EMGlossary

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Sampling

The process of selecting units of a population that will be used to yield knowledge about the larger population.

Scalability

The capacity of a system, network or process of keeping pace with changes and growth in cost-effective increments without impacting overall performance.

Scenario Analysis

A report showing the different activity levels at each step in a defined scenario and conversion rates for each transition.

Screen Colors

The different possible colors that can be viewed on a computer screen.

Screen Resolutions

Refers to the sharpness of your computer screen.  The greater the resolution, the better the picture quality will be.

Search Engine

A software program used to help users find and retrieve information on the internet.

Search Engine Marketing

The process of marketing a website on search engines with the goal of improving its ranking in order to promote visibility and boost customer traffic.

Search Engine Optimization

The process of improving the volume and quality of traffic to a website through targeted keywords via organic searches.

Search Terms

Also known as keyword phrases, keywords or queries, these are words used in performing a search to reach your site.

Segment

A grouping of visitors that are defined by website activity, used as a means to target them effectively.

Sell-Through Rate

The percentage of ad or product inventory sold.

Server

A computer that provides network services available to anyone accessing the internet.

Server Error

A fault occurring on the server.

Session

A continuous period of time in which one visitor is browsing through a web site within the same server or domain.

Sessionization

The process and methods used for creating a session.

Short Code

Special telephone numbers that, when used in conjunction with a keyword, can be sent as SMS or MMS messages from mobile phones.  Short codes are five or six digits in the United States.  In the example “Text STOP to 45234,” “45234” is the short code and “STOP” is the keyword. Short code is also known as Common Short Code (CSC).

Short Message Service (SMS)

A communications protocol that allows for the sending and receiving of text between mobile phones. Also referred to as a text message, SMS messages are usually limited to 160 characters.

Site Map

A document that serves as a hierarchical visual model of the various webpages belonging to a website and how they link to each other.

Sniffer

A software program that monitors network traffic and detects capabilities of the user's browser.

Social Media

The category of media based on user participation and developed by consumers such as social networks, online communities, message boards, forums, websites, blogs, podcasts and more.

Social Network

Websites designed to create online communities and to promote interaction among individuals or groups who share common interests and goals.

Spam

Unsolicited bulk or junk email

Splash Page

The preliminary page that the user sees first before being redirected to the main content of the website.

Spider

An electronic bug that prowls the internet looking for publicly accessible resources to be stored in a database.

Strategic Planning

The decision-making process that involves determining the steps required to reach a short- or long-term objective and the allocation of the available capital and human resources.

Streaming Media

The audio-visual content that is played as it is being downloaded to the end-user’s streaming provider.

Stock Keeping Units (SKU)

A unique identifier of a product that is used in tracking, budgets, merchandising and planning.

Submission

The process of registering a website’s content to a search engine or directory.

Suffix

The last part of a domain name used to recognize the location of a site or the type of organization.