301 Redirect:
- A type of redirect that indicates a permanent move of a page or content to a new location.
4xx Errors (Broken Links):
- Error messages are displayed when a webpage or link is not found, typically due to a broken or mistyped URL.
404 Page:
- A custom-designed error page displayed when a user tries to access a non-existent page on the website.
404 Redirect:
- Handling strategies for redirecting users when they encounter a 404 error.
5xx Errors (Server Error):
- Any 5xx error – you’re most likely to see 500-504 – means there’s a problem with the web server. You may encounter a 5xx error if the server is too slow to respond, or if a plugin update causes a code conflict that the server can’t process.
- Sometimes a 5xx error is temporary, like if the server cache has just been cleared and needs a moment to regenerate, but most of the time we will need to find and fix the source of the issue.
A
Above the Fold
- A term from the Newspaper industry signifying that the most important news should be visible when newspapers were folded in half horizontally and placed on the newsstand.
- For website design, this term refers to the content visible when a page loads, which can be seen in the browser window without scrolling.
Accelo:
- A client work management platform used by the 3MW team to manage sales, quoting, project management, tickets, time tracking, billing, retainers, and reporting.
Accelo Retainer Period:
- A defined duration of time for which a client retains services through the Accelo platform, often associated with a specific project or service.
ACF (Advanced Custom Fields): → [Beginners Guide]
- A WordPress plugin that enables easier and more organized editing of complex content by allowing the creation of customized content fields.
Anchor Links (Jump Links):
- When added to a URL, an anchor link will “jump” you to a particular section of the page, rather than starting you at the very top of the page. Anchor links begin with “#” and generally describe the section you’re jumping to, like: #board-of-directors. Many websites use JavaScript to create a “smooth scroll” effect, where the page will load at the top and automatically scroll to the requested section of the page. This can be less disorienting than the default behavior of simply starting in the middle of a page.
B
Bands:
- Sections or divisions on a webpage that help organize content and structure the layout.
Breakpoint
- Screen sizes (usually width) determine when elements on the page adjust for best viewing for the device type (desktop, tablet, mobile).
C
Cache:
- A software component that stores data so that future requests for that data can be served faster.
Caching Mechanisms:
- Explanation of different caching mechanisms like browser caching, server-side caching, and content delivery network (CDN) caching.
Clear your Cache
- The process of removing or deleting stored data (cache) to ensure that the latest version of a webpage is loaded.
CMS (Content Management System)
- A content management system is an application used to manage content, allowing multiple contributors to create, edit, and publish.
Core Web Vitals:
- Key metrics assessed by Google to measure a website’s user experience, including loading time, interactivity, and visual stability.
Content Delivery Network (CDN):
- A distributed network of servers that helps deliver web content, including images and scripts, to users based on their geographic location.
Conversion Funnel:
- A series of steps or stages that a user goes through on a website, leading to a desired action or conversion.
Cross-Browser Compatibility:
- Ensuring that a website functions consistently across different web browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer.
CTA (Call to Action):
- A prompt or button on a webpage that encourages users to take a specific action, like signing up or making a purchase.
Custom Post Type (CPT):
- WordPress sites come with a Blog Post Type typically built in by default. However many clients require specific post types to display unique specialized content. A Custom Post Type (or CPT) is a separate post type, similar to Blog posts, that may include its own unique fields or templates. A few examples of these include Project Posts, Products, Team Member Posts, Events, etc.
D
Database:
- Explanation of how databases are used to store and manage website data, often in the context of Content Management Systems (CMS).
Dev, Staging/Test, Live/Production Sites:
- Different environments for developing, testing, and deploying website changes to ensure smooth and error-free updates.
E
Engagement (on a Website, Social Media):
- The level of interaction and involvement users have with a website or social media content.
Expandable Content
- The elements on a webpage that can be expanded or collapsed to show or hide additional information. Used commonly to improve the user experience by presenting a condensed view initially and allowing users to access more details if they choose to.
- Examples: Accordions, Read More/Read Less, Toggle Buttons.
F
Favicon
- A small icon displayed next to the page title in the browser tab.
Filtering (or Faceted Filtering)
- When you filter your options to get the results you want.
Footer Navigation
- The Footer Navigation is any navigation menu that might appear in the site footer. This is usually pretty similar to the primary navigation found in the header, but may also include links to ‘Privacy Policy’ or ‘Terms of Use’ pages.
G
GA4 (Google Analytics 4):
- The latest version of Google Analytics, providing advanced insights into user behavior and interactions across various devices and platforms.
H
Hard Refresh your page:
- A hard refresh is a method of clearing your browser cache, to load a fresh version of the webpage, without needing to navigate to an incognito browser. This can be performed by holding the ‘SHIFT’ key while refreshing the page.
