If you thought high school French class was difficult, that was nothing compared to the intricacies of the foreign language known as digital marketing.
Not long ago, when I started learning about digital marketing, I remember keeping 10 or 20 tabs on my browser open just to make sense of all the terms used in a single blog post.
Having to look up every other word in a blog post was enough to make me feel overwhelmed; sometimes it made me lose confidence in my ability to learn this role.
However, I soon realized that the complexity was mostly artificial and unnecessary. Truth is:
- Anyone can learn digital marketing.
- As with any discipline, you don’t need to understand every single term to be successful.
- Most digital marketing terms and acronyms seem more complicated than they actually are.
- You can quickly get the hang of the jargon once you start doing digital marketing.
I created this guide as the resource I wish I had back when I had just started.
This post includes jargon-free, simple explanations for (almost) every digital marketing term you’ll need to understand at this initial stage.
How to use this guide
There is only one rule: Don’t read through this whole thing in one sitting.
Instead, add this post to your favorites. Come back to it when you don’t understand a term on a forum, group, blog post, webinar, etc.
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301 redirect
A 301 redirect is an instruction given to your web browser (the application you open to use the Internet) when there is a permanent move to a new online address, so people who are only familiar with the old web address (www.oldpage.com) are taken to the new web address (www.newpage.com).
This process is similar to the mail redirection offered by the Post Office; when you move to a new town or city, after filling out a request card, you can still get mail from people who do not know your new address because your postal service will send the mail to your new address.
302 redirect
A 302 redirect is like a 301 redirect but the “detour” is only temporary. This is usually done when the original web page is being fixed or the owner simply wants people to see a different page for a limited time.
For example, if the original page is displaying a summer promotion but summer is over, then this page would have to show offers for the current season. Instead of changing content on the original page, visitors are taken to a different page.
404 error
A 404 error means that the page cannot be found. This error message is displayed when someone clicks on a link or enters a web address that is no longer working, or that was typed incorrectly. The page could have been deleted or moved without anyone updating the link, or maybe the domain is no longer active.
For example, if someone links to your page and you eventually decide to change its URL [see the “U” section below for a definition], anyone who clicks on that link will not be able to view the content of that page. Instead, the viewer will see a 404 error message.
A
A/B test
An A/B test, also called a split test, is done by splitting a group of people into two or more groups and exposing them to different versions of a webpage/email/ad to see which one is more effective in motivating people to perform a specific action like clicking, buying, or submitting emails.
For example, if your website sells wine, you could create two versions of the product page with version A showing a bottle of red wine with a plain white background and version B showing a bottle of red wine on a table with grapes and cheese. Everything else on the page is the same. The version bringing more buyers wins!
Abandonment rate
Abandonment rate may refer to two things. One definition refers to the percentage of people who leave a web page without visiting another page on the same site, also called the ‘bounce rate’. The second definition refers to the ratio of people who have added items to their shopping cart but opted not to complete the checkout process, over the total number of people who have picked items and completed their purchase, including those who didn’t complete the purchase.
Account-based marketing
Account-based marketing (ABM) is a business-to-business (B2B) marketing strategy that focuses on targeting high-value accounts with custom, personalized marketing campaigns. Instead of creating a broad marketing strategy targeting a wider audience, a business identifies a few key players they want to turn into customers and tailors their marketing efforts to speak directly to them. ABM is an important marketing strategy because it can help your business secure strong long-term relationships with high-value accounts.
Adsense
This advertising system run by Google is available to anyone who owns a website, and who would like to monetize it by allowing Google to post advertisements on designated parts of their website; the ads are called “AdSense slots”. On a web page, these look like text, image, or video ads.
Adwords
Adwords is an advertising platform developed by Google for people who would like to promote their products or services on Google’s search engine results page (SERP), Google’s Display Network (GDN), and its affiliate sites. When you type a query in the search box, SERP is the results page showing all the links related to what you are searching for, and the text ad that appears as a “sponsored link” is an example of a search ad.
Related: How to use and understand SEO as a beginner
Affiliate
Typically, an affiliate is someone who owns a website or email list and earns money from helping advertisers promote their products or services. Many online products and services offer affiliate programs; people just need to sign up for the program to start earning affiliate commissions.
The way people typically make money with affiliate marketing is by writing about the product or service that they are promoting, and linking this information to the advertiser’s page. When visitors read the content, click on the link, and make a purchase, the affiliate gets a commission from the sale.
Related: Sign up to become a Teachable Affiliate!
Algorithm
Algorithm is the common term used to refer to Google’s Search Algorithm. This is a set of rules Google uses to decide which websites should be included in search results (the page that appears after someone makes a search) and how to rank them. This is the way Google tries to guarantee the most consistent and relevant results for online queries.
Alt text
The alt (short for alternative) text, also known as “alt attributes” or “alt descriptions”, appears when you hold your mouse over an image on a website. The alt text is used to describe the appearance and uses of an image so that, when the image cannot be loaded, this text will appear instead. It is also helpful for visually impaired users who use screen-reading software when browsing the web; this information can be read by the software, allowing these visitors to better understand the image on the web page.
Analytics
Analytics is the process of collecting and analyzing data about web traffic. This is mostly information regarding the number of site visitors and the pages that were visited (also known as “clickstream” data). There are many applications for web analytics that can help you determine which parts of a website are effective in drawing in readers and customers, and which ones need to be improved. One example of web analytics software is Google Analytics.
Anchor text
On a web page, the anchor text is the highlighted or underlined text that contains a link to another page within the site or a page on a different site.
API
Application Programming Interface (API) is a set of routines, protocols and tools, which allow one application to get information from another application and use that data for its own purposes. It’s like a common language for applications that allows for conversations. An API “calls” one application, gets information, and brings this information to you.
Autoresponder
An autoresponder is an email message that has been set to send automatically to its recipients. When you sign up for an email newsletter and receive a welcome email in your inbox within seconds after you clicked “join”, that’s an autoresponder.
Average order value
Average order value (AOV) is the average amount of money a customer spends in your store in a single purchase. It’s commonly associated with ecommerce companies but can apply to any business—online courses and coaching included. You can easily measure your AOV with a simple average order value formula:
Average Order Value = Total Sales Revenue / Number of Orders
Avatar
This could be a picture or an icon attached to a person’s profile. You’ll usually see these avatars beside someone’s name or online alias when they comment on a blog or online forum.
B
B2B
From the term itself, Business-to-Business (B2B) refers to companies that sell products or services to other businesses. One example would be call centers, which provide outsourced customer support or direct sales services.
B2C
Business-to-Consumer (B2C) companies offer products or services directly to consumers, like Nike or Apple.
