If you’re developing a website for the first time, there’s a good chance most of the terminology you come across will be pretty foreign to you as you get started. This can be confusing – especially if you’re working with a development team who knows what every term means.
Here’s a quick glossary of some of the most common website terms so you can be equipped with the knowledge you need going into your own web development project.
Right in Front of You
The first page we all see on any website is typically the homepage. This is the first impression your business gives off. On the homepage, you’ll see a number of consistent elements, including:
- Header: A header is the top part of your website that doesn’t change as you click on different pages. The header usually displays your navigation bar and can incorporate items like social media icons, your phone number, and a search bar.
- Sticky Header: A sticky header (also called a fixed header) is a website navigation that’s locked into place so that it doesn’t disappear when the user scrolls down the page. It’s accessible from anywhere on your website without having to scroll back up to the top of the page.
- Footer: The footer is the bottom part of your website that doesn’t change as you click on different pages. A number of items can be displayed here, such as contact information, a social media feed, or a subscription form.
- Hero Spot: A hero spot is the first image visitors see on your page. With most website templates, you have the option to choose between having a single hero spot image or multiple rotating images.
- Call to Action: A call to action, also called a CTA, is a clear place on your website for users to take an action step. Links to other pages on your website, buttons, contact forms, and social icons are common CTAs and are great ways to get visitors involved and engaged with your website and content. A best practice is to include a CTA on your hero spot since that’s the first thing people see.
Behind the Scenes
Although the backend of your website isn’t seen by your visitors, it’s still there – and it matters. Here are a few examples of some terms you might run into when you’re getting ready to put details into the backend of your website.(And if you’re looking for tips and best practices for these backend elements of your website, check out this blog and infographic.)
- Page Title: This is what shows up on the tab when someone clicks on your website. Here’s an example of what our #TeamOnsharp page title looks like on search engines:
- Meta Description: This is what shows up when you search for your website on a search engine like Google – in fact, a meta description describes your page to search engines. Here’s what a meta description for Onsharp’s homepage looks like on search engines:
- Meta Keywords: Meta keywords show up in the HTML code of a webpage and tell search engines what the topic of the page is. Meta keywords are different than regular keywords because they appear “behind the scenes” in the source code of your page rather than on the page itself.
- Alt Text: This is the text that describes any images on your page. It’s added to the backend of your page to tell search engines what your images are.
Ready to get started on your own web development project? Let us help! Contact our team today.
