Glossary of Marketing Jargon by WebGrinders
ASP - Active Server Pages - Server-side web development platform developed by Microsoft. Similar in application to PHP Must be hosted on Microsoft's IIS Web Server. Scripting is done in VBScript( a type of Visual Basic). Allows rapid development of robust, secure web applications with database connectivity, financial transactions and more.
Branding - Efforts to increase name recognition and market visibility. Includes everything from public relations to event sponsorship to public service announcements. Sometimes advertising dollars are spent with the full knowledge that the campaign will not directly increase sales in a measurable way. Success is measured by a positive change in public sentiment toward your brand. This is fundamentally different from a campaign with metrics and fiscal goals (see ROI)
Conversion - Most businesses have an ultimate goal they would like to achieve when a customer is exposed to their advertising. Usually, the goal is to complete a sale, but sometimes the goal is to sign up another member or to distribute information. Whatever your goal, a certain percentage of your audience will convert, while the rest will move on and look elsewhere. Measuring the conversion rate allows you to determine whether an advertising campaign is profitable or not.
Organic - Search results that are not paid for are considered organic. Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, improves organic search results. Good organic search engine rankings are highly desirable for e-commerce sites.
PHP - Popular server-side scripting language similar in application to ASP. Often hosted on Linux servers, but also available on Microsoft IIS systems. Allows rapid development of robust, secure web applications with database connectivity, financial transactions and more.
Planogram - A diagram showing the placement of retail products in the store. Usually, placement is determined based upon an analysis of browsing habits at each individual retailer. Understanding the use of planograms helps to negotiate effective placement of your products in the retail environment. Visualizing your package designs in the context of the Planogram allows you to see how the color choices and materials will look next to the other products at the shelf level.
ROI -Return on Investment - This may seem obvious, but an ROI campaign seeks to ultimately cause a positive cash flow. Not all advertising campaigns, however, are designed to directly affect cash flow. (see Branding)
SEO - Search Engine Optimization - One of the best ways to drive traffic to your site is to make sure you are in the top ten search results for the keywords you are targeting. Delivers what are known as Organic search results. The ranking algorithms used by Google and other search engines can be difficult to understand and work with.
SSL - Secure Sockets Layer - Commonly known as the "Security Certificate". SSL is a technology that encrypts(encodes) communication between the browser and the web server to ensure that other parties cannot eavesdrop on the communication. The lock icon in the bottom right corner of the browser indicates a secure SSL session. An SSL Security Certificate resides on the server, issued by a reputable organization like GeoTrust or Verisign. All personal data such as credit card information is encrypted in a way that only the server can read back using the SSL certificate. SSL is an absolute necessity for e-commerce sites and membership-driven communities. |
