Marketing & Web Development Glossary

A/B testing

Also known as split testing, is a marketing experiment wherein you split your audience to test a number of variations of a campaign and determine which performs better.

Advertorial

An advertorial is the name for an advertisement that’s written or produced in the form of editorial content.

Attribution

The practice of evaluating the marketing touchpoints a consumer encounters on their path to purchase.

ALT text

Also called ALT tags and alt descriptions, alt text is the written copy that appears in place of an image on a webpage if the image fails to load on a user’s screen.

Analytics

The practice of managing and studying metrics data in order to determine the ROI of marketing efforts and identify opportunities for improvement.

Affiliate Marketing

A marketing arrangement by which an online retailer pays commission to an external website for traffic or sales generated from its referrals.

Blog

Short for weblog, is a frequently updated web page used for personal commentary or business content.

BNPL (Buy Now Pay Later)

A type of short-term financing that allows consumers to make purchases and pay for them at a future date, often interest-free.

Bottom of the Funnel

The process of marketing to a narrow, highly qualified audience to nurture the decision-making process and persuade buyers to purchase a product or service.

Bounce Rate

The number of people that come to your website and leave without clicking to any other pages besides the one they first landed on.

BOGO (Buy One Get One)

A sales promotion in which an item is offered free or at a reduced price when another item is purchased at full price.

Brand Identity

All the visual elements associated with your brand, from your logo and typography to colors, product packaging design, website design, and even your social media graphics.

Call to action (CTA)

A short prompt for a user to take some action desirable to your business, such as signing up for your email newsletter or making a purchase.

Click-Through Rate (CTR)

It compares the number of time someone clicks on your content, to the number of impressions you get (how many times the ad was viewed).

Cold Outreach

The process where you reach out to or contact someone via email who doesn’t have any connection with your business.

Contact Form

A page on a website that allows users to communicate with the site owner. The page has fields for filling in name, address and type of comment.

Content Marketing

A marketing strategy used to attract, engage, and retain an audience by creating and sharing relevant articles, videos, podcasts, and other media.

CRM (Customer Relationship Management)

A technology for managing all your company’s relationships and interactions with customers and potential customers. The goal is simple: Improve business relationships.

Data Transfer

The collection, replication, and transmission of large datasets from one organization or business unit to another.

Description Tag

A piece of html code that’s meant to give a short – you guessed it – description of a web page. The description tag is at the top of the page in thesection of the code.

Distribution Channel

A distribution channel is the path used to get a product from the manufacturer or creator to the end user. In other words, how the customer gets their product after purchase, which often include intermediaries.

DMARC

It stands for Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance. DMARC standardizes how email receivers (ISPs) perform email authentication, and gives email senders feedback.

Domain Name

The unique name that appears after the @ sign in email addresses, and after www. in web addresses. Users can connect to websites using domain names thanks to the DNS system.

Domain Registrar

A business that handles the reservation of domain names as well as the assignment of IP addresses for those domain names.

E-commerce⁣

Also know as electronic commerce is the buying and selling of goods and services, or the transmitting of funds or data, over an electronic network, primarily the internet.

Ebook⁣

A non-editable text that is converted into a digital format and displayed and read on an electronic device, such as a tablet or smartphone.

Email Marketing ⁣

A form of direct marketing that uses email to promote your business’s products or services. It can help make your customers aware of your latest items or offers.

Email Service Provider (ESP)⁣

A service that enables marketers to send email marketing campaigns to a list of users (subscribers). Subscribers join these lists by opting in to receive marketing messages.

Engagement⁣

In the Digital Marketing context, the term refers to how consumers interact directly with the brand through different actions, such as clicks, likes, comments, and shares.

Evergreen Content⁣

The search-optimized content that is continually relevant and stays “fresh” for readers over a long period of time – as the name implies. This is because it isn’t tied to specific events or trends.

Facebook Ads

They are paid messages that businesses place on Facebook. This gives you the flexibility to write in your own voice.

Featured Snippet

They are highlighted excerpts of text that appear at the top of a Google search results page in what is known as ‘Position 0’. They provide users with a quick answer to their search query.

Form

The place your page visitors will supply information in exchange for your offer. It’s also how those visitors can convert into precious sales leads.

Forum

It consist in sharing the knowledge base about the area of your expertise on online public forums. People ask questions and you answer there questions on the basis of your expertise.

Freemium

A business model in which the owner or service provider offers basic features to users at no cost and charges a premium for supplemental or advanced features.