Backlink
A backlink, also known as an ‘inbound link’, is an incoming link to a website that originates from a different website. Backlinks are very important in Search Engine Optimization (SEO): you can think of it as a local coffee shop with customers talking about it to their friends. These customers are like those other websites with links to the coffee shop. The more customers talk about the coffee shop, the more popular it gets.
Bookmark
A bookmark or “favorite” is a marker for web pages and files. When someone wants to bookmark a page, they usually click on the star icon to the right side of the URL box, across the page’s URL. Just as bookmarking a page in a book that you’re reading makes it easier to get back to the page you left, so does bookmarking an online page or file make it easier for you to later access that page or file.
Bot
Also known as a ‘crawler’ or ‘spider’, a bot is the term typically used to refer to a software used by search engines such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo, to explore the Internet for indexing websites. A bot is used to explore website content and capture information, which is taken to the search engine to be included in its database.
Bounce Rate
The bounce rate refers to the percentage of people who leave a web page without visiting another page on the same site. In most circumstances, it can be used to determine the relevance of the information on the page to the people who visit it.
Blog hop
A blog hop, also called a link-up party or link party, is an online blogger networking event. It’s when a list of links to various blogs is shared amongst the participating bloggers. A blog hop can be hosted by one or a few hosts, and it can be either open (anyone can participate) or closed (bloggers must be invited). The main goal of link parties is to allow bloggers in a specific niche to connect and share their readership.
Breadcrumbs
This term was derived from the fairy tale, Hansel and Gretel, in which breadcrumbs were used to form a trail back to Hansel and Gretel’s home. Similar to this story, breadcrumbs are used on websites to make it easier for users to trace their path from their current location in relation to the website’s structure.
Breadcrumbs are often seen in online stores, making it easy for users to keep track of their place within the website. This is an example: Home > Women > Women’s Clothing > Tops.
Brand affinity
Brand affinity is a metric that shows how much people care about your brand. It encompasses all the positive emotions and feelings people have towards your business and whether or not they believe you share similar values and beliefs. Brand affinity ensures a solid emotional connection between a brand and its customers.
Brand ambassador
A brand ambassador uses word of mouth to increase brand awareness and to promote a brand to their social circles. They earn money from the leads they bring to the business. They might promote the brand online via different social media platforms, blog posts, or YouTube videos. They might also promote in person, for instance on a university campus or a certain location.
Brand collaborations
Brand collaborations occur when a brand and an influencer or content creator work together to create content for social media or other online platforms, such as blogs. Brand collaborations are sometimes paid opportunities when an influencer or a brand agrees on a fee for the project. Or, a brand might offer the influencer or content creator a free product in exchange for their work.
Brand identity
Brand identity encompasses every mark, tangible or otherwise, that a brand leaves on its audience or on a consumer. The American Marketing Association (AMA) defines a brand as “a name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller’s goods or service as distinct from those of other sellers.” International Organization for Standardization (ISO) brand standards add that a brand “is an intangible asset” that is intended to create “distinctive images and associations in the minds of stakeholders, thereby generating economic benefit/values.”
Broken link
A broken link will provide a link to a page that no longer exists, either because the page has been deleted or the URL has been changed. When one clicks on a broken link, they will see a page with the “404 error” message which is usually followed by the phrase, “page cannot be found”.
Browser
A browser is the software used to view web pages, graphics, and online content. The most commonly used browsers include Google Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Safari.
Browsers take the code from a website (typically HTML, CSS, and Javascript) and translate it into the visually-friendly content you see when “browsing” the web.
Business affirmations
An affirmation is a brief statement that is repeated to reinforce positive thinking. The purpose of affirmations is to challenge negative perceptions by focusing on positive thoughts instead. Business affirmations can empower you and help you get through difficult times. When used consistently, affirmations can build powerful thoughts about yourself and your business.
C
CAC
Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) is the cost of convincing a customer to buy a product or service. For instance, if a business owner spends $100 on marketing one year and is able to acquire 100 customers within the same year, then the CAC would be $1.00.
Cache
Also called ‘browser cache’, this is a temporary storage location on your computer for files that have been downloaded by your browser in order to display websites. These files include any document that makes up a website, such as graphic images and other multimedia content.
The browser cache allows web visitors to experience faster load times, since some of the data needed to load a website is already stored in their devices, instead of having to request data via the Internet.
Canonical tag
A canonical tag is a hidden message on a web page telling search engines that the content on a specific URL is just a copy or a duplicate of the content on a different URL. By using a canonical tag, you can avoid SEO issues caused by identical or duplicate content appearing on multiple URLs by “telling” search engines which version of the content should appear in search results.
Captcha
Captcha is a tool used to prevent spam. This usually comes in the form of a challenge or response test that’s hard for a bot to solve, like asking people to type distorted characters shown on the screen, solve a simple math problem, or click on the images that fit a given criteria.
Case sensitive
When something is case sensitive, it can distinguish between uppercase (capitalized) and lowercase (small letters) letters.
For example, passwords are typically case sensitive, so it is important to type the letters in the exact way they were entered when the password was created; otherwise, the user will not be able to log into their account.
CDN
Short for Content Delivery Network (CDN) or Content Distribution Network, it refers to the network of servers around the world that saves website content such as images and videos. By spreading out servers across countries, visitor can load websites faster because of their proximity to the source of the data.
Without CDNs, it would take a long time for a website visitor in Asia to load a page if the webserver happens to be located in the United States. However, since there is a network of servers scattered all over the globe, content is received from the nearest server and the page loads faster.
Churn
Churn refers to customers who have ended their relationship (commercial or not) with a business. For instance, when you sign up for an email newsletter but eventually unsubscribe or become inactive in an email list, you become part of the business’ “list churn”; this is considered a loss affecting their growth efforts.
Clickbait
Clickbait is any content written in a way that will entice people to click it, often through the use of an inaccurate headline or image. A few clickbait techniques include stating unbelievable results (“Drink This Supplement and See Amazing Results in Just 7 Days”), simple tricks (“The Only 3 Exercises You Need for an Amazing Body”), and mysterious stories (“Man Divorced His Wife After Seeing This Photo”).
Clickthrough rate
Clickthrough rate (CTR) is a metric typically used to gauge whether or not an online advertising campaign for a website or an email campaign has been a success. The percentage is calculated by dividing the number of people who click on a specific link on a website or email blast, by the total number of people who have viewed the web page, email, or advertisement.
Clickstream
A clickstream refers to the record of everything clicked by a person when they browse the web. Every time a person clicks on a link, image, or object on a web page, these are all recorded and stored. This information is helpful in learning about visitors’ browsing habits and preferences.
CMS
Content Management System (CMS) is a software solution that makes it possible to create, edit, organize, and publish digital content on the Internet using only one interface or administration tool. CMS is actually a great tool for people who have no technical expertise because it allows people to create and manage websites even without knowing how to code.
