We are a small business. Therefore, we like work with small businesses. We speak their language. From one-man-bands to an office of a baker's dozen, small businesses have unique challenges and opportunities, and we find no greater pleasure than getting to know our clients, their businesses and helping them thrive. Our relationships are our currency. In fact, at this time, we do little paid advertising, gaining our new clients through referrals and enjoying long-term relationships with existing clients. 

So what do we know that you might want to know? Here's a taste.

short lexicon of all (or lots of) things web
There is a lot of jargon in the world of web design. And while we try not to use these terms too much in everyday conversation, they might sneak into a sentence or two every once in while. Here's what we mean:

nalytics
These are tools that are embedded into your site that deliver varying degrees of information, from  how many people are visiting your site to how they found you to how long they spend on each page. Analytics is also known as site metrics. Examples of analytics tools include Google Analytics, Mint and Woopra.

ack end
The back end of a website is the part hidden from view of regular website visitors. The back end generally includes a database or some kind of information structure, applications, and the content management system controlling content on the site.

elow the fold 
Remember newspapers? This phrase is from ye olde publishing days. In newspaper terms, “below the fold” means content was on the bottom half of the page (below the physical fold in the paper). In web design terms, “below the fold” refers to the content that is generally going to be below the point first viewable to the average website visitor in their browser (in other words, viewers would have to scroll down to see the content).

log

A blog is an online diary of sorts, with entries in reverse-chronological order so that the most recent post (or entry) is at the top of the page. Blogs can be content, photos or videos, and posts should be short, informative and ideally with links. Blogs can be integrated into existing web sites or built with free tools such as Google Blogger.

rowser 
Browser refers to the program a website visitor is using to view the web site. Examples include Safari, Firefox, Google Chrome, Opera, and Internet Explorer.

lear your cache
There is cash and there is cache. They are pronounced the same way, but have very different meanings. Clear you cache does not mean empty your back account. "Cached files" are those that are saved or copied (downloaded) by your web browser so that the next time you visit a site, the page loads faster. We ask you do clear your cache so you can see revised web files.

ontent
This is the words on your site. Also known as "copy," web content is how you tell your story.

ontent Management System 
Also known as a CMS, a Content Management System is a backend tool for managing a site’s content that separates said content from the design and functionality of the site. Using a CMS generally makes it easier to change the design or function of a site independent of the site’s content. It also (usually) makes it easier for content to be added to the site for people who aren’t designers. Examples include WordPress, Joomla! and Drupal.

NS 
This stands for Domain Name Service (alternately Domain Name System or Domain Name Server). Basically, it’s the thing that converts IP addresses into domain names. DNS servers are provided with the IP address of your web server when you assign your domain name to those servers. In turn, when someone types your domain name into their web browser, those DNS servers translate the domain name to the IP address and point the browser to the correct web server.

omain 
The domain is the name by which your website is identified, the "dubya dubya dubya dot yoursite dot com". The domain is associated with an IP address. 

-Commerce 
Short for electronic commerce. It’s the buying and selling of goods online, through websites. Products sold through e-commerce can be physical products that require shipping, or digital products delivered electronically.

osting
Web site files need to reside on a server to be found. You either own your own server or "rent" space on a server to host your site.

eywords
These are the most significant words or phrases in the title, subject headings or text of your web page. Keywords, or search terms, can be programmed into a site, but should also be reflected in the site's content for enhanced natural search results.

anding page 
A landing page is the page where a visitor first enters a website. Sometimes, a special landing page is created to elicit a specific action from the new visitor (usually in connection with an advertising or marketing campaign).

eta data 
Meta data is the data contained in the header that offers information about the web page that a visitor is currently on. The information contained in the meta data isn’t viewable on the web page (except in the source code). Meta data is contained within meta tags. This is very important for search.

atural search
This term refers to any user typing terms in to a search tool (such as Google or Yahoo) and seeing what comes up. Natural search results are not paid advertising or sponsored links. Also known as "organic" search.

avigation 
This is the system that allows visitors to your website to move around--the buttons or text that they click to find each page.

laceholder
Sometimes you just need a web page up TODAY. Or yesterday. That will be a placeholder page, often a one page site that includes your name and contact information, and perhaps a note that your full site is coming soon.

earch Engine Optimization (SEO)
SEO is the process of improving the volume or quality of traffic to your web site from search engines (such as Google or Yahoo) via "natural" ("organic" or "algorithmic") search results. Because typically, the higher a site appears in the search results list, the more visitors it will receive from the search engine.

ite map
This is an outline of your web site, like the table of contents of a book. It can be a part of your site as well, allowing users another way to navigate through your site and enhancing search.

ocial networking
This umbrella term includes sites such as MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Businesses are taking advantage of social networking more and more, but it is a relationship building tool that should be carefully managed and strategically used.

raffic
Web traffic is the number of visitors or "hits" your site gets. One hit does not always indicate one visitor, but analytics programs can give you detailed information about who is visiting your site and how they found you.

witter
This is another social networking tool, allowing you share short bursts of information with a pre-set list of people who have opted in to follow you. Twitter is free and a great way to build your business.

RL 
This stands for Uniform Resource Locator. A site’s URL is its address, the item that specifies where on the Internet it can the found.