GLOSSARY
Too many definitions? We offer to help. Take a glimpse at this glossary with commonly used terms related to the email marketing world and to On Demand solutions.
A
Applications as a Service: Known in the cloud as Software as a Service (SaaS), is a model of software development wherein an application is hosted by a service provider in the Internet cloud for customers to use.
API : (Application Program Interface) is a program or application that accesses another program in order to transmit data. A customer can have an API connection to load information from a database into an email delivering system and, in turn, receive data from that same system.
ASP: (Application Service Provider) companies that provide web-based services. Customers are not required to install any software on their computers, because all tasks are carried out on an ASP server.
A/B Division: : a division used to create a test in which a list is proportionally divided and where different types of emails are sent. The response rate determines the type of email needed to be sent.
Authentication: is used to establish identification and association by reputation of delivery using domains or reputable service providers. When an email is not authenticated, bypassing the Spam Filters becomes more difficult and the unidentified email does not reach the inbox.
Attachment: a video, PDF or any other type of document sent along with an email but not included in the body of text.
Authentication cryptology: method used by a password-based domain technology whereby a password couplet is generated by email senders (one part is DNS and the other, the head of the message). Mailbox providers request DNS to assure the password signature in the heading matches the DNS key.
B
Blacklists: a list of IP addresses or domains deemed as Spam (unsolicited email) sources.
Blog: a regularly updated website wherein texts or articles of one or more authors are shown in a reverse-chronological order, meaning the first one is the latest one. Authors reserve the right to post works they consider pertinent.
Bounce Message: an email message that did not arrive at its destination. There are multiple reasons that cause emails to bounce, such as full inboxes, closed accounts, or bounces due to content.
C
Call for Action: an email message link that encourages consumers to carry out certain actions previously determined by the sender. This action includes clicking, downloading a document, confirming or buying something.
Clicking Index: it is more important than Opening Index. It measures clicking patterns on a determined link displayed in an email. These links generally take you to a subscription, an Internet page, or to download a type of file.
Cloud Computing: a technology used to access services offered in the Internet cloud. Everything an informatics system has to offer is provided as a service, so users can access these services available in the “Internet cloud” without having any previous know-how (or at least not as an expert) on managing the resources involved.
Cookies: small text files transferred to your computer by a web server. They are generally used to maintain user authentication, navigation records, and specific information about users.
Converting range: measures the percentage of recipients that generated the target action in an email campaign.
CRM: (Customer Relationship Management) Helps companies track prospects that later become customers. Also, helps monitor interactions of customers with different points of contact within a company.
Conversion: the process whereby a predetermined email designed by a particular brand or company triggers certain actions to capture a prospect, a sale or download of a file or document.
D
Data Base: a set of related data stored systematically for future reference. For example, a library may be considered a database, composed mainly of documents and printed texts indexed for reference. Currently, given the technological advances in areas such as informatics and electronics, most databases are found in digital format (electronically), thereby offering a wide range of solutions for data storage.
Delivery Index: measures effectiveness of message reception in an inbox. If 1,000 messages are sent that only reach 5,00 inboxes, this would mean you had a 50% delivery index. Delivery is the key in attaining success in your marketing campaign.
Digital Signature: a digital or electronic signature is a cryptographic method that associates the identity of a person or a team of informatics professionals with a message or document, in this case, sent by email. This feature is available using MasterBase® Pro.
Domain: a group of network links that share a common communication address.
Double Entry Option: a further step than the Opt-in feature. Confirmation ends when the customer accepts -through his/her own mailbox- that they will provide personal information.
DNS: (Domain Name System) a hierarchical and distributed database that stores information associated to domain names in networks such as the Internet. Although, as a database, DNS is capable of associating different information to each name, most common uses are assigning domain names to IP addresses, and localizing email servers for each domain.
Dynamic Content: Content that varies from one recipient to another according to a predetermined set of rules or variables. Content may vary depending on historical behavior (purchases, document downloads, etc).
E
Email Archiving: This service contributes to solving one of the biggest problems faced by IT departments, the saturation of the resources used in email management and storage.
