Terms, in plain English.
Plain-English definitions of the words that come up when you build, run, or rebuild a website. Written for the people who own the site, not the people who code it.
A/B testingA/B testing shows two versions of a page to different visitors at random and measures which produces more conversions.Read the definitionAbove the foldAbove the fold is the part of a web page a visitor sees without scrolling.Read the definitionAI search optimization (GEO)AI search optimization, also called generative engine optimization (GEO), is the practice of making your website readable, quotable, and citable by AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google's AI Overviews, so that when buyers compare companies and services with AI, yours is represented accurately and cited as a source.Read the definitionAnswer engine optimization (AEO)Answer engine optimization (AEO) is the practice of structuring website content so search engines and AI assistants can lift your answer and present it directly: featured snippets, AI Overviews, and chatbot responses.Read the definitionAPI (application programming interface)An API is a documented way for one system to ask another system for data or to send it something, and get an answer back immediately.Read the definition
B2B buying processThe B2B buying process is the sequence a business goes through before purchasing: recognizing a need, researching options independently, shortlisting vendors, validating them, and getting internal agreement.Read the definitionBounce rateBounce rate is the share of visitors who arrive on a page and leave without doing anything: no second page, no form, no click.Read the definitionBrochure websiteA brochure website is a site that describes a company the way a printed brochure would: who we are, what we value, contact us.Read the definition
Call to action (CTA)A call to action is the specific next step a page asks a visitor to take, like "Request a quote" or "Book a call," usually as a button.Read the definitionCanonical tagA canonical tag is a line of HTML that tells search engines which URL is the master version of a page when several addresses show the same or similar content.Read the definitionCapability statementA capability statement is a concise summary of what a company can do: its core competencies, the work it performs, its differentiators, and the credentials that back it up.Read the definitionCase studyA case study is a structured account of work you did for one client: the problem they had, what you built or changed, and the measurable result.Read the definitionChannel partnerA channel partner is a company that sells or delivers another company's products to end customers rather than buying them for its own use: distributors, dealers, resellers, systems integrators and independent sales representatives.Read the definitionCMS (content management system)A CMS (content management system) is the software your team uses to edit website content, pages, photos, team bios, product lines, without writing code or calling a developer.Read the definitionComposable commerceComposable commerce is an approach to building ecommerce where you assemble the storefront from independent, best-of-breed services (catalog, cart, search, content, payments) connected by APIs, instead of buying a single all-in-one platform.Read the definitionContent gap analysisA content gap analysis compares what your website currently covers against what your buyers search for and what competitors already publish, in order to identify the pages you are missing rather than the pages you should rewrite.Read the definitionContent inventoryA content inventory is a complete list of every page on a website, usually with data attached such as traffic, rankings, and last-updated date.Read the definitionConversion rate optimization (CRO)Conversion rate optimization is the practice of increasing the share of website visitors who take the action you want, usually by finding where people abandon and removing the reason.Read the definitionCore Web VitalsCore Web Vitals are Google's three measurements of how a page feels to use: how fast the main content appears (LCP), how quickly the page responds to interaction (INP), and how much the layout jumps around while loading (CLS).Read the definitionCPQ (configure, price, quote)CPQ (configure, price, quote) is software that helps a sales team or a B2B buyer configure a complex or customizable product, apply the right pricing rules, and generate an accurate quote automatically, instead of building it by spreadsheet.Read the definitionCustomer portalA customer portal is a logged-in area of a company's website where existing customers see their own information: orders, documents, support tickets, pricing or account history.Read the definition
Design systemA design system is the reusable kit a website is built from: a defined set of colors, type, spacing, and pre-built components (buttons, cards, section layouts) that fit together consistently.Read the definitionDomain authorityDomain authority is a third-party score (0-100, popularized by Moz) that estimates how likely a website is to rank in search, based largely on its backlink profile.Read the definition
Headless CMSA headless CMS stores your content in one place and delivers it through an API, so the website (or app, or product catalog) that displays it is built separately and can be as fast and custom as you need.Read the definitionHeatmapA heatmap is a visual summary of what visitors did on a page, shading the areas that got the most clicks, the most attention or the furthest scrolling.Read the definition
Industrial directoryAn industrial directory is a listing service where buyers search for suppliers by capability, material, process or location.Read the definitionInformation architectureInformation architecture (IA) is how a website's content is organized and named: what the sections are, what they're called, and what path a visitor follows to find what they came for.Read the definition
Landing pageA landing page is a focused page built around a single action, typically the page a visitor arrives on from an ad, email, or campaign.Read the definitionLine cardIn distribution, a line card is the one-page list of the manufacturers and product lines a distributor is authorized to sell, used by buyers to check in seconds whether a supplier carries the brands they need.Read the definitionLink equityLink equity is the ranking value that passes from one page to another through a link.Read the definitionllms.txtllms.txt is a plain-text file at a website's root that gives AI systems a curated index of the site: what the company does and where the important pages are, in a format language models can read in one request.Read the definitionLocal SEOLocal SEO is the practice of showing up when someone searches for what you do in a specific place: the map results, the Google Business Profile listing, and the "near me" searches that decide which nearby company a buyer finds first.Read the definition
