Glossary

4Q Survey Analysis	A software that makes a survey appear on a webpage when a user first visits the site. This survey requests feedback about the website content, usability, customer intent, and many other things. This is done to research areas of improvement on the website. Back to page
Algorithms	A technique used by search engines in which a website is crawled to determine the theme of a website based on what the site says it's about (using Meta Data), and the content on the site. Back to page
ASP	An acronym for Active Server Pages, ASP is a scripting language for dynamically-generated web pages, first used by Microsoft (also known as classic ASP). Back to page
ASP.NET	A web application framework that allows programmers to build dynamic web sites, web applications and web services. First developed and marketed by Microsoft. Back to page
AJAX	Group of interrelated web development techniques used to create interactive web applications or Rich Internet Applications. Back to page
Average Order Value (AOV)	The average dollar amount of total orders on your website. Back to page
Black Hat	Also called "spamdexing" or "spamming" is a method of Search Engine optimization that attempts to gain website tracking in a fashion that is against search engine policies (i.e. link farms, keyword stuffing, etc.). Back to page
Bounce Rate	The rate (as a percentage) at which a user leaves a webpage without taking any action in a certain period of time. Bounce rate = Single Page Access/Entries. Back to page
Brand Management	A search engine marketing technique used to increase a product or company's perceived value to the customer by monitoring what is being said online in blogs, discussion boards, social networks, etc. Back to page
Branded terms	In Search Engine Marketing, keywords or phrases related to a brand. Branded terms can be some of the most valuable and highest converting keywords. Back to page
Business Culture	Company beliefs and values that define the work environment, and how employees do business on a daily basis. Back to page
Business Objectives	The goals of a business in terms of revenue. In relation to search engine marketing, these goals define what the company hopes to gain in terms of website traffic, sales, leads, conversions, etc. Back to page
Business Politics	The dynamics in a workplace between groups of people - how people interact, interpersonal behavior, etc. Back to page
Technology	The technology you have developed in your business that can be marketed as a competitive advantage on your website, and should be prominently advertised on your website. Back to page
Business to Business (B2B)	Sales between businesses, for instance interactions between a manufacturer and a wholesaler, or between a wholesaler and a retailer. Back to page
Business to Consumer (B2C)	Sales of products/services by businesses to consumers. Back to page
Call to Action	Words or graphics that encourage a user to take action, such as make a purchase, sign up for an e-mail list, or request more information. Back to page
Call Tracking	Software that places a phone number on a website so that customers can call with website complaints, questions, and comments. The data can be analyzed to determine areas that require improvement on the website for easier usability, leading to a better conversion rate. Back to page
Click-Through Rate (CTR)	A number used to analyze the effectiveness of an online advertising campaign. CTR is found using the following formula: # of users who clicked on an ad/# of times the ad was delivered (impressions). Back to page
Cold Fusion	A software by Adobe that assists in internet application development. Back to page
Competitor Analysis	An analysis of your online competitors and all aspects of their web presence in comparison with your business. Back to page
Content	Any text, video, or audio content on a website. Examples of such content are text, images, sounds, videos and animations. Back to page
Content Management Systems	Software that assists with the management of any online text, video, or audio content without any web development knowledge. Back to page
Content Media Sites	A site with a business purpose of creating and distributing original content (e.g. About.com). Back to page
Conversions	When a customer converts from searching or researching a product or service, to actually making a purchase. Back to page
Cost per Click (CPC)	The cost an advertiser pays for each click on an advertisement that results in a user visiting their site. Back to page
Database Support	The organization, storage, and management of data in a database. Back to page
Directory Submission	The submission of a website domain to a categorized group of websites that lists domains by category. Directories are usually organized by topical experts. Some directories cater to specific niche topics, while others are more comprehensive in nature. Back to page
Domain Name	The way the web is organized. The term "domain" is usually used to identify the specific web address of a website. Back to page
Domain Age	The amount of time a domain name has been registered and in use. Back to page
Domain Registration	A process done in order to convert a domain name to an IP addresses, so that a domain is registered under a specific name and belongs solely to one person or company. Back to page
eCommerce Platforms	A framework on which e-commerce applications can be run. Back to page
