Words your developer uses. Now you will too.
Plain-English definitions of the terms that come up in every web project — domains, hosting, SEO, e-commerce, and business systems. No jargon. No assumptions. Just clarity.
51+
Terms defined
7
Categories
0
Jargon
Accessibility
Web TechDesigning and building websites so that people with disabilities — visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive — can use them effectively. Governed by WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines).
Why it matters for your business
Accessibility is not just ethical — it affects SEO. Google uses accessibility signals as a ranking factor. Screen reader compatibility, sufficient colour contrast, and keyboard navigation all contribute to a higher Lighthouse accessibility score.
AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation)
SEO & VisibilityThe practice of optimising your website content so that search engines surface it directly as an answer — in featured snippets, People Also Ask boxes, and voice search results — rather than just listing your page as a link.
Why it matters for your business
When Google answers a question directly on the results page, the website it pulls from gets massive credibility without the user needing to click. Structuring your FAQs and content for AEO puts your business in that position.
Alt Text
SEO & VisibilityA short written description added to an image in HTML. Screen readers read it aloud for visually impaired users, and search engines use it to understand what the image shows.
Why it matters for your business
Every image on your website without alt text is invisible to Google Images and to users who rely on screen readers. It is a quick win for both accessibility and SEO.
API (Application Programming Interface)
Business SystemsA set of rules that allows two software applications to communicate with each other. APIs let your website talk to payment gateways, CRMs, shipping platforms, WhatsApp, and thousands of other services.
Why it matters for your business
APIs are the backbone of business automation. When your WooCommerce store automatically updates your inventory system, sends a WhatsApp confirmation, and creates a shipping label — that is APIs working together.
Automation
Business SystemsUsing software to perform repetitive business tasks without human intervention — sending follow-up emails, updating spreadsheets, generating invoices, notifying teams, syncing data between systems.
Why it matters for your business
A business owner spending 2 hours a day on tasks a system could do in 2 seconds is leaving money on the table. Automation frees you to focus on clients, strategy, and growth.
Bandwidth
HostingThe amount of data transferred between your website and its visitors in a given period. Each page load, image, and video download counts toward your bandwidth.
Why it matters for your business
Shared hosting plans cap bandwidth. If your site gets a traffic spike — a viral post or a sale campaign — you can hit the limit and your site goes offline. Managed cloud hosting like Cloudways scales bandwidth automatically.
CDN (Content Delivery Network)
HostingA network of servers spread across multiple locations worldwide that stores copies of your website's files (images, CSS, JavaScript). When a visitor loads your site, files are served from the server nearest to them.
Why it matters for your business
A visitor in Mumbai loading a site hosted in the US gets a slow experience. A CDN eliminates that delay by serving files from a server in India. Faster load = better Google ranking and fewer visitors leaving.
Cloud Hosting
HostingA hosting solution where your website runs on a network of virtual servers in the cloud (AWS, Google Cloud, DigitalOcean) rather than a single physical machine. Resources scale up or down on demand.
Why it matters for your business
Cloud hosting eliminates the single point of failure of traditional shared hosting. If one server has a problem, traffic shifts to another instantly. You only pay for the resources you use, and you can scale during traffic spikes without downtime.
CMS (Content Management System)
Web TechSoftware that lets you create, edit, and manage website content without writing code. WordPress is the world's most widely used CMS.
Why it matters for your business
Without a CMS, every content change requires a developer. With one, you can update prices, add products, publish blog posts, and manage pages yourself — from a browser, on any device.
Conversion Rate
E-commerceThe percentage of website visitors who complete a desired action — making a purchase, filling a form, calling you, or signing up. Formula: (Conversions ÷ Total Visitors) × 100.
Why it matters for your business
Doubling your conversion rate from 1% to 2% doubles your revenue without spending a rupee more on advertising. It is the most overlooked metric in Indian digital marketing.
Core Web Vitals
SEO & VisibilityA set of three performance metrics Google uses as a ranking factor: LCP (how fast the main content loads), INP (how fast the page responds to clicks), and CLS (how much the page layout shifts while loading).
Why it matters for your business
Google officially uses Core Web Vitals to rank pages. A slow, janky site ranks below a fast, stable competitor — even if your content is better. Every site I build is optimised to pass all three.
CRM (Customer Relationship Management)
Business SystemsSoftware that manages your relationships with current and potential clients — tracking enquiries, conversations, follow-ups, deals, and sales history in one place.
