What People Say
The everyday phrases clients use, translated into what they actually mean.
Broken link
A broken link points to a page that no longer exists or never did, sending visitors to an error; they build up as pages move without redirects.
Clean and modern
Clean and modern usually means generous white space, a restrained palette, strong modern type, fewer elements per screen and no dated effects.
Going live
Going live means publishing a website so the public can reach it at its real domain, after testing, redirects and final checks.
I need a website
Getting a website takes three things: a domain name, hosting, and the site itself, which can be built with a builder, by a professional, or generated from a description.
Loading spinner
A loading spinner shows that something is in progress; skeleton screens that preview the layout usually feel faster than a spinner.
Make it pop
Make it pop usually means the design lacks a focal point: the fix is stronger contrast, one dominant element, bolder type or purposeful motion, not more colours.
Make it rank on Google
Ranking on Google comes from pages that answer what people search better than the alternatives, on a fast, crawlable site that others link to; no one can guarantee a position.
Mobile friendly
Mobile friendly means a site is easy to read and use on a phone: readable text without zooming, big enough buttons, no sideways scrolling and fast loading on mobile networks.
My website is down
When a website is down, the usual causes are an expired domain, a DNS mistake, a hosting outage, an expired certificate or a broken deploy, checked in that order.
One-page website
A one-page website puts everything on a single scrolling page, with the menu jumping to sections, suiting simple offers, events and portfolios.
Plugin
A plugin adds a feature to a platform like WordPress or Shopify, such as forms, SEO tools or reviews, without custom code.
Pop-up
A pop-up is a box that appears over a page, often for sign-ups, offers or cookie consent; badly timed ones are among the most disliked web patterns.
Slider
A slider or carousel rotates several images or messages in one space; most visitors see only the first slide, so the first one must carry the message.
Splash page
A splash page is an introductory screen shown before a site's real content, like an animation or an enter button; it adds a step between visitors and what they came for.
Sticky header
A sticky header stays pinned to the top of the screen as you scroll, keeping navigation and the main action always within reach.
The back end of my website
When site owners say the back end, they usually mean the admin area where they log in to edit pages, products or posts, not the server code.
Theme
A theme is a packaged design for a platform like WordPress or Shopify that controls how every page looks.
Website builder
A website builder is a tool for making a site without code, by dragging blocks, choosing templates or describing it to AI, usually with hosting included.
Website template
A website template is a pre-designed layout you fill with your own content; it is fast and affordable, but the same design is used by many other sites.
Widget
A widget is a small self-contained feature placed on a page, like a chat box, map, review feed or booking calendar, often loaded from another company.