Common Website Terms to Know

The online world has a language of its own. Once you understand the terminology, you’ll understand the language as clearly as someone saying they’re ‘in the weeds’ at the restaurant. Out of context you may envision someone digging up literal weeds, but from personal experience you know that phrase is just expressing a busy day in the kitchen. 

Those that are new to building and managing a website often feel lost in the lingo and can get taken advantage of by agencies and freelancers alike who use complex terms to make simple processes sound more complex. 

Learning more about how websites work and the terms used to describe them can empower restaurant owners to understand the process. From there, you can hire experts you trust or even complete some of the work yourself. 

Why do I need to know these terms? 

It’s important to understand the basics of your website so you can use it as a powerful tool to attract new online customers. 21% of restaurant ordering happens online now, and Fisherman wants to make sure you have the tools to maximize your returns.

Not only will you be avoiding getting scammed by services that use technical jargon to oversell, but you will develop a deeper intuition around helping your business take advantage of all of the growth potential an online presence has to offer. 

Glossary of Terms

• Web Browser: This is the software used to access information on the web. Examples are Chrome, Safari or Firefox.
  
• Search Engine: Are websites like Google or Bing that allows users to enter search terms, and then systematically presents information that contextually matches those terms.
  
• SEO: The process of optimizing your content to help search engines like Google or Bing find and display your website when a user searches for related terms. 

• Domain: The URL property that you buy and renew every year.
  
• Hosting: The service provider who stores all of the code for your website. It can be the same service provider as your domain or it can be different.
  
• Landing Page: Is the first page you land on after clicking a link. The page should contain the key messaging and info that you intended users to see. 

• Navigation or “Nav”: The display at the top of the website with different tabs for users to navigate between.
  
• Sitemap: A list of a website's content and pages designed to help both users and search engines navigate the site. 
  
• Meta-Tags: Small snippets of text that tell a search engine what the page’s content is. These tags do not appear on the page itself, they are only found in code.

• SERP (Search Engine Results Page): The web pages served to a user after they use a search engine such as Google to find a result.
  
• Alt Text (alternative text): Written copy that appears in place of an image on a webpage if the image fails to load. It also allows search engines to better crawl and rank a website.
  
• Schema: The text that appears underneath your company's url in a search engine result page. This text is a way for you to give  search engines precise information as to the product, service or content you're providing.
  
• CTA (Call to Action): Buttons and links with actionable text meant to drive certain behavior, like “Order Now” or “View Menu” or “Call us”.
  
• Accessibility - Criteria that helps websites be accessible regardless of disability, important to stay compliant with local and national rules.
  
• Backlink - References and links that lead back to your website URL. Backlinks are found in other locations, an example being your website link being posted on Yelp.
  
• Google My Business (GMB): A tool for businesses to manage their online presence across Google, map location, and business hours.
  
• Content Management System (CMS): a platform to help you manage and update your content (screenshot of Fisherman dashboard)
  
• E-Commerce: The process of selling goods or services online.
  
• Font: The style of the text on your website.

Hopefully, this glossary of terms allows you to start learning the website language, but it may also spark additional questions. Fisherman is here to answer your questions and help you navigate the ocean of information that is the internet! Connect with us today to learn more about how we help restaurants take their business online with 0 effort.

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