Web Design Glossary of Terms - Red Rocket Web Specialists

Web Design Glossary of Terms

Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the visibility of a web site or a web page in search engines via the “natural” or un-paid (“organic” or “algorithmic”) search results. At Red Rocket, it is our goal to get a website to the top of the Google, the world’s premiere search engine, whenever possible.

WordPress: WordPress is an extensive CMS, or content management system based on PHP (programming language) and mySQL (open-source database). It is by far the most popular content management system on the web used by over 15% of the world’s “Top 1 Million” websites. WordPress is open source meaning anyone has the right to edit and build upon its core technologies. This then allows for the development of plugins and “Themes” which drive WordPress extension capabilities. Basically, WordPress can be customized in both design and functionality. The possibilities are virtually endless.

Open Source Technology: An open source technology is a system licensed for general public use. This means anyone has the right to edit or build upon the technologies’ core design. WordPress is an example of an open source technology as anyone can freely use it anywhere on the web and customize it to any extent.

WordPress Theme: A theme refers to a customizable framework that incorporates elements of a given website’s design and functionality. At Red Rocket, we design and develop custom themes specific to each client’s needs and demands

WordPress Plugin: A plugin is a type of application developed to be easily integrated into another software. In the case of a WordPress plugin, a developer would create an application to run a process that WordPress does not support by default. An example would be a Google Maps plugin that allows one to easily place Google Maps into their WordPress website. Another example would be Contact Form 7, which allows users to easily integrate a contact form on a web page. Often times, WordPress plugins are free to use and easily to install. However, some plugins are considered “Premium,” meaning the plugin much be purchased. .

Domain Name: A series of alphanumeric strings separated by periods, such as www.oup-usa.org, serving as an address for a computer network connection and identifying the owner of the address. The last three letters in a domain name indicate what type of organization owns the address: for instance, .com stands for commercial, .edu for educational, and .org for nonprofit.

Web Hosting: When it comes to having a site on the web, choosing a host may be one of the most important decisions you will make. Choosing the right hosting company doesn’t just affect your bottom line, but will also affect your site speed, your allotted email addresses, and the server technology that dictates successful integration with WordPress. At Red Rocket, we use a company called Blue Host which allows for unlimited data transfer, email addresses and databases. Plus their system works flawlessly with WordPress. Combine this with excellent customer service, working with Bluehost saves time and money while simultaneously providing unmatched features.

Static Content: Static content refers to web content that cannot be edited by a user via a change in the database. Often times, this content is referred to as hard-coded, meaning the developer has written the content directly into an HTML document. In the web development process, it is important to define which content should be static and which content should be dynamic because if content is static, the user will not be able to edit the content through WordPress or any other content management system. It is common that static content is considered, “cheaper to produce,”  as the coding required is not as intensive as the coding required to make an area editable/dynamic.

Dynamic Content: Dynamic content refers to content that can be edited through a change in a database. This means a user can edit the content through the use of a content management system such as WordPress.

Web Application: A web application is an application that is accessed over a network such as the Internet or an intranet. Web applications often require in depth planning, development and testing before going live. A custom Web Application are generally very time consuming and expensive to produce.

E-Commerce: Electronic commerce, commonly known as e-commerce or eCommerce, or e-business consists of the buying and selling of products or services over electronic systems such as the Internet and other computer networks. In WordPress, basic e-commerce can be accomplished through the use and customization of popular plugins such as WP-Ecommerce. However, many times a custom e-commerce web application must be developed to meet specific goals, such as sale and promotional requirements.

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