Online Advertising Software Key Terms

Learn the words that people use with online advertising software

Online advertising software can help business owners manage their advertising campaigns. It's important to be sure that you're getting a good return on your investment so you're not wasting your advertising dollars. When looking for a good Internet advertising program, it's smart to understand the various terms that are associated with each feature. This will ensure you don't purchase an autoresponder when you really want to start a PPC campaign.

 

Ad tracking

When you're paying for advertisements, you want to be sure that your ads are working. Ad tracking is the process of tracking whatever type of online ads you have, from pay-per-click to banner ads. A software program can help to automate this process.
Try: Ad Watcher is an ad-tracking software that lists the many things it can do. Things such as watching out for click fraud and seeing which ads lead to sales are important parts of ad tracking. Read up on why it's important to use ad tracking on the company's website.

Autoresponder

Many businesses choose to market to their customers through email, and an autoresponder can help facilitate this. Autoresponders automatically send users a response when they sign up for your mailing list. Autoresponders can also send customers your message at a predetermined time and manage email permissions, an important part of email marketing.
Try: To learn more about autoresponders and how to use them effectively, check out WorkOnInternet.com.

PPC

PPC stands for pay-per-click, and it's a very popular form of online advertising. A business that uses a pay-per-click advertising program pays only for the ad when a user clicks on the ad. A "click" can cost anywhere from a few cents to a few dollars.
Try: Google Adwords is probably the most well-known PPC program. It offers a full description of how it works on its site.

Rich media

More companies are choosing to use rich media in their advertisements. Rich media uses techniques such as video or animation, which allow for movement on the ads. Companies find that users respond more to online advertisements that utilize rich media.
Try: The University of Washington offers a nice discussion of rich media and its various applications.

Web 2.0

Recently, there has been a general feeling that the Internet has moved on to the next level. People call this "Web 2.0." The idea focuses on communication. Companies use Web 2.0 in their advertising to encourage users to generate buzz about their products.
Try: O'Reilly Media and MediaLive International coined the term Web 2.0 during a conference brainstorming session. O'Reilly now offers a good definition.

Split testing

Split testing allows companies to test different ads to see which one works best. Online advertising software helps to track performance.
Try: If you'd like to understand how split testing works, look at these suggestions from Vertster.

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