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We understand the Internet imposes a significant learning curve. Below are some common Internet and web marketing industry terms.
ASCII:
American Standard format for data storage on magnetic media (tape or disk).
Auto Responder:
A program that responds to the email immediately with a pre-designed response.
Bandwidth:
How many bits are transferred between the server and its visitors. Taking up too much bandwidth may drive visitors away or force the host to charge more to support the web site.
Banner Ad:
A graphical web advertising unit, typically measuring 468 pixels wide and 60 pixels tall (i.e. 468x60).
Bits:
If a byte is like an atom in computer language, a bit is like an electron. A bit is either on or off. It is either a 1 or a zero. Eight bits make up one byte.
Bounce Back:
The practice of sending another identical (or similar) catalog back to someone who has just ordered something from one of the catalogs.
Bugs:
Errors that crop up in software. Caused by inability of programmers to predict all possible ways that the code in their programs will be used to process data.
Byte:
A unit of computer memory. One letter or number is a byte. A byte is usually composed of eight bits.
Cache:
A program's local store of response messages and the subsystem that controls its message storage, retrieval and deletion. A cache stores cacheable responses in order to reduce the response time and network bandwidth consumption on future, equivalent requests. Any client or server may include a cache, though a cache cannot be used by a server that is acting as a tunnel.
Conversion:
A completed transaction event on the Web site. What constitutes a conversion varies from business to business. The most common conversions include purchase, site registration, newsletter sign-up, requests for price quote or other lead-generating activity.
Catch All:
A program allowing any email sent to the domain to go to a particular email address. So email sent to a misspelled or unused username is still received.
Cookies:
Small text files on the user's computer in which may be stored a code, which allows a site to stay in touch with the user during his or her visit. Files contain information about visitors to a web site such as username, password and items for purchase. This data is stored on the visitor's computer and sent back to the web site that created it when the visitor comes back or gets to the order page. Cookies can also retrieve information like monitor resolution and platform to webmasters who can use this information to improve their web site.
Copy:
The text for a marketing piece.
Form:
A Web page feature used to request information or take orders from users. These may use text fields, check boxes and multiple choice options to structure user responses. Answers can only be processed when the user clicks a button to submit the form.
Demographics:
The data collected on a particular group such as income, education level, sex, race, entertainment interests, age and so forth.
Directory:
A list of web sites, often searchable, organized by a particular category.
E-Commerce:
The ability to sell products or services and process payments over the Internet.
Email:
The transmission of computer-based messages over telecommunication technology.
Email marketing:
The promotion of products or services through email.
Extranet:
Similar to an Intranet, an extranet is designed for authorized access by outside users.
FAQ:
Abbreviation of "frequently asked questions."
FrontPage:
A web-authoring tool developed and sold by Microsoft Corporation.
FTP:
Acronym for file transfer protocol, this allows users to copy files between a local system and any other system they can reach on a network.
Gateway:
A server acting as an intermediary for some other server.
Ghz:
1,000,000,000 periods per second.
GIF:
A graphic file extension understood by all graphic browsers.
Hits:
Hits are requests for files from web site visitors. Each HTML document and graphic file counts as a separate hit.
HTML:
"Hypertext Markup Language," a simple programming language used for web page authoring.
HTML email:
email that is formatted using Hypertext Markup Language, as opposed to plain text, flash or other technology.
HTTP:
Hypertext transport protocol. The language used to move web pages across the World Wide Web.
Hit:
Download of each element of a Web page. When a user views a Web page that includes nine images, the server records ten hits (one for the HTML page file and one for each image file).
Identification:
The process when a customer identifies him or herself with the company that provides products or services.
Interactive Banner:
A sponsor or advertiser's promotional image appearing in a prominent position on a web site.
Internet Marketing:
Strategies and techniques applied on the Internet to support the organization's overall online marketing goals.
Interstitial:
A web advertisement appearing on its own page.
Intranet:
Designed to be used to share internal information within the same company usually behind a firewall.
ISP:
The Internet protocol address identifying a computer connected to the Internet. Every computer is assigned one when they log onto the Internet.
JAVA:
An object-oriented programming language.
JPEG:
Joint Photographic Experts Group, or graphic file format that stores images in a compressed form.
Keywords:
The words that best characterize the business and web site used for search engine visibility.
Log:
The record the web site server keeps with information on who visits, when they visit and which pages they viewed.
Mail Filter:
A program allowing email sorting before viewing by filtering the subject, sender's email address or information in the body of the message.
Meta Tag:
An HTML tag invisible when the document is viewed, coded within the head tag to target search engines. Most common metatags are the description, title and keywords.
Modem:
A device permitting a computer or terminal to send information over a telephone line.
MPEG:
Motion Picture Experts Group, the standard format for digital video and audio compression.
Opt-in:
People subscribing to a mailing list that have asked to receive the information or advertising.
Opt-out:
People subscribed to a mailing list that haven't asked to receive the email, but have the option of removing their information from the list.
Page View:
Hits to HTML page files only, excluding downloads of non-HTML documents like image files.
PERL:
Acronym for Practical Extraction and Report Language.
POS:
Acronym for Point of Sale.
Pop-up Ad:
An ad that displays in a new browser window.
Proxy:
An intermediary program that acts as a server and a client, making requests on behalf of other clients.
RAM:
Short for random-access memory, this is the most common computer memory, used by programs to perform tasks while the computer is on; an integrated circuit memory chip allows information storage or accessibility in any order and all storage locations are equally accessible.
Ranking:
The placing a web site gets when visitors conduct a search for the keywords or keyword phrases using a search engine.
Referral Page:
A web page linking and sending traffic to a web site.
Referral Rate:
The percentage of new customers who begin buying this year resulting from last year's customers' referrals.
Response Rate:
The percentage of people who responded to a marketing or advertising offer.
Retention:
The tendency for customers to keep buying.
Server or Host:
A computer where web site files reside and that, through special software and an Internet network connection, serves Web pages to users in response to their browser requests.
Search Engine Algorithm:
The criteria a search engine uses to determine which web sites match certain search words or phrases.
Search Engine:
A CGI program used to search for words or phrases in a database of web pages.
Shopping Bots:
Computer programs that search commerce sites for the best prices.
Sig file:
Text at the end of a message, short for "signature".
Skyscraper ad:
An online ad taller than a standard 120x240 vertical banner.
Source Code:
Series of letters or numbers affixed to an outgoing advertisement identifying the list, offer, package and segment for the particular promotion.
SPAM:
Unsolicited commercial email.
Spider:
A program following links through web sites to include, update or delete data from a database.
Text ad:
An advertisement using text-based hyperlinks.
Unique URL Tagging:
Coding uniquely identifying data into URL's in HTML content. This allows web site owners to identify visitors and visit frequency.
URL:
"Uniform Resource Locator", or the web site's address.
User Session, Visit or Visitor:
A session of activity for one web site visit
WWW:
Acronym for World Wide Web, a collection of documents linked by HTML.
WYSIWYG:
Acronym for "what you see is what
