Above the fold

The section of a web page that is visible without scrolling.

Ad Blocking

The blocking of web advertisements, typically the image in graphical web ads.

Ad Space

The space on a web page available for advertisements.

Advertising Network

A network representing several web sites in selling advertising, allowing advertising buyers to reach broad audiences relatively easily through run-of-category and run-of-network buys.

Adware

Free software which includes pop-up banner advertisements which cannot be dismissed.

Affiliate Marketing

A form of marketing or advertising used on the internet. Companies that sell products or services online link to relevant sites. The advertising on the other or 'affiliate' sites is paid for according to results.

Affiliate Software

Software that, at a minimum, provides tracking and reporting of commission-triggering actions (sales, registrations, or clicks) from affiliate links.

ALT Text

HTML attribute that provides alternative text when non-textual elements, typically images, cannot be displayed.

Animated GIF

A graphic in the GIF89a file format that creates the effect of animation by rotating through a series of static images.

Apache

An open source web server software.

ASP Hosting

Web hosting that supports Active Server Pages, a server-side scripting environment from Microsoft.

Auto responder

A programme that sends an automatic form response to incoming emails.

Bandwidth

How much data can be transmitted in a time period over a communications channel, often expressed in kilobits per second (kbps).

Banner adverts

Adverts on web pages used to build brand awareness or drive traffic to the advertisers own website.

Behavioural targeting

Technology that targets users with advertisements based on previous browsing behaviour and patterns.

Blog

A frequent, chronological publication of views, thoughts and web links.

Bluetooth

Open specification for short range communication between wireless devices.

Bookmark

A link stored in a web browser for future reference.

Business Hosting

Web hosting geared towards the mission-critical functions demanded by business-class customers.

Button Ad

A graphical advertising unit, smaller than a banner ad.

Click-through

The act of a user clicking on an internet advertisement that opens a link to the advertiser's website.

Contextual marketing

In its simplest form contextual marketing shows a user adverts based on terms for which they have searched. More advanced applications pull adverts based on the content of a website being viewed, or on an individual’s browsing habits.

Conversion Rate

The percentage of visitors to a site who take a desired action.

Cookie

Small data file downloaded on to an end-user’s computer which allows a web site to identify the visitor. Cookies can be used to build profiles of repeat users of a website.

Cost Per Acquisition/Action (CPA)

Online advertising payment model in which payment is based solely on qualifying actions such as sales or registrations.

Cost Per Click (CPC)

A specific type of cost-per-action program where advertisers pay for each time a user clicks on an ad or link.

Cost Per thousand (CPT)

A standard measurement used for determining the cost effectiveness for a specific medium. It compares the cost of the advertisement to the number of impressions to your target audience.

Cyber-stealth Marketing

Covert attempts to boost brand image using the internet, to make websites appear more popular than they are or to manipulate search engine listings.

Data Transfer

The total amount of outbound traffic from a website, typically measured in gigabytes (Gb).

Dedicated Hosting

Hosting option whereby the host provides and is responsible for the equipment, dedicating an entire server to the client's websites.

Dedicated IP

An IP address dedicated to a single website.

Deep Linking

Hyperlinking to a page, file or image on a website that bypasses that website’s homepage.

Description Tag

An HTML tag used by web page authors to provide a description for search engine listings.

Domain Name

Location of an entity on the internet.

Doorway Domain

A domain used specifically to rank well in search engines for particular keywords, serving as an entry point through which visitors pass to the main domain.

Doorway Page

A page made specifically to rank well in search engines for particular keywords, serving as an entry point through which visitors pass to the main content.

E-commerce (Electronic commerce)

Any business transaction that takes place via electronic platforms.

Email Marketing

The promotion of products or services via email.

Email Spam

Unwanted, unsolicited email.

Email

The transmission of computer-based messages over telecommunication technology.

E-marketing

Marketing using electronic media such as the internet, mobile phones or email.

Ezine

An electronic magazine, whether delivered via a web site or an email newsletter.

Favicon

A small icon that is used by some browsers to identify a bookmarked web site.

Flash

Multimedia technology developed by Macromedia to allow much interactivity to fit in a relatively small file size.

Forum

An online community where visitors may read and post topics of common interest.

Frames

A structure that allows for the dividing of a web page into two or more independent parts.

Hit

Request of a file from a web server.

Home Page

The main page of a web site.

House Ad

Self-promotional ad a company runs on their own site/network to use unsold inventory.

HTML banner

A banner ad using HTML elements, often including interactive forms instead of (or in addition to) standard graphical elements.

