Four website terms a business owners should know in plain English

June 1, 2020

Choosing a web service can be overwhelming. Lots of sellers can make all sorts of promises for the sake of taking your money. As always, we advise that knowing what you're paying for is a good choice. You are great at your business. You probably know more about your products or services better than everyone else. But you may not be an expert on everything web related. This page is meant to give you a basic insight at what you need to get your website going along with a brief explanation. Note, if you are unsure if these terms or services are included when purchasing and establishing a website, know what to ask. In the end, you probably want something that works. Make sure it works well.

Website:

The term "website" refers to the collection of web pages available to the public. A website is often made of a combination of code and files. People that develop websites refer to "websites" as the front end or complete work customers see upon entering a web domain.

Web Domain:

The term "web domain" refers to the address where people find you. It's not the same as a website, though the address itself can lead you to a website. A web domain similar to the street address on your business cards. It lets your customers know how to find you. In this case, you are purchasing a digital address of your choosing (web domain) in which to place your digital storefront (website).

A web domain can be purchased independent of web related services. For example, "(yourbusinessname).com" is the domain you can to acquire prior to establishing your website. You can purchase it at any time on your own thru services like Google Domains, GoDaddy, or many others. Its often wise to check if your desired business name is available before establishing a business, new service, or website based marketing campaign. In the event your existing business name is taken, you may have to purchase said name from the current owner. If negotiations are not possible, consider choosing a ".net," ".co" or modifying your prospective domain to something else.

Web Hosting:

The term "web hosting" refers to the physical location where your website is stored. All websites accessible on the internet currently exist on some computer or a server. The code for your website and accompanying files are stored within by web host. Going back to our business example, think of this as a commercial building. When you  purchase web hosting services, you are leasing/renting a physical space for your business to be operational 24/7. Like a storefront model, you can own your on servers for your website to live in, however, this is extremely cost intensive and unsecure for the inexperienced. Note that all web hosting services are not created equal. Some servers offer better speed, increased storage space, security, and other parameters that may be relevant to your industry.

HTTP vs HTTPS:

HTTP refers to "Hypertext Transfer Protocol" while HTTPS refers to "Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure." The "S" at the end makes a big difference for websites nowadays. Long story short, the secure protocol is an extension of the traditional HTTPS that protects users from eavesdroppers and "man in the middle attacks." HTTPS encrypts information so that users know they are contacting their desired web domain directly. Most reliable websites will have the updated HTTPS. As a business we recommend that you insist on having HTTPS authentication. That's because modern web browsers will alert users that the site they are visiting is not secure, thus losing trust in customers before their interactions even begin. Not having it can be troubling for your customers especially if you are collecting information and/or payments. Acquiring HTTPS status should not be excessively difficult or expensive when establishing a website. HTTPS is the current standard. If your site does not have it, insist on it.

Full disclosure, Top Hat Central provides web design services. We can help create your website and advise you through the process of establishing your digital presence. This post was created in response to some of the most common questions we see from our customers. Our purpose is to disseminate information relevant to small business owners. Oftentimes we see that small/micro business may not have access to experts in all fields. That is why we offer to be one less hat for them to worry about. Whether you consider us or not, we hope this information can help you grow online.