Useful Glossary

Internet Terms

Web hosting - a service that provides space on the internet that can be used for a website. The space provided is typically stored on a group of servers (computers) that are located in a secure location. Hosting is only one part of an online presence, as a website must be associated with a domain name (such as www.example.com) that is purchased through a registrar to appear on the internet.

Address bar - the area typically found in the top part of a browser that is used to input a domain name or URL.

URL - the location of a website on the internet. URL stands for "Uniform Resource Locator."

IP address - the location of a computer in the physical world. IP address stands for "Internet Protocol address."

Search engine - a website on the internet that is used to search other websites for terms and phrases. Commonly used search engines include Google, Yahoo, and Bing.

SEO - a service (typically available for a nominal fee) that helps to increase a website's rankings in the results of a search performed via a search engine. SEO stands for "Search Engine Optimization."

Computer Terms

Bandwidth - the amount of information that can be transferred from your website on the internet (Montly).

Server - another name for a computer.

Operating system - the program that is used to run a computer. Commonly used operating systems include Windows (XP, Vista, 7), Mac OS, UNIX, and Linux.

Website Terms

Domain - the name of your website. Also known as a "Domain name." An example of a domain is "www.example.com".

DNS - information used by the internet regarding the location of a website. DNS stands for "Domain Name System." Refer to the Domain DNS knowledgebase article for more information on this topic.

Nameservers - tells the internet where to find your website.

WHOIS - public record of the domain and how to contact the owner. A WHOIS search can be performed at any WHOIS search engine.