glossary
animation
today's technology has allowed creatives to produce interesting and seamless animations which can be used for a variety of applications. flash software, developed by macromedia, is a powerful programme that allows animations to be viewed on the internet. animations can be used to advertise products, services or used for fun. < .
advertisment banners
these allow a company, organisation or individuals to expose their services or products on other websites by using graphics on a banner. the website that hosts the banner usually charges for the privilege. < .
blogs, forums, RSS
Blog, or web log, is an interactive area that allows a user to post a variety of material such as text, images and links onto the world wide web. Blogging has become a popular and important means of communication in today's society and has been know to influence media across the world. < .
A forum is a facility for holding discussions on the world wide web for numerous topics. Web based forums serve the same purpose as bulletin boards and newsgroups allowing users to share information freely. < .
rss (really simple syndication) is part of the web feed format family and allows web content to be delivered to a user's computer via a feed reader. This allows a user to keep up-to-date with a particular website without having to check if a new topic has been added. For more information check out the bbc website www.bbc.co.uk/feedfactory. < .
cd-roms
compact disk read-only memory (cd-rom) can be used to store information on such as movies, sound files and so forth. cd-roms can also be used as a piece of marketing showing new product, service or promotional videos. < .
content management systems (cms)
a cms is a web application that allows a user to manage a website's content. copy, images, news articles, downloads and more can be added, edited or manipulated whenever the need arises. this allows a website to be kept up-to-date as events develop. more info . < .
branding, graphics
graphics and branding go hand in hand with website design. a website is a powerful piece of marketing collateral that can help promote a brand. graphics, illustrations and photography can aid in giving a website an overall feel and atmosphere. < .
e-commerce
e-commerce allows buying, selling and marketing of products and services over the internet and other computer networks. People are become more and more familiar with purchasing products or services online due to the increase in secure online payment and encryption. E-commerce also offers solutions for supply chain management, e-marketing, online marketing and more. < .
e-mail accounts
electronic mail is a method of composing, sending, receiving messages in electronic format. < .
e-newsletters
a system that allows an electronic newsletter to be sent to subscribers informing them of interesting topics, special offers, news items or more. e-newsletters offer a cheap and reliable way of keeping in touch with you existing clients but can also be used as an effective piece of online marketing. < .
hosting
in order to display information on the internet a suitable hosting service is required to store and display your website to the world wide web. hosting services will vary depending on the functionality of the website. < .
online marketing
search engine optimisation (s.e.o) uses techniques to help place a website higher up in the organic listings after a key word or phrase is typed into a search engine. < .
pay per click (ppc) allows the user to place a website at the top of the sponsored link list after a key word or phrase has been entered into a search engine. however, the top position is auctioned off to the highest bidder resulting in a cost per click every time a link is activated. the cost to achieve a position in the top three results can range from a few pence up to many pounds. < .
url registration
uniform resource locator (url), or website address, is required in order to inform users where to find your website. for example, the url of this website is www.cwmills.co.uk and is registered with nominet. < .
website design
the most important aspect of a website is the design because it dictates what experience the user will have. not only does the visual elements need considering but also how intuitive the site will be to use - a good website combines good design with site architecture. more info . < .