The 100 most important online marketing abbreviations explained simply:
A/B Testing
A/B testing is a method in which two different versions of websites, apps, advertisements, etc. are tested on a target group, thus enabling a direct comparison of performance.
Ad - Advertising
Advertising, or ad for short, is the English term for publicity. Advertising - by definition - is the dissemination of information by companies in order to gain notoriety, maintain a certain image and ultimately increase sales (in the case of for-profit companies).
Ad Creative
The ad creative is the visual or audible element of an ad and an influential factor on performance. The creative can be an image, video, or audio and should convey a consistent brand image and evoke a positive response from the audience.
Affiliate marketing
Affiliate marketing is the term used to describe the cooperation between a merchant and a marketer (affiliate). The merchant provides suitable advertising material, which the affiliate uses to promote the product/service on its websites. If the affiliate is successful, he is paid a commission.
AI - Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence is the concept of transferring human learning and thinking behavior to a computer. The goal is that the computer does not have to be programmed for every situation, but finds solutions on its own and can therefore handle tasks independently without further input.
AOV - Average Order Value
Average Order Value is the average order value of a website or app. Increasing the AOV is a way to increase direct sales and is often cheaper than acquiring new customers, as no new transaction costs are incurred.
Audience
The English term "audience" can be translated as "target group" in the context of online marketing. This target group can correspond to the entire population, but it can also be precisely defined according to various criteria (age, gender, interests, web activity, etc.).
B2B - Business-to-Business
Business-to-business (B2B for short) is the term used to describe business relationships between at least two companies for the trade of products and services.
B2C - Business-to-Consumer
Business-to-consumer (B2C for short) refers to the business relationship between companies and the end consumer of the respective products or services.
Backlink
Backlinks are links that refer to a website from another website. The number of backlinks on external websites can be an indicator of the popularity of the website and therefore plays a role in the search engine ranking.
Bounce rate
The bounce rate is an indicator for the performance of a website or an advertisement. The bounce rate represents the number of users who leave a website after only a short stay, i.e. they visit only one subpage or stay on the page for only a few seconds.
CAC - Customer Acquisition Costs
Customer Acquisition Costs are the average costs incurred to acquire a new customer. The aim of companies is to minimize CAC in order to increase efficiency and profits.
CD - Corporate Design
The term corporate design refers to the overall appearance of a company and the communication of a uniform corporate identity. Components of corporate design include the company logo, product design or advertising materials, which should offer a certain recognition value in order to increase brand awareness.
Churn rate
Churn is a combination of the words "change" and "turn". The churn rate refers to the number of "churned" customers, i.e. customers who no longer use the product/service, in relation to the total number. The churn rate is therefore an indicator of changes in the customer base.
CLV - Customer Lifetime Value
Customer lifetime value is the average value that each customer has for the company over his or her entire "customer life," including both past and future transactions. The key figure therefore provides information about the customer base and the acquisition of new customers.
CMS- Content Management System
A content management system is a software with which web content in text form, images, videos, etc. can be created, published and managed. This can be done even without programming knowledge, since it works via a graphical user interface.
Conversion
The English term conversion describes the case where a user performs an action desired by the advertiser/seller, for example, makes a purchase/registration, etc. The term conversion is used to describe the process of conversion. Conversions can be different actions and depend on the goals of the advertiser/seller.
Cookies
Cookies are small data packages (text files) that are created by a website and stored in the user's browser. Cookies can be used to store information about behavior, such as the duration of website visits or whether the website has already been visited. This information can be used for advertising purposes and optimizing the user experience, among other things.
CPA - Cost-per-Action
Cost-per-action (CPA) is a cost model in online marketing in which costs are incurred by advertisers as a result of a certain action by users - for example, sales or the "add to cart" action. In contrast to cost-per-click (see entry), no costs are incurred by merely clicking on the advertisement/linked website. The formula for calculating the CPA is: expenditure / actions = CPA.
