Aa

Application Service Provider (ASP)

• A company offering web-based services and software.
• No software needs to be installed on a computer; the services and software can be accessed and operated directly in a web browser.

Autoresponder

• Automated, event controlled send out of answers on incoming emails. For example, the sender automatically receives an acknowledgement after the email send out.

Bb

Blacklist

• A list operated by Email Service Providers (ESP’s) and Internet Service Providers (ISP’s) where the senders of spam or potential spam messages are named.
• If a message is sent by a company named in that list, the message would be blocked before it reaches the prospective inbox. 
• In partnership with ‘whitelists’, blacklists form the core of many spam filters.
• See also: Whitelist, Spam Filter

Body

• The content part of an email.
• See also: Header

Bounce Rate

• The percentage of emails sent through the mail server that are returned.
• See also: Bounces

Bounces

• Emails which are returned to the server they were sent from due to a delivery failure
• You can distinguish between ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ bounces as follows:
• A ‘hard’ bounce occurs when there is a permanent problem, e.g. an email address which does not exist or is incorrect.
• A ‘soft’ bounce happens when there is a temporary malfunction, e.g. the recipient’s inbox is full.

Broadcast Volume

• Number of email addresses being handled in the send-out process.
• See also: Delivered Volume.

Cc

Call-to-Action

• Where email recipients are directly asked to carry out a certain action, e.g. in the form of a hyperlink or a visual prompt.
• This request usually represents the first step in the subsequent interaction process between companies and users.

Churn Rate

• Proportion of recipients who unsubscribe from a newsletter within a certain time period.

Churn Rate

• Proportion of recipients who unsubscribe from a newsletter within a certain time period.

Click Rate / Click-Through-Rate

• The percentage of clicks on the total number of emails broadcast. 
• See also: Broadcast Volume

Click-To-Open-Ratio

• The ratio of click to open rate. It describes the proportion of people who have opened an email and subsequently clicked on at least one of the available links.
• The Click-to-Open-Ratio is supposed to be a significant indicator of the quality of your campaign.
• See also: Open Rate, Click Rate

Clicks

• The definitive number of clicks on a hyperlink.

Clicks

• The definitive number of clicks on a hyperlink

Closed Loop Marketing

• Closed Loop Marketing describes the optimum workflow of email marketing. Due to the comprehensive possibilities of controlling success, user profiles can be collected and based in these profiles all following campaigns and email newsletters can be conceived. Through this interactive process, there is a continuous improvement.

Content Management System (CMS)

• Software which can create, manage and publish website and email content.

Confirmed Opt-In

• The registration process where the subscriber receives a confirmation email before the first email newsletter is sent out, where there is an option to unsubscribe again. However, bear in mind that this procedure does not offer the same address quality like ‘Double Opt-In’.
• See also: Opt-In, Single Opt-In, Double Opt-In

Control of Success

• Measuring and evaluating the success of your email marketing strategy by analysing the click behaviour.
• See also: Open Rate, Click Rate, Purchase Rate, Conversion Rate, Click-to-Open-Ratio

Conversion

• Converting a responder (an email recipient who clicking on a hyperlink within the email for instance) to a buyer. Can also be linked related to downloads, registrations or similar.

Conversion Rate

• Number of recipients who have carried out a specific action – e.g. purchase, download or registration – in relation to the broadcasted volume of emails. Last year the Conversion Rate was just under 2% on average for the larger part of the campaigns.

Conversion Rate

• Number of recipients who have carried out a specific action – e.g. purchase, download or registration – in relation to the broadcasted volume of emails. Last year the Conversion Rate was just under 2% on average for the larger part of the campaigns.

Cost-per-Click (CPC)

• The figure which describes the costs of that email marketing activity per click on the hyperlinks within the email.

Cost-per-Order (CPO)

• The figure which describes the costs of the email marketing measure per completed transaction (e.g. order of a product).

Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

• A type of marketing discipline which allows a deeper individual relationship between a company and its client via a combination of all measures of marketing communication and customer service with IT technologies.

Click Rate / Click-Through-Rate (CTR)

• The percentage of clicks on the total number of emails broadcast. 
• See also: Broadcast Volume

Dd

Deliverability

• Deliverability comprises of two basic aspects of email broadcasting: reliable delivery of your emails into the recipients’ inboxes and rendability.
• Getting emails delivered can be complex, due to issues such as spam filters, firewalls etc but these problems can be alleviated by implementing certain measures. For further information on the subject of ISP relations please visit our website.

Delivered Volume

• The amount of emails which have reached the recipient. This equals the broadcast volume less hard bounces, soft bounces, etc.
• See also: Broadcast Volumes

Dialogue Marketing

• Direct marketing strategy where marketing measures are created in such a manner that the recipients are required to give a direct answer (Response), e.g. through a competition or similar.
• See also: Direct Marketing, Response

Direct Marketing

• Direct Marketing, often also referred to as Dialogue Marketing, comprises of any marketing activity used deliberately to create an interactive relationship with the target audience, with a view to induce them to an individual, measurable reaction (Response).
• See also: Dialogue Marketing, Response

Double Opt-In

• The registration process where the subscriber receives a confirmation email after the subscription where he/she must re-confirm his/her registration, e.g. by clicking on an link within the email.
• This procedure offers maximum security and address quality for your email marketing activities and therefore we recommend you use this procedure as your first choice.

