A/B Split Test
Also: Nth Name

Test situation where email marketer creates two different campaigns and emails them out to a test group (10% of subscribers).  The marketer than carefully tracks the results and sends the remainder of the list the email campaign that achieved the best performance.

Above the Fold

The part of the email message that is visible on the screen without scrolling.

Acquisition Cost

The cost to generate one lead.  Determined by the total campaign expense divided by the total number of leads, subscribers, or conversions it created.

Affiliate Marketing

An advertising scheme in which a website directs web visitors to sponsors and is paid with a commission on the visitors’ purchases.

Alert

Brief email message that notifies subscribers of a special event – such as discounted rate or free shipping.

Alt Tag
Also: Image Alt Tag

Alternative text embedded in the HTML code that tells a browser to show specific text while a graphic is loading. Useful for search engine indexing, slow connections, and people that browse with the graphics disabled. Without the ALT tag, a PDA will default to HTML and will show images in codes and programming strings.

API
Application Programming Interface

Enables two software programs to integrate and communicate with one another. 

ASP
Application Service Provider

A third party provider offering computer-based applications and services, such as email marketing, to customers over a network.

Auto Responder
Also: Autoresponder

Program that allows users to automatically send pre-designed emails, either as a response to an email message or as a series of sent at pre-determined time intervals.

Authentication

Automated process that verifies sender’s identify.

Bayesian Filter
Common misspelling: Baysian  Filter

Spam filtering technique that looks past the subject lines into body of the email to identify character strings that are consistent in spam messages. 

Blacklist

List of domains or IP addresses of suspected spammers that ISPs and other companies use to block incoming messages.

Block

Refusal by an ISP or mail server to forward the message onto the recipient.

Bonded Sender

A private email registration service that guarantees email delivery and whitelist service to its clients that follow stringent email practices.

Bounce

A message that is not delivered. See Hard Bounce and Soft Bounce.

Bounce Message

The message that is sent to the sender notifying him or her that a message was not delivered to its intended recipient.

Bounce Rate
Also: Return Rate

Number of hard and soft bounces divided by the total number of sent emails.

Broadcast

The process of sending the same email campaign to a number of recipients at the same time.

BSP

A Business Service Provider that is similar to an ASP except it tailors software packages to its clients' needs and it offers related back-office business process outsourcing services, such as payroll or accounting.

Bulk Folder
Also: Junk Folder

The folder inside a mailbox that captures messages that the email client filtered or labeled as possible spam.

Buzz Marketing

Marketing strategy that depends on creating an exciting campaign and getting consumers and the media to talk about your brand.  Similar to Word of Mouth marketing.