e-Commerce	Short for Electronic Commerce, e-Commerce is the buying or selling of services through an electronic venue, such as the internet, or through other computer networks. Back to page
e-Commerce Sites	A website that sells products or services online, in which transactions can actually be completed through the internet. Back to page
Electronic Page Flip Catalog (zEC)	An enhanced page flipping book, catalog, magazine, etc., that is represented in an online, onscreen format using Flash design. Back to page
E-mail Marketing	A direct marketing technique that uses electronic mail to communicate marketing and advertising communications to a target audience. Back to page
Flash	A multimedia platform used to add interactive graphics and animations (such as video, advertisements, and rich media) to web pages. Back to page
Flash Movie Development	A process of creating a flash file (.swf) so it can act as a player for a video file. Back to page
Flash Movies	A technique in which a flash file (.swf) is created, and used to act as a player for a video file. Back to page
Flash Presentations	A presentation using Flash that resembles Power Point's discontinuous slide concept. These presentations can utilize voice-overs, music, and video clips to create compelling business communications. Back to page
Flash Product Demonstrations	A flash application that takes a series of shots of a product while it's being used, and combines them to create streaming "how-it-works" video of the product. Back to page
Flash Product/Service Introductions	A flash application that gives an introductory overview of product or service options in an interactive, streamlined format. Back to page
Flash Programming	The process of incorporating flash code into a website. Back to page
Flash Scripting	The programming language used to create flash interactivity (buttons, text entry fields, drop down menus). Flash scripting is more editable, and sometimes faster, than Flash animation. Back to page
FLEX	The technologies used for the development and implementation of cross-platform rich Internet applications based on the Adobe Flash platform. Back to page
Funnel Analysis	A method used to monitor the website conversion rate process in order to identify when customers are exiting the purchase/subscription rate process. Back to page
Google Analytics	A service offered by Google that provides detailed statistics about website visitors, such as search engines, display advertising, pay-per-click networks, e-mail marketing and digital information (such as a PDF). Back to page
Header Tags	The introductory text at the beginning of a webpage used to organize content. The header is a short summary of what the webpage is about. Back to page
Help me Choose (zHMC)	A Rich Internet Application that helps customers choose products based on their specific application requirements. zHMC analyzes a variety of products (based on sku or style number) to provide the shopper with several choices. Back to page
Hosting	A service that "houses" web pages on an internet server, so content can be displayed online. Back to page
HTML	An acronym for Hyper Text Markup Language. HTML is the predominant language used to denote how text should be structured on a webpage, and to embed forms, images, and other objects on the page. Back to page
Index	The main, most general page in a website directory of pages, often the same as a website home page. Back to page
Information Architecture (IA)	The process of designing information to match the way a user thinks so it can be easily found and navigated. Back to page
IP Address	Short for Internet Protocol, an IP address is a number assigned to a device that is part of a computer network. Back to page
JAVA	A programming language released in 1995 as a core component of the JAVA platform. JAVA applications can run on most machines, regardless of computer architecture. Back to page
Keyword	A term that summarizes the main theme or topic of document, such as a webpage or article, that is used to retrieve results in search engines. Back to page
Keyword Analysis	A thorough website review used to determine a list of words that best describe and relate most to the theme of a website. Back to page
Landing Page	The page that a user is directed to when an advertisement or a search-engine result link is clicked on. The page should contain content that is relevant to the link that was clicked on, and should be optimized for keywords or phrases so a search engine can find the page based on search queries of those keywords. Back to page
Lead Generation	A search engine marketing term that describes the creation of prospective customer interest in a product or service. Back to page
Link Popularity	A measure of the number of quality links your website receives from other web sites. Search Engines greatly value links from external websites. Back to page
Long Tail Terms	An expansion on an initial keyword to include combinations, adjectives, and extensions of the word. These niche terms can provide significant additional traffic and increase Return on Investment because they are highly targeted. Back to page
Meta Tags	Data that describes online or offline data in website code. Meta Data refers to fields in a document that search engines and other applications use to get their information. Back to page
"Most Receptive"	In Search Engine Marketing, the time of day when a target audience is more impressionable to your advertising message. This is determined based on the demographic, lifestyle, age, etc. Back to page
