list of terms related to graphic design, web hosting, and social media management
A
404 Error: An HTTP status code indicating that the requested page could not be found on the server.
Above the Fold: The portion of a webpage that is visible without scrolling.
Accessibility: The practice of making websites usable by people of all abilities and disabilities.
Algorithm: A set of rules that social media platforms use to determine what content to show users based on their behavior and preferences.
Alt Text: Descriptive text for images, used by screen readers and search engines.
Analytics: The data and statistics about the performance of social media posts and accounts, including metrics like engagement, reach, impressions, and follower growth.
B
Back End: The part of a website that users don’t see, involving server-side operations, databases, and application logic.
Bandwidth: The amount of data that can be transferred to and from a website within a given time frame.
Bleed: The area of a printed document that extends beyond the final trim size, allowing for safe cutting without white borders.
Brand awareness: refers to the extent to which a target audience recognizes and recalls a particular brand. It reflects the level of familiarity and recognition consumers have with a brand’s name, logo, products, or services. Essentially, brand awareness measures how well a brand is known within its target market and its ability to be easily recalled or identified by consumers when making purchasing decisions.
Breadcrumbs: A navigational aid that shows users their location within a website and the path they have taken to get there.
Boosted Post: A paid promotion to increase the reach of a social media post to a larger audience than it would typically reach organically.
Browser: A software application used to access and view websites (e.g., Chrome, Firefox, Safari).
C
Cache: A storage location for temporary data to speed up website loading times.
Call to Action (CTA): A prompt on a webpage that tells the user to take some specified action (e.g., “Buy Now”, “Subscribe”).
CMYK: The color model used in printing, based on the colors Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Key (black).
Click-Through Rate (CTR): The percentage of people who click on a link or ad after seeing it, used to measure the effectiveness of a campaign.
CMS (Content Management System): A software platform that allows users to create, edit, and manage website content without needing extensive technical knowledge (e.g., WordPress, Joomla).
Contrast: The difference in luminance or color that makes an object distinguishable from other objects and the background.
Content Calendar: A schedule of when and where upcoming content will be published, helping to organize and plan posts in advance.
Control Panel: A web-based interface provided by the hosting service for managing the hosted website, commonly cPanel or Plesk.
CRM: A CRM, or Customer Relationship Management system, is a tool designed to help businesses manage and analyze customer interactions and data throughout the customer lifecycle. The goal is to improve business relationships, assist in customer retention, and drive sales growth.
CSS (Cascading Style Sheets): A stylesheet language used to describe the presentation of a document written in HTML or XML.
D
Dedicated Server: A type of hosting where a client rents an entire server not shared with anyone else.
DPI (Dots Per Inch): A measure of spatial printing or video dot density, particularly the number of individual dots that can be placed in a line within the span of one inch.
DNS (Domain Name System): The system that translates human-readable domain names (like www.mysunnydesigns.com) into IP addresses that computers use to identify each other on the network.
Domain Name: The address of a website that people type into their browser to access it (e.g., www.mysunnydesigns.com).
E
E-commerce: The buying and selling of goods and services over the internet.
Engagement: The interactions that users have with social media content, such as likes, comments, shares, and retweets.
Encryption: The process of converting data into a code to prevent unauthorized access, often used to protect sensitive information online.
F
FTP (File Transfer Protocol): A protocol used to transfer files between computers on a network, commonly used for uploading files to a web server.
G
GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation): A regulation in EU law on data protection and privacy for individuals, which also addresses the transfer of personal data outside the EU.
Grid: A structure made up of a series of intersecting straight or curved guide lines used to structure content.
H
Hashtag: A keyword or phrase preceded by the pound sign (#), used to categorize content and make it more discoverable on social media platforms.
Hosting Provider: A company that provides the technologies and services needed for the website or webpage to be viewed on the Internet.
HTML (Hypertext Markup Language): The standard language for creating web pages and web applications.
HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol): The protocol used for transmitting web pages over the internet.
HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure): An extension of HTTP that is used for secure communication over a computer network.
I
Influencer: A person with a significant following on social media who can influence their audience’s opinions and behaviors, often used in marketing campaigns.
IP Address (Internet Protocol Address): A numerical label assigned to each device connected to a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication.
J
JavaScript: A programming language used to create dynamic and interactive effects within web browsers.
K
Kerning: The process of adjusting the space between characters in a proportional font to achieve visually pleasing spacing.
L
Landing Page: A single web page that a user lands on after clicking a link, often used in marketing campaigns.
Leading: The vertical spacing between lines of text.
