
PPC is the amount of money a business is prepared to pay a company, such as Google, for each click of an advertisement. Unlike CPC (see above) the business
bids on a specific keyword or keyphrase (sentence), along with other businesses, in the hope they have bid enough to become a "Sponsored Link" within the
search engine results page.
In other words; the sponsored links seen at the top and side of search engines are advertisement placements that businesses have bid for. So if they bid
for the keyphrase "Cheap Laptops"; Each time someone searches for "Cheap Laptops" the top ten bidders for example will each get a sponsored link shown on
the "Cheap Laptops" search results page. Then whenever someone clicks on their sponsored link (advertisement) they pay Google the per click amount (i.e. 5
Pence per click).
In reality you do not just pay 5 Pence per click for a sponsored link, more likely 5 Pounds upwards. PPC is aimed at companies who sell pricey products
and/or services whereby for them paying £5 per click on a "£500 42 Inch Plasma TV" keyphrase for example is nothing.....a drop in the ocean.
Also See: PPC Definition
Program
A Program is one piece of software that does a specific, main, job for you. For example. Microsoft Office has one program called WORD (for Word Processing), one program called EXCEL (for Accounting) and one program called Access (for Databases). Together they are called Software (or a Software Package), but each piece of software on its own is called a Program. So WORD is one program that does all your word processing and EXCEL is one program that does all your accounting.
Public Domain
Public Domain software is software that is not copyrighted. Because of this it is Free-To-Use as you wish. For example. You can modify the software, pass
it onto friends and so on.
Software classed as Public Domain has usually been released by the software author(s) to get themselves known. If the
software becomes well known and respected the software author(s) might release more software later, perhaps commercial,
living off the reputation/respect of their previous public domain software. In other words, they might give for free now
but cash in later. Saying this, most public domain software I have come across is genuine (made from the heart) and not
made for gain later. Either way. As a user of public domain software you should reap the benefits.
Also See: Free Downloads
Shareware
Shareware is copyrighted software that has been released by the software author(s) as Free-To-Try, before you buy, software.
Meaning. You can use the software for free, for a limited time, before you must pay for it. Shareware software is normally
crippled in some way - Its usage might be Limited By Time, have None-Working Functions inside it and/or have Pop-Up "Nag"
Windows appearing every now and then asking you for money. Paying the Shareware Fee gives you an unrestricted (Full) version
of the software.
Software classed as Shareware is usually the second release made by the software author(s) - Freeware being the first release.
If enough people have paid the Shareware Fee the software author(s) will normally develope the software into a fully
Commercial piece of software - Boxed and Sold in the shops.
Also See: Free Downloads
Web Browser
See INTERNET EXPLORER above.
Web Page
A Web Page is a file that normally contains Source Code (i.e. HTML, JavaScript, CSS and/or PHP instructions) and Text (Information) alongside embedded
(linked) Imagery (Photos and/or Drawings) and Audio/Video footage. The source code tells your web browser (i.e. Internet Explorer) how to display text
and imagery, play audio/video footage, link to other web pages and how to download files for example.
Also See: Web Terminology
Website
A Website to the general public is the contents of your public_html sub-folder that is stored inside your web space (the main folder on your web hosting
provider's computer (server), that is named after your domain name). To you, the webmaster, though a website is that main folder (web space).
The hosting company Net Hosted, for example, is hosting the domain name websitecreationhelp.com and have it linked to a hard drive folder (web space)
called websitecreationhelp.com. Within that folder is a sub-folder called public_html. It is classed as the website folder because it is where all the
web pages, images, videos and so on are stored. Whenever someone types www.websitecreationhelp.com into their web browser, such as Internet Explorer, it
will display the index web page (index.htm) that is inside that public_html (website) sub-folder.
The web space (websitecreationhelp.com folder) storage size depends on the web hosting package purchased. 1GB of web space, linked to the
websitecreationhelp.com domain name, in this case. To view a different web page you either click on a link inside the index web page (i.e. page2.htm) or
you enter the URL (full path name/location) of a web page into a web browser's Address Bar edit box
(i.e. http://www.websitecreationhelp.com/web_terminology.htm).
Also See: Web Terminology