CPC cost-per-click
Cost-per-click (CPC) refers to a cost model in online marketing in which costs are incurred by clicking on the advertisement/linked website. The formula for calculating the CPC is: expenditure / clicks = CPC.
CPL - Cost-per-Lead
Cost-per-lead (CPL) refers to a cost model in online marketing in which costs are incurred by contacting potential customers. Lead forms are mainly used by companies where a direct purchase on the website is not possible - for example, physical services. The formula for calculating the CPL is: expenditure / leads = CPL.
CPM - Cost-per-mille
Cost-per-mille refers to a cost model in online marketing in which the costs are incurred by every 1000 impressions (views of the advertisement). A distinction is made between gross CPM (multiple views included) and net CPM (number of actual persons). The formula for calculating CPM is: expenditure / thousand impressions = CPM.
CPO - Cost-per-Order
Cost-per-order (CPO) refers to a cost model in online marketing in which costs are incurred through a purchase on the website. New customers and returning customers are recorded. The formula for calculating the CPO is: expenditure / purchases = CPO.
CPS - Cost-per-Sale
Synonym for CPO
CPV - Cost-per-View
Cost-per-view refers to a cost model in online marketing in which costs are incurred per view of the ad. The formula for calculating CPV is: expenditure / views = CPV.
CR - Conversion Rate
Conversion rate is the percentage of interested people who perform the desired action (conversion) on a website. Conversions can be purchases, signups, contacts, etc. and depend on the seller's goals.
CRM - Customer Relationship Management
Customer relationship management is to be understood as a strategy to plan and control all interactive customer processes. Methods such as the documentation and evaluation of customer conversations can be used here. The aim is to optimize customer orientation in the long term.
CRO - Conversion Rate Optimization
Conversion Rate Optimization refers to the process of increasing the number of conversions (desired actions) on a website. It involves determining how users move across the interface and what possible reasons might be against a purchase.
CSS - Cascading Style Sheets
CSS is the name of a programming language used to specify the design of electronic documents without changing the content. In this way, among other things, color, font or layout can be adjusted.
CTA - Call-to-Action
The term call-to-action can be translated as request for action. Here, the potential customer is to be instructed to take a specific action with certain expressions such as "Inform now" - often in combination with a link. In this way, it is possible to achieve more direct purchases or desired actions.
CTR - Click-through-rate
The click-through rate is the number of clicks on a link in relation to impressions and thus measures the popularity of a particular ad. The formula for calculating the CTR is: clicks / impressions * 100.
CX - Customer Experience
Customer experience refers to the overall experience that customers have with a company. This includes all touchpoints such as initial contact, information procurement, purchase, etc. The goal of companies is to optimize the CX in the long term.
D2C - Direct to Consumer
Direct to consumer is a concept in which a company is in direct contact with the end consumer. The product is marketed directly to the customer and no intermediaries or platforms are deliberately involved. D2C is more cost-effective than distribution via other dealers, and it also enables improved communication with customers.
eCPM - Effective-Cost-per-Mille
The eCPM is an indicator for determining the profitability of advertising. It indicates the estimated revenues that can be generated with an advertising medium with 1000 impressions and thus differs from CPM (see entry).
Engagement rate
The engagement rate describes the number of interactions on a social media page in relation to its followers and is an important indicator of the quality of the content. The ER is calculated as follows: Total engagement per post (all likes, comments, shares) / reach per post * 100.
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
A FAQ is a collection of frequently asked questions and frequently occurring problems. This is intended to make it easier for users to get solutions and to spend less effort searching or contacting them, which improves the user experience.
FB - Facebook
With around 2.9 billion users, Facebook is the world's largest social media platform and is operated by Meta Platforms. The network brings with it functions suitable for both private users and companies, including sharing posts, placing ads, communicating via (group) chats, and creating events.
Frequency
The term Frequency refers to the frequency with which an advertisement is displayed to each user. A suitable frequency should be found at which multiple confrontation occurs, but the ad is not perceived as annoying.