CNAME
CNAME stands for Canonical Name, also referred to as Canonical Domain. A CNAME works as an alias for domains. If your domain is mywebsite1.com, and you point the content of mywebsite2.com to it, people who type mywebsite1.com on their web browser’s URL box will see the content from mywebsite2.com.
Compression
The term ‘compression’ usually refers to file compression, i.e. when the size of an image file is reduced so that it can be downloaded/uploaded faster. When a very large image is added on a web page, it affects the loading time (the time it takes for the website to display all of its content and images) because more data needs to be downloaded from the Internet. When the file size is compressed, it typically loses some quality but no longer takes up so much storage space, though it’s also much faster to load or show on the web page.
Content buckets
Content buckets are categories of information that brands and creators use to organize their content. Each bucket is different, but they should all relate to the overall brand message. Content buckets are not topics; they are types of content. While brands often use six content buckets—education, inspiration, personal, promotion, conversational, and entertainment—the buckets you use can vary depending on your business goals.
Content creator
A content creator is a person that creates content in one or more formats—written, audio, video, or visual—for a target audience. Anyone posting pictures and videos on social media or writing blog posts for their personal channels could be considered a content creator, but a professional content creator is someone who can monetize their content.
Content curation
Content curation is the process of going through existing content on the web, choosing the best samples, and sharing these online. In marketing, content curation is a way to add value to your brand by providing your customers and online audience with relevant information. One example would be sharing content on your social media profiles like Facebook. If your business sells health products, sharing health-related posts from another Facebook page is one way of doing content curation.
Content upgrade
A content upgrade, also known as a ‘lead magnet’, is bonus content given to people, typically in exchange for their email address. This could be in the form of a free downloadable e-book or access to a special video.
Conversion
Conversion is a marketing term that describes when a site visitor completes a desired action or marketing goal, like signing up for an email newsletter, registration for a free seminar, downloading an online coupon, or making an online purchase.
Conversion rate
This refers to the percentage of people who have completed a desired action on a single web page, such as make an online purchase. When a web page is described as having a high conversion rate, this means that visitors on this page are highly responsive to what the page is designed to do.
Cookie
A cookie is a file stored in a user’s computer by the browser, captured when they visit a website. Cookies allow websites to identify returning visitors and can be used to improve the user experience by resuming where they left off, remembering their registered logins, preferences, etc. Cookies are also used by marketers for analytics tracking and advertising campaigns.
Copywriting
Copywriting is a form of written persuasive communication. The purpose of copywriting is to market a product or service for a business or brand. It involves creating compelling content that persuades a target audience to take a specific action.
Cost per lead
Cost per lead is a pricing model for advertising campaigns often used by marketers to build a newsletter list, rewards program, or customer acquisition program; it works by connecting with people who are interested in their brand. In this type of pricing model, the advertiser is charged only when site visitors completely fill out the sign-up form.
CPC
Cost-per-click (CPC) is a pricing model for advertising campaigns, wherein an advertiser pays a certain amount to a search engine like Google or Bing for each user’s click made on a link in an online advertisement that leads them to the advertiser’s website.
CPM
The Cost-per-thousand (CPM) views of an advertisement describes a pricing model for advertising campaigns, wherein advertisers pay a certain amount for every 1,000 people who see their ad, regardless of whether these people click on the ad or make a purchase. The “M” in “CPM” is derived from the Latin word mille which means 1,000.
Crawler
Also known as a ‘bot’ or ‘spider’, a crawler is the term typically used to refer to a software used by search engines such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo, to explore the Internet to locate and index websites. A crawler is used to explore website content, capture information, then take this to the search engine to be included in the search engine’s database.
Creative brief
A creative brief is a dynamic one or two-page document that outlines the scope and focus of a creative project. Creative briefs are useful when collaborators from different companies or departments are involved in a project. A copywriter, designer, marketer, or developer may review the brief to understand the project vision, expectations, and more. The best creative briefs include details about every component of the project and help minimize confusion.
CRM
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) refers to software that companies use to track, manage, and analyze data about their customers and potential customers (usually) with the goal of generating revenue by improving their interactions with contacts.
CRO
Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) refers to efforts to find out why website visitors are not responding to online cues for them to purchase a product or service, while improving the website’s design and performance so that more visitors are converted into customers.
CSS
Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) is the language used web developers to format the design and layout of a website so that the colors, fonts, and background images are made uniform all throughout the site. When the font color needs to be changed, for example, the web developer can make those modifications on the CSS so the change is automatically applied to all the web pages.
CTA
A Call-to-Action (CTA) is basically an invitation to website visitors to make use of an offer, join a mailing list, or make a purchase in the form of a text link, button, or image. Examples of CTAs are “Download Your Online Coupon”, “Subscribe Now”, or “Buy Now”.
Curated content
Curated content is a branding strategy that involves sourcing, organizing, and sharing someone else’s content. A content curator sorts through different types of content and shares what will resonate with their audience across various marketing channels. Content curation can include sourcing articles, videos, blog posts, data, infographics, quotes, social media posts, etc. from various thought leaders, experts, influencers, and other brands to incorporate into your posting schedule.
Customer retention
Customer retention is the ability to increase a customer’s lifetime value or increase customer loyalty. A customer retention program is a business strategy that helps create returning customers. It encompasses many different marketing strategies from email marketing to social media campaigns in order to retain existing customers (and make sure they continue buying a product or service).
D
Digital creator
As its name suggests, a digital creator is anyone who creates digital content. Digital content can be social media posts, blog posts, images or graphics, podcasts, videos, online courses, etc. Depending on the type of content, as well as which platform the content is for, a range of different skills might be helpful. Those skills can include graphic design, writing, video editing, etc.
Digital products
Digital products are anything you can make and sell online that isn’t a physical product. They are intangible items. For example, a landing page template is a digital product. You can’t hold it in your hands, but it has value and exists electronically. Examples of digital products range from software and online courses to streaming music and even movies.
DNS
A Domain Name Service/Server/System (DNS) is an Internet service that translates domain names into IP addresses. A DNS is something like a phonebook for websites, except that instead of people’s names, it has domain names (www.google.com); instead of phone numbers, it has IP addresses (74.125.224.72). A DNS is useful because it’s easier for people to remember names, but computers use IP addresses to access websites.
Every time you use a domain name, a DNS service is needed to translate the domain name into its corresponding IP address. For example, the domain name www.mywebsite.com might translate to 198.107.242.7.