Multivariate Testing	A process in which multiple components of a website can be tested to find which variable makes the largest impact. Back to page
Natural Search	The process of increasing quality traffic to a website via the search engines through "natural" unpaid search. Also known as Search Engine Optimization or organic search. Back to page
Negative Keywords	Used in Pay Per Click advertising to exclude search queries that are unrelated to the ads being shown. For instance, if a company sells only electrical tape, but is getting a lot of wrongful traffic from people searching for "masking tape," a negative keyword would be "masking" so ads are never shown when someone searches "masking tape." Back to page
Off-site Analytics	The analysis of traffic and activity from other websites that leads users to your website. Back to page
Online Proofing (zOP)	A rich internet application that allows customers to view the design of their final product on the screen before actually making a purchase. This reduces mistakes and improves customer satisfaction. Back to page
On-site Analytics	The analysis of traffic and activity on your webpage, and the factors that determine whether the customer stays on the site or leaves. Back to page
Operating System	The interface between hardware and user that coordinates activities and resource sharing, and also acts as a host for applications that are run on the machine. Back to page
Organic Search	The process of increasing quality traffic to a website via the search engines through "natural" unpaid search. Also known as Search Engine Optimization or natural search. Back to page
Pay Per Click (PPC)	A method of internet advertising used on search engines, advertising networks, and content sites (blogs) in which an advertisers pays only when an ad is clicked on. Advertisers bid on keywords that are based on the theme of their website. Back to page
Persona Development	The creation of a user model that inspires the design and navigation of a Web site. Back to page
PHP	A scripting language used for the creation of dynamic web pages. PHP is ideal for web development because it can be embedded into HTML. Back to page
Platforms	A hardware architecture or software framework on which software runs. Back to page
Return on Investment (ROI)	The ratio of money gained or lost on an investment in relation to the amount of money that was invested. Also called Rate of Return, Rate of Profit, or Return. Back to page
Revenue Tracking	The process of analyzing revenue bases on a variety of factors, such as click through rate, conversion rate, return on investment, etc. Back to page
Rich Internet Applications (RIA)	Web applications that have the same functionality as desktop applications, but can be embedded directly into your website code. RIAs add interactivity and enhance the user's web experience. Back to page
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)	The process of increasing quality traffic to a website via the search engines through "natural" unpaid search. Also known as organic or natural search. Back to page
Self Serve/Support Sites	A website that is completely interactive, allowing the user to meet their needs without customer service support. Back to page
Site Map	An outline of a website's architecture. A site map document aids in the planning of a site, and a web page site map lists out each page of the website to provide search engines with a map when they are indexing the site. Back to page
Social Networking	Online communities of people with similar interests or activities connect with others who share those same interests, such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. Back to page
Source Code	A collection of statements or declarations written in a computer programming language that allows the programmer and computer to communicate using a small number of instructions. Back to page
Spamming	The practice of modifying web pages in order to make them rank higher in the search engines in a method that is against search engine policies (i.e., link farms or keyword stuffing). Back to page
Spider	A tool used by search engines to "crawl" a website and determine website relevancy in order to index information about that site's theme to be returned in search engine results. Back to page
Style Sheets	In web design, a method of separating the layout and formatting of a web page from the actual content, improving the speed, maintenance, customization, accessibility, and portability of the site. Back to page
Target Audience	The group of people or demographic at which an advertisement or campaign is directed. Back to page
Title Tags	The text that appears across the top of a webpage in the internet browser, summarizing the webpage. Title tags are built into the code and are one of the first things a search engine crawls. Title tags also appear as the underlined link in the search engine results. Back to page
URL's	The web address or locator of a particular webpage under a domain name. Back to page
Web Analytics	The measurement, collection, analysis and reporting of internet data in order to understand and maximize the usability of a website. Back to page
XHTML	The Extensible Hypertext Markup Language, or XHTML, is a markup language that has the same depth of expression as HTML, but also conforms to XML syntax. Back to page
XML	The term stands for xtensible markup language. XML is the World Wide Web Consortium�s (W3C) recommended standard for creating formats and sharing data on the Web. Back to page

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