Explaining The Web
Attempting to break into the world of computers and the web can be a difficult and frustrating task. Below is a short FAQ explaining some aspects related to websites and the internet so you know what you're dealing with. We hope it helps!
Domain names
A domain name is the address for a website, allowing both people and other computers to locate it. The domain name is the "www.domainname.com" you type into the top of your web browser to navigate to sites.
The "www" stands for World Wide Web.
The "domainname" can be almost anything, such as "leaf-designs" or "google", but is usually the name of the business or website, or a related phrase.
The ".com" is the suffix and is used to show either the location of the company (.co.uk is a British domain name) or the type of company (.ac.uk is a British university).
Hosting
Once a website has been built the files must be put (uploaded) onto another computer - a server - to allow people to view it on the internet.
Servers hold the website information and send it out to other computers when they attempt to view the site. For example, when you entered "www.leaf-designs.com" into your web browser, your computer sent a message to the server where it is hosted asking for the site data. The server then sent the images and text that you are now reading to your computer to display.
A website must be hosted on a server in order for people to view it on the internet.
IP addresses
An IP address is a series of numbers that computers use to locate each other on the internet. IP stands for Internet Protocol.
The most common example of an IP address is 192.168.0.1 - if you have a router at home this is usually the default IP address of the router.
All computers connected to a network or the internet are assigned an IP address by a router. This allows your computer to contact other computers and devices, and vice-versa, much like a telephone number.
Search engines and search engine optimisation
Search engines are websites designed to help you find other websites. Everyone knows Google these days - they have created a huge business around search engines.
When you build a website you can enter certain information to help search engines like Google or Yahoo! find your site - this is called search engine optimisation. This can be things such as keywords explaining the content of your site, or directions for the programs telling them how to deal with your site.
This information can help to make your site appear higher up on the list of returned results when people search for you, increasing your potential number of visitors.
Servers
A server is simply a computer where information is stored. It allows the information to be retrieved by another computer in a different location, such as through the internet. It can perform any number of functions, such as data storage or website hosting.
Subdomains
Some more complex websites use subdomains to add increased flexibility. You can tell you are on a subdomain when the "www." is replaced by another "domainname". E.g. "news.bbc.co.uk" is a subdomain of the site "www.bbc.co.uk".
While you are technically viewing the same website as before, subdomains can be entirely different in design or purpose from the main site.
URLs
Sometimes people refer to a "URL". This stands for Universal Resource Locator. A URL is the same thing as a full domain name.
"www.domainname.com" is both a URL and a domain name.
Webmail
Webmail is an internet-based email service. Gmail and Hotmail are both examples of webmail services.
Webmail can be accessed from any computer with an internet connection through the browser (such as Internet Explorer or Firefox).
Many hosting services these days also provide webmail, providing you with a professional email address which customers can contact you through, such as "mail@yourdomainname.com".
We've done exactly the same thing - our email address is a webmail service provided with our hosting account!