DDoS
DDoS is short for Distributed Denial of Service. A DDoS attack happens when a website is flooded with so much fake traffic that it goes offline. Think of this as a sugar crash. When you eat too much sweet stuff, eventually your body will react to all the sugar you have ingested and you experience fatigue. In the same manner, when a website is bombarded with too much bogus traffic (an abnormally high volume of fake visits from non-human sources), the website gets overwhelmed by this amount of traffic and goes offline.
Direct traffic
Direct traffic is one of the most common sources of visits to your website, consisting of visitors who manually typed your website’s URL into their browser or clicked on a bookmark. Direct traffic is defined as visits with no referring website. When a visitor follows a link from one website to another, the site of origin is considered the referrer. These sites can be search engines, social media, blogs, or other websites that have a link to another website for visitors to follow.
Dofollow link
In Search Engine Optimization(SEO), a dofollow link tells search engines like Google and Bing to follow a link and reach the website where it leads. By default, all links online are dofollow links. So, for instance, if the phrase “click here” is linked to the web page www.mywebsite.com/promo, clicking on this link will lead you to that particular web page; search engines will be able to also see that page and add it to their Search Engine Results Page (SERP).
Domain
The domain refers to a user-friendly name you decided to use as an address for your website. It can be composed of any combination of letters and numbers, like website123.com, mywebsite.com, or website1.com. Each website must have a unique domain. If you have registered a particular domain, it will only lead to your website.
Downsell
Downsell is a sales strategy of selling your customer something more affordable after they rejected your main product or offer. For example, if you are selling a box of cookies for $25 and customers said that it costs too much, you give them another less expensive option like a slightly smaller and less expensive box.
Duplicate content
Duplicate content means two or more URLs are showing the same content. This is a problem in Search Engine Optimization (SEO) because it can become harder for search engines to determine which duplicate is the most relevant one. Moreover, it can cause dilution of the value of a piece of content among several URLs.
E
Ebook
Short for “electronic book,” an ebook is a digital version of a traditional book, designed to be read on computers, smartphones, tablets, etc. Similar to a physical book, an ebook format has a cover, table of contents, chapters, page numbers, footnotes, and more. To create an ebook, decide on a topic, structure your ebook, write the ebook content, design your ebook, then publish and promote.
Elevator pitch
Historically, an elevator pitch referred to a concise pitch of yourself or a business idea that could be completed in a time as limited as an elevator ride. Today, it refers to simply being able to pitch yourself, your product, or your ideas, in a short amount of time.
Email client
Email client is what you use to read, send, and receive emails. Gmail, Yahoo, and Outlook are the most commonly used email clients.
Email service provider
An Email Service Provider (ESP) is a company that offers email marketing or bulk email services. Mailchimp, Convertkit, Active Campaign, and Constant Contact are a few of the most popular ESPs. These platforms make it easy for marketers and entrepreneurs to create email marketing campaigns and send them to their distribution list (i.e. usable list of names and email addresses).
Email traffic
Email traffic refers to the number of visits made to your website from people who have received an email from your business, and who have clicked the link leading to your web page. The amount of email traffic received by a website can help you determine whether or not your email marketing campaigns are effective in driving visitors toward your website.
Embed
To embed means to add content from another site (such as YouTube videos, Google Forms, etc.) into your own pages.
Emoji
An emoji is a small image used to express an emotion, such as a smiley or a heart. These images are usually added as enhancement or a substitute for body language in text messages, personal emails, online forums, and social media posts.
Engagement
Engagement refers to ways people react or interact with a piece of content. Engagement can be measured in the form of clicks, likes, shares, or opens.
Engagement rate
Engagement rate is a common metric used in social media to describe the amount of interaction (clicks, likes, shares, or opens) created by a piece of content relative to the total audience that saw your post. For example, if you have a Facebook page and post a message which was liked and shared by 25 people and seen by 100 people, then it has an engagement rate of 25%.
Evergreen content
Evergreen content is timeless and valuable to the readers long after its publication. When you write about something that provides informative, high-quality content, such as a guide or a set of tips for doing something, this will be valuable to people reading it, regardless of whether they have read it immediately after the content was published or five years after.
Experiential marketing
One of the most popular types of marketing, experiential marketing is a type of marketing that offers potential customers hands-on experiences to generate awareness about a product or service. These experiences can be in-person, but they can also be online, such as via virtual communication technologies.
External link
An external link on a web page directs the reader to a web page on a different website. If your website is www.mywebsite.com and it has a text linked to www.anotherwebsite.com, then this is an external link.
F
FAQ
Usually a website will include a page or section dedicated to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), where a visitor can view common questions, asked by other customers or visitors, about the products or services offered.
Follower
A follower chooses to see updates from you on a social media site, like Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
Following
Following, also referred to as “social following”, is the group of people who have chosen to receive updates from you on your social media channels.
FTP
File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is used to transfer files between computers on a network.
Basically, you can share a file from an FTP server by giving the link (which would look like ftp://ftp.my files.com/) and login information to another person. Using an FTP client, a user can review the files from a website and see them in a similar way as the files on your computer. From this point, they can save the files to their computer.
Funnel
A funnel refers to the different stages of a website visitor’s journey before they make a decision to buy a product or service. This journey is referred to as a funnel because, similar to the shape of a funnel, many people are seen at the start of the journey. As they move through the next stages, some of them drop out; only a few are left when the last stage (making a purchase) is reached.
For an online store, the main stages of a funnel can look like this: a person visits the website, views a product, adds the product to the cart, then pays for the product.
G
GIF
Unlike other file formats (JPG, JPEG, and PNG), a Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) can be a static image (typical image that does not move) or an animated image (moving image like a video clip). GIFs are usually seen in online greeting cards and also on social media, when short clips from movies are shared without audio and subtitles are used instead.
Go-to-market strategy
A go-to-market strategy (GTM) is a comprehensive step-by-step marketing plan that you can use to prepare and launch a product or course for its target market. This marketing strategy includes a breakdown of how you’ll identify your target audience, design, market your new product, and sell the product or service once it is live on the market. You can think of a go-to-market strategy as a roadmap, a guide, or a product creation and sales sequence.
Google Analytics
Google Analytics is a free tool that tracks and reports website and mobile traffic. You can use the platform to better understand your traffic, traffic sources, audience, page views, website referral sources, trending keywords, audience behavior, and more. Using data collection platforms like Google Analytics can help you understand the type of content your audience is consuming, who your audience is, the time they’re spending on your content, and more. This type of information will help you make better choices when running a business and marketing your business to your audience.
H
Handle
In social media, a handle is another term for username. Unlike other usernames, though, a handle is usually preceded by an “@” sign. For example, Google’s Twitter handle is @Google.
Hashtag
A hashtag is a pound symbol tag (#) used on most social media platforms (i.e. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) to create a topic reference. This is particularly useful for a promotion.