Link: A reference in a web document to another document or resource.
Load Balancer: A device that distributes network or application traffic across a number of servers to ensure no single server becomes overloaded.
M
Managed Hosting: A hosting model where the service provider takes care of the setup, administration, management, and support of the server and/or application.
Meta Tags: Snippets of text that describe a page’s content; they don’t appear on the page itself but only in the page’s code and help search engines understand the content of the page.
Mobile-First Design: An approach to web design that starts with designing for mobile devices before designing for desktop or other larger screens.
N
Navigation: The system that allows users to move around a website, typically using menus and links.
O
Open Source: Software for which the original source code is made freely available and may be redistributed and modified.
Organic Reach: The number of unique users who see a social media post without paid promotion.
P
Palette: The range of colors used in a particular design.
Paid Reach: The number of unique users who see a social media post as a result of paid promotion.
Plugin: A piece of software that adds specific features or functionalities to an existing software application.
Privacy Policy: A statement or legal document that discloses how a website collects, uses, and manages a user’s data.
Q
Query: A request for information from a database, often used in the context of SQL (Structured Query Language) for retrieving data.
QR Code (Quick Response Code): A type of matrix barcode that can be scanned using a smartphone camera to quickly access information or websites.
Queue: A sequence of data or tasks waiting to be processed, often used in web servers to manage incoming requests.
R
Raster Graphics: Images created using a grid of individual pixels where each pixel represents a color in the image.
Reseller Hosting: A form of web hosting wherein the account owner has the ability to use their allotted hard drive space and bandwidth to host websites on behalf of third parties.
Resolution: The detail an image holds, commonly measured in DPI (dots per inch) for printed images and PPI (pixels per inch) for digital images.
Responsive Design: An approach to web design that makes web pages render well on a variety of devices and window or screen sizes.
RGB: The color model used for digital screens, based on the colors Red, Green, and Blue.
RSS (Really Simple Syndication): A web feed that allows users to access updates to online content in a standardized, computer-readable format.
S
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer): A standard security technology for establishing an encrypted link between a server and a client.
SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics): An XML-based format for vector images that can scale without losing quality.
Shared Hosting: A type of web hosting where multiple websites share the same server resources.
Social Listening: The process of monitoring social media platforms for mentions of a brand, competitors, products, or relevant keywords to gain insights and engage with the audience.
Social Media Audit: An evaluation of a social media strategy, performance, and presence across various platforms to identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement.
Social Media Campaign: A coordinated marketing effort using one or more social media platforms to achieve specific goals, such as brand awareness, lead generation, or sales.
T
Tagging: Mentioning another user or account in a social media post by using the @ symbol followed by their username, notifying them of the mention.
Trending: A topic, hashtag, or conversation that is currently popular and widely discussed on social media platforms.
Typography: The art and technique of arranging type to make written language legible, readable, and visually appealing.
U
Uptime: The amount of time that a website is accessible and operational, usually expressed as a percentage.
URL (Uniform Resource Locator): The address of a web page on the internet.
User Experience (UX): The overall experience of a person using a website, especially in terms of how easy or pleasing it is to use.
User Interface (UI): The space where interactions between humans and machines occur, particularly in web design.
User-Generated Content (UGC): Content created by users rather than brands, often shared by the brand to enhance authenticity and engagement.
V
Vector Graphics: Images created using paths or mathematical formulas, allowing them to be scaled without losing quality.
Viral Content: Content that quickly spreads and gains popularity through extensive sharing and engagement on social media platforms.
Virtual Private Server (VPS): A hosting environment that allows for the partitioning of a single physical server into multiple virtual servers, each with its own resources.
VPN (Virtual Private Network): A service that encrypts your internet connection and hides your online activity.
W
White Space: Also known as negative space, it is the portion of a page left unmarked to balance the design and improve readability.
Wireframe: A basic visual guide used to suggest the structure and layout of a web page without any design elements.
X
XML (eXtensible Markup Language): A markup language used to encode documents in a format that is both human-readable and machine-readable.
XPath: A language used for navigating through elements and attributes in an XML document.
XSS (Cross-Site Scripting): A type of security vulnerability in web applications where malicious scripts are injected into otherwise benign and trusted websites.
Y
Z
Zip: A file format used for compressing and archiving files, commonly used for reducing the size of files for storage or transmission.
Zone File: A text file that describes a DNS zone, containing mappings between domain names and IP addresses.
Z-Index: A CSS property that specifies the stack order of elements on a web page, allowing control over which elements appear on top of others.