Don't know your SEO from SEM? Just what is xHTML? What's all this talk about disability discrimination?

Not to worry, we know that our client's don't always understand the terminology. So if you find yourself struggling please feel free to take a look through this jargon buster. Its alphabetised for your convenience.

We have tried to make sure that this list is as complete as possible, but understandably we may have missed a few terms, so, if you feel something is missing please let us know.

• AJAX - Asynchronous JavaScript and XML is an umbrella term commonly given to JavaScript frameworks, these frameworks typically provide visual effects, advanced validation and other Asynchronous functionality. This functionality has allowed the ability to bridge a software development gap between client and server-side programming for the web. Examples of Frameworks we frequently use include jQuery and prototype.
• Analytics - These are generally pieces of software that gather information about the visitors to your website, whether it be Country, time spent on your site, the pages visited etc. This can be used in combination with SEO and SEM in order to provide insight into the appropriate approaches to take.
• ASP.NET - ASP.NET can be defined as a collection of technologies grouped under Microsoft's .NET framework. ASP.NET programming with Visual Basic or C# are common methods of developing websites. PHP can be considered a direct competitor of ASP.NET.
• CSS - Cascading Style Sheets are documents / notations that describe the visual presentation of a document written in markup (e.g. xHTML).
• Disability Discrimination - This is a web-development grey area in that there are very few test cases to determine what the base level of web accessibility and usability a website should provide is, in order be safe from prosecution under the Disability Discrimination act.
• Domain Name - A domain name can be described as a shortcut to your website. The domain name points to the location of the web hosting. Examples of domain names include www.designthatfits.co.uk, www.balivillarenting.com etc. If someone refers to a Top Level Domain (TLD) they are talking about the group of letters that follows the domain name e.g. .co.uk, .com, .org.uk, .gov.uk .
• JavaScript - JavaScript is an Object Orientated Programming (OOP) language that is used to enhance the user experience in websites, this is particularly useful for handling tasks without "reloading / refreshing" the web browser window.
• MySQL - MySQL is a relational database management system (RDBMS) that enables the storage of information in a set of related tables. For example, when you shop online your contact details are usually remembered - this being because it is stored in a database and then retrieved when requested.
• Photoshop - Photoshop is a Graphic Design package created by Adobe. This software is commonly used for Website Design. A powerful open source (free) equivalent called GIMP also exists.
• PHP - the Hypertext Preprocessor is a server-side OOP scripting language used to create dynamic web pages. PHP is open-source, and can be considered a direct competitor of Microsoft's ASP.NET. PHP is used on many high profile websites including Facebook and Wikipedia.
• SEM - Search Engine Marketing is a form of online marketing, the aim of which is to increase website visibility in search engine result pages (SERPS). Search Engine Optimisation falls under this term, as does paid placements, contextual advertising and paid inclusion. A common example of a paid placement SEM campaign is utilising the Google AdWords system to buy a high visibility position on the SERPS or advertisers websites for certain keywords.
• SEO - Search Engine Optimisation is an umbrella term grouping activities that aim to improve a web sites natural / organic positioning on search engine results. Typically, the earlier a website in the listings the more chance it has of been clicked.
• User Requirements - This usually comprises of a set of documents describing what a user "requires" that a system does. This could be functionality, aesthetics etc.
• W3C - The World Wide Web Consortium is the organisation that develops standards for the web e.g. the xHTML or CSS standard.
• Web Accessibility - This term refers to the process of making a website usable / accessible to individuals of all abilities, disabilities and browser capabilities.
• Web Hosting - This can be defined as the place that your website sits on. Your web hosting might commonly allow you to have MySQL Databases, Email Addresses etc. Your web hosting is linked to a domain name (e.g. www.designthatfits.co.uk)
• xHTML - eXtensible HyperText Markup Language is for all intents and purposes essentially the next "version" of HTML, the main difference being that the document must be well formed and properly structured which encourages better coding practices and more future proofed websites.