For instance, if you have a flower shop (let’s call your business “My Flower Shop”) and Valentine’s Day is coming, you can use #redrosesfrommyflowerhop and #myflowershopvday in your Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram posts to make it easier for your followers to view other posts related to these topics by just clicking on these hashtags.
Header image
Header image is the primary, full-width image viewed at the top of a web page, social media account, or email message.
Heading tag
Heading tags are used to provide structure to content. Heading tags follow a top-down hierarchy from h2 to h6. The heading tag h2 is usually the title of the post, followed by h2 which can be used for subtitles and so on.
Hero image
A hero image is a large banner image often spread across the width of the web page. This is often the first graphic image seen by a person when he (or she) visits a website.
Homepage
The homepage is the first web page viewed when you enter the website’s domain in the URL field of your web browser. For instance, if you open Google Chrome and type in mywebsite.com, the first page that you’ll see is the home page of this website.
HTML
Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) is the language used to create websites. Its markups are included in the content of a page, which can then be viewed by users in their web browsers.
HTTP
HTTP is a technical acronym for Hypertext Transfer Protocol which is usually seen before the “www” of a URL (http://www.mywebsite.com). It is the standard network protocol that web browsers and servers use to communicate over the web.
HTTPS
Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secured (HTTPS) is similar to HTTP, but this suffix means that the communication has added a special layer of encryption to protect sensitive information. For example, you will normally see “https://” when you log into your email, social media, or online bank accounts.
Hyperlink
A hyperlink, or simply ‘link’, connects an element in a page (like a text, button, or image) to another part of the page or another web page. When the link is within the same website, this is called an internal link. On the other hand, when the link directs the user to a page on a different website, this is called an external link.
I
Impressions
Impressions is an advertising term that refers to the number of times an ad was seen by its target audience.
Inbound link
An inbound link, also known as a ‘backlink’, is an incoming link to a website that’s coming from different website.
Backlinks are very important in search engine optimization: you can think of it as a local coffee shop with customers (i.e. other websites) talking about the coffee shop to their friends (via links). The more customers talking about the coffee shop, the more popular it gets.
Index
A search engine index is a storage site for all the data collected by the search engine.
Influencer
An influencer is someone who has a strong influence over other people’s opinions. Examples of influencers are celebrities or industry experts.
Instagram collaboration
Instagram Collabs allow two posters to co-author feed posts and Reels. The social media feature, which is also called Collabs, supports two collaborators. If you follow one of the two collaborators, the Collab post will show up in your feed.
Instagram hashtags
Instagram hashtag research is a great idea to increase your reach. Instagram hashtags are sort of like categories, and they are the key to using Instagram to drive people to your product. If you mark your post with a hashtag, any Instagrammer can find it by scrolling through all the posts using that hashtag. What this means for you is that millions of people who don’t even follow your Instagram account can find and engage with your posts.
IP address
An IP (Internet Protocol) address refers to a unique string of numbers separated by periods that identifies computers within a network. It can also be used to determine the geographic location of a computer.
ISP
An Internet Service Provider (ISP) is a company that provides Internet access to your devices.
J
JPEG or JPG
JPEG or JPG is a file compression method for images. JPEG stands for Joint Photographic Experts Group, which is the name of the organization that created and distributed the JPEG method.
K
Keyword
In Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and paid search marketing, a keyword is any phrase or term used to match what users search for (the search query) in the content of a page.
For example, the keyword “red shoes” might be used to create content or place ads for an audience looking for red shoes in search engines.
L
Landing page
A landing page is the first webpage that someone “lands on” during a visit to your site. In paid acquisition, a landing page is typically designed to convert visitors, which usually means to motivate them into buying a product or service.
Lead
A lead could be a person or a company who has shown interest in a product or service. It could be someone who has filled out an online form, subscribed to a newsletter, or shared their contact information in exchange for a coupon.
Lead magnet
A lead magnet, also known as a content upgrade, is bonus content given to people typically in exchange for their email address. This could be in the form of a free downloadable e-book or access to a special video.
Lead nurturing
Lead nurturing is the practice of developing a series of online communications, such as emails and social media messages, to keep leads engaged while gradually motivating them to purchase your product or service.
Link
A hyperlink (or link) connects an element in a page (i.e. text, button, or image) to another part of the page or to another web page. When the link is within the same website, this is called an internal link. On the other hand, when the link directs the user to a page on a different website, this is called an external link.
Link building
In Search Engine Optimization (SEO), link building is the practice of getting external pages (web pages from other websites) to link to a page on your website. This is one of the many SEO strategies to increase rankings in organic search results.
LinkedIn banner
Visually appealing LinkedIn banner photos are a wonderful way to leave a lasting impression. Your banner image, also known as a header image, is the large horizontal photo displayed at the top of your profile. When anyone visits your LinkedIn profile, your banner photo is one of the first things they will see. That is why it is essential to use a high-quality, informative, and visually appealing image as your banner photo.
LinkedIn headline
A LinkedIn headline is the written section at the top of your user profile. It’s where you describe who you are and what you do in about 220 characters or less. Think of it as an elevator pitch of yourself as a worker or business owner. Without a great headline, you may not stand out from the crowd or draw good employers or clients to your brand.
List building
List building is the process of adding new subscribers to your email list. You can do this with several different strategies. Usually, you would offer some sort of content or value in exchange for an email address from the people who visit your website. Alternatively, you could simply have a popup on your website that tells visitors that to stay up-to-date with the latest from your blog or business they could subscribe to your newsletter or email list.
LMS
A Learning Management System (LMS) is a software application used to manage online educational courses or training programs.
Similar to a Content Management System (CMS), which allows users who have little to no technical skills to easily build and manage websites without learning to code, an LMS makes it easy to create and manage online educational programs for those who have no programming knowledge.
Long-tail keyword
In search engines, a long-tail keyword is a very targeted search phrase that typically contains three or more words. It usually includes a head term, which is a more generic search term, and one or two additional words that refine the search term. An example of a head term is “roses” and the long-tail keyword is “red roses online”.
Since long-tail keywords are more specific, they are usually associated with a lower number of searches. However, people who are searching for long-tail keywords are typically more qualified and more likely to convert.
LTV
Lifetime Value (LVT) refers to the amount of money you can expect to make from an average customer during their entire time as a customer.
M
Marketing automation
Marketing automation refers to the process of automating marketing tasks, such as emails, social media posts, and other website actions. Instead of manually creating and implementing marketing tasks, marketing automation tools open an easy and efficient way to organize, manage, and execute every task of marketing campaigns.
Welcome emails, reminders, or birthday greetings are some examples of marketing automation. By gathering contact and personal information from website visitors and existing customers, it is now possible for marketing automation software to send customized messages to visitors, users, or customers.
