THE RESOURCE SHELF

Less blank-page thinking.
More getting things done.

Simple working documents and checklists for a well-organised website.

A plain-English website glossary

Domain

The registered address people use to find your website. Registration must be renewed; it does not include hosting automatically.

DNS

Records that connect your domain to services such as your website and email. Changing nameservers can affect both.

Hosting

The service that stores and serves your website. Disk space, processing limits and support are separate parts of the plan.

SSL / TLS

The technology behind an HTTPS connection. It encrypts traffic in transit; it does not replace secure software or backups.

CMS

A content management system used to create and edit website content without changing every page by hand.

Cache

A saved copy of a response or asset that can reduce repeated work. Content changes may require a cache refresh.

Staging

A separate place to test changes before they affect the public site. It should not expose production secrets or customer data.

Backup retention

How long backup copies are kept. A recent copy may already contain a problem, so multiple restore points matter.

Bandwidth / transfer

Data served over a period. A hosting plan may impose limits or a fair-use policy even when advertised as unlimited.

Conversion

A defined useful action, such as a valid enquiry. Page views alone do not tell you whether a site achieves its purpose.

Renewal rate

The price charged after an initial registration or promotional period. Future rates can change.

Opportunity cost

The value of time or resources used for this project instead of another activity. It is distinct from cash spent.