It’s true to say that web design terms are gradually seeping into the general consciousness. But these things take time – after all, it’s been less than three decades since the World Wide Web was conceived. For some, this whole internet thing is still a bit of a culture shock. But the fact is, particularly if you’re in business, it’s a case of embrace it or struggle. To really embrace it you need a website. A strong digital presence is now considered essential and so it’s handy to understand general web design terms. We’ve put together a basic guide below which should enable you to grasp the lingo and understand what it’s all about.
Web Design Terms – Home Page
The Home Page is your storefront. It’s what visitors to your site see first. Here we have to ensure your visitor is enticed to stay. It must draw the visitor in. The content and images will provide an overview of your business. Three things normally happen now. Firstly, they either stay and click through to other pages (good result). Secondly, they’ll go straight for the phone or email a query (best result). Lastly, they’ll ‘bounce’. That is, click away within a few seconds to another site (worst result). It’s worth noting here that some visitors will land on other pages first. This means that every page must seek to engage the visitor and entice them to make further inquiries.
Slider, Header and Navigation Menu
A slider is delicious miniature hamburger served at hipster bars where the beer is over-priced and the cutlery recycled. It’s also a web design term for the slideshow at the top of a website. It’s a good way to showcase your business with your best images. The Header section is the area right at the top of your page which also houses the Navigation Menu. The Header is considered ‘fixed’ or ‘sticky’ because it’s always there on every page. This is where you’ll find such things as a logo, contact details, login buttons etc. Finally, the Navigation Menu is where you’ll find the links to press to go to other pages on the website.
Web Design Terms – Call to Action
The Call to Action is very important. It’s the final headline that compels visitors to take action now. This could be by making contact by sending a query, making a phone call or simply joining a mailing list.
SEO or Search Engine Optimisation
Google is controlled via an algorithm. This algorithm is complex and very clever. It’s designed to give the web-surfer the best possible search experience. The intricacies are never fully revealed but Google does produce annual guidelines. These allow smart users to hone their website content to achieve the best possible search ranking. This is optimisation.