Frequency Cap

A feature that limits the number of times your Display or Video ads appear to the same person. Frequency is the number of times a user sees ads in your Display or Video campaign over a given time period.

Geo-targeting

The practice of delivering advertising content within a defined geographic boundary to customers who meet specified criteria.

GIF

A visual format that displays a series of sequential images, producing an animated effect.

Google Ads

A product that you can use to promote your business, help sell products or services, raise awareness, and increase traffic to your website.

Google Algorithm

A complex system used to retrieve data from its search index and instantly deliver the best possible results for a query.

Google Analytics

A platform that collects data from your websites and apps to create reports that provide insights into your business.

Google My Business

A profile as an easy-to-use tool for businesses and organizations to manage their online presence across Google.

Hard Bounce

An email that has been returned to the sender due to a permanent error — most often, an invalid address.

Hashtag

They are keywords that are marked with a pound symbol at the beginning. Tagging posts in this way enables users to search websites for the content or topics that are interesting to them.

House Ad

A self-promotional ad that a company runs on their own Web site or Network of Web sites to use space left from unsold inventory.

Hreflang Tags

An HTML attribute used to specify the language and geographical targeting of a webpage. If you have multiple versions of the same page in different languages, you can use the hreflang tag to tell search engines like Google about these variations.

HTML

Hypertext markup language is the standard markup language for web pages, allowing us to format features on a page such as images and text.

Hyperlink

It can appear as underlined text in a color other than black (often blue) or an image, and it assists the user in navigating a site or document to find additional relevant information.

Iframe

An HTML object which can be integrated into a fixed frame on an existing website. Banner ads or other content such as video clips are embedded using iframes.

Impression

Also known as a view-through is when a user sees an advertisement. In practice, an impression occurs any time a user opens an app or website and an advertisement is visible.

Inbound Marketing

It engages with an audience by connecting them with useful content through organic means, such as search engines and sharing links with friends.

Incentivized Traffic

The traffic generated to a web or app page based on a system of rewards. A user receives some type of reward, such as a discount, for clicking on a link.

Index Page

They are the pages of a website that a search engine has visited, analyzed and added to its database of web pages.

Influencer Marketing

A type of social media marketing that uses endorsements and product mentions from influencers–individuals who have a dedicated social following and are viewed as experts within their niche.

JavaScript

A programming language commonly used to create interactive effects within web browsers and track visitor action. It’s used in a number of things that inbound marketers use every day, like forms and tracking codes.

Key Performance Indicator (KPI)

They are specific, numerical marketing metrics that measure progress toward a defined goal within marketing channels. Examples include: Unique website visitors. Cost per lead. Form conversion rate.

Key Success Factors

They are also known as competitive emphasis or strategic posture. State the important elements required for a company to compete in its target markets. In effect, it articulates what the company must do, and do well, to achieve the goals outlined in its strategic plan.

Keyword

A term used in digital marketing to describe a word or a group of words an Internet user uses to perform a search in a search engine or search bar. In an SEO strategy, keywords are very important and should be the core of any copy written for the web (present in the content, titles and SEO elements).

Landing Page

The webpage visitors land on immediately after clicking links in: Email marketing campaigns. Search engine results. Social media advertisements.

Lead Magnet

Marketing tool that generates leads by offering a long-form resource in exchange for a prospect’s contact information.

Leads

A contact already determined to be a prospective customer, whereas other companies consider a “lead” to be any sales contact.

Lifetime Value (LTV)

An estimate of the average revenue that a customer will generate throughout their lifespan as a customer.

Link Building

A search engine optimization technique that increases your search engine ranking. Links are one of the primary ways that search engine algorithms determine the relevance of a page.

Linkbait

The process of creating content designed to attract backlinks. Common types of Link Bait content include controversial content, data, guides and newsworthy pieces.

Market Share

The percent of total sales in an industry generated by a particular company.

Marketing Automation

The technology that manages marketing processes and multifunctional campaigns, across multiple channels, automatically.

Meta Keywords

They are a specific type of meta tag that appear in the HTML code of a Web page and help tell search engines what the topic of the page is.

Meta Tags

HTML code that helps search engines understand, evaluate, and rank web pages. Meta tags include meta description (a summary of the page), meta keywords (words and phrases used in the content of the page), and a canonical URL (the master version of a page).

Micro-influencer

Someone that has between 1,000 and 100,000 social media followers and uses their social media presence to promote products relevant to their interests or expertise.

