Web design and development glossary
Tech terms, in plain English.
97 terms you'll hear when planning a website or custom software, explained for business owners, with why each one matters to your bottom line.
$ define crm
CRM
A CRM is software that keeps every customer and lead in one place, with their history and next steps, so nobody falls through the cracks.
read more →- A/B TestingAnalyticsA/B testing shows two versions of a page to different visitors to find out which one gets more calls, form fills or sales.
- Above the FoldWeb DesignAbove the fold is everything a visitor sees on your page before they scroll. It has seconds to say who you are and what to do next.
- Alt TextSEOAlt text is a short written description of an image. It helps people using screen readers and helps search engines understand your pictures.
- APIWeb DevelopmentAn API is a set of rules that lets two pieces of software share information, like your website sending a new lead straight into your CRM.
- Back EndWeb DevelopmentThe back end is the part of a website or app that runs out of sight: the database, the logic and the servers that make everything work.
- BacklinksSEOBacklinks are links from other websites to yours. Search engines treat quality links as a vote of trust, which can help you rank higher.
- Bounce RateAnalyticsBounce rate is the share of visits where someone leaves without engaging. A high number on an important page can point to a message or speed problem.
- Brand GuidelinesBrandingBrand guidelines are a rulebook for your logo, colors, fonts and tone, so every ad, page and printed piece looks and sounds like the same company.
- Brand IdentityBrandingBrand identity is the visible and verbal side of your business: logo, colors, fonts, imagery and voice, working together to make you recognizable.
- Brand PositioningBrandingBrand positioning is the place your business holds in a customer's mind compared to competitors, and the reason they should pick you.
- Brand StrategyBrandingBrand strategy is the plan behind your brand: who you serve, what you stand for and how you will be known, before any logo or color is chosen.
- Brand VoiceBrandingBrand voice is how your business sounds in writing and speech. A consistent voice makes your website, emails and ads feel like one company.
- Call to ActionWeb DesignA call to action is the button or link that tells a visitor what to do next, like Book a Call or Get a Quote. Clear ones turn visits into leads.
- CDNHosting and SecurityA CDN keeps copies of your site on servers around the world, so each visitor loads it from a nearby location and pages open faster.
- Client PortalCustom SoftwareA client portal is a private, login-protected area where your customers can see their orders, files, invoices or project status without calling you.
- CMSWeb DevelopmentA CMS is the tool that lets you edit your website's text, images and pages yourself, without writing code or calling a developer.
- Conversion RateAnalyticsConversion rate is the share of visitors who take the action you want, like calling, booking or buying. It shows how well your site turns traffic into business.
- Conversion Rate OptimizationAnalyticsConversion rate optimization is the ongoing work of improving your site so a higher share of visitors call, book or buy, without needing more traffic.
- Conversion TrackingAnalyticsConversion tracking records when a visitor completes something valuable, like a call or form, so you can see which ads and pages bring in real leads.
- Core Web VitalsSEOCore Web Vitals are Google's three measures of how fast, responsive and stable your pages feel to real visitors, and they feed into search performance.
- Cost Per ClickAdvertisingCost per click is what you pay each time someone clicks your ad. It varies by industry, keyword and competition, and it drives your cost per lead.
- Cost Per LeadAdvertisingCost per lead is your ad spend divided by the number of leads it brought in. It tells you what a new inquiry really costs your business.
- CRMCustom SoftwareA CRM is software that keeps every customer and lead in one place, with their history and next steps, so nobody falls through the cracks.
- Custom SoftwareCustom SoftwareCustom software is built specifically for how your business works, instead of forcing your team to adapt to a generic tool.
- Customer Acquisition CostAnalyticsCustomer acquisition cost is the total sales and marketing spend divided by the new customers it won. It shows what each customer costs to earn.
- Customer Lifetime ValueAnalyticsCustomer lifetime value is the total profit a typical customer brings over the whole relationship. It tells you how much you can afford to spend to win one.
- DatabaseCustom SoftwareA database is the organized store behind your website or software where customer records, orders, content and settings are kept and retrieved.
- DNSHosting and SecurityDNS is the internet's address book. It connects your domain name to the servers that run your website and your email.
- Domain AuthoritySEODomain Authority is a score from the SEO tool company Moz that estimates how well a site might rank. Google does not use it as a ranking factor.
