As the world progresses into a Web age filled with truncated speech to meet our quickening lifestyles, acronyms and other terms have become more and more prevalent in everyday usage. There’s no better example of this evolutionary stage in language than the world of Web design. Web jargon can become dizzying at times, but a strong foundation in its meanings and implementation can help protect even the most naive of authors seeking professional help for his or her author website.

Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Terms For Basic Web Design

SEO. Search Engine Optimization refers to keywords used throughout Web posts, metadata fields, and photo tags in the most advantageous way possible to attract attention from search engines (see Googleability).

URL. Uniform resource locator refers to a string of characters that constitutes a reference to an Internet source (e.g. https://webdesignrelief.com/).

HTTP. HyperText Transfer Protocol is an application protocol which serves as the foundation for data communication for the World Wide Web.

HTML. HyperText Markup Language is the most common form of markup language used to display information on Web pages in a Web browser.

CMS. A content management system is a computer system that allows publishing, editing, and modifying content as well as site maintenance for a central page.

CSS. Cascading Style Sheets is a style sheet coding language used from describing the look and formatting of a document written in a markup language.

RSS. RDF Site Summary or Really Simple Syndication is a family of web feed formats used to publish frequently updated works such as blog entries and news headlines.

Metadata. At its most basic level, information about information. Used primarily for SEO, metadata is any information used to describe elements on a Web page so search engines can better understand what kind of content is being presented.

Googleability. The ability to find a particular Web page by using a search engine (the most commonly used is Google).

Front End/Back End. In most Web design content management systems (e.g. WordPress, et al.), the frontend refers to the Web pages as they are viewed in a Web browser. The back end refers to the interface used by administrators and editors of Web content that can only be viewed by logging in to the editing interface. For example, one might upload images and code them into a page’s HTML stored in the back end to allow users to view them on the front end.

Server. The server can refer to both the computer that stores your author Website and the software used to deliver that content to a client. When you type in a Web address, the browser sends a message to the server which responds by either displaying the requested content or an error message.

404. A 404 or “not found” error is a response code indicating that the Web browser could not communicate with the server.

LOL. Learning Web jargon can be a daunting task, so it’s important to laugh out loud sometimes. With a little practice anyone can become savvy in the art of Web design; all it takes is a willingness to learn and a sense of humor.

If you are contemplating creating your own author Website, it is imperative that you familiarize yourself with these abbreviations, acronyms, and terms. A strong foundation in the art of Web jargon will not only protect you from being taken advantage of by Web designers, it will make you a more knowledgeable person capable of dancing toe-to-toe with the Web elite.

QUESTION: How many of these terms are new to you? How often do you find yourself using Web jargon during regular conversation?