Marketing funnel
A marketing funnel is a framework businesses use to turn leads into customers. With a marketing funnel, you identify all the touchpoints that you have with potential customers, then map them back to the marketing funnel stages. For each stage, you’ll have slightly different marketing messages and tactics that engage potential customers and eventually convince them to buy.
Meme
A meme is a funny picture that comes with a witty caption; it is widely used across social media sites.
Mention
This term usually refers to “social mentions”, which is a direct reference to a username in social media channels. For example, when someone sends a tweet including your Twitter handle, that’s considered a mention.
Menu
The menu of a website is a series of links used to help visitors hop from one web page to another (navigate). The menu can be found at the top, side, or bottom of the web page.
Meta description
The meta description is an HTML tag that describes the meaning of the webpage. The meta description, like the title tag, is not visible when users view a webpage; it is displayed below the title in search results and in previews when a link to a page is shared in social media channels.
While meta descriptions can be any length, search engines usually truncate snippets which are longer than 160 characters, so it is ideal to keep meta descriptions within the 160-character limit.
MRR
Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR) is the amount of income that companies can anticipate every 30 days, if they provide services to customers through an ongoing contractual relationship.
For example, if your 50 customers are paying an average of $100 per month, your monthly recurring revenue would be $5,000 per month.
N
Navigation
Navigation refers to the ability to move through different parts of a website or application. Navigation can also refer to the links and other design elements on a web page that let you move through other parts of the website.
Niche
Having a niche business idea or selling an online course in a niche market simply means you are sharing expertise on a specific subject with a specific audience. To find your niche, review your skills and strengths; clarify a few overall life goals and ambitions; pinpoint where your skills, life goals, and passions intersect; identify your niche market and your target audience; choose a business type; identify the market demand; and craft your unique brand.
Nofollow link
A nofollow link is a hyperlink that has a “nofollow” attribute, which tells search engines that the link should not be followed or counted as a vote of confidence. In SEO (search engine optimization), links going to a particular web page increase its value and, consequently, improve its rank in search results. When a nofollow HTML code is added to a link, no added value is given to the web page associated with that link.
In SEO, nofollow links are used to prevent spam by people who want to manipulate their rankings in search engines.
NoIndex
NoIndex is a value used to tell search engines like Google or Bing not to index a webpage. When a web page is not indexed, this means that people will not find it in search results.
O
Off-page optimization
Off-page optimization, also known as off-page SEO, refers to the methods that can be applied to improve a website’s ranking through promotional means, outside of the actual code or content of the website itself.
For example, link building through guest posts (offering to write articles containing a link leading to your web page for other websites to publish) is one way to do off-page SEO.
On-page optimization
On-page optimization, also known as on-page SEO (search engine optimization), refers to all measures that can be taken within a website to improve its position in search rankings. Common practices of on-page optimization include updating the page title and description with relevant keywords, adding alt attributes (alt text) and descriptions to images and videos, and adding targeted keywords in all tags, descriptions, and content.
Online community
An online community is a space that you create just for your members to interact with one another. Some examples of online communities include a professional community that connects people by industry and/or offers networking opportunities; a social community to encourage connection and widen social networks; and a customer community or brand community that unites people through a shared emotional connection to a brand identity.
Open rate
An email open rate is a metric that shows which portion of your email list opened your last email. You can calculate your email open rate with a simple formula:
Open rate = Total emails opened ÷ (Total emails sent – bounced emails)
Usually, you won’t have to do the calculations yourself if you want to find out your email open rate, as most email marketing software does the calculations for you.
Opt-in form
An opt-in form is an online form used for visitors to sign up for your email list or service.
Opt-in rate
Opt-in rate refers to the ratio of people who sign up for your email list divided by the total number of visitors on your website.
If you have an opt-in rate of 5%, this means that five out of every 100 site visitors have been signing up for your email list.
Organic traffic
Organic traffic refers to the visitors that land on your website through “organic” or unpaid results in a search engine. When a person finds one of your pages through an online search query, and clicks on this unpaid search result, that is considered organic traffic.
The practice of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) typically aims to increase the volume of organic traffic to a website.
P
Pageview
Pageview refers to the number of times a web page is viewed.
When a visitor lands on your homepage, this is counted as one pageview. If a visitor moves to another page on your website and hits the back button, this is counted as another pageview; now there are two pageviews for that visitor. If the visitor refreshes the page, this is counted as the third pageview.
Passive income
Passive income is a way you can earn money with little to no active involvement. Examples of passive income streams include self-paced courses, self-published books, and affiliate marketing. Over time, passive income sources give you consistent cash flow without trading your time for financial freedom.
Permalink
Permalink, or permanent link, is the URL used to refer to a particular webpage, article, or blog post; it’s meant to remain the same for long periods of time.
Personal branding
Personal branding is the practice of creating an authentic, effective persona around yourself for professional purposes. It’s a form of social selling and will help you stand out from the crowd.
Pinterest for business
Pinterest is a social media platform that allows users to share images by “pinning” things that inspire them or that they’d like to revisit onto their own personal, virtual mood boards. Users can also search for anything and filter by various categories. Pinterest for business is an often under-utilized resource, as these pins can share product information, link back to websites, increase brand exposure, and more.
Plugin
A plugin is a software add-on that you can install onto a program to add functionality. For example, Internet browsers like Google Chrome allow users to install plugins into the browser. This adds features to the browser that are not found in the default software.
Podcast
A podcast is a digital audio show available on the internet, usually for free. It can be episodic, with new episodes coming out multiple times per week or month, or seasonal, with a set number of episodes coming out over a certain period. You do not need much equipment to start a podcast and can even create one for free.
Pop-up
A pop-up (also referred to as lightbox, pop-over, or interstitial) is an overlay box that appears in front of a web page. Usually, pop-ups invite people to join an email list.
Power words
Power words are words that generate a psychological or an emotional response. A skilled content marketer or copywriter will strategically use these power words in headings, subheadings, landing pages, email subject lines, and other areas of content to persuade their audience to take action (though the power words themselves do not have to be action words or verbs).
PPA
Pay Per Action (PPA) is a pricing model in which advertisers only pay for a completed action such as a confirmed sale, email subscription, or inbound sales enquiry.
PPC
Pay Per Click (PPC) is a pricing model in which advertisers pay a fixed amount for every click on their advertisement.
Product mix
A product mix, also called product assortment, is the total number and variety of product lines that your company offers to its target audience and customers. The product mix refers to the set of different product lines or product types you produce. The market mix includes the products your company offers through major distribution channels or products you offer through subsidiary brands or companies.
Project plan
A project plan is a working document that organizes and tracks all your necessary project details in one place. Project plans include objectives, tasks, procedures, schedules, and deliverables. No matter the size or scope of your project, a project plan keeps you on track from start to finish. When implemented correctly, these project roadmaps can save you time and significantly boost productivity.