Funnel
In the context of online marketing, funnel refers to the development of a (potential) prospect into a buyer. This process starts with a large number of prospects, from whom more and more "jump off" as the buying process continues, until only a few actual buyers remain at the end.
GA - Google Analytics
Google Analytics is a free analysis tool for websites and their user data. It provides details about the traffic on a website and thus helps to improve the performance and search engine ranking of a website and to optimize the content.
Google Search Console
Google Search Console is a free analysis and service tool from Google. With the help of this tool, the presence of a website in the Google search engine can be monitored and optimized with recourse to analysis data, and it also includes warnings about malware and unnatural backlinks.
Hyperlink
A hyperlink is a cross-reference in an electronic document. Jumps between several places in a document are possible, but also the connection of different documents. When the hyperlink is executed, the target is called up immediately.
IG - Instagram
Instagram is a social network from the operator Meta Platforms, which specializes primarily in photos and videos. Users can share, like and comment on posts and stories, and the platform also offers a range of image and video editing options. Instagram also offers advantages for companies, since paid advertising can be placed or a brand or company profile can be used to communicate with the community.
influencer marketing
Influencer marketing is a concept in which influencers (influence) with a large reach and a high degree of trust and credibility within their community are used for marketing purposes. It is often the case that the influencers are experts on the level of the product being marketed, which is why the interests of the community are addressed directly.
Knowledge Graph
The term Knowledge Graph generally describes a system for searching and linking information. In addition to the specific search results, additional information can also be displayed in a search engine in order to simplify the search as much as possible.
Knowledge Panel
The Knowledge Panel is part of the Google Knowledge Graph and consists of a section of the Google search to the right of the search results, where more detailed information about the searched company is listed. This simplifies contacting and provides a better overview.
Keyword
A keyword is a search term that users enter in the search bar of search engines to start a search. For the ranking of a website in the search engine, the selection of suitable keywords is a decisive factor.
KPI - Key Performance Indicator
A key performance indicator is an indicator that measures the success or performance of a certain unit. This unit can be the entire company or an individual machine. KPIs thus play an important role in increasing efficiency.
KUR - cost-turnover ratio
The cost-turnover ratio represents the costs incurred (e.g. through advertising in relation to sales and is therefore an important indicator of profitability in marketing. The CUR is calculated as follows: Costs / Sales = KUR
Landing Page
Landing page is the name of a website to which the user is directed after clicking on an advertisement or a link in this advertisement. Often, the landing page is customized to provide the potential buyer with a quick and easy way to make a purchase.
Lead
The term lead stands for contact with a potential customer, for example through a contact form. By voluntarily leaving their contact details, a prospect already shows a great deal of interest, which is why leads are an important part of building a solid customer base.
ODAX - Outcome-Driven Ad Experiences
ODAX refers to the targeted use of advertising on all meta platforms. In Ads Manager, a specific target (reach, leads, sales, etc.) is defined when campaigns are created, and the campaign can be optimized for this target in the subsequent setup.
OOH - Out Of Home
Out-of-home advertising is the term used to describe all advertising activities that take place in public spaces. These can include large posters, screens in the subway, or shopping bags.
Page Views
Page views are the number of times a website is viewed in the browser, which is why it is an important metric for website performance.
Performance Marketing
Performance marketing is a strategy that focuses on the performance of the respective campaigns. Measurability (with KPIs; see entry) and optimization based on the measurements play a decisive role.
POS - Point of Sale
Point-of-sale is the (virtual) place where the sale of a product/service takes place and the customer has direct contact with it. The POS is a particularly relevant place in marketing and should be designed and organized to promote the processing of sales.
PPC - Pay Per Click
Synonym for cost-per-click
PPL - Pay-per-Lead
Synonym for cost-per-lead
PPA - Pay per Action
Synonym for Cost per Action (CPA)
PR - Public Relations
Public relations stands for the entirety of a company's communication in connection with the public. The aim of PR is often to build up a corporate image and brand awareness, including through social media, press appearances or public events. In this context, PR is not to be equated with advertising, as PR is not primarily aimed at selling products/services.