Duplicate

• An email address twice saved in the database.

Ee

Editorial

• The foreword of your newsletter or campaign where you can direct the reader’s attention to specific topics within the communication.
• Emails containing an editorial have significantly higher performance figures.

Email-Client

• A programme installed on a computer to receive, read and write emails (e.g. Microsoft Outlook, Lotus Notes, etc.).

Email-Domain

• The part of the email address on the right hand side of the @-sign (e.g. @ecircle.com).

Ff

False Positive

• An email which was wrongly classified as spam or was blocked by spam filters.
• See also: Spam, Spam Filter, Blacklist 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

• Abkürzung für Frequently Asked Questions (dt.: häufig gestellte Fragen)

Flash-Mail

• Flash is a widespread format in the internet which allows users to create vector-based animation.
• Using Flash it is possible to integrate complex animations and interactive elements in emails.

Footer

• The text at the end of each email.  This usually contains specific information to the sender such as a flag or a link on it.

Free-Mailer

•  A provider of FreeMail inboxes and email addresses like googlemail.com or yahoo.co.uk.

Gg

Geo-Targeting

• Geo-Targeting is understood as locally controlled email marketing campaigns (country, city, country etc).
• See also: Targeting
• Further information: Geo-Targeting Whitepaper

Gross Click Rate

• The percentage of all clicks per emitted amount.
• See also: Clicks, Broadcast Volume

Gross Open Rate

• The percentage of all openings per broadcast volume.
• See also: Openings, Broadcast Volume

Hh

Hard Bounce

• An error causing the email to be returned to its sender.  A ‘hard bounce’ is a permanent issue such as a non-existent or incorrect email address. 
• See also: Bounces, Soft Bounce, Bounce Rate

Header

• This is the ‘letterhead’ of an email. Contains data including the recipient and sender email addresses, the broadcast date, subject, etc.
• See also: Body

HTML-Format

• Emails in HTML format not only consist of simple text characters but are programmed in the same way to a website. Therefore it is possible to format the text as well as integrating pictures, videos and other interactive elements within the email.
• See also: Text Format, Multi-Part Format

Ii

Incentive

• (dt. Belohnung) Zur Steigerung der Response einer Email gesetzte Anreize wie z.B. Prämien, Teilnahme an Gewinnspielen oder Coupons.
• Siehe auch: Response

Incentive

• To increase the response to an email campaign, incentives can being set, e.g. prizes, participation in a competition or coupons.
• See also: Response

Individualisation

• Individualisation describes the dynamic creation of a Newsletter on a recipients’ interests and preferences basis. Depending on the recipient’s specifications the Newsletter contains individual content modules.
• See also: Personalisation

Internet Service Provider (ISP)

• A term for companies such as BT, Virgin Media or Tiscali, who provide customers with access to the internet.

Jj

Junk Mail

• Synonym for Spam.

Ll

Landing Page

• A special part of a website where users are taken to after clicking on a link within the content of the email newsletter.

Lead

• A successful contact between a product or service provider and a potential customer
• A ‘qualified’ lead exists if the website visitor confirms his/her interest in your organisation, e.g. via subscribing to a newsletter or the purchase of product.
• See also: Lead Generation, Vertical

Lead Generation

• The process of generating customer contacts online.
• See also: Lead, Vertical

Link Tracking

• This measures the success of email campaigns as well as the general user behaviour by analysing the click behaviour.  For this there are different success figures available, e.g. open rates, click rates and response rates.
• Due to data protection regulations this has to be done anonymously.

List Broking

• The rental of a mailing list containing third party addresses who have explicitly confirmed that they are happy to receive commercial emails.
• See also: Mailing List

Mm

Mail Server

• The server which receives, sends, stores and forwards emails.

Mailing

• General term for all emails sent in the context of email marketing like such as newsletters and standalone email campaigns.
• See also. Newsletter, Standalone Email

Mailing List

• List of email addresses that campaigns and newsletters are sent to.

Multi-Part Format

• An email being sent in a Multi-Part Format is sent in both a text version and a HTML version. The email client of the reader subsequently decides which of the two versions is displayed.  If it is not possible to display the HTML format, the text version is automatically displayed.
• See also. HTML Format, Text Format

Nn

Newsletter

• An email regularly sent to your customers or other prospects, to inform them about news and other key information about the company or a certain topic.

Oo

Open Rate

• The percentage between opened and delivered emails. Corresponds to the actual range of an email.
• See also: Broadcast Volume

Opt-In

• Information services around the registration process. Using the Opt-In, the subscriber allows the email sender to contact him/her (permission). Concerning email marketing there are 3 established registration methods: Single Opt-In, Confirmed Opt-In and Double Opt-In.