- Domain NameHosting and SecurityA domain name is your website's address on the internet, like yourcompany.com. You register it for a period, and it should be owned by your business.
- EcommerceWeb DevelopmentEcommerce means selling products or services online. A good store makes it easy to browse, trust you, pay and come back.
- ERPCustom SoftwareAn ERP is a system that runs core operations like inventory, orders, accounting and scheduling in one place, so departments share the same data.
- Facebook AdsAdvertisingFacebook Ads, run through Meta, let you show ads to specific people on Facebook and Instagram based on location, interests and behavior.
- FaviconWeb DesignA favicon is the tiny icon that appears in a browser tab, bookmark or search result next to your site name. It helps people spot and trust your brand.
- FirewallHosting and SecurityA firewall filters traffic to your website or network and blocks requests that look malicious, before they can reach the site itself.
- Front EndWeb DevelopmentThe front end is everything a visitor sees and uses on a website: layout, text, buttons, forms and animation, as shown in their browser.
- Google AdsAdvertisingGoogle Ads lets you pay to appear at the top of Google results when people search for what you sell, so you reach customers ready to act.
- Google AnalyticsAnalyticsGoogle Analytics is a free tool that shows how many people visit your site, where they come from, what they do and which actions turn into leads.
- Google Business ProfileSEOYour Google Business Profile is the free listing that shows your hours, reviews and location on Google Maps and local search. It drives calls and visits.
- Headless CMSWeb DevelopmentA headless CMS stores and manages your content separately from the website that displays it, giving you flexibility and speed in how the site is built.
- HeatmapAnalyticsA heatmap is a visual map of where visitors click, tap and scroll on a page, showing what gets attention and what gets ignored.
- HTTPS and SSLHosting and SecurityHTTPS encrypts the connection between visitors and your website using an SSL certificate, protecting their information and showing browsers you are legitimate.
- Keyword ResearchSEOKeyword research finds the words and phrases your customers actually type into search engines, so your pages and ads target real demand.
- KPIAnalyticsA KPI is a number you track to know whether your business or marketing is on target, like leads per month, booked jobs or cost per lead.
- Landing PageWeb DesignA landing page is a focused page built for one goal, like a quote request, where ad or email visitors arrive and are guided to a single action.
- Lead GenerationAdvertisingLead generation is the work of attracting people who show interest in your services and capturing their contact details so you can follow up.
- Lead MagnetAdvertisingA lead magnet is a free, useful item like a guide, checklist or quote tool that visitors get in exchange for their contact details.
- Legacy SystemCustom SoftwareA legacy system is older software your business still depends on that is hard to update, connect or support, but too important to simply switch off.
- Local SEOSEOLocal SEO helps your business show up in searches near you, like 'plumber in Reno', in Google Maps and local results.
- Lookalike AudienceAdvertisingA lookalike audience lets an ad platform find new people who resemble your best existing customers, so you reach likely buyers instead of random users.
- MalwareHosting and SecurityMalware is malicious software that can infect your website or computers, steal data, send spam or damage your search reputation.
- Managed HostingHosting and SecurityManaged hosting means the provider handles updates, security, backups and monitoring for you, so your site stays fast and safe without your effort.
- Meta DescriptionSEOA meta description is the short summary under your page title in search results. It does not rank you directly, but it influences whether people click.
- Mobile-First DesignWeb DesignMobile-first design means planning a site for phones first, then expanding it for larger screens, because most visitors and Google both start on mobile.
- MVPCustom SoftwareAn MVP is the simplest working version of a software product that solves the core problem, built first so you can learn from real use before investing more.
- Off-the-Shelf SoftwareCustom SoftwareOff-the-shelf software is ready-made software sold to many customers. It is quick to start but may force you to change how you work.
- On-Page SEOSEOOn-page SEO is everything you control on a page that helps it rank: titles, headings, copy, images, links and structure.
- Organic TrafficSEOOrganic traffic is the visitors who find your site through unpaid search results, as opposed to ads. It tends to build over time and keeps paying off.
- Page SpeedSEOPage speed is how quickly a page loads and becomes usable. Faster pages keep more visitors, convert better and support stronger search performance.
- Pay-Per-ClickAdvertisingPay-per-click is an advertising model where you pay only when someone clicks your ad. Google Ads and Facebook Ads are common examples.
