Handbook

We’re big fans of brevity, but its become a little ridiculous. So many acronyms and terms are out there that it can leave you drooling and ROFLOL.However, to survive in a foreign land (i.e., the interweb) it pays to learn a little of the local lingo. Here’s a quick list of acronyms to help avoid awkward silences when mingling with web developers. 

API – Application Programming Interface: A simple way to provide an external application through a website. To have YouTube videos shown on a website, embed the YouTube API in the site.

Blog – Yes, Blog is an acronym for Web Log: A specified part of a website which houses articles/rants/notes by an author delivering such opinions/rants/notes on a consistent basis. Designed to get people involved and attract readers.

CPA (or CPL) – Cost per Action/Cost per Lead: The advertiser pays the publisher for the ad only when it leads to the completion of a desired action such as a confirmed sale, registration, etc.

CPC – Cost per Click: The same as PPC but different. It’s the cost per click based on the number of clicks on a specific ad. Where PPC is an advertising program, CPC is the estimated cost thereof.

CPM – Cost Per Mille: Mille is derived from the Latin word meaning 1,000. To have a banner/tile/advertisement on a specific website, for every 1,000 impressions (times viewed) this is what it would cost.

FTP – File Transfer Protocol: A simple way to transfer large digital files between computers. Yousendit.com is another convenient way to send large files, FYI.

IM – Instant Message: Why talk when you can type? The rise in instant messaging clients like MSN Messenger and Skype has allowed users to chat with people anywhere in the world, without having to pick up a phone. It’s becoming increasingly popular on service sites (especially travel based). Good for speed. Exceptionally bad for grammar.

IP – Internet Protocol: A given number specifying your computer and/or network’s physical location. IP address is where we can find you…

PPC – Pay Per Click: You know those listings/banners/ads/pop-ups/tiles, etc. with fancy graphics or witty copy, subtly urging you to click here? Well every time you do a puppy dies…well not really, actually every time you do, the advertiser pays a specified amount.

SEO – Search Engine Optimization: The process of optimizing your site’s content and reach to impact search engine rankings. It’s based on the fact that people are generally lazy. The higher you rank on a search page, the more chance people will check out your site. The lower you are, the less chance.

SEM – Search Engine Marketing: Familiar with those ads you ignore located at the top in a pink rectangle and/or on the right of the page when you search a term on Google? Those made Google 29 billion dollars last year and they work very well. Google AdWords allow users to bid on search terms. If you bid the right amount, your ad/website will show in these results. Remember this equation: Google (first page) + above the fold=goldmine.

SM – Social Media: Social Media is such a broad term; the easiest way to break it down is this: a peer-to-peer sharing of everything via various outlets on the internet. The current big names in the game are obviously Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, but there are hundreds (if not thousands) of different sites on which to share photos of kittens in teacups.

SMS – Short Messaging Service: Also called text-messaging.

URL – Uniform Resource Locator: Just a fancy term for web address (i.e., www.tugboatgroup.com).