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Internet Marketing Glossary Of Terms Part 3

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This is Part 3 of the Internet Marketing Glossary.  Internet Marketing Terminology explained in plain English. Bookmark this page and return to it as necessary.  Enjoy.

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ICQ- An IM program that is downloaded to your computer. ICQ allows you to contact other ICQ members through instant messaging. It also offers electronic greeting cards, games and worldwide chat rooms. The program is available for download at www.icq.com.

IM- Instant Messaging is the act of instantly communicating over the Internet, using on of many Instant Messaging platforms. IM is one of the most popular methods to have private one-on-one conversation online. Unlike message boards, the messages on an IM program are private. IM technology also differs from e-mail in that the private conversation can take place in real time.

Instant messaging makes it easy to confirm details on contracts and other business matters. It is also a popular social tool, and the driving force behind the development of IM features has been mainly social, and not business oriented. There are many popular IM programs that can be used. Most, if not all of them, are available for free.

IM programs are downloaded to your computer, installed and then accessible at any time. Some of the most popular programs are:

• ICQ (www.icq.com)

• AOL Instant Messenger (often called AIM)

• Gchat, which available when you use a free Gmail e-mail address.

• Yahoo Instant Messenger, which is usable by anyone with a  free with Yahoo e-mail address.

• MSN messenger which links to the free Hotmail e-mail program provided by MSN.

Once you choose an IM program, you can speak with other people who use that same IM program. A third party free program named Trillian (http://www.ceruleanstudios.com/) allows you to combine your contacts from any of the major IM programs, and use one simple IM interface.

Internet - The Internet is also referred to as just the Net, and is a worldwide system of interconnected computer networks. The computers are connected through copper wires, fiber optic cables or wireless connections. The Internet consists of millions of smaller networks that have been established by businesses, academic institutions and government networks. All together these networks carry information and services (like electronic mail, online chat and Web pages).

It is a common misconception that the Internet and World Wide Web are interchangeable terms. Actually the Internet refers to the physical or wireless connection between computers. The World Wide Web refers to the connected documents that exist on the Internet.

Although the Internet seems to be a relatively new phenomenon to the general public, the basics of what would become the Internet were actually established in 1969. More developments were made through the next two decades and the network was publicized in the early 1990s.

You connect to the Internet using an Internet Service Provider (or ISP). ISPs provide the connection to the rest of the World Wide Web and are normally monthly fee-based services. An example of an ISP is AOL or Yahoo DSL. Common methods of accessing the Internet from home are dial-up, broadband (connection over fiber optic or copper wires), satellite and Wi-Fi. These connection methods have various speeds and download times. Some are not available in all areas, so make sure to check with companies in your area before making a switch of connection type.

Internet marketing – This is also known as online marketing and web marketing. This form of marketing combines traditional marketing principles with the unique interactive elements of the World Wide Web. The purpose of Internet marketing is to promote products and services online.

IRT - Anagram for “In Real Time.” For example, chat rooms allow individuals to converse IRT.

ISP (Internet Service Provider) - A company that provides users with access to the Internet. Before you can connect to the Internet, you must first establish an account with an ISP. For a monthly fee the Internet Service provider gives you the software package, a user name, a password and an access phone number. Often times there is a free e-mail address included.

Once the ISP software is installed on your computer, and you register your service, you will be able to connect to the Internet and surf the World Wide Web. The speed of the Internet connection will depend on the bandwidth of the hardware you use to connect to the Internet.

ISPs have a wide range of prices and packages to choose from. There are ISPs that service large companies and establish large networks. There are also ISPs that cater to the public and establish individual access to the Internet.

When selecting an ISP, be sure to choose a provider that has a local access number so you can avoid paying long-distance charges when you connect. Other bonuses to look for are accounts that offer unlimited access, as well as free space for your own Web site.

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JPG - Pronounced “jay peg”, this is one of the most common types of image formats that is used on the Internet. The format is either abbreviated as JPG or jpeg from Joint Photographic Experts Group. JPG technology was designed for compressing either full-color or gray-scale images of natural, real-world scenes. It works well on photographs, naturalistic artwork and similar material. When a standard image is compressed into JPG format, some of the decompressed image isn’t quite as sharp as it was before.

JV (Joint Venture) – Although joint venture is not exclusively an Internet term, the concept is an important part of any Internet marketing program. At its most basic level, a joint venture is a business move that is made by two or more entities to the mutual advantage of each. In the Internet world, this process can take one of many forms.