Opt-Out

• In contrary to the Opt-In method the receiver is not asked for permission before the send out, but is provided with the possibility to unsubscribe from further emails after he/she has received it.

Pp

Permission Marketing

• A form of marketing based on obtaining the permission to send advertisements and campaigns to a client.
• The recipient can unsubscribe at any time.

Personalisation

• A method of targeting where every addressee receives a personal email.  The most common ways are to address the recipient by name or to integrate special contents on the basis of previous purchases and click behaviour.
• See also: Individualisation

Phishing

• Method of “fishing passwords” online.
• Normally users are lured to visit a fake website based on an original banking website via mass emails. Under false pretences such as password checks, the visitors are requested to type in their data which the original sender can use to gain access to the visitor’s account.

Profiling

• The creation and refining of user profiles.  Within the profile data a user can define his/her name, email address, interests etc. Profiling is the basis for further targeting.
• See also. Targeting

Purchase Rate

• The percentage of email recipients who are making a purchase.

Qq

Qualified Lead

• The contact between companies and customers which could lead to a subscription to a newsletter or the purchase of a product.

Rr

Response

• The direct answer from a recipient to an advertisement message or campaign. In email marketing this usually happens by clicking on a hyperlink within the mailing or message.

Response Element

• The component of an email which enables the recipient to react to it. In email marketing this is normally a hyperlink, a coupon or similar.

Robinson List

• List of persons who are not willing to receive any direct mail (electronic or postal) any longer. This list is normally run by neutral institutions.

Return on Investment (ROI)

• Return on invested capital.
• Further information: How to increase the ROI of your email newsletter with top 10 testing tips

Ss

Segmentation

• The summarising of customer profiles to homogeneous buyer groups on a database level. Segmentation is fundamental to targeting.
• See also: Targeting
• Further information: How to segment your database

Single Opt-In

• The registration process where simply entering an email address is enough to subscribe to a newsletter.
• Legally this procedure is highly dubious. Methods like ‘Confirmed Opt-In’ or ‘Double Opt-In’ are more preferable in these cases.
• See also: Opt-In, Confirmed Opt-In, Double Opt-In

Soft Bounce

• An error where the email is returned to its sender. In case of a ‘Soft Bounce’ it is a temporary issue such a full receiver’s inbox.
• See also: Bounce, Bounce Rate

Spam

• Commercial emails which have been sent without the receiver’s explicit permission.
• Unsolicited Commercial Email (UCE).
• See also: Spam Filter

Spam Filter

• A programme that works on an email server or a user’s email client which filters or blocks unsolicited emails.
• Blacklists and Whitelists represent the core of most of the spam filters.
• See also: Spam, Blacklists, Whitelists

Spoofing

• The collective term for the different techniques of clouding identity online.
• In relation to an email send out it means that the sender’s address is manipulated. 

Standalone Email

• A commercial email which is sent to rented addresses for a single campaign. All recipients have explicitly accepted to receive advertisements via email.

Subject Line

• The title or part of the email which is seen first by the recipients.  
• The formulation of the subject has a significant influence on the open rate of your emails.
• Further information: 12 Tips for Successful Subject Lines

Subject Line

• The title or part of the email which is seen first by the recipients.  
• The formulation of the subject has a significant influence on the open rate of your emails.
• Further information: 12 Tips for Successful Subject Lines

Tt

Targeting

• The selection of recipients who have certain criteria like age or gender and the following send out of the tailored emails. 
• See also: Geo-Targeting

Template

•  Style sheet for an HTML Newsletter.

Text Format

• Emails which are solely made up of unformatted text characters. Creative elements sucg as the use of colours, pictures and diverse text formats are only possible in an HTML format.
• See also: HTML Format, Multi-Part Format

Telemediengesetz (TMG)

• Seit 01.03.2007 regelt das Telemediengesetz die rechtlichen Rahmenbedingungen des Email-Marketings in Deutschland. Damit hat es das Teledienstegesetz (TDG), das Teledienstedatenschutzgesetz (TDDSG) sowie den Mediendienstestaatsvertrag (MDStV) abgelöst.
• Weiterführende Informationen: Rechtslage des Email-Marketings in Deutschland

Tracking

• Measuring of the success of email campaigns and the general user behaviour by analysing the click behaviour. Figures including open, click or response rates are therefore available.
• Due to data protection regulations this has to be done anonymously.
• See also: Open Rate, Click Rate

Uu

Unsolicited Commercial Email (UCE)

• See also: Spam

Unique

• Auxiliary before any figure showing the amount of recipients who have at least opened or clicked once.

Unsubscribe

• The un-registration from a newsletter by a recipient.

Vv

Vertical

• Special formula or website in order to generate leads or qualified prospects online.
• See also: Leads, Lead Generation

Videomail

• An email where the recipient can watch a video within the body of the email. However, the video is not sent with the email but is loaded from a server into the email when requested (via video streaming).

Ww

Whitelist

• A list run by Email and Internet Service Providers where senders who have committed to only send emails and newsletters to recipients who explicitly have requested to receive commercial emails are named.
• See also: Blacklist