10 Basic Website Terms Business Owners Need To Know

Last Updated: May 13, 2023
Buying A Domain Name Tips And Tricks Google Domains

As a business owner in 2023, you probably realize what a website is and how impactful is can be. However, if you’re not “technical” some of the terms can certainly be overwhelming. We’ve compiled a list of ten website terms that you need to know.

1. Domain Name

A domain name is the address of your site (ie. findittech.com). It does nothing more than reserve a virtual spot on the internet for your website to go.

Any domain registrar will do, but we strongly recommend Google Domains. We have used them for years with no issues whatsoever. Google is a reputable company, they offer straightforward pricing, and include privacy protection for no extra cost.

We would also recommend that you always own your domain. Do not let a web development company purchase it on your behalf. It’s a valuable asset.

2. Top-Level Domain (TLD)

A top-level domain is sometimes called the domain ending or extension. It’s the .com, .net, .org part of the domain names you’ve seen. The

3. Domain Email

Domain email is separate from the domain and the web hosting. After you buy a domain name, you have the privilege to get domain email because you own that domain (ie. [email protected]). I have never seen this offered for free with the purchase of a domain name. I have seen it offered with web hosting via certain web hosting companies.

We use Google Workspace but would also be willing to recommend Microsoft Office 365. They both offer very similar tools and it really comes down to personal preference.

3. Web Hosting

Web hosting refers to the server resources that your website’s files are stored on and served from. To actually have a functional website, you need web hosting. Effectively, you are buying server space at a company that sells web hosting plans. Every single website needs this and it’s a recurring cost.

If you choose to host with FindIT Tech, your site will be hosted on Digital Ocean servers via Cloudways. It’s cloud web hosting with 99% uptime.

3. SSL Certificate

An SSL Certificate is an overlooked but very important piece of a website. It encrypts the data that users submit to your website to provide better privacy and security.

If you choose to host with FindIT Tech, your site will have an SSL certificate installed to protect your site’s visitors.

Maintenance

WordPress websites are like cars – they need regular maintenance. Plugins and other aspects of a WordPress website need to be updated regularly to ensure your site does not break and become vulnerable to hackers. An important thing to note is that maintenance is not website upgrades.

If you choose to host with FindIT Tech, we will handle this maintenance for you.

Website Upgrades

Website upgrades are changes made to the structure or content of the site. This could be adding a new page, section, etc.

FindIT Tech can make upgrades to your website at our hourly rate.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

SEO might be the most misunderstood item on this list. It ultimately comes down to having robust, relevant content on your website.

FindIT Tech sets you up for success by configuring your website to be indexed by major search engines like Google.

Mobile Responsiveness

Mobile responsiveness is when a site looks good on every screen, regardless of size.

Every FindIT Tech website is mobile responsive. We build from desktop first and make adjustments to other screen sizes as the last step.

Backups

Backups are important to have just in case.

FindIT Tech Web Hosting and Maintenance plans include daily backups.

404 Page

A 404 page is a special page on a website that only appears when the URL being accessed does not exist. This page should say something like “Error 404: Page Not Found” and have a button or link to direct the user back to a working URL.

For example, let’s say someone navigated to “mywebsite.com/ourstory” but the actual link to the page is “mywebsite.com/our-story”. A 404 page should be shown to signal that the URL is incorrect.

Meet The Author

Mark Szymanski
Mark Szymanski

Mark Joseph Szymanski is the Owner & Founder of FindIT Tech. He is passionate about website development and agency development. His life mission is to Learn, Try, and Share everything he does with others that seek to improve.