A unique address identifying a site on the Internet. The domain name follows the "@" symbol in an email address and is followed by ".com," ".net," ".org" or other designations. Example: Lyris.com.

The way domain names are translated into TCP/IP addresses.

A Web page submitted to individual search engine spiders to meet specific relevancy algorithms. The doorway page presents information to the spider while obscuring it from human viewers. The purpose of doorway pages is to present the spider with the format it needs for optimum rankings while presenting a more appropriate version to human viewers. It's also a way for Webmasters to avoid publicly disclosing placement tactics. The use of doorway pages customizes submission to each individual search engine. Also known as gateway pages, bridge pages, entry pages, portals or portal pages.

A list that requires members to confirm their membership before being added to the list.

A formal standard for the description of metadata elements.

Web page content that changes or is changed automatically based on database content or user information. You can usually spot dynamic sites when the URL ends with .asp, .cfm, .cgi or .shtml, but it's also possible to serve dynamic content with standard static pages (.htm or .html). Many search engines index dynamic content, but some don't if there's a "?" character in the URL.

A site map scripted to allow the user to expand or collapse categories within the navigation map.

A program used to send, retrieve, and read email. Examples are Outlook or Eudora.

The part of the email message that describes where it's from, where it's going, who it's being sent from, etc. Generally, most of the header is hidden by the email client.

A company that specializes in outsourced, bulk email services for permission-based email marketing. ESP's provide tracking information about open and bounce rates, as well as list segmentation to allow the user to send targeted messages to their opt-in readers.

To process a non-text message (a file or picture) into text for the purposes of being mailed. Your email client will automatically decode attachments.

The first page of a Web site visit. See also Landing Page and Exit Page.

Any logged or recorded action that has a specific date and time assigned to it by either the Web browser or server.

The concluding page of a Web site visit.

The process by which the email client (ISP) of the receiver forwards complaints of emails marked as spam by recipients for removal by the sender. Usually treated by senders as an unsubscribe request. (Also see Spam Complaint)

A particular area of an email message that has a fixed purpose, such as the 'To:' field.

Acronym for File Transfer Protocol, a common method for transferring files or data between computers.

A process to find flaws or weaknesses in the sales "funnel" starting from prospecting to conversions to sales. Funnel tracking identifies where prospects leave the sales process.

The real-world geographic location of an Internet- connected computer, mobile device or Web-site visitor.

A Web page (e.g. confirmation page) reachable only after the visitor has achieved a goal, such as a purchase, download or site registration.

A hard bounce is the failed delivery of an email due to a permanent reason, such as a non-existent email address. Hard bounces indicate that the message should not be re-sent.

The code at the top of a Web page that contains the basic instructions a browser needs to decode and present the page correctly to the viewer. Example: < html> which identifies the page as a Web page.

These HTML tags contain hierarchical elements that indicate the importance of the headings and subtitles as well as the corresponding body content on a Web page.   

This hierarchy is extremely important for both Search Engine indexing and Text Reader content weight, while also providing a clear structure for organizing content on a page.

Headings are typically designated from h1 to h6 used in descending order (h1 being the most important) and ideally should contain strategic keywords.

Abbreviation for Hypertext Markup Language; a cross-platform text-formatting system for creating Web pages, including copy, images, sounds, frames, animation and more.

A device that converts a URL into a clickable link on a Web page or in an HTML-format email message.