-Person A can offer Person B’s product on Person A’s mailing list. This is done when Person B has a great product, but few means of distribution. Person A will normally receive a percentage of the profit from sales made on the mailing list.

-Person A and Person B collaborate to create a brand new product or service. Both parties will promote the product on their mailing lists. This normally happens with information products, and can include 3 or more collaborators.

-Person A can interview Person B for an article, short report or audio program. Person B will get promotion for their current product, and Person A gets exclusive information that they can use to sell Person B’s product as an affiliate.

Joint Ventures are a driving force in the Internet marketing world, and savvy marketers find ways to make JV deals part of their long-term success strategies.

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Keyword - A term that you type into a search engine to begin an online search. Keywords are also used in HTML to help search engines identify and index a Web site.

Keyword research -The search for keywords related to your Web site, in order to analyze which ones yield the highest return on investment for PPC and other types of advertising. Wordtracker (www.wordtracker.com) and other keyword research tools help advertisers pick appropriate keywords for their campaigns.

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Left click - Clicking on the button on the left side of the mouse. The left button is the primary selector tool on the standard mouse. When you use the left button to click on an icon on the computer screen, the program will open.

Link - This is reference to another document, resource or web page. Links are “clickable,” meaning that placing your cursor over the link and clicking will take you directly to the information that you are looking for. Links are a short form the official term “hyperlink.”

Links can also be used as a form of “internet” currency. Google ranks websites based on the number of related links that they have to and from their website. Many online businesses seek links to add to their websites so they can increase their ranking on Google and other search engines.

Log in - This term is sometimes spelled “login” and is interchangeable with the term “log on.” To “log in” to the Internet is the act of connecting to the World Wide Web. The term is also used to refer to the act of entering your user name and password into a website, e-mail program, instant messenger system, message board or chat room. When you are “logged on” to the Internet, website or program, you have access to all of the features available. Many sites that require privacy ask you to register with the site and then login with a name and password.

Login Name – Also called a “user name” or “user ID,” this is the name you use to access certain programs, websites, software or networks. A login name is the “nickname” for a user on the Internet. Normally, the user can pick their own login name. Quite often, a login name for e-mail programs is the first part of the e-mail address. Many people choose to use the same or similar login names for all of their Internet activity.

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Mailbot - An e-mail server that automatically responds to requests for information. Also called an autoresponder.

Message Boards - An alternate term for forums. Please see “forum” entry.

Meta Tags - Meta tags are part of the HTML code that makes up what you see on a website. When webmasters create web pages, meta tags are used to provide structured information about a web page. These tags are placed in between the <head> and </head> sections of an HTML document.

However, the meta tags are not visible to the person looking at the website through an Internet browser. Meta tags are part of the hidden code of the web page that is recognizable to the web browser only. Meta tags are used by search engines (like Google or Yahoo) to generate and display a list of search results based on what a user enters into the search engine. Tags do the same thing, however Meta Tags refer to the overall keywords for the entire website, while tags refer to the specific web page.

Meta tags have been used as a key component of a technique called search engine optimization. Since websites are listed based on their meta tags, it is commercially advantageous to pick the right meta tags to drive traffic to a website.

MSN - This stands for MicroSoft Network. MSN offers a wide variety of programs and features to Internet users. The main website, www.msn.com, is a site that many people use as their homepage. MSN offers news and information on the main site, as well as search engine functions. MSN also offers MSN Instant Messaging, which is a downloadable program that allows real time text messaging between members. MSN’s e-mail service “Hotmail” is another popular service. Most MSN services are free of charge.

Mod - An abbreviation for “moderator.” A moderator is a volunteer who screens messages for a moderated mailing list, newsgroup or a forum. A moderator’s main job is to make sure that conversation on the group flows freely, and within the site or list guidelines. They watch for inappropriate language, “flaming” and off topic messages. Depending on the site or list, moderators may have the ability to change the look and style of the main page.

Mouse - A device that connects to your computer and is used to move the pointer or cursor on your screen. A standard mouse is equipped with two or more control buttons. A mouse is used to highlight text, open menu items and launch programs.

The Internet Marketing Glossary Part 1

The Internet Marketing Glossary Part 2

The Internet Marketing Glossary Part 3

The Internet Marketing Glossary Part 4

The Internet Marketing Glossary Part 5