Definitions
Domain Name
The name of a website. It’s what comes after “@” in an email address, or after “www.” in a web address. If someone asks how to find you online, what you tell them is usually your domain name.
Examples
URL
A URL (aka “Universal Resource Locator”) is a complete web address used to find a particular web page. While the domain is the name of the website, a URL will lead to any one of the pages within the website. Every URL contains a domain name, as well as other components needed to locate the specific page or piece of content.
Examples
- https://www.mndot.gov/roadwork/
- https://www.mndot.gov/ofrw/freight/index.html
- https://www.mndot.gov/d7/projects/14newulmtonmankato/meetings.html
Site, Website
A collection of content, often on multiple pages, that is grouped together under the same domain. A domain is the name of a website, a URL is how to find a website, and a website is what people see and interact with when they get there.
Page, Webpage
A specific collection of information provided by a website and displayed to a user in a web browser.
Section
The main areas of a website visitors will look for the information they need. Note: a section of the website is different than the section tag used in the code of the site.
Examples
- Contacts: This provides visitors with the appropriate methods to contact our agency.
- Policy: This provides visitors with agency policies and policy resources.
- Careers: This provides visitors with the information they need to start or continue a career at the agency.
- Roadwork: This provides visitors with information related to all of the agency's projects; active, future and recently completed.
- Commercial Vehicles: This provides visitors the information they need related to freight, commercial vehicles, passenger vehicles and the necessary permits to operate them.
- Safety: This provides visitors with information related to navigating our transportation system safely.
Topic, Sub-topic
Areas of a section with information specific to a single subject.
Web Coordinator
Website administrator. Responsible for all aspects of content, which includes development, design, production, presentation, evaluation and analysis. Uses data and feedback from users to help evaluate and enhance the value of web content.
Web Editor
Responsible for the content and images used on a web page or series of pages. Uses web editing software to update pages as necessary.
Topic Expert
Person who is an authority on a particular subject or topic. Provides content changes as necessary to keep the website up to date and approves content changes prior to publication.