Glossary of Terms

Affiliate Marketing
The marketing practice where a business pays an affiliate member for each visitor or purchaser that the affiliate member brings to the business.  Usually the affiliate member places an ad provided by the business on the affiliate member’s website.  When the ad is clicked on, it takes you to the business’s web site and records which affiliate member sent them there.

Analytics
The process of using online research and statistical analysis to measure the number of unique visitors to a particular web site.  Other data may also be recorded like how long a visitor stays, pages that are viewed most often, and so on. “Google Analytics” is the most popular service of this type.

Autoresponder
An online system that automatically generates responses, usually emails, in order to promote online commerce.

Avatar
A graphical representation of a a computer user.  It may be a photo or illustration

Blog
The term “web log” was shortened to become “blog”.  It is a particular type of website that allows for ongoing commentary on a particular subject, where website visitors are encouraged to leave insights from their own particular point of view.

Browser
An online software program that allows you to view web sites. The most popular browsers
are Internet Explorer and Firefox on PC, and Safari on Mac.

Cloud Computing
Computing that is controlled by programs that reside on a remote server that can be accessed by multiple users at the same time.

Content Management System (CMS)
A web application that allows users to add and edit web pages on a web site without requiring HTML web publishing skills.  Examples of content management systems include WordPress, Joomla, Drupel and Concrete 5.

Conversion Rate
The number of visitors to a website that become buyers.

Domain Name
Identifies the address of a website.  It must meet the format of currently accepted standards of the Domain Name System (DNS). It is also known as “hostname”.

Download
The process of transferring a file from a remote computer or server to your computer.

Dreamweaver
A program that is used to produce and manage websites.  Originally this program was created by Macromedia, as was Flash, but is now owned by Adobe.

Flash
A program that produces animation or movies for the internet.  The native file extension is “.fla”.  When published the file becomes uneditable and takes on the file extension “.swf”.

Forum
An online community or discussion group where visitors are allowed to leave comments on a given topic. It was originally known as a “Bulletin Board.”

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
A topic-centered listing of questions and answers.

FTP – File Transfer Protocol
A standard protocol that allows the user to view files on a remote computer or move a file from one computer to another by using an ftp program.  Usually the process requires a login and password.

Internet Service Provider (ISP)
A company that provides access to the Internet to it’s customers.

Internet Protocol (IP)
The unique four part identification number used to identify computers, printers and websites.
An example of an IP address is: 165.115.245.2

JavaScript
A programming language primarily used to provide dynamic enhancements to user interfaces and websites.

Joint Venture (JV)
When two or more businesses collaborate on a project.

Keywords
Words or phrases used to attract visitors for your particular business.  Usually keywords are both embedded into the code as well as weaved into the text content of web pages.

Landing Page
A single web page designed to convert visitors into customers, usually in response to clicking on an online advertisement.

Newsgroup
A topic-based online discussion group whose postings can be read by anyone with a newsreader (standard with most browsers).

Open Source
Software whose source code is improved upon openly by developers in a collaborative manner.  This is the opposite of proprietary source code that is usually developed in secret and is modified by a smaller set of programmers, in order to gain economic advantage.

Opt-In
When a visitor to a website voluntarily gives personal information, like their name and email address, in order to gain access to previously inaccessible information on a website.

Organic Search Results
Unpaid search engine results that are listed in perceived order of relevance based on a formula or algorithm.

PDF – Portable Document Format
A file type designed to be read by anyone with Adobe’s free program called “acrobat reader”.  It can be read both MAC’s & PC’s.

Pay-Per-Click Advertising (PPC)
An Internet advertising system where the advertiser gets charged each time a person clicks on their ad.

RSS Feed (Real Simple Syndication)
Full or condensed information distributed in a standardized text format that is read using an RSS reader, usually on a web-based computer, mobile phone or device.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
The process of improving the visibility of a web site in the organic search results of a search engine such as Google, Yahoo or Bing.

Signature (email)
A promotional message generated by your email software, usually located at the end of every email that you send out to promote a particular product or brand.

Social Network Marketing
Online marketing communications designed to attract website visitors and form relationships in order build communities and potentially sell products and services.

SPAM
A slang term for unsolicited e-mail communications.  Also, a delicious canned meat product, made infinitely more famous in this skit by Monty Python.

Squeeze Page
A web site landing page designed to convert visitors into customers.

Upload
The process of transferring a file from your computer to a remote computer or server.

URL (Uniform Resource Locator)
It is the “virtual” address of a website.  For example: http://www.example.com

User Interface
The term used to describe the point at which the interaction between a human and a computer occurs.  It usually refers to what is seen on the computer screen.  A good user interface should be simple and intuitive to use.

Value-Per-Visitor (VPV)
The average amount of revenue generated per visitor.  It is calculated by dividing the total revenue by the number of visitors.

Viral Marketing
A marketing technique that uses online social networks that encourages users to pass-along videos, games, ebooks or marketing messages to their friends or associates.

Web Hosting
An online service that provides the storage and connectivity necessary to make a web site visible on the internet.

WordPress
An open source content management system (CMS) that allows users with little or no web development training to publish their own blog or website.  It is theme or template-based and uses the php programming language and MySQL database connectivity.