Terminology

Email Marketing Glossary and Terms:

Above-the-fold - The top part of an email or web page that can be seen without scrolling. This is generally more desirable placement because of its visibility.

API - Application Programming Interface that allows an outside system to have a well defined protocol by which they can access another system's functionality.

Average Order Size - Average total amount for each transaction.

Blacklist - List of IP addresses that are being used by or belong to organizations or individuals that have been identified as sending Spam. Blacklists are often used by organizations and Internet Service Providers as part of their filtering process to block all incoming mail from a particular IP address (or block of addresses).

Bounce Rates - The percentage of subscribers that did not receive a mailing because their email addresses hard bounced (bounce / sent).

CAN SPAM - A law, which became effective January 1, 2004, that establishes requirements for those who send email with primary purpose of advertising or promoting a commercial product or service.

Click-through - When a reader takes action and clicks on a link.

Click Through Rate - The number of times all links in an email were clicked compared to the total list size, represented as a percentage. To determine the click-through rate, divide the number of responses (clicks) by the number of emails sent (multiply this number by 100 to express the result as a percentage).

Click To Open Rate - The number of times all links in an email were clicked compared to the number of people who opened the email, represented as a percentage. To determine the click-to-open-rate, divide the number of responses (clicks) by the number of emails opened (multiply this number by 100 to express the result as a percentage).

Conversion Rate - The number of recipients that completed a desired action as a result of an email message compared to the total list size, represented as a percentage. To determine the conversion rate, divide the number of recipients who completed the desired action by the number of emails sent (multiply this number by 100 to express the result as a percentage).

Creative (Email Marketing) - Terminology used for copy and content of an email. Email creative can be in many different formats including HTML, text, images, etc.

Demographics - Data about the size and characteristics of an audience.

Domain Keys - Email authentication system designed to verify the DNS domain of an email sender and the message integrity.

Double Opt-in Email Marketing - The process of collecting permission to email users whereby a submitted email address is not immediately added to a mailing list. Instead, an email is sent to the submitted address asking the user to take additional action to confirm that they do want to receive email communications from the marketer. If the user does nothing, the submitted address is not sent email communications. The user will only be sent email communications if they respond to the confirmation email.

Email Authentication - Practice of validating that an email sender is legitimate to cut down on spam and phishing scams.

Email Frequency - The intervals at which email marketing efforts are repeated: weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, bi-monthly, etc. Email List Manager Controller of email list or database entity.

Email Marketing Campaign - Coordinated email marketing messages delivered at intervals with a specific objective or goal.

Email Newsletter - An email message sent out to a group of subscribers with relevant information on a topic. Often used to capture Web site visitor's email addresses, they can also be used to keep in touch with existing customers, or simply as a means of distributing new product information.

From Name - The name by which the sender of an email is known. From address The email address from which an email is sent.

Geo Targeting - The ability to target users by geography such as city, state, country and postal code.

Hard Bounce - An email address that is rejected by the receiving server for a permanent reason (example: "email address does not exist"). Hard bounces are not valid email addresses and should be removed from lists.

List Segmentation - Breaking a list into smaller pieces for the purpose of targeting recipients with specific characteristics or demographics.

Multi-part Email - An email that is sent with different versions - usually html, text and AOL. The recipient's email client settings determine which version is delivered to that inbox.

Opt-in Code - Code posted on the webpage of a company's website that allows a subscriber to signup for email from the company and be automatically added to that company's email list.

Opt-in Email Marketing - The process of collecting permission to email users whereby the user must take action to receive email communications.

Revenue Over Email Delivered - Average amount earned for each delivered email (total order / (sent - bounced)) .

Total Clicks - Every click on a tracked link, including multiple clicks by a given subscriber Total Opens All opens recorded for the mailing including multiple opens by the same subscriber.

Unique Clicks - The unique subscriber-link combinations, i.e. each unique link clicked on by each subscriber.

Unique Opens - The number of unique subscribers that have opened an HTML-formatted message.

Unsubscribe Rates - This reflects the total number of subscriptions lost as a result of users unsubscribing from the mailing (unique unsubscribers / (sent - bounced).

Bubblebox Holdings, Inc. Copyright 2008.