I Will Not Promote - The Basic Website Terms Every Founder Should Know

As a developer working with many non-technical founders, I noticed that most are excited to build their websites but are unsure of the basic terms we developers use daily. Understanding a few fundamentals makes the whole process smoother and avoids confusion later.

Here’s the simplest possible explanation of the core things you should know:

• Domain: Think of this as the name of your website. It’s like your shop’s signboard. Something like yourbrand.com. It doesn’t store anything. It just points people to where your actual website is hosted.
• Hosting: This is the place where your website actually lives. All your files, images, content, and code stay here. If the domain is the signboard, hosting is the actual shop.
• Frontend: This is everything people see on the screen. The design, the colors, the buttons, the layout, the text. It’s basically the look and feel of your website.
• Backend: This is the part behind the scenes. Users never see it, but it handles all the important work like logins, managing data, contacting the database, and running your business logic.
• Deployment: This is the final step where we take your finished website and make it live on the internet. It involves building the project, uploading it to a server, and connecting it with your domain so people can access it.
• WordPress: A very popular platform that lets you build websites without heavy coding. Good for blogs, business sites, and anyone who wants something easy to manage. Uses themes and plugins.
• Shopify: Designed specifically for online stores. It takes care of products, payments, checkout, inventory, and security. Perfect for e-commerce businesses that want a quick and stable setup.
• Custom Code: This is when the entire website is built from scratch. Full freedom, custom features, unique designs, and more control. Ideal for startups with specific ideas or web apps that need something beyond basic templates.

These are very simple things, but once you understand them, the whole website-building process becomes a lot easier. It helps you make smarter decisions, avoid confusion, and work better with developers.