- PluginWeb DevelopmentA plugin is an add-on that gives a website a feature, like forms or SEO tools. Useful, but each one needs updates and can add risk or slowness.
- Progressive Web AppWeb DevelopmentA progressive web app is a website that behaves like an app: it can be added to a phone's home screen, load quickly and sometimes work offline.
- RebrandingBrandingRebranding is deliberately changing how your business looks, sounds or positions itself, from a light refresh to a full new identity.
- Responsive DesignWeb DesignResponsive design makes one website adjust automatically to fit any screen, from a phone to a wide monitor, so it works well everywhere.
- RetargetingAdvertisingRetargeting shows ads to people who already visited your site, reminding them of you while they decide and bringing them back.
- ROASAdvertisingROAS, or return on ad spend, is the revenue your ads bring in for every dollar spent on them. It shows whether a campaign pays for itself.
- ROIAnalyticsROI, or return on investment, compares what you gained from an investment with what it cost, showing whether marketing or software was worth it.
- SaaSCustom SoftwareSaaS is software you use online through a subscription instead of installing it, like many CRMs and accounting tools. The provider runs and updates it.
- Sales FunnelAnalyticsA sales funnel maps the steps a person takes from first hearing about you to becoming a customer, showing where you win and lose them.
- ScalabilityCustom SoftwareScalability is a system's ability to handle more users, data or work without slowing down or needing a rebuild. It protects you as your business grows.
- Schema MarkupSEOSchema markup is extra code that labels your content, such as reviews, business details or FAQs, so search engines understand it and can show richer results.
- Search IntentSEOSearch intent is the reason behind a search: to learn, compare, find a place or buy. Matching it is key to ranking and to getting leads.
- SEOSEOSEO is the work of improving your website so it appears higher in search results like Google, bringing more of the right people to your business.
- SERPSEOThe SERP is the page of results a search engine shows after a search. It mixes ads, maps, answers and regular listings that compete for attention.
- ServerlessWeb DevelopmentServerless is a way of running code where the provider handles the servers and only runs your code when needed, so it can scale and cost less when idle.
- SitemapSEOA sitemap is a file listing the important pages on your site, which helps search engines find and keep track of them.
- Staging SiteWeb DevelopmentA staging site is a private copy of your website used to test changes and new features before they go live, so mistakes never reach customers.
- Technical SEOSEOTechnical SEO makes sure search engines can find, read and index your site, covering speed, mobile use, security, structure and errors.
- Title TagSEOThe title tag is the clickable headline of your page in search results and browser tabs. It is one of the strongest on-page SEO elements.
- Two-Factor AuthenticationHosting and SecurityTwo-factor authentication adds a second check, like a code from your phone, to your password, so a stolen password alone cannot get into your accounts.
- UptimeHosting and SecurityUptime is the share of time your website is up and working. Every minute of downtime is a minute customers cannot find, call or buy from you.
- User ExperienceWeb DesignUser experience, or UX, is how easy and pleasant your site is to use. Good UX helps visitors find what they need and take action without frustration.
- User InterfaceWeb DesignThe user interface, or UI, is the visual layer people interact with: buttons, menus, colors, type and layout. It shapes first impressions and trust.
- Web AccessibilityWeb DesignWeb accessibility means building your site so people with disabilities can use it. WCAG is the standard most often used to measure it.
- Web ApplicationCustom SoftwareA web application is software you use in a browser, like a booking system, customer portal or dashboard, not a simple page that only displays information.
- Web HostingHosting and SecurityWeb hosting is the service that stores your website's files and delivers them to visitors. The quality of your host affects speed, security and uptime.
- WebhookWeb DevelopmentA webhook is an automatic message one system sends to another the moment something happens, like a new order, so tools stay in sync instantly.
- Website BackupsHosting and SecurityWebsite backups are saved copies of your site and its data that let you restore quickly after a hack, a failed update or an accident.
- WireframeWeb DesignA wireframe is a simple blueprint of a page showing structure and content placement, without colors or final design. It lets you agree on layout early.
- WordPressWeb DevelopmentWordPress is the most widely used website platform. It is flexible and easy to edit, but needs good development and hosting to stay fast and safe.
- Workflow AutomationCustom SoftwareWorkflow automation uses software to handle repeat tasks, like follow-up emails or status updates, so your team spends time on work that needs a person.