Email Marketing: is an online marketing tool. Easy-to-use, low cost and effective, it enables dialogue with your customers in a personalized manner through the use of relevant communication.
eMarketing: the study of technical uses of the Internet to advertise and/or sell products and services. It includes hits from advertisement, banner ads in web pages, massive email sending, search-engine marketing (including search engine optimization), and merchandising of blogs.
Engagement Marketing: measures the scope of significant brand experience a customer shows upon being exposed to an advertisement, sponsor, personal contact, etc.
Engaging: the art of preventing a customer from unsubscribing or detaching from a specific brand.
ESP: (E-mail Service Provider), a company focused on providing email marketing services.
Entry Option: Opt-out, a specific request made by a person through a link in an email to NOT participate in a specific mailing list.
F
Feedback Loops: An alert mechanism that reaches an alleged email sender. It is a technology used between an ISP and an ESP to send Spam complaints requiring the sender to remove or unsubscribe recipients.
FTP: (File Transfer Protocol) In informatics, it refers to a network protocol of file transferring between systems connected to a TCP network based on the customer-server architecture. This means a costumer can connect to a server to both download and/or send files regardless of the operating system available on their device.
H
HTML: is the predominant language for construction of web pages. It is used to describe structure and content in text form as well as to compliment text with objects such as images.
I
Infrastructure as a Service: provides computing resources, such as servers, connections, storage and other necessary tools to construct an application design that is prepared to meet different needs of multiple organizations, making it quick, easy and economically viable.
IMAP: (Instant Message Access Protocol), accessing method for the editing of emails stored on a server.
ISP: (Internet Service Provider), company focused on connecting the Internet with users or different networks, providing maintenance, and functioning access to the Internet. Also, it offers related services, such as web-hosting or domain registry, among others. Typical ISP’s are Google, Hotmail, MSN, Entel, VTR, Terra, etc.
J
JavaScript: an interpreted programming language which does not need compiling, and is used mainly on web-pages with syntax similar to Java language and C language.
L
Link: directs you to another web resource after clicking on it.
Link Analysis: analyzes performance of message links, such as click patterns, etc.
M
MasterBase®: a company that provides services based using the Cloud Computing model; in other words, services hosted in the Internet cloud.
MTA: (Mail Transport Agent), a program that transfers email from one computer to another.
N
Newsletter: periodic information related to a certain context, that is used to establish frequent and constant communication with customers with the aim of keeping them informed, while generating permission-based marketing and engagement.
No subscription Index: also known as Opt-out, indicates if the message relevancy or value is maintained. Ideally this indicator should be kept as close to “0” as possible. If this number increases, message content or target audience should be revised.
O
Opening Index: Although the opening rate only measures who clicked then opened the email, this does not necessarily mean the content was read. Nevertheless, it is important to measure this behavior do determine opening pattern.
On Demand: a computer service wherein applications are offered to users through subscription. Applications are not installed on the user’s computer, but accessed through the Internet.
OSR: (Online Searchable Recorder), a fast, easy-to-use service aimed at searching and storing entries that are built on a unique platform.
P
Permission-based Marketing: marketing solution based on requiring permission to target customers for sending advertisement or any other type of communications with the intent of maintaining direct contact.
Platform as a Service: generates all facilities required to support the complete cycle of construction and delivery of web-based applications wholly available on the Internet without the need of downloading software, or special installations by developers.
Phishing: term that derives from “fishing” that refers to the act of “fishing” users by means of increasingly sophisticated baits in order to obtain financial and password information. Those involved in this act are known as “phishers”.
Personalization: a method to tailor content for a particular message.
Privacy policies: policy whereby a company commits to keeping customers’ data private, and will never sell or lease the information, nor share the information with others.
POP: (Post Office Protocol, POP3), used in informatics for local customers to obtain email messages stored on a remote server. The majority of users subscribed to Internet providers access their emails through POP3.
R
Relevancy: the importance and/or interest customers give a particular mail or company. The more personalized the message, the more relevance it has for the recipient.
