Some terms that you might want to know before you build ~ these are the terms I get asked to define most often. by no means a complete list! ~ a little education to help you make a better, smarter decisions for your website.

What is a Hit ~ each item used on a page "creates" a hit. This page is 5 hits per view. Not the best way to track traffic. An over loaded page can create a healthy hit count, but....not accurate traffic count.

What is a Page View ~ this is the number of times an actual page is loaded. a more accurate "count" of traffic on sites.

Visitors ~ this is when someone, anyone comes to your website, and clicks around. A visitor can come several times in a day and only count as one visitor but many page views and hits.

Unique IPs ~ the actual number of unique computer addresses to visit your site. Many sites struggle for 50 unique ips a day.

Domain name ~ this is your sites name, like NhyrvanabyDesign.com ~ you can currently register names as a .com, .net, .org, .info, .ws, .us, and .biz in the USA. and all work GREAT! these are also known as TLD or top level domains. Cost is about $10 per year for each. You own these for a year at a time and can renew for several years at once.

What is a Redirect ~ this is using your isp space or another web space to actually host your site, rather than having dedicated hosting. example? NhyrvanabyDesign.com is redirected to Nhyrvana.com/~nhyrvana. by doing so, i have been able to determine MANY pitfalls of such a practice. I am fortunate that it's not a detriment to me.

you can also use MASKING to have the domain name appear rather than the space redirected to. for most .. this is a BAD choice. search engines will see the redirected links, and it can dilute your online presence. Most redirects are a small fee, but for about twice the redirect cost, you can get REAL dedicated hosting with same amount of space.

What is Hosting ~ this is where your website lives. a free host, like Geocities may have ads , or your isp space will not reflect your real links. You "rent" space on dedicated web servers and your Domain Name is pointed to that space ~ thus all links will reflect your domain name.. not a redirect to your isp or a free servers.

What is RANK ~ established sites with a number of links IN, and a lot of other factors, can be ranked several ways. The most common ranks are Google PageRank and Alexa traffic ranks. Your PR usually rises when HIGHER ranking sites link you. ( check the green lines. those are Page Rank indicators) Neither are perfect, but do help gauge progress or lack there of. Keep in mind these ranks are out of three billion web pages.

What is ROI ~ return on investment ~ how many sales would you need to see the benefit of your website? Many sites utilize a banner or a coupon that encourages people to say they "saw it on the website", thus gauging better the ROI.

What's my domain worth ~ usually whatever you can get for it; but the cost of a new domains development , hosting , artwork, etc are business expenses you can write off the first year. The real value of a domain is the 24/7/365 value and the community good will you can generate with your site. Adding other local links, adding tips, wallpapers, maps, etc helps generate traffic and can turn your site to a valuable asset should you sell your business. * even if NOTHING is sold on the site!*