Heatmap Analysis:
- Using heatmap tools to analyze user interactions with a webpage, showing where users click or spend the most time.
Hero Band/Hero/Hero Image:
- A website design term used to describe an oversized banner image at the top of a website. Sometimes called a “hero banner,” it serves as a user’s first glimpse of your company and offering because of its prominent placement towards the top of a webpage that usually extends full-width.
HTML (HyperText Markup Language):
- The standard language used to create and design webpages and web applications.
K
KPI (Key Performance Indicators):
- Specific metrics or data points used to measure the performance and success of a website or marketing efforts.
L
Landing Page:
- A specific webpage created for a marketing or advertising campaign, designed to prompt a particular action or result.
Lead Generation:
- The process of attracting and capturing potential customers for a business.
Load Balancing:
- Distributing incoming network traffic across multiple servers to ensure no single server is overwhelmed, improving website performance and reliability.
Lottie Animation
- A file format that allows the inclusion of animations on webpages, enhancing visual appeal. LottieFiles.com
M
Meta Tag(s)
- HTML tags that provide metadata about a webpage. Meta tags can influence how search engines index and display content.
Menu
- A menu is a list of link of selectable options that can be selected on a webpage. This typically refers to the main Navigation Menu which is found in the header of the website and includes a list of key relevant pages. However, this could also indicate selectable options in a filter or interactive content.
MQL (Marketing Qualified Lead)
- A potential customer who has shown interest in a product or service and is more likely to be engaged in marketing efforts.
Multifaceted Filtering
- A type of filtering that involves considering multiple facets or criteria to refine search results.
N
Navigation
- The navigation is typically the site’s menu which includes links in the header or footer to key site pages or directories.
O
Open Graph
- A protocol that enables integration between social media platforms and websites, controlling how content appears when shared.
P
Parallax
- Parallax is a scrolling effect added to images on webpage, typically in the background, in which the content of the image are scrolled at a different rate than the rest of the page. As users scroll down the page, the image also scrolls and shows more content. This is a design choice that makes pages feel more interactive and fluid.
Plugins:
- Add-ons or extensions that enhance the functionality and features of a website, often used in platforms like WordPress.
Push (or file push):
- The process of transferring data or files from one location to another, often used in web development for updates.
Q
QBR (Quarterly Business Report):
- A report presented quarterly that summarizes key business performance metrics and activities.
R
Remaining Work
- Accelo tool that shows the monthly updates still to be done in a given retainer period. Note: the Remaining Tasks are monthly updates and not ticket work that is pending.
Retainer:
- Contract between a client (you) and 3 Media Web that retains ongoing services
Redirects:
- The process of forwarding one URL to another, often used to guide users to the correct webpage or to handle changes in site structure.
Responsive Design:
- The approach to web design that ensures a website’s layout and content adapt to different screen sizes and devices.
ROI (Return on Investment)
- A measure of the profitability or success of an investment, often used to evaluate the effectiveness of marketing efforts.
S
SERP (Search Engine Results Page) Analysis
- The examination of where a website appears in search engine results for specific keywords.
Server Response Time:
- The time it takes for a web server to respond to a request from a browser.
Session Timeout:
- The duration a user session remains active before requiring reauthentication.
Site Map:
- A visual or organized representation of a website’s structure, showing the hierarchy and relationships between pages.
SLA (Service Level Agreement)
- Service Level Agreements are cross-team commitments that establish a shared set of expectations around each team’s responsibilities.
SQL (Sales Qualified Lead):
- A potential customer who has been identified as ready for direct sales engagement based on specific criteria.
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer):
- A security protocol that ensures encrypted and secure communication between a website and its users.
SSL Certificate Renewal:
- The process of updating and renewing SSL certificates to ensure secure communication between the website and users.
U
UI/UX
- UI (User Interface) and UX (User Experience) collectively refer to the design and interaction aspects of a website, focusing on user satisfaction.
User Persona:
- A fictional representation of the ideal website user, helping guide design and content decisions.
Utility Navigation
- Links to secondary actions and tools, such as contact, subscribe, save, sign in, or share. These links are often actions that visitors can do, rather than simply pages on the site, although sometimes standard pages, such as About, or News/Blog will be included.
W
WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines):
- Guidelines to ensure websites are accessible to people with disabilities, covering design and development practices.
Web Accessibility:
- Ensuring that websites and web applications are usable and accessible to everyone, including those with disabilities.
Wireframe
- A sketch of the website you plan to build, identifying the connections between pages.
WYSIWYG (“What You See Is What You Get”) Editor: → [ACF Documentation]
- A content editor that allows users to view content as it will appear on the final webpage, simplifying the editing process. Note: content can appear slightly different on live pages, due to site styles.
Z
Z-Index
- A CSS property that controls the stacking order of elements on a webpage, determining which elements appear in front of others.