Middle of the Funnel

The stage in which leads who are aware of your brand start moving closer to buying your products or services.

Narrowcasting

The targeted segmentation of media dissemination. It involves targeting media messages at specific segments of the public defined by values, preferences, or demographic attributes.

Native Advertising

Paid media designed to match the content of a media source. An example of mobile native advertising would be paid video content on the Youtube app.

Net Promoter Score (NPS)

It measures the loyalty of a company’s customer base with a score from -100 to +100, which comes from customers answering the question “How likely are you to recommend this company to a friend or colleague?

No-Follow Link

They are hyperlinks with a rel=“nofollow” tag. These links do not influence the search engine rankings of the destination URL because Google does not transfer PageRank or anchor text across them.

Nonprofit Marketing

The tactics and strategies nonprofit organizations use to raise donations and spread their message.

North Star Metric

A metric that a company uses as a focus for their growth. This number best reflects the amount of value that your company brings to your customers.

Off-Page Optimization

All the measures that can be taken outside of the actual website in order to improve its position in search rankings.

Offer

A free product or service of value you give in exchange for people completing a call to action. An offer can be an ebook, podcast, membership benefit, coupon, trial period, checklist, guide, app or any other vehicle that provides information, service, or product at no cost to your potential leads.

Omnichannel Marketing

A multichannel approach to sales that seeks to provide customers with a seamless shopping experience, whether they’re shopping online from a desktop or mobile device.

On-Page Optimization

Also know as AKA on-page SEO,it refers to all measures that can be taken directly within the website in order to improve its position in the search rankings.

Organic Search

They are the unpaid listings that appear on a search engine results page (SERP). These results are based on factors such as relevance to the user’s search query, incoming links, valid search engine optimization (SEO) efforts and domain authority.

Outbound Link

They are links which are going to take you to alternative webpage or website.

Page View

Also know as pageview hit or page tracking hit is an instance of a page being loaded (or reloaded) in a browser.

Paid Search

A type of digital marketing strategy that allows companies to pay search engines to place their ads higher on relevant search engine results pages (SERPs) with the goal of driving traffic to their site.

Pay Per Click (PPC)

A type of internet marketing which involves advertisers paying a fee each time one of their ads is clicked.

Pinterest

An image-based social media network where users and businesses can promote and explore their interests by pinning images and videos on virtual bulletin boards.

Pop-up Ad

A window that displays over the page you’re looking at. The goal of a pop-up ad is to generate an action from the visitor.

Product-Led Growth (PLG)

A business methodology in which user acquisition, expansion, conversion, and retention are all driven primarily by the product itself.

QR Code

It stands for “quick response” – code is basically a barcode on steroids. While the barcode holds information horizontally, the QR code does so both horizontally and vertically. This enables the QR code to hold over a hundred times more information.

Qualified Lead

A prospect who has been generated by the marketing team, evaluated by the sales team and fits the profile of an ideal customer with the intent to buy. The proper qualification of leads is essential to developing a healthy sales pipeline.

Quality Score

A diagnostic tool meant to give you a sense of how well your ad quality compares to other advertisers. This score is measured on a scale from 1-10 and available at the keyword level.

Questionnaire

A research instrument that consists of a set of questions (or other types of prompts) for the purpose of gathering information from respondents through survey or statistical study. A research questionnaire is typically a mix of close-ended questions and open-ended questions.

Rate Card

They are a list that shows the prices that a newspaper, television company, website, etc.

Reach

The total number of people who have seen your ad or content. If 100 total people have seen your ad, that means your ad’s reach is 100.

Reciprocal Links

They occur when two or more parties agree to link to each other on their sites. It is an exchange between site owners.

Referral

A marketing tactic that makes use of recommendations and word of mouth to grow a business’s customer base through the networks of its existing customers.

Return on Investment (ROI)

The practice of attributing profit and revenue growth to the impact of marketing initiatives. By calculating, organizations can measure the degree to which marketing efforts either holistically, or on a campaign-basis, contribute to revenue growth.

Return On Ad Spend (ROAS)

A metric used to measure the total revenue generated per advertising dollar spent. It is calculated by dividing the campaign revenue by the campaign cost.

Schema Markup

Also known as structured data, is the language search engines use to read and understand the content on your pages.

Search Engine Marketing (SEM)

A digital marketing strategy used to increase the visibility of a website in search engine results pages (SERPs).

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

The process used to optimize a website’s technical configuration, content relevance and link popularity so its pages can become easily findable.