Why it matters for your business
Most Indian SMBs manage client relationships through WhatsApp and memory. A CRM means no lead falls through the cracks, every follow-up happens on time, and your sales pipeline is visible at a glance.
CTA (Call to Action)
Web TechA button, link, or prompt that tells a visitor what to do next — 'Start a project', 'Get a free audit', 'Buy now', 'Call us'. The most important element on any marketing page.
Why it matters for your business
A website without a clear CTA is a brochure. Every page should have one primary action you want the visitor to take. The wording, colour, and placement all affect how many people click.
DNS (Domain Name System)
DomainsThe internet's phone book. DNS translates human-readable domain names (manieshsingh.com) into IP addresses (e.g. 76.76.21.21) that computers use to find websites.
Why it matters for your business
When you change your hosting provider, you update your DNS records to point to the new server. DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to propagate worldwide — a fact worth knowing before you plan a site migration.
Domain Extension
DomainsThe suffix at the end of a domain name. Common extensions and their intended use: .com (commercial, global), .in (India), .co.in (Indian company), .org (organisations), .net (networks), .io (tech startups), .co (companies/startups).
Why it matters for your business
For Indian businesses, .in signals local credibility. For global ambitions, .com is still the gold standard. Avoid obscure extensions (.xyz, .click) — they can trigger spam filters in email and reduce trust with visitors.
Domain Name
DomainsThe unique address people type to reach your website (e.g. manieshsingh.com). It consists of a name you choose and an extension (.com, .in, etc.), separated by a dot.
Why it matters for your business
Your domain is your permanent address on the internet. A professional domain builds trust — businesses using free subdomains (yourname.wixsite.com) lose credibility with potential clients before the page even loads.
E-commerce
E-commerceBuying and selling goods or services over the internet. Includes D2C (direct-to-consumer) stores, B2B catalogues with online ordering, subscription services, and digital product sales.
Why it matters for your business
India's e-commerce market is growing faster than any other major economy. A business without an online sales channel is permanently dependent on physical footfall and marketplace platforms that take 15–40% commission.
Email Hosting
HostingA service that provides email accounts using your own domain name (you@yourcompany.com) rather than a free provider like Gmail or Yahoo.
Why it matters for your business
Emails from yourname@gmail.com look unprofessional for a business. A domain email builds trust and is required by most B2B clients and enterprise buyers. Google Workspace and Zoho Mail are the two most common solutions.
FAQ Schema
SEO & VisibilityStructured data markup (JSON-LD) added to a webpage that tells Google a page contains questions and answers in FAQ format. Google can then display those Q&As directly in search results.
Why it matters for your business
FAQ schema puts your answers in front of users before they even click your link — taking up more real estate on the results page and building trust. This site uses FAQ schema on the /faq page.
Featured Snippet
SEO & VisibilityThe box that appears at the very top of Google search results (above all other links) showing a direct answer pulled from a webpage — often called 'Position Zero'.
Why it matters for your business
Winning a featured snippet for a relevant query can send more traffic than ranking #1 in normal results. The key is writing clear, concise answers to specific questions your target audience asks.
GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation)
SEO & VisibilityThe practice of optimising your website so that AI tools — ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google Gemini, Claude — recommend or cite your business when someone asks a relevant question.
Why it matters for your business
More people now ask AI assistants for recommendations ('who is the best web developer in Jaipur?') instead of googling and scrolling. GEO ensures your name and business appear in those AI-generated answers.
Google Search Console
SEO & VisibilityA free Google tool that shows you how your website appears in Google Search — which queries bring people to your site, how many clicks and impressions you get, and any technical errors Google found.
Why it matters for your business
Without Search Console, you are flying blind. It is the only way to know which keywords are driving traffic, which pages Google has indexed, and whether any penalties or errors are affecting your ranking.
Headless CMS
Web TechA content management system where the content editing backend (the 'head') is decoupled from the frontend presentation. Content is delivered via API to any frontend — website, app, kiosk.
Why it matters for your business
Traditional CMS platforms tie your content to one display format. A headless CMS lets you manage content once and publish it everywhere — useful for businesses with a website, a mobile app, and in-store displays.
Hosting
HostingA service that stores your website's files on a server and makes them accessible on the internet 24/7. Without hosting, your website cannot be viewed by anyone.
