Having your own website for your business is a must in today’s digital world. Although you may have social media accounts and an active online presence for your business, having a Facebook page just doesn’t cut it. Your website is the foundation of your brand and online presence. You wouldn’t build your house without a foundation first, right?

36% of small businesses don't have a website. This may be due to many factors, including not having the resources or knowledge of building a website, budget, or believing they don’t need a website. We understand that many factors go into making the decision of having a website. Although, we believe if you don’t have the knowledge of how websites work or the terminology, it can make the decision more difficult.

Here’s the top terms you should know when it comes to having a website or before getting one:

Domain

A website domain is the place where your website lives. You could say that the website domain is the deed to your house or the proof of ownership. When you buy a website domain, you are buying a place to build your website and where people can find it.

Examples of website domains:

• quantifimedia.com
• google.com
• facebook.com

Note that domains start after the normal https://www. which is not a part of the domain. Once you have bought a domain, now you can build your website on that part of the internet.

Hosting

Now that you have your website domain, you need someone to host it for you. Hosting allows for you to create the website, maintain it, and keep it live on the internet. Hosting your website is like paying the utility bills to keep your lights and water on. If you don’t pay your bills (hosting fees), then you’ll still have the property (domain of the website), but you won’t have the utilities you need (your website will not be live). Usually most businesses will hire a digital marketing agency to take care of hosting their website for them.

Header & Footer

After securing a domain name and hosting service, it’s time to build the website. Most businesses will hire a digital marketing agency to build and maintain their website, but it’s always good to know what goes into a website so you too have an understanding of how your website works.

One of the first things that is done when building a website is the header. The header is the top of the website that does not change, even when you go to other pages. This is where your logo will be, navigation to other pages, and other information about your business like a phone number or a button to another page.

The footer is just like the header but instead at the bottom of the website. It also does not change when you go to different pages. The footer may also have your logo, as well as links to different pages on the site, contact information like phone number, address, and hours, as well as other information you may want your customers or clients to know.

Homepage & Web Pages

The first page of your website is the homepage. This page is used as a general overview of your website to give people an understanding of everything your business does at a glance. Your homepage will usually include links or buttons to other pages on your website throughout the page so people can click on them to learn more.

Web pages, also known as sub pages, are any pages on your website that are not the homepage. Sub pages usually include: About, Contact, Services, Gallery, and others. 

Examples of sub pages:

• https://www.quantifimedia.com/about
• https://www.cindysdeli.com/menu
• https://www.jeffshvacpa.com/contact

Sub pages are used to expand on information that would otherwise clutter your homepage. 

404 Error

Don’t panic! A 404 Error, which is a page not found error, is when someone tries to go to a web page that does not exist. These are pretty common and do not mean there is something wrong with your website. Usually this happens when someone mistypes a website URL or it’s a web page that has been deleted off your website that someone tries to go to.

In need of a digital marketing agency to build and maintain your website? At Quantifi Media we’ve got you covered! Contact us at (570) 620-6350 to schedule a free consultation today!