Reliability: Concept referring to the existence of multiple redundancy sites for computing resources that facilitate continuity of business and immediate recovery from any possible outage.
ROI: (Return on Investment), percentage of profitability achieved by a specific action.
Relating: refers to establishing a link with customers aimed at increasing loyalty and engagement with the brand, product, or service.
Reputation: the opinion held by the ISP, the anti-spam community, and customers regarding message senders or domains.
RSS: (Really Simple Syndication), a family of web font formats coded in XML used to provide subscribers with frequently updated information. The format allows the distribution of content without the need for a navigator, by means of software designed to read RSS (aggregator) content.
S
Scalability: Capacity for growing resource demands both in storing capacity and/or any other type of requirement to fit flexible needs.
Self-response: an automated message generated after certain action is carried out, for example, a message of greetings after subscribing to a Newsletter, or after purchasing an item.
Send to a Friend: A recipient forwards a message to a third party based on the level of interest said party may have. Delivery may be through the customer’s email address or a link shown on the email that provides addresses of third parties.
Simple Entry Option: (Opt-In), is the specific request made by a person to be part of a specific mailing list by clicking on the link of an email.
Spam: any unsolicited mail that has not received permission from a recipient to enter its inbox.
Spam Filter: Term used to describe any process or technology whereby an incoming message is inspected and classified as legitimate, illegitimate, or as Spam.
Spoofing: term referring to fraudulent email actions whereby sender’s address or other sections thereof are altered to simulate that the message is coming from another source or sender.
SFA: part of an information system focused on sales force management and control used in generating new business opportunities. This service is available to you through MasterBase® Pro.
SMTP: (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol), a protocol typically used for user-level customer applications, aka official internet standard. It is a network protocol based on text used for exchanging messages between computers or other devices (PDA, telephones, mobiles, etc.) and defined in RFC 2821.
SEO: (Search Engine Optimization), the process of arranging information on web pages accordingly with the intention of ranking first among search results. It consists on using multiple techniques to increase chances of ranking high on search engine result lists by using certain search terms and key phrases.
Spam Traps: Many ISP companies use Spam Traps to identify, filter and/or block potential Spam. These traps consist of email addresses that should not be receiving mail, either because they are obsolete or specifically designed to attract and capture spam. They are also used by companies that seek to track down other companies dedicated to creating spam.
T
TFTP: (Trivial File Transfer Protocol), a very simple transfer protocol similar to a basic FTP version. TFTP is usually used to transfer small files between networks like when an X Window terminal or any other thin client customer boots from a service provider.
TCP/IP: A protocol family of the Internet, that is a set of Internet-based network protocols that allow transmission of data between computer networks. In some cases, they are called TCP/IP in reference to two of the most important protocols: TCP and IP which were the first two protocols to be defined and are the most widely used of the family.
Transactional Message: type of email responding to an event.
Triggered Messages: automation of a response to an event, such as subscription, registration, buying, survey completion, PDF download, etc. It is an immediate and personalized confirmation or notification.
U
URL: (Uniform Resource Locator), an address used to identify the location of web resources, or in other words, a website address.
UBE: (Unsolicited Bulk Email), a type of spam. It is unsolicited or undesirable mail, unauthorized by recipients.
W
W3C: (World Wide Web Consortium), an international consortium that develops standards for the World Wide Web. It is directed by Tim Berners Lee, original creator or URL, HTTP and HTML, which are the main web-based technologies.
Web 2.0: named by Tim O`Reilly in 2004, to refer to a second generation in Web history based on user communities and a wide range of services, such as social networks, blogs, wikis or folksonomies, that encourage collaboration and efficient exchange of information among users.
Whitelists: a list of reputable email senders which helps solve the reputation dilemma. These lists are created and maintained by ISP’s and contain reputable IP addresses.
X
XML: (Extensible Markup Language), an extendible tag language developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). It is a simplification and adaptation of SGML and allows defining specific language grammar (in the same way HTML is a language defined by SGML).
XHTML: (eXtensive HyperText Markup Language), a markup language conceived to substitute HTML as standard for web pages.