Website design involves some "buzz words" and phrases. Here are a few you should know:
Banner |
Usually refers to the wide rectangular area at the top of a web page (where you see websites4artists.net in color). Normally this will be a graphic showing your domain name, artist name, studio name or other identifier. Banners can also be animated, and are often used for on-line advertising. |
Content |
The area of your page between the header and footer that contains specific information (text, photos and graphics). |
Domain Name |
A unique identifier that allow a website, or other Internet resource, to be found easily. You can think of your domain name as your website's name, the ".com" or ".net" where your art is viewed. This website's domain name is websites4artists.net. |
Flash |
Flash is an advanced type of animation that can be used in a wide variety of ways. I typically use Flash to combine photos into one space (as in a slideshow), or to illustrate the special features of a product. Flash can contain audio, video, stills, drawn objects, text — the possibilities are virtually endless. |
Footer |
The space at the bottom of a webpage, usually separated by a line or other graphic element from the content. The footer is used for copyright and ownership notices, and will also contain a link back to websites4artists.net. |
Hosting |
Once your website is designed, it must be "Hosted". A Hosting Server is a dedicated computer system, continuously attached to the Internet, that allows visitors to see your website at any hour of the day. When you browse a website, your computer sends requests to a hosting server for each web page you click on.
High-speed, reliable hosting is crucial to the success of your website — no one stays long at a website that is slow to load or tends to "lock up". |
Keywords |
Groups of one or two words separated by commas, keywords were the original system to allow search engines to categorize your website. Keywords are placed in a special "head" tag that makes them invisible to human visitors, but easily read by search engines.
These days (due to much faster computers and connection speeds) search engines read all the text on a page for purposes of categorization, instead of relying on keywords. This is why it is so important to include descriptive information about your work, not just photos — search engines can't see your pictures.
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Link |
Links (originally "hyperlinks") are any text or graphic that is "clickable", leading to a page within your website or on someone else's site. Links can also jump to a "bookmark" on the same page, or call up an e-mail address.
Adding links to outside websites — for instance, art shows or galleries where you show your work — helps encourage traffic and improves your Search Engine ranking. |
Navigation |
Usually appearing at the top (often as part of a banner graphic) or in a left-hand column, navigation is text or graphics that Link to other pages within your website.
Good websites have easy-to-use navigation that is consistent on every page. If done properly, most visitors will think only the page content has changed as they click from page to page. |
Page |
A web page is the image that appears in your browser window each time you click a link. A page can contain text, graphics, photos, video clips, and a variety of interactive features.
Although there is no absolute limit on the size or layout of a web page, there are practical matters to consider. It is important not to make web pages too long, too complicated, or to include too many photos or graphics on the same page. Slow-loading pages are often the result from trying to put too much on one page. |
Registration |
Since there can't be two different websites with the same name, there is a complex registration system to keep track of them. This is one of the things websites4artists.net does for you, keeping your domain name registration active and always pointing to your website.
Unfortunately, millions of domain names are already registered, so it can be a challenge to find a new domain name. We take care of that for you, offering a selection of possibilities for you to choose from. |
Search Engine |
Search Engines are databases that contain links to many (but not all) web pages on the Internet. By searching (or googling) through one of these databases, you can find web pages pertaining to any subject.
Most search engines are very literal - they will return a list of linked results that exactly match the words you ask about. Designing your website so it contains the types of words and phrases people are likely to use in a search will improve the chances of your website being found. |
Title |
The text that appears in the top bar of your browser window, above all controls and menus. The Title text is often displayed by Search Engines when showing a link to your website. |
Website |
Refers to any collection of web pages and related files that are browsed via a common navigation, as with a linked menu. Most often, a website will also have a unique domain name to identify it. |
