Whether you are launching your first website or have some experience in the digital world, web terminology can be overwhelming.
Gaining a proper understanding of key web terms can help ensure that your website works effectively for your business.
In this blog post, we break down 6 key website terms that you’re likely to encounter when planning or maintaining your business website including:
1. Responsive Design
Responsive web design, which may be referred to as mobile friendly design, reactive website design or simply RWD is the process of ensuring that your website scales based on the device being used.
With mobile traffic typically surpassing desktop traffic, ensuring your website is responsive is a critical consideration for ensuring a positive user experience. Additionally, Google recommends responsive web design, with mobile-friendly sites showing up higher in search results.
In the past, it was common to create a separate mobile version of your website. However, advancements in web technology have made responsive web design easier to implement and maintain, which makes it the preferred solution.
So, how do you ensure you have a responsive website? Here are our top 5 considerations when designing your website to perform well on all device types:
- Layout – Responsive design typically relies on a flexible column layout that adjusts to full-width on smaller screens.
- Images – Images are often designed for desktop, but considering how they will scale on mobile is just as important.
- Content – Large areas of content which may look great on desktop can take up too much space on smaller devices. Due to mobile-first indexing, it’s not advisable to hide parts of content on mobile. Instead, consider positioning them in other elements such as tabs and accordions.
- Speed – A fast loading website is essential, but with mobile phones often using slower 4G and 5G connections, optimising for mobile is even more crucial.
- Testing – Testing your website on mobile devices can be done with mobile simulators, development tools within your browser or simply by using your own mobile device.
Key takeaway: Responsive web design ensures your site looks and performs well on all devices. It is essential for SEO and user experience.
2. Hero Section
A hero section, which is also referred to as a hero banner or hero image is a design term that refers to a large (typically full screen) element that is displayed above the fold on a website, meaning it is fully visible to the user without scrolling.
Hero sections are the beginning of the user journey, so it’s good practice to position any key messaging or lead magnets including offers, free downloads or calls to action within these elements.
When designing hero sections, it’s important to consider the limited screen space on smaller devices; make sure your hero elements are fully optimised for all screen sizes to ensure a consistent experience.
Key takeaway: A hero section grabs attention above the fold and should clearly highlight your main offering. Don’t ignore them!
3. Call to Action (CTA)
A call to action (CTA) is a marketing term that describes terms or phrases designed to encourage the user to complete a specific action, for example, purchasing a product or requesting more information about a service.
If you are investing time in creating content for your business website but not including call to actions, you are likely missing out on sales and enquiries.
An effective call to action should propose a solution to the user’s problem; they need new trainers, we sell trainers, they need a modern website, we specialise in web design. Popular call to action examples include:
- “Shop now”
- “Sign up”
- “Download now”
- “Add to basket”
- “Book now”
- “Get help”
- “Contact us”
Key takeaway: Every page should include a clear call to action to guide users toward your desired action.
4. Wireframe
A wireframe is a simple representation of the intended layout of a website or application and can be compared to a blueprint. Typically, wireframes do not include colour as they are designed to focus on the structure, rather than visual appearance.
Following a wireframe, a mock-up may be produced, these are a more in-depth iteration of the wireframe which focus on the visual appearance, typography and imagery style; allowing for a more detailed representation of the final product.
Key takeaway: Wireframes are visual blueprints of a website’s layout, focusing on structure rather than style. Mock-ups build on wireframes by adding visual details.
5. Page Load Speed
Page load speed is the time it takes for your website to load. Page load speed is critical for a number of reasons including appeasing impatient mobile users, improving website rankings and providing a better user experience.
Website speed is influenced by many factors, including image format and size, caching, hosting and more. To measure the current loading time of your website, use a tool such as Page Speed Insights or GT Metrix.
If you’re ready to ensure page load speed doesn’t impact your website performance, check out our guide to improving the speed of your website.
Key takeaway: Fast page load speed is essential, directly affecting user experience and search engine rankings.
6. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is the process of creating and maintaining your website in a way that improves your presence within search engines such as Google and Bing. SEO is a broad subject, but can be broken down into three main areas:
- On Page SEO – Optimising web pages based on keywords relevant to your service or product.
- Off Page SEO – Acquiring links back to your website from relevant publishers.
- Technical SEO – Ensuring no technical issues are preventing search engines from finding and displaying your website, known as crawling and indexing.
The traffic generated by SEO activity is referred to as organic traffic, as it describes users that have reached your site ‘organically’ rather than through Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising.
Having a proper SEO strategy for your business can result in higher rankings in Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs), generating more traffic to your website. With pages optimised for conversions, this increased traffic can lead to more sales and enquiries.
For more information, take a look at our detailed guide to understanding search engine optimisation, including how you can get started with SEO for your website.
Key takeaway: SEO is the process of optimising your website so search engines can find, understand and rank it; driving organic traffic to your webpages.
Let’s Turn That Web Confusion Into Clarity
At Swindon Web Creations, we take the confusion out of websites, graphics and branding, allowing you to focus on what you do best.
With a team of dedicated and creative professionals, we guide you through every step of the way, with clear and thoughtful recommendations that are tailored to you.
Ready to take the next step? We’d love to help! Contact our team today.