Q
Qualified lead
A qualified lead is a person who has opted in to receive communication from a company, has gained awareness about their product or service, and is interested in learning more. These leads are considered to have a higher likelihood of turning into customers.
Quality score
Quality score is a grading system used by Google to determine an ad’s relevance to a searcher in certain circumstances/scenarios: if it were to be shown in the sponsored space of the search results, in which position within the space it would be shown, and how much the advertiser should pay for each click.
Query
A query is the word or word phrase entered by a user into a search engine like Yahoo or Google. If you are looking for a hotel in New York and entered “hotels in New York”, this is your search query.
Quora marketing
Quora is a site that allows users to ask and answer questions. These questions can range from hypotheticals, specific business or industry questions, or even story or expert requests. Quora marketing is an opportunity to establish yourself as a thought leader and expert in a particular niche topic. Quora is free to use and has a large user group with varied interests, so it’s a great opportunity to market yourself or your business to specific people.
R
Reach
Reach refers to the total number of people exposed to a particular marketing campaign, regardless of whether they interacted with it or not.
Referral
A referral is when an existing customer draws in new customers by inviting their friends and family to try a particular product or service. A business that applies referral marketing often offers rewards or perks for every new customer brought in by referrers.
Referral traffic
Referral traffic consists of site visitors that come from direct links on other websites.
One example is when other websites post a link recommending your content, product, or service.
Render
This term refers to the process of generating a visual representation of specific content. For example, different devices like laptops, smartphones, and tablets “render” the same content (an email or web page) very differently because of their size and formatting.
Response rate
Response rate is the ratio of people who responded to a piece of content divided by the total number of people who received the material.
For example, if your email offer was sent to 100 people and 25 responded, then your response rate is 25%.
Responsive design
Responsive design is an approach to web design technology that encourages a website to adapt to the device used by viewers. So, instead of building a separate website for each device (laptop, smartphone, tablet) that could display the website, a responsive design will make the content of the site adapt automatically to the space available.
Remarketing / Retargeting
Remarketing, also known as retargeting, is a form of online advertising that enables sites to show targeted ads to repeat visitors of their website or mobile app. You might have noticed that, when you visit a website of a particular product or service, you see this website’s ad when you browse other websites—that’s remarketing at work.
For instance, you might have checked out some sneakers at an online shoe store but decided not to buy anything. As you moved on to check your newsfeed on Facebook, you might see remarketing ads for the sneakers you previously viewed.
ROI
Return on Investment (ROI) measures the amount of return on an investment relative to the cost of the investment, and is usually shown as a percentage. In marketing, ROI usually refers to Return on Ad Spend (ROAS).
In PPC (Pay Per Click), ROI/ROAS is computed as: PPC revenue less PPC cost, divided by PPC cost [PPC revenue – PPC cost ÷ PPC cost]. For example, if you paid $500 for ads and your sales revenue from those ads amounts to $1,000, your ROI/ROAS would be 100%.
Root domain
The root domain is the highest level within the hierarchy of a site. An example of a root domain is mywebsite.com. Within the root domain are the subdomains and URLs. An example of a subdomain would be blogs.mywebsite.com.
RSS
RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication, Rich Site Summary, RDF Site Summary, and Real-time Simple Syndication – which are all different names of the same thing. RSS is a standard way for people to receive website content through a feed.
For example, instead of having to visit several different websites to read about the weather, sports, latest celebrity news, or local politics, users can use an RSS feed reader to receive all of this content and view it in a single feed.
S
SaaS
Software as a Service (SaaS) is a business model for licensing software applications. Unlike in the past, when software would have to be purchased outright and loaded onto a device, SaaS is accessed online and is normally subscription-based. A few examples of SaaS includes Office 365, Dropbox, and Google Apps.
Screenshot
A screenshot, also called a “screen capture”, is an image or snapshot of the computer or mobile device screen.
Search engine
A search engine is a service that allows users to find relevant content by using a query to search an index of web content. Popular search engines include Google, Yahoo, and Bing.
SEM
Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is an Internet marketing process involving the purchase of ads that appear on search engine result pages (SERPs). In this practice, advertisers bid on words or phrases (keywords) that search engine users usually enter when doing an online query, and their ads are shown along with the results for those search queries.
SEO
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the practice of improving a website’s visibility in search engines like Google and Yahoo, with the purpose of increasing organic traffic.
Serial entrepreneur
A serial entrepreneur is a businessperson who starts and runs not just one company but several simultaneously. Over their professional careers, serial entrepreneurs may start several or even dozens of companies. They know, perhaps better than any other business professional, that failure is a part of the process.
SERP
Search Engine Results Page (SERP) is the page displayed after an online query has been entered on a search engine like Google or Yahoo.
Server
A server is the storage facility for all the files that make up a website.
Session
A session, also known as a visit, refers to any activity engaged in by a site visitor on a website, from the time they land on a page until the moment they leave: download a file, click on a link, access other pages on the same website, etc.
Side hustle
A side hustle isn’t exactly a part-time job (although it can take just as much time and effort). Instead, a side hustle, or side gig, is an extra money-making opportunity you can usually do from home and fit into a standard workday or work week.
Sitemap
Sitemap is a file that lists all the pages on a website, usually organized hierarchically. Having a sitemap on your website makes it easier for search engine spiders (also called bots or crawlers) to find all the pages on your website. When they find it, your website will be added to the search engine’s index.
SMART goals
Setting SMART goals is one of the most popular strategies used for project management and personal development. The concept was first proposed by George T. Doran in 1981 and published in an issue of Management Review. He suggested that all goals should be SMART, which stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely.
SMTP
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) is the method used to move email messages from the sender to the recipient.
You can liken the SMTP to the post office – just as a snail mail letter dropped at the post office is then delivered by the mailman to the mailing address on the envelope, the SMTP server handles and delivers your email message to one or more recipients.
SMM
Social Media Marketing (SMM) refers to marketing efforts done through social media channels: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Linkedin, etc.
Social proof
Social proof refers to the way people’s perception of a product or service is influenced by the size and quality of its following. For example, when you are looking for a place to have dinner, you see a crowded restaurant and assume that it’s really good because a lot of people eat in there.
In social media, such as Facebook or Instagram, people tend to notice or gain interest in brands with a huge following, meaning that a lot of people are following their page, and are liking or sharing their posts. In websites, social proof can be built with testimonials or references.
Social selling
Social selling is a modern relationship builder with your target audience. It’s a method of finding new prospects interested in your business by connecting and engaging with them on various social media platforms. With social selling, brands spend time building meaningful connections with their prospects, so when it’s time to make a sale, people are much more receptive to it.