Why it matters for your business
The quality of your hosting directly affects your website's speed, uptime, and security. Cheap shared hosting is fine for a basic brochure site, but an e-commerce store or high-traffic site needs managed cloud hosting.
HTTPS
Web TechHyperText Transfer Protocol Secure — the secure version of HTTP, the protocol used to transfer data between browsers and web servers. Indicated by a padlock icon and 'https://' in the browser address bar.
Why it matters for your business
HTTPS encrypts all data exchanged between your visitor and your server. It is a Google ranking factor and a trust signal — visitors who see 'Not Secure' in their browser will leave immediately.
IP Address
Web TechA unique numerical label (e.g. 192.168.1.1) assigned to every device connected to the internet. Web servers have IP addresses that domain names are mapped to via DNS.
Why it matters for your business
Your IP address is the actual location of your website on the internet. Domain names are human-friendly aliases for IP addresses. When you change hosting providers, you point your domain's DNS to the new server's IP address.
Keyword
SEO & VisibilityA word or phrase that people type into search engines. SEO involves identifying which keywords your potential customers use and optimising your content to appear in results for those queries.
Why it matters for your business
Ranking for the wrong keywords brings useless traffic. Ranking for the right ones — 'WooCommerce developer Jaipur', 'packaging manufacturer website India' — brings buyers ready to enquire.
Landing Page
Web TechA standalone web page designed with a single goal: to convert visitors into leads or customers. Unlike a homepage, it has no distractions — one offer, one CTA.
Why it matters for your business
Sending paid ad traffic to your homepage wastes budget. A dedicated landing page for each campaign — matching the ad's promise exactly — can double or triple your conversion rate.
LCP (Largest Contentful Paint)
SEO & VisibilityA Core Web Vital that measures how long it takes for the largest visible element on a page (usually a hero image or headline) to fully load. Google's threshold: under 2.5 seconds is good.
Why it matters for your business
LCP is the most impactful Core Web Vital for user experience. A slow LCP means visitors see a blank or partially-loaded page — they leave before your content even appears.
Meta Description
SEO & VisibilityA short summary (up to 160 characters) of a webpage's content, shown beneath the page title in search results. It does not directly affect ranking but significantly affects click-through rate.
Why it matters for your business
A well-written meta description is your 160-character ad in Google's results. It convinces searchers to click your link over competitors above and below you.
Meta Title
SEO & VisibilityThe HTML title of a webpage, shown as the clickable blue link in search results and as the browser tab label. One of the strongest on-page SEO signals.
Why it matters for your business
Your meta title tells Google and users what the page is about before they visit. It should include your primary keyword and be under 60 characters to avoid being cut off in search results.
Mobile-First
Web TechA design and development approach where the mobile version of a site is designed first, and then scaled up for larger screens — the opposite of designing for desktop and shrinking down.
Why it matters for your business
Over 70% of Indian internet traffic comes from mobile devices. Google also uses mobile-first indexing — meaning it ranks your site based on how it performs on mobile, not desktop.
On-Page SEO
SEO & VisibilityThe practice of optimising individual web pages to rank higher in search results — covering meta titles, meta descriptions, headings, content quality, image alt text, internal linking, and URL structure.
Why it matters for your business
On-page SEO is entirely within your control. A technically sound page with well-structured content and the right keywords will outrank a better-known brand that has ignored these basics.
Page Speed
Web TechHow fast a web page loads in a browser, measured from the moment the URL is entered to the moment all visible content is displayed. Usually measured by tools like Google PageSpeed Insights.
Why it matters for your business
53% of mobile users abandon a site that takes longer than 3 seconds to load. Every extra second of load time costs you visitors, conversions, and Google ranking.
Payment Gateway
E-commerceThe technology that securely processes online payments between a buyer and a seller — encrypting card details, communicating with banks, and authorising transactions. Examples: Razorpay, PayU, CCAvenue (India); Stripe (international).
Why it matters for your business
The wrong payment gateway costs you sales. Indian gateways handle UPI, net banking, and EMI natively. International buyers need Stripe or PayPal. Checkout friction — extra steps, failed payments — is the #1 reason carts are abandoned.
Responsive Design
DesignA website design approach where the layout automatically adapts to fit any screen size — desktop, tablet, or mobile — without a separate mobile version of the site.
Why it matters for your business
A non-responsive site looks broken on mobile. Since Google uses mobile-first indexing, a broken mobile experience directly harms your search ranking — not just your user experience.
