Web Site Design Encyclopedia

If you are new to web site design, here are some commonly used web site design and development terms and meanings:

Article Spinning - Article Spinning is the process in which a copywriter or a website owner creates a new article out of an existing article by rewriting it. Typically words and phrases are substituted to put a new spin on the article. >> Read more about article spinning

Blog - short for 'weblog'. A persoanl web page that is updated like a diary, with the most recent writings listed first. >> Read more about blogs

web site design encyclopedia

Browser - A web browser is the software that you use to view pages on the world wide web. Internet Explorer is the most common browser. >> Read more about browsers

Cache - A web browser's cache is where it keeps files (images, cookies, etc.) that it has downloaded from the web while you were viewing a web page and might need to use again. >> Read more about cache

Cookies - Tiny files that web sites use to store information on your computer to let the website "remember" you. >> Read more about cookies

CSS - CSS is used by both authors and readers of web pages to define colors, fonts, layout, and other aspects of document presentation. >> Read more about CSS

Desktop Computer - A desktop computer is an independent personal computer that is made especially for use on a desk in an office or home. >> Read more about desktop computers.

eBook - An ebook is an electronic (or digital) version of a book. >> Read more about ebooks

Ecommerce - Electronic commerce, e-commerce or ecommerce consists primarily of the distributing, buying, selling, marketing, and servicing of products or services over electronic systems such as the Internet. >> Read more about ecommerce

Exchange Links - You place another site's link on your site, usually on a links or resources page, and in return, the other site places a link on their site back to your website. >> Read more about exchanging links

FTP - FTP is an abbreviation of File Transfer Protocol. This is the usual method of uploading files from your computer to your web hosting server. >> Read more about FTP

Favorites - Are also known as bookmarks, this is a menu item in your web browser that lets you save web links to pages that you'd like to visit again. >> Read more about favorites

Firewall - In computing, a firewall is a piece of hardware and/or software which functions in a networked environment to prevent some communications forbidden by the security policy. >> Read more about firewalls.

Flash - A browser plug-in developed by Macromedia that displays animations and animated websites. >> Read more about Flash

Graphics Editor - A graphics editor is a computer program that allows users to compose and edit pictures interactively on the computer screen and save them in one of many popular "bitmap" or "raster" formats such as TIFF, JPEG, PNG and GIF. >> Read more about graphics editors.

Adobe Photoshop - Adobe Photoshop is a graphics editor published by Adobe Systems. It is the market leader for commercial image manipulation. >> Read more about Adobe Photoshop
Macromedia Fireworks - Macromedia Fireworks is a bitmap graphics editor developed by Macromedia and is bundled as of the Studio MX suite. This program is built to allow web designers the ability to manipulate web graphics. >> Read more about Macromedia Fireworks

HTML - HTML is the abbreviation for Hypertext Markup Language. HTML is the language that web pages are written in. >> Read more about HTML

HTTP - Hypertext Transfer Protocol. This is the way that HTML pages are sent between a server and a browser. >> Read more about HTTP

HTML Editor - A HTML editor assists the user in writing HTML code for web pages. Although HTML code can be written and edited with any text editor, a special HTML editor is designed to be more convenient. Additionally HTML editors generally provide some assistance for creating Cascading Style Sheets (CSS). There are two flavors of HTML editors: text and WYSIWYG. >> Read more about html editors

IIS - Internet Information Server. Microsoft's competitor to Apache, comes with versions of Windows that can be used as web servers. >> Read more about IIS

ISP - ISP is the abbreviation for Internet Service Provider. Your ISP is the company or institution that provides your computer with access to the Internet >> Read more about ISP

Laptop Computer - A laptop computer (also known as notebook computer) is a small mobile personal computer, usually weighing from 1 to 3 kilograms (2 to 7 pounds). >> Read more about Laptops

Link - A web link is a word or phrase on a web page that will take you to another web page if you click on it. >> Read more about links

Logo - A logotype, commonly known as a logo, is the graphic element of a trademark or brand, which is set in a special typeface/font. >> Read more about logos

Macromedia Flash - a graphics animation program by Macromedia. The resulting files, sometimes called "flash files", may be included in a web page to view in a web browser, or they may be played on a standalone player. >> Read more about Macromedia Flash

Spidering - The process of a search engine indexing your website and including it in it's search results.

MYSQL - MySQL is a free, open source database program. It is often used for web site applications and in web site design. >> Read more about MYSQL

PDF - PDF is an abbreviation for Portable Document Format create by Adobe. This is a document format that reproduces text exactly the way it would appear on a page. >> Read more about PDF

PHP - PHP is the abbreviation for Hypertext Processor. PHP is a very easy to learn and easy to use scripting language. >> Read more about PHP

PLR - PLR is an abbreviation for Private Label Rights. PLR are the rights assigned to a set of articles or website where you have the legal right to modify the content of the articles and claim the content as your own. >> Read more about PLR

SERP - SERP is an acronym for Search Engine Result Page. This is where your site is ranked for certain key phrases. For example one of Hoover Web Design's key phrases is "professional web design" for which it is ranked #1. >> Read more about SERP

Spyware - is a broad category of malicious software designed to intercept or take partial control of a computer's operation without the informed consent of that machine's owner or legitimate user. >> Read more about spyware.

URL - URL is the abbreviation for Uniform Resource Locator. This is a technical term for a whole web address, such as http://www.hooverwebdesign.com. >> Read more about URLs

Web Designer Business Kit - Web Site Design is an exciting field to be in. The technology rapidly changes so there is always something new and exciting to learn, it's a great outlet to release your creativity, you can work from any location (including at home in your PJs) and finally you can make a lot of money. Given all of these reasons, many people wonder how to get started designing web sites for profit. >> Read more about the Business Kit

Web Hosting - Web hosting is a service that provides individuals, organizations and users with online systems for storing information, images, video, or any content accessible via the Web. >> Read more about web hosting

Website - A website, Web site or WWW site (often shortened to just site) is a collection of Web pages, that is, HTML/XHTML documents accessible generally via HTTP on the Internet; all publicly accessible websites in existence comprise the World Wide Web. >> Read more about websites

Website Promotion - Website promotion is the continuing process to promote a website to bring more visitors to the website. Many techniques such as content development, search engine optimization (also known as SEO), and search engine submission, are used increase the traffic to a site. >> Read more about website promotion

Windows XP - Windows XP is a major revision of the Microsoft Windows operating system created for use on desktop and business computer systems. >> Read more about Windows XP

Check back often as we will be adding new web site design terms as often as we can.