We are currently collating a list of all the most used - and misunderstood - terms to do with website design and hosting. Here is what we have so far:

Glossary

Website Types

There are various different types of website that can be designed, from the basic static html designs used on simple websites to fully comprehensive automated dynamic e-commerce websites that can almost run themselves as a business!

Non-dynamic Sites (static):
This is the classic type of website - a simple static picture and text website that viewers can simply browse through.
Typical non-dynamic web pages do not change every time the page is loaded by the browser, nor do they change if a user clicks on a button. The only change that you will see in static web pages is to see them load and unload, like what happens when you click on a hyperlink.

Dynamic Sites:
Dynamic pages do the opposite, they can change every time they are loaded (without you having to make those changes) and they can change their content based on what users do, like clicking on some text or an image and the main point is that they obtain their data presented on screen from a behind-the-scenes database. Such 'Dynamic' sites are those such as Ebay, Banking sites, online shops etc.

Database-Driven:
Database-driven websites are the most common types of websites these days due to the simplicity of maintenance that does not require a user to have any sophisticated technical knowledge of code. The web pages grab information from a database (the web page is connected to the database by programming) and inserts that information into the web page each time it is loaded. If the information stored in the database changes, the web page connected to the database will also change accordingly (and automatically) without human intervention.

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO):

This is the process of improving the volume and quality of traffic to a web site from search engines via "natural" ("organic" or "algorithmic") search results. Usually, the earlier a site is presented in the search results, or the higher it "ranks", the more searchers will visit that site.

As a marketing strategy for increasing a site's relevance, SEO considers how search engines work and what people search for. SEO efforts may involve a site's coding, presentation, and structure, as well as fixing problems that could prevent search engine indexing programs from fully spidering a site. Other, more noticeable efforts may include adding unique content to a site, ensuring that content is easily indexed by search engine robots, and making the site more appealing to users.
Source: wikipedia

Site Map:
A site map (or sitemap) is a graphical representation of the architecture of a website. It can be either a document in any form used as a tool for planning a website build or a web page that lists the pages on that site, typically organized in a hierarchy. This helps both visitors and search engine bots navigate through the site.