If you’ve ever spoken to a web designer or developer, you’ve probably heard a flood of unfamiliar terms like “hosting,” “SSL,” or “SEO.” Don’t worry—this blog post is here to demystify all those web-related buzzwords so you can feel more confident when building or managing your website.
Here’s a breakdown of the most common technical terms you’ll encounter in web design and development—explained in plain English.
🖥️ Website Hosting
What it is:
Website hosting is like renting space on the internet for your website. Just like you need land to build a house, you need hosting to put your website online.
Why it matters:
Without hosting, no one can visit your website—it’s where all your website files are stored.
🌐 Domain Name
What it is:
Your domain name is your website’s address on the internet (e.g., www.yourbusiness.com). It’s what people type into their browsers to find you.
Why it matters:
It’s part of your brand and makes your website easy to remember and access.
📧 Domain Email
What it is:
A domain email is an email address that uses your domain name (e.g., hello@yourbusiness.com) instead of a generic one like Hotmail, Gmail or Yahoo.
Why it matters:
It looks more professional and trustworthy, especially for business communication.
🧳 Email Hosting
What it is:
Email hosting is the service that stores your email messages and lets you send and receive them using your domain email.
Why it matters:
It ensures your emails are delivered reliably and are secure, just like having a reliable post office for your business mail.
🔐 SSL Certificate (Secure Sockets Layer)
What it is:
An SSL certificate secures your website so that information passed between your site and your visitors (like passwords or payment info) is encrypted.
Why it matters:
Websites with SSL have “https://” and a padlock icon in the browser. It builds trust and is important for security and SEO.
📈 SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)
What it is:
Search Engine Optimisation is the practice of improving your website so that it shows up higher in search engine results (like Google and Bing).
Why it matters:
Good SEO helps more people find your site without you having to pay for ads.
🧰 cPanel
What it is:
cPanel is a control panel used to manage your website hosting account. It gives you access to files, email accounts, backups, and more.
Why it matters:
It’s a user-friendly dashboard to help manage the technical stuff behind your website—like the “control room” for your hosting.
🔧 Plesk
What it is:
Plesk is another type of control panel, similar to cPanel, that helps you manage your web hosting and domains.
Why it matters:
Different hosting providers use either cPanel or Plesk, but both aim to make your web management easier without needing coding knowledge.
🧱 CMS (Content Management System)
What it is:
A CMS is a platform that lets you build and manage your website without needing to write code. WordPress is one of the most popular ones. Others common ones include Squarespace, Shopify, Wix, Square and BigCommerce.
Why it matters:
It makes updating your website as easy as editing a document. You can add text, images, and blog posts without needing a developer.
🧱 Page Builder
What it is:
A website page builder is a tool that helps you create and design a website without needing to know how to code. Most of them allow you to drag and drop different elements onto a page to build the layout you want quickly and easily.
Why it matters:
It makes updating your website as quicker and easier. You can elements (like text, images, buttons, and videos) to pages, blog posts and more without needing a developer. Our preferred page builder is Elementor for WordPress.
💾 Backup
What it is:
A backup is a saved copy of your website that you can restore if something goes wrong—like if your site is hacked or you accidentally delete a page.
Why it matters:
Backups are your website’s safety net. Ideally, they should happen automatically and regularly.
🌐 DNS (Domain Name System)
What it is:
DNS acts like the phonebook of the internet. It connects your domain name (e.g., yourbusiness.com) to the actual server (IP address) where your website is hosted.
Why it matters:
It ensures people end up at the right website when they type in your domain name.
🧩 Plugins & Addons
What it is:
Plugins are add-ons you can install (especially on WordPress) to give your website extra features—like contact forms, galleries, or SEO tools.
Why it matters:
They help you customise your site without needing to hire a developer or write code.
Can you think of any others we have forgotten that should be included in the list? Comments below with any suggestions of more we should include!
You don’t need to be a tech expert to understand how websites work — you just need clear explanations. By getting familiar with these terms, you’ll feel more confident talking with web developers and designers to help make more informed decisions for your website.
Still feeling a bit unsure? Reach out — I can help you get your website running smoothly without the jargon overload.
