a reference for clients
the neighborhood guide —
how we think about websites
websites involve a lot of moving parts, and most of them have terrible names. this page translates the technical stuff into something more like a neighborhood — houses, post offices, contractors, and utility lines. if you're ever confused about what something is or why it matters, start here.
the land & address
domain name
how anyone finds you.
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domain registrar
city hall — your deed is on file here.
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web hosting
shared = apartment building. VPS = your own lot.
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DNS / nameservers
the post office — routes everything to the right door.
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the house
brand board
agreed on before anyone picks up a hammer.
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WordPress core
the structure everything else is built on.
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theme
paint, furniture, the overall look and feel.
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child theme
customize freely — original plans stay intact.
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pages & content
each page is a room. what's in it is up to you.
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staging environment
test renovations safely before touching the real house.
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WordPress multisite
one building, many rooms. the guests don't share luggage.
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infrastructure
PHP
the building's internal wiring. invisible, essential.
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database
every piece of paper in the filing cabinet.
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SSL / HTTPS
without it, your mail is a postcard anyone can read.
read more →
server software
answers the door and routes visitors to the right room.
read more →
PHP version changes
the building got upgraded. some old wiring didn't.
read more →
the post office & mail
hosted email vs. Google Workspace
same address on the outside, very different service behind it.
read more →
SMTP / sending from WP
the house has no phone line until you install one.
read more →
email marketing
you write it here, a third-party carrier delivers at scale.
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the contractors (plugins)
functional plugins
they built the rooms and installed the locks.
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transactional plugins
the shop, the supplier down the street, the checkout terminal.
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administrative plugins
smoke detectors, deadbolts, the HVAC. you'll never notice them until you need them.
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forms plugins
the mailbox slot — visitors drop information in, you decide where it goes.
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maintenance & performance
caching
clears clutter so things run faster. bad timing = old content.
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backups
if something goes wrong, you can get back in.
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security plugins
the alarm system. running quietly until something tries the door.
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CDN
house stays put. brochures cached closer to your visitors.
read more →
object storage (R2, S3)
bulky files live here. house fetches them when needed.
read more →
findability & design
