Simple Website Terms Explained
A lot of clients think there are things they should know or need a deep understanding of before they can start working with a web designer, but that's what we're here for!
It does always help to know the basics though, so you can clearly explain what you need from your website. A good designer will also walk you through anything you are unsure off, but it can never hurt to be prepared!
Today I’m running through the basics of website terms and then we’re going to have a look at a simple homepage and the words used to describe certain areas of that page.
Let’s jump in!
Domain
All websites require an address that can be used to locate them online - mine is www.kirstym.com - this is called a domain. You can purchase domains from specific domain providers or from Squarespace directly and it will require a monthly or yearly fee. It is often bundled in with the cost of hosting your website.
Expect to pay around £20 per year for your domain. Often domain providers will offer one year of free hosting if you pay for multiple years up front.
Website Host
If the domain is the address of your website, the host is the land that it sits on. A host stores all of the files that make up your website and the domain points users to these files.
Some website services require a separate hosting account, such as WordPress, and others are ‘self-hosted’ or built-in, such as Squarespace. They each have their pros and cons and will be suitable for different types of websites. Your website designer will be able to recommend the correct service for you.
Expect to pay anywhere from £100 - £400 per year for your website hosting, depending on the size of your website or the functionality needed (online shops for example).
Content Management System
A content management system (CMS) is where a website is designed, updated and maintained. Sticking with the house analogy, if the domain is the address, the host is the plot of land, then the CMS is the structure of your house - the foundations, walls and roof.
Finally, the actual content of your website, so the words and images, would be the wallpaper and furniture within your house. Can you tell I used to be an architect!?
A popular CMS is WordPress which requires a separate host and domain. Squarespace is also a CMS, however it is an all-in-one platform that includes the domain, hosting and website building platform.
There is no separate cost for a CMS, this is built in to the platform you are using.
Need a new website?
I’d love to chat with you about a new or refreshed website to help your business grow.
Website Builder/Squarespace
Squarespace my favourite website builder as I’ve mentioned here and here. It is a drag and drop platform that allows users to easily manage their website because of it’s simple interface. It also integrates a lot of functionality that is helpful for small businesses, such as email marketing, online shop, appointment scheduling, digital products and online courses.
It is perfect for service based businesses and small online shops. Businesses that require more complex booking requirements, large shop inventories or a lot of content may be better using a more complex website platform such as WordPress.
Squarespace plans start at £144 per year plus VAT. Typically, my clients will opt for the Business plan at £204 plus VAT. As I am a Squarespace Circle Platinum member, I can offer a 25% discount on your first year of hosting.
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
SEO is a term that describes how well a website is set up to be found through an online search, such as Google, Bing and even Pinterest. There are two key areas to consider when assessing the SEO of your website:
How the website was built
What you do after the website is launched
So why is it important? You don’t want the hard work that’s gone into your website to go to waste. People should be able to find your business online - after all, that’s why you wanted a website in the first place!
Unfortunately websites don’t rank at the top of a Google search overnight. It takes time to build up links and traffic to your site, and for that to convert into a higher ranking. There is no magic wand but there are things that can be implemented to make the process quicker and easier.
You can learn more about SEO for your website below:
Web Page Terms
Header - the area at the very top of your website that usually contains your website menu (navigation), logo and social links. This appears on every page of your site.
Footer - Area at the very bottom of your website, usually it contains a business bio, location details, opening hours, page links, policies and disclaimers.
Navigation - This is page links that sit within your header. It will contain links to the most important pages on your website and allow users to navigate around the content.
Logo - Usually placed in the header of your site. It can be in image or simple text representing your business name.
Above the fold - This refers to the area of the website that is visible before the user starts scrolling. This comes from newspapers and what was visible on the newsstand on the folder paper. Place your most importing and compelling information here.
Privacy Policy - A requirement for all websites. This is a document that states what information you are collecting from people using your site. How it is stored and how you manage it. There are many free and low cost templates available.
Cookies - Cookies are invisible tags, working in the background websites to track the users movements and interactions. Some are a necessary for websites to work, others are purely additional user analytics. Your privacy policy should contain details about the cookies your website is collecting. A cookie banner can be enabled on your website to allow users to opt in or out to non-necessary cookies.
Image alt text - this is text that can be added in the background of your images to describe the image to Google and screen readers. This can be useful for SEO and accessibility.
Button - A graphic link to another page on your site. Great for bringing the users attention to a link. Ideally the design of your buttons should be consistent across the site.
Sidebar - Not used as often in 2025, a sidebar is a panel to the left or right of a page. Often used on a blog post to share information about the author and links to other site content.
Heading text - Website text can be categorised as heading or paragraph text. There are various heading values available, from Heading 1 to Heading 6 (although 1-3 is typical). This assigns the importance of your text. Think of it as formatting an essay or Word document with headings and sub-headings.
This is a heading
Paragraph text - Or body text. This is all text on your site that is not a heading.
Page title & description - These are usually background settings that can be added to all pages. It allows you to set a name and description of your page that can be read by search engines, giving your SEO a boost.
Hopefully that helps give you the confidence to start speak about websites with a designer or team member. If you have any questions about this, or if there are any other terms you’d like to read about just drop me a message or add a comment below.