Manufacturers repA manufacturers rep is an independent salesperson or agency that sells a manufacturer's products on commission within a defined territory, without taking ownership of inventory.Read the definitionMarketing automationMarketing automation is software that sends messages and updates records based on what a contact does, rather than on someone remembering to do it.Read the definition
PageSpeed Insights (PSI)PageSpeed Insights (PSI) is Google's free tool that scores a web page's performance from 0 to 100 and reports its Core Web Vitals.Read the definitionPIM (product information management)A PIM is a system that holds one authoritative version of your product data, such as descriptions, specifications, images and documents, and feeds it to every place that needs it: the website, the catalogue, a marketplace listing, a customer's own system.Read the definitionProduct configuratorA product configurator is a tool on a website that lets a buyer assemble a valid version of a configurable product by choosing options, while the software enforces which combinations are actually possible and, often, what the result costs.Read the definitionPunchoutA punchout is a B2B ecommerce integration that lets a buyer shop a supplier's catalog from inside their own procurement system, then return the filled cart to that system for approval and a purchase order, instead of checking out on the supplier's website.Read the definition
ReplatformingReplatforming is moving a website from one underlying platform or content management system to another, for example off a dated WordPress build onto a modern stack.Read the definitionResponsive design (mobile-friendly)Responsive design is a way of building a website so one site reshapes itself to fit any screen, from a wide monitor to a phone, instead of showing a shrunken desktop layout or a separate mobile site.Read the definitionRFQ pageAn RFQ page (request for quote) is where an industrial buyer submits the details of a job, specs, materials, quantities, drawings, so a supplier can price it.Read the definition
Search indexingSearch indexing is the process where Google crawls a page, understands it, and stores it in the index it searches when someone runs a query.Read the definitionSEO (search engine optimization)SEO (search engine optimization) is the work of making a website show up when people search for what it offers: the right pages, structured and worded so search engines can understand them, rank them, and send qualified visitors.Read the definitionService level agreement (SLA)A service level agreement is the written part of a vendor contract that defines what work is covered, how quickly the vendor will respond and resolve issues, during which hours, and what remedy applies when they miss those commitments.Read the definitionServices pageA services page is where a website states what a company actually does, in enough detail that a buyer can tell whether you do their specific job.Read the definitionSpec sheetA spec sheet is a one-page technical summary of a product, listing dimensions, materials, performance figures, standards met and part numbers.Read the definitionStaging siteA staging site is a private copy of a website where changes are built and reviewed before they go live.Read the definitionStructured data (schema markup)Structured data (also called schema markup) is code added to a web page that states, in a format machines read, what the page is about: that this is a product, this is a review, this is the company's name and location.Read the definition
Technical debtTechnical debt is the accumulated cost of the shortcuts, patches, and deferred fixes in a website or software system.Read the definitionThird-party logistics (3PL)A third-party logistics provider handles some or all of a company's logistics on its behalf: warehousing, fulfilment, freight, customs and returns.Read the definitionTrust signals (credibility signals)Trust signals are the concrete proof on a website that tells a buyer you're a real, capable, established company: named clients, certifications, case studies with specifics, real photography, reviews, and clear contact details.Read the definition
Value added reseller (VAR)A value added reseller buys a manufacturer's product and sells it on with something added: integration, configuration, installation, support or bundled services.Read the definitionVendor lock-inVendor lock-in is a situation where leaving a supplier costs so much, in money, disruption, or lost assets, that staying stops being a choice.Read the definitionVisual page builderA visual page builder is a tool that lets you design and edit web pages by dragging elements around on screen instead of writing code.Read the definition
Web accessibilityWeb accessibility is the practice of building a website so that people with disabilities can perceive, navigate, and use it, including visitors who rely on screen readers, keyboard navigation, or high-contrast displays.Read the definitionWebsite auditA website audit is a structured review of how a site actually performs: speed, clarity of message, conversion paths, mobile experience, and search visibility, resulting in a list of specific problems and fixes.Read the definitionWebsite conversion rateWebsite conversion rate is the share of visitors who take the action the site exists for.Read the definitionWebsite maintenanceWebsite maintenance is the ongoing work that keeps a site secure, current and functioning after launch: software and plugin updates, backups, uptime and error monitoring, security patching, and small content or layout changes.Read the definitionWebsite migrationA website migration is any change that moves a site's content to new URLs, a new platform, or a new domain.Read the definitionWebsite redesign vs refreshA refresh updates how an existing site looks (colors, type, imagery) on the same structure.Read the definitionWireframeA wireframe is a deliberately plain layout of a page showing what goes where and in what order, before any visual design is applied.Read the definition
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