Schema Markup
SEO & VisibilityStructured data code (usually JSON-LD format) added to a webpage that helps search engines understand the content — telling them whether a page is about a business, a product, a FAQ, a review, or a person.
Why it matters for your business
Schema markup is how you communicate directly with Google in a language it understands perfectly. It unlocks rich results — star ratings, FAQs, breadcrumbs — that make your listing stand out in search results.
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)
SEO & VisibilityThe practice of improving your website so that it ranks higher in unpaid (organic) search engine results — bringing more visitors without paying for ads.
Why it matters for your business
Organic traffic is free and compounds over time. A page that ranks #1 on Google receives ~28% of all clicks for that query. Unlike paid ads, it does not stop the moment you stop spending.
Shopify
E-commerceA fully managed e-commerce platform that handles hosting, payments, and store management in one subscription. Used by over 4 million stores worldwide.
Why it matters for your business
Shopify is the fastest way to launch a D2C e-commerce store. It handles the technical infrastructure so you focus on products and marketing. Best for brands that want reliability and speed to market over full customisation.
Sitemap
SEO & VisibilityA file (usually sitemap.xml) that lists every page on your website, helping search engines discover and index your content faster and more completely.
Why it matters for your business
Without a sitemap, Google may miss pages — especially newly published ones. Submitting your sitemap to Google Search Console ensures every page gets crawled and considered for ranking.
SSL Certificate
Web TechA digital certificate that encrypts data sent between your website and visitors. Sites with SSL show 'https://' and a padlock in the browser address bar.
Why it matters for your business
Google ranks HTTPS sites above HTTP ones. More importantly, browsers show a 'Not Secure' warning on HTTP sites — immediately destroying visitor trust. Every website I build includes SSL as standard.
UI (User Interface)
DesignEverything a user sees and interacts with on a screen — buttons, menus, forms, typography, colours, icons, and layout. UI design focuses on visual presentation.
Why it matters for your business
Poor UI drives visitors away before they read a word. A clean, consistent interface communicates professionalism and makes it easy for visitors to find what they need and take action.
Uptime
HostingThe percentage of time a server (and therefore your website) is accessible and functioning. Usually expressed as a percentage — 99.9% uptime means ~8.7 hours of downtime per year.
Why it matters for your business
Every minute your site is down is a minute you are losing potential customers. E-commerce stores lose direct revenue. Service businesses lose enquiries. 99.9% uptime should be the minimum you accept from any hosting provider.
URL (Uniform Resource Locator)
Web TechThe full web address of a specific page — e.g. https://www.manieshsingh.com/services/ecommerce. It includes the protocol (https), domain name, and path.
Why it matters for your business
Clean, descriptive URLs help both users and search engines understand what a page is about before visiting it. '/services/ecommerce' is better than '/page?id=47' for trust and SEO.
UX (User Experience)
DesignThe overall experience a person has while using a website or app — how easy it is to navigate, how quickly they find what they need, and how they feel while doing it.
Why it matters for your business
Good UX removes friction between a visitor and a conversion. A beautifully designed page that confuses users converts worse than an ugly page with a clear path. UX and UI must work together.
Web Hosting
HostingSee Hosting. Web hosting and hosting are interchangeable terms for the service that stores your website files and makes them accessible on the internet.
Why it matters for your business
Covered under Hosting.
WooCommerce
E-commerceA free, open-source e-commerce plugin for WordPress. Turns any WordPress site into a fully functional online store with product listings, cart, checkout, and payment processing.
Why it matters for your business
WooCommerce is the most flexible e-commerce solution available. Unlike Shopify, you own your data, your code, and your hosting. Ideal for businesses that need custom order flows, B2B pricing, or complex product configurations.
WordPress
Web TechThe world's most popular CMS, powering over 43% of all websites. An open-source platform that can be extended with themes and plugins to build anything from a simple blog to a complex e-commerce store.
Why it matters for your business
WordPress gives you complete ownership of your website — unlike Wix or Squarespace, you are never locked in. With the right developer and setup, it is fast, secure, and infinitely customisable.
Workflow
Business SystemsA defined sequence of steps that a process follows from start to finish — e.g. a customer enquiry flows through: received → acknowledged → qualified → quoted → won/lost. In software, workflows are automated sequences triggered by events.
Why it matters for your business
Documenting and automating your workflows makes your business consistent and scalable. Without documented workflows, growth means hiring more people to do the same manual tasks.
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