Plain-English definitions of common web terms. No jargon — just what you need to know.
Your website’s address on the internet — e.g. yourbusiness.co.za. When someone types this into a browser, they’re taken to your site. You register a domain (usually yearly) so that no one else can use that address. We can help you choose and register one.
The service that stores your website’s files (pages, images, code) on a server so your site is available 24/7. Without hosting, your site wouldn’t be visible online. Hosting is typically paid monthly or yearly. We can set this up for you or recommend a provider.
Practices that help your site show up in search results (e.g. Google) when people look for your type of business or services. Good SEO includes clear page titles, helpful content, fast loading, and a structure that search engines can understand. We build every site with basic SEO in mind.
A responsive website adjusts its layout and content to fit different screen sizes — phones, tablets, and desktops. One site works well everywhere instead of needing a separate “mobile version.” We design all our sites to be responsive.
Software that lets you log in and update your website yourself — change text, add images, or publish new pages — without writing code. Useful if you want to manage content often. For simpler sites, we can handle updates for you or show you the basics.
The program you use to view websites — e.g. Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge. Your site should look and work the same in all major browsers; we test for that.
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is what makes your site show a padlock in the browser and use https:// instead of http://. It encrypts data between the visitor and your site, which builds trust and helps with SEO. We set up SSL for every site we host or recommend.
How much of the time your website is available and loading correctly. Good hosting aims for high uptime (e.g. 99.9%) so your site is rarely down. We recommend hosting with reliable uptime so your business is always reachable online.
Have a term you’re unsure about? Ask us when you get in touch.