Common website terms can create confusion

Many Common Website Terms already have Real World uses!

Many of the common terms used on the World Wide Web are also used in everyday, plain language. Since these words are so common, some confusion can easily occur when business web site designers and business web site owners try to communicate. We avoid using common website terms in our discussions with clients, unless we qualify and explain their meaning first. You never tip your server!

Common Web site Terms Defined

The "server" in your favorite restaurant delivers the meal you ordered. A website server, delivers the web pages that your browser "ordered" (requested by pressing on a link). Same process, completely different result! Nearly any computer can be configured to act as a server, with the right software and a connection to a network.

Your Website server (or " Hosting service, another double meaning term, will usually "serve" web pages for dozens of sites, from the files stored on their hard drives. Owning and maintaining a good web-server is usually well beyond the budget for most small businesses. Renting out data storage space on state-of-the-art web servers, is what good webhosting services do.

Maybe one of the cutest borrowed terms. Cookies are simply small files of computer code that are stored in the user's web browser to tell it what to do the next time it loads a page from that website. Like the cookies from a bakery, some cookies are better than others. Cookies that a website uses to track user activities or gather personal information "from a visitor" may invade your visitor's privacy. They should be avoided. Cookies that let your visitor customize or personalize your webpages when they visit, or let them know that the content information may have changed since their last visit, can be helpful to your visitors. That type of cookie, is the only cookie we will use and recommend.

Good cookie use. Persistent Client-State HTTP Cookies can assist your visitors to easily gather the information they want, without giving up personal information to anyone. We employ only (2) cookies on this site. The first lets the visitor change the screen display to suit their viewing preference and the second lets visitors know that our page information may have been updated since their last visit.

There is a lot of hype and misinformation about website security. Generally, any web resource that is not delivered over a secure connection ( https ) is not completely "secure." Never provide personal or financial information, unless the web page "address" begins with https. (In your browser's address bar.)

Security issues should never be your visitors' concern. With a good web site design, your visitors can be confident that you care about their security and privacy. Remember, it's about your customers' website experience when they visit, not your beautiful website! We even secure our client email.

A virus is simply a computer program that was written with the intent of damaging digital information or hardware in other peoples' computers. Although they won't make you physically sick, until they destroy your computer, they can be very dangerous to your web site visitors.

Computer viruses are malicious. They were written to do damage to someone. Maintaining your business site to be as secure as possible, is important to your website visitors.

Although you may never write a book, you can publish information pages on the web. Your company has important information that your potential customers are already looking for. Publish it! Good links help.

Publishing web pages is a very simple process. Almost anyone can publish their own web pages. Since the process is so simple, many of the information pages on the web are of absolutely no value or interest to anyone, other than the person who published them. Your business website pages need to provide valuable, customer focused information, to be of interest and value to your visitors.

Computer monitor screen resolution is set by the user. Websites can not control the screen resolution used by their visitors. Common "settings" are 800x600 pixels and 1024x768 pixels. Your website visitor could have their screen display width set from 600 to 1200 pixels and still expect to see the same webpage as everyone else. Screen resolution, (not inches or monitor size) determines webpage display width.

Screen resolution setting is not a problem for web pages designed to display at 100% screen width, at any resolution. Accessible webpages are usually designed to display correctly at any resolution, on any screen width. The maximum "fixed page width" on any website should not exceed 800px if you want your visitors to avoid "side scrolling" (which is very annoying). A good site is always user friendly.

The "Internet" is now a common household term. It is simply means inter-connected computers. In business, you "network" to make "connections" with other people who might pass along important business information or perhaps use your services. The www can provide the same networking opportunities, on a grand scale!

Computer networks come in many configurations and sizes. Your company may already have a network (LAN) that isn't necessarily connected to the www. Private as well as public information, can be shared via a network of inter-connected computers. You want your public information (your web site) to be shared by anyone who can use it. Keeping your private information private, means not having it accessible by everyone connected to the www! see also - [ Firewall ]   [ https ] and [ more Security Issues ]

Common website terms can be confusing

Although these web site terms may be common, they can easily create misunderstandings. You might also want to see: spiders, Tracking and menu, while you're researching common web design terms.

Please read: What is a website, before you make any important business web design decisions.

• More common terms descriptions:
• Basic Website Terms
• Definitions of Website Terms
• Website Terminology
• Business Website Terms
• Important Website Terms
• See also:
• Common Website design Questions
• Confusion about What is SEO
• Believing website myths and lies can be expensive

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