HTML email

Email that is formatted using Hypertext Markup Language, as opposed to plain text email.

Hybrid Model

A combination of two or more online marketing payment models.

Impression

A single instance of an online advertisement being displayed.

Inbound link

A link from a site outside of your site.

Infiltration Marketing

Marketeers joining chat rooms posing as ordinary users in order to spread marketing messages, usually as personal endorsements.

Invisible Web

The portion of the web not indexed by search engines.

JavaScript

A scripting language developed by Netscape and used to create interactive web sites.

Keyword

A word used in a performing a search.

Keyword Density

Keywords as a percentage of indexable text words.

Keyword Marketing

Putting your message in front of people who are searching using particular keywords and key phrases.

Keyword Research

The search for keywords related to your web site, and the analysis of which ones yield the highest return on investment (ROI).

Keywords Tag

META tag used to help define the primary keywords of a web page.

Link Checker

Tool used to check for broken hyperlinks.

Link Popularity

A measure of the quantity and quality of sites that link to your site.

Link Text

The text contained in (and sometimes near) a hyperlink.

Log File

File that records the activity on a web server.

M-commerce (Mobile commerce)

E-commerce transactions using mobile or wireless devices.

META

A search engine that displays results from multiple search engines.

Navigation

That which facilitates movement from one web page to another.

Outbound Link

A link to a site outside of your site.

Page View

Request to load a single HTML page.

Pay Per Click (PPC)

Online advertising payment model in which payment is based solely on qualifying click-throughs.

Pay Per Click Search Engine (PPCSE)

Search engine where results are ranked according to the bid amount and advertisers are charged only when a searcher clicks on the search listing.

Pay Per Lead (PPL)

Online advertising payment model in which payment is based solely based on qualifying leads.

Pay Per Sale (PPS)

Online advertising payment model in which payment is based solely based on qualifying sales.

PNG

Portable Network Graphics format, and is generally pronounced "ping." PNG is used for lossless compression and displaying images on the web.

Pop Up Ad

An ad that displays in a new browser window.

Portal

A site featuring a suite of commonly used services, serving as a starting point and frequent gateway to the web (web portal) or a niche topic (vertical portal).

PPI

Stands for pixels per inch. PPI specifies the resolution of an input device, such as a scanner, digital camera, or monitor.

Reciprocal Links

Links between two sites, often based on an agreement by the site owners to exchange links.

RGB

Stands for the colors Red-Green-Blue. In web design and design for computer monitors, colours are defined in terms of a combination of these three colours.

Search Engine

A program that indexes documents, then attempts to match documents relevant to the users search requests.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

The process of choosing targeted keyword phrases related to a site, and ensuring that the site places well when those keyword phrases are part of a web search.

Search Marketing

Promoting a company’s website using internet search engines. Either getting a company web site listed in search results (unpaid) or as a listing on the same web page as the search results (paid).

Shallow linking

Hyperlinking to a web site's homepage.

Shopping Cart

Software used to make a site's product catalogue available for online ordering, whereby visitors may select, view, add/delete, and purchase merchandise.

Site Search

Search functionality specific to one site.

Skyscraper Ad

An online ad significantly taller than the 120x240 vertical banner.

Spam

Inappropriate commercial message of extremely low value.

Stickiness

The amount of time spent at a site over a given time period.

Text Ad

Advertisement using text-based hyperlinks.

Thumbnail

A small version of a graphic image. For example, the image below is a thumbnail image of a web page.

Unique Visitors

Individuals who have visited a Web site at least once during a fixed time frame.

URL

Location of a resource on the Internet.

Vertical Banner

A banner ad measuring 120 pixels wide and 240 pixels tall.

Viral marketing

Spreading a brand message using word of mouth (or electronically - 'word of mouse') from a few points of dissemination. Typical techniques include using email messages, jokes, web addresses, film clips and games that get forwarded on electronically by recipients.

Virtual community

A community that exists and interacts online.

WAP

Wireless Application Protocol. Specification allowing wireless devices to interact with information sources. A common application is the use of microbrowsers for wireless internet access.

Web Browser

A software application that allows for the browsing of the World Wide Web.

Web Design

The selection and coordination of available components to create the layout and structure of a web page.

Web Directory

Organised, categorised listings of web sites.

Web Hosting

The business of providing the storage, connectivity, and services necessary to serve files for a website.

Web Site Traffic

The amount of visitors and visits a web site receives.

Web Site Usability

The ease with which visitors are able to use a web site.

WI-FI (Wireless Fidelity)

Wireless network connection standards allowing computers LAN (Local Area Network) access via a wireless link.