Programmatic advertising
Programmatic advertising is the term for the automated buying and selling of advertising space. Advertisers can purchase these advertising spaces in real time via an auction process and then play out their advertising.
Retargeting
Retargeting is a method in online marketing in which interested parties who have performed a certain action in connection with a product, service, etc. are shown a corresponding advertisement again. If, for example, someone has placed a product in the shopping cart but not completed the purchase, the chance of a purchase can then be increased by displaying a new advertisement for this product.
ROAS - Return-On-Ad-Spend
ROAS represents a key figure for evaluating the profitability of advertising and measures the revenue generated for each euro invested in advertising. The formula for calculating ROAS is: revenue / advertising expenditure = ROAS.
ROI - Return on Investment
ROI is a key figure used to determine the profitability of investments. The profit is set in relation to the capital employed (formula: profit / capital employed = ROI). ROI can be calculated for investments already made as well as for future investments (with estimated values).
SEA - Search Engine Advertising
Search Engine Advertising means "search engine advertising" and refers to the use of paid advertisements on search engine results pages and partner websites.
SEM - Search Engine Marketing
Search engine marketing is a concept for increasing the visibility of websites in search engine results. It comprises the two sub-areas Search Engine Advertising and Search Engine Optimization (see entries).
SEO - Search Engine Optimization
Search Engine Optimization is a term for measures to increase the visibility of websites in a search engine and thus also significantly improve the click-through rate. Optimization is performed for unpaid results and thus differs from search engine advertising (see entry).
SERP - Search Engine Result Page
The Search Engine Results Page is the English term for the page of a search engine on which the results are displayed after entering the search words. The SERP is composed of organic search results and paid ads.
SMM - Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing is a concept in which companies/organizations use social media to achieve goals such as improved brand or product perception or close customer relationships. The term includes paid advertisements and the management of a company or brand profile.
SOV - Share of Voice
The Share of Voice key figure refers to the proportion of a company's advertising that is shown as a percentage of the total number of advertisements. It is an indicator of the brand's visibility and therefore provides information about the company's role in the industry.
CPM - thousand contact price
See CPM
Traffic
Traffic means data traffic in a network and, in a narrower sense, accesses to a website. The traffic on a page can be increased by search engine marketing (see entry).
UGC - User-Generated Content
User-generated content is a type of content that is not created by the company itself, but by customers or users. For example, video clips, images, blogs or user reviews are suitable for marketing purposes to build a community and convey customer proximity.
USP - Unique Selling Proposition
The term Unique Selling Proposition describes a unique benefit that the advertised offer brings with it. USPs are intended to set the offer apart from the often large mass of competition and in this way convince customers to make a purchase.
UTM parameters
UTM parameters are extensions of a URL link that record the path a user took to reach the target website. In this way, it is possible, for example, to track which campaign attracted the interested party's attention to the website and made him visit it.
UX - User Experience
User experience is the entire experience that users have while using a product. Depending on the context, the focus may be on smooth functioning, fun or effectiveness. The goal of the company should be to optimize the UX through feedback or tests in order to ensure that customers have the best possible experience with their product.
WWW - World Wide Web
The World Wide Web is a globally accessible information system that enables the exchange of digital documents over the Internet. The components of the World Wide Web are hypertext systems, also known as websites, which in most cases consist of interrelated web documents.
YT - YouTube
YouTube is a video platform and a subsidiary of Google. It allows its users to upload videos for free and to watch and comment on other users' videos. YouTube places advertisements in front of many videos, which is why YouTube ads are used by many companies. Since 2014, YouTube has offered a premium version, which does not include advertising and ensures access to exclusive content.
404 error/ not found
404 error (also: not found, HTTP 404 or page not found) is a status code that states that the requested data cannot be found on the server. This can be the case for various reasons, such as the incorrect entry of the URL, a connection failure or the deletion or renaming of the page.