Search Engine Results Page (SERP)

The page that a search engine returns after a user submits a search query. In addition to organic search results, search engine results pages (SERPs) usually include paid search and pay-per-click (PPC) ads.

Segmentation

A marketing term that refers to aggregating prospective buyers into groups or segments with common needs and who respond similarly to a marketing action.

Shopping Cart

An online retailer’s site is a piece of software that facilitates the purchase of a product or service.

Tags

A marketing or website tag is a segment of code, written in Javascript, that is placed on a brand’s site in order to track user actions and collect data.

Target Audience

An specific group of consumers most likely to want your product or service, and therefore, the group of people who should see your ad campaigns.

Text Ad

A form of marketing communication that advertisers can use to promote their product or service on the Google Network.

Top of the Funnel

The marketing activities carried out to create awareness about a brand or product.

Tracking Code

A snippet of JavaScript code that tracks the activity of a website user by collecting data and sending it to the analytics module.

Transactional Email

An Email that facilitates a commercial transaction or relationship or provides an update about an ongoing commercial transaction.

Underdelivery

Delivery of less impressions, visitors, or conversions than contracted for a specified period of time.

Unique Visitor

A metric that counts the number of distinct individuals visiting a page or multiple pages on your website, in a given time interval, regardless of how often they requested those pages.

Upsell

A sales strategy that involves encouraging customers to buy a higher-end version of a product than what they originally intended to purchase.

URL

Uniform Resource Locator. It means the address of a website page or other resource on the Internet. URLs can contain codes called UTMs that help with tracking and analytics.

User Experience (UX)

It encompasses all aspects of the end-user’s interaction with the company, its services, and its products.

User Interface (UI)

The space where humans and computers interact. When an interface is designed with the user in mind, both the consumer and business mutually benefit.

Value Metric

An indication of how your customers perceive the value of your product or service. Value metrics are a group of metrics that affect the price you charge for your subscriptions or SaaS products. Value is what buyers choose to pay (or not pay) for.

Value Proposition (value prop)

A simple statement that clearly communicates the product or service benefit you promise to deliver to your customers. It’s ultimately what makes your product attractive to your ideal customer.

Viral Content

A sales technique that involves organic or word-of-mouth information about a product or service to spread at an ever-increasing rate. The internet and the advent of social media have greatly increased the number of viral messages in the form of memes, shares, likes, and forwards.

Virality

The condition or fact of being rapidly spread or popularized by means of people communicating with each other, especially through the internet: We’re looking for ways to increase the virality of our web content.

Vision Statement

A descriptive picture of a desired future state; a mission statement presents how you intend to achieve that vision.

Vlog

Video log (or video blog)  functions as a diary, journal or blog in video format. It’s become a vast growing popularity in forms of online video content today.

Web Design

The design of websites that are displayed on the internet. It usually refers to the user experience aspects of website development rather than software development.

Web Hosting

The business of providing various services, hardware, and software for websites, as storage and maintenance of site files on a website.

Website

A sales page where visitors can book services and lists reviews, benefits and features. And/or an online store. A blog that builds authority and promotes your product.

Website Traffic

Web users who visit a website. Web traffic is measured in visits, sometimes called “sessions,” and is a common way to measure an online business effectiveness at attracting an audience.

Willingness to Pay

The maximum price a customer is willing to pay for a product or service.

Word of Mouth

A tactic used to generate natural discussions about and recommendations for a product or company. Essentially, getting people to talk about your brand, product, or business is the goal of this type of marketing.

XML Sitemap

A file that lists a website’s essential pages, making sure Google can find and crawl them all. It also helps search engines understand your website structure. You want Google to crawl every important page of your website.

Yahoo Advertising

Yahoo display ads can be shown to people who previously showed interest in your brand, product, or service. This is a form of personalized advertising called retargeting (aka remarketing). Instead of appearing in search engine results, they’re located at the top, bottom, sides, or middle of the content on a web page.

YouTube

A video sharing service where users can watch, like, share, comment and upload their own videos. The video service can be accessed on PCs, laptops, tablets and via mobile phones.

YouTube Advertising

A way of advertising your video content on YouTube or in search results so you can maximize your user reach. This could be your video playing before a user views another’s video or showing up in YouTube search results for people to watch in full.

Zapier

A tool that helps you automate repetitive tasks between two or more apps—no code necessary. When an event happens in one app, Zapier can tell another app to perform (or do) a particular action.