Social traffic
Social traffic is the amount of website traffic received from various social media channels such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram. For instance, when someone clicks on a link you shared on a Facebook post, or finds your Twitter profile and clicks the link leading to your website, this will be counted as social traffic.
Spam
Spam is any message that the recipient did not want or ask for. Some examples of these are inappropriate emails offering unsolicited products or services, false messages claiming that you have won the lottery, and other messages from strangers.
Most email users receive several spam emails in a day, but most of these emails automatically go to the Spam folder.
Spider
Also known as bot or crawler, a spider is the term typically used to refer to software used by search engines (i.e. Google, Bing, and Yahoo) to locate and index websites by exploring the Internet. A spider is used to explore website content, capture information, then carry this to the search engine’s database for inclusion.
SSL
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is an encryption technology that creates a safe connection between the web server (which stores all the files that make up a website) and the visitors’ web browsers (like Google Chrome or Internet Explorer). Thanks to SSL, private information can be transmitted without the risk of eavesdropping, data tampering, and message forgery.
SSL is an industry standard. One example of its application is when websites want to ensure the security of online transactions with their customers (involving sensitive data such as credit card information). You’ll know if a website is protected by SSL if it starts with “https” instead of “http”, like https://teachable.com.
Stock photos
Stock photos are generic photographs, images, and/or illustrations that are licensed, usually for a fee, to individuals or businesses for marketing or editorial use. Stock photo sites provide legal guidelines around how you can use photos.
Subdomain
At times a root domain contains subdivisions, or subdomains, to cover different languages, regions, or content. If your existing domain name is www.mywebsite.com, your subdomain could be fr.mywebsite.com (content for France/French language) or forums.mywebsite.com (covers content for forums).
T
Testimonial
Testimonials are endorsements from real people who have used your products or services and loved them enough to share with friends, relatives, colleagues, and strangers on the Internet. Testimonials are social proof. When used effectively, they show that you are credible and convince potential customers that they should buy your product or service.
Timestamp
Timestamp refers to the date and time attached to an event, such as the publishing of a blog or social media post.
Title tag
A title tag is is an HTML tag noting the placement of the title of a webpage. The content of the title tag may not become visible when users view a webpage, but it is displayed in search results and in previews, when a link to a page is shared through social media channels. You’ll also see the title tag on the tab of your web browser
Traffic
In Internet marketing, traffic refers to the number of visits received by a web page or website.
Trigger words
A trigger word is a word that evokes a strong enough emotional reaction in a person that compels them to take action. The action can be anything from clicking on an article, to opening an email, or buying a product. Trigger words and phrases are used when writing sales or marketing copy because the goal is to get people who read them to be inspired to take action and make a purchase.
U
UI
User Interface (UI) is a broad term for any space that allows a user to connect with a particular technology. UI can either be physical or software-based. Any different kinds of user interfaces come with various devices and software programs.
The UI is basically everything that you see and use when using your computer or mobile device, including the screen menu and icons, keyboard and keyboard shortcuts, mouse and gesture movements, touchscreen, and game controllers.
Unique visitor
A unique visitor (UV) is a metric for unique individuals who visit a website. Unlike visits, which are counted independently of the person who visits a site, unique visitors are tied to the individual performing the visit.
For example, if five people each visited a specific webpage tens times in a month, the total UVs for that month would be five and the total number of visits would be fifty.
Unsubscribe
To unsubscribe means to cancel a service or to remove oneself from a mailing list.
For example, let’s say you have subscribed to Netflix; at one point you felt that you no longer wanted to watch movies and shows on their app. You can opt out or unsubscribe so that you will no longer be billed for their services.
In email marketing, an unsubscribe link is a standard option allowing anyone who has decided to receive emails from a particular business to stop receiving further emails from that business.
Unsubscribe rate
In email marketing, the unsubscribe rate refers to the percentage of email subscribers who have chosen to click the unsubscribe link, in relation to the total number of subscribers who received the email. A high unsubscribe rate can be interpreted as an indication of email spam.
Upsell
Upsell is a sales strategy wherein you try to upsell or influence the customer into buying something with a higher price, to add on to their purchase, or upgrade their item. This has the objective of increasing the value per purchase.
For example, if a customer wants to buy a one-month subscription for a service, you can offer them a three-month or annual subscription at a certain discount. For them, this offer will seem to be more practical; for you, this will translate to higher revenue.
URL
A Uniform Resource Locator (URL) is the link that takes the user to the specific web page of a site. An example of a URL is http://www.mywebsite.com/pageone.
User
The term refers to any person who uses a computer, mobile device, or network service. If you have a computer or smartphone, then you are considered a user.
User generated content
User Generated Content (UGC) refers to any content created by users on a website by submitting a comment, creating a forum topic, uploading a video, submitting a blog post, etc. For example, if you have a blog that allows users to comment on your blog, then UGC will be created whenever a comment is added to that web page.
UX
User Experience (UX) is the overall experience of a customer with a particular business, from the time he (or she) became aware of the brand all the way through the purchase and use of the product or service.
UX design refers to the practice of improving the user’s interaction with a business.
V
Viral
When a video “goes viral,” it means that video has become so popular that it spreads exponentially across the internet and multiple social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. People voluntarily share video or social media algorithms automatically put the content on the screens of users. While there’s no set number for what constitutes going viral, many marketing experts and business owners consider a video to have gone viral if it gets at least five million views within about a week of its initial posting.
Visit
A visit, also known as a session, refers to any activity of a site visitor on a website, from the time they land on a page until they leave: download a file, click on a link, or access other pages on the same website.
Visitor
A visitor is an individual who visits a website. This term can sometimes be used interchangeably with “unique visitor”.
Visual encoding
Visual encoding translates data into different visual elements and creates rules on how the data is expressed visually. Understanding visual encoding is essential in the design and creation of new and custom visualizations. A successful visualization helps you gain insight into data that isn’t readily revealed by other means.
W
Webinar
Webinars are free online trainings that audiences can tune into live or watch later as a recording. To attend a webinar, a registrant signs up with their email address and gets access to a private link. Webinars are usually hosted by an authority in a given niche, or someone who is beginning to establish themselves as an authority and has seen some success.
Welcome email
A welcome email is sent immediately after initial sign-up to thank a new subscriber, make an introduction, provide a call to action, and give the legally required mailing address. Welcome emails are unique because the subscriber has chosen to engage, and it’s an opportunity to build trust, for instance through special offers, such as a discount code or free trial, social proof or testimonials, etc.
WYSIWYG
WYSIWYG is an acronym for “What You See Is What You Get”, which refers to an editor allowing the user to see how the finished product would look like as they edit the text and graphic content.
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