On an overcast day, you might check the radar app on your phone to see if rain is on the way; but did you know that the word “radar” has only been in use since the 1940’s? Originally a military acronym for Radio Detection And Ranging, radar has evolved into common usage to describe a method for location of objects through the return of radio waves bouncing off of them.
Acronyms have been a part of language and culture since the earliest of times. Chances are, you’ve LOL’ed your way through a text conversation or signed a birthday card to a loved one with “XOXO” – both examples of acronyms commonly in use today. But in the online world, acronyms are a large part of the digital shorthand used to relay information, much like a keyboard shortcut. As a natural consequence of our fast-moving digital culture, acronyms have proliferated in recent years, allowing us to say more with fewer characters (thank you Twitter).
Still, speaking the language of the digital world can be a little overwhelming at times, particularly if you’re not a regular inhabitant of the digital landscape. To help you out, we’ve compiled a list of some of the most common acronyms used in online business communication.
Online Marketing Acronyms
| API | Application Programming Interface |
| AJAX | Asynchronous JavaScript and XML |
| B2B | Business To Business |
| B2C | Business To Consumer |
| BR | Bounce Rate |
| CAN-SPAM | Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography And Marketing Act of 2003 |
| CMS | Content Management System |
| CSS | Cascading Style Sheets |
| CTA | Call To Action |
| CTR | Click Through Rate |
| CPC | Cost Per Click |
| CPM | Cost Per Thousand |
| CRM | Customer Relationship Management |
| CRO | Conversion Rate Optimization |
| DA | Domain Authority |
| DM | Direct Message |
| DNS | Domain Name System |
| DoS | Denial of Service Attack |
| FAQ | Frequently Asked Questions |
| FB | |
| FTP | File Transfer Protocol |
| GA | Google Analytics |
| HTML | HyperText Markup Language |
| HTTP | HyperText Transfer Protocol |
| HTTPS | HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure |
| IM | Instant Messaging |
| IMAP | Internet Message Access Protocol |
| IP Address | Internet Protocol Address |
| ISP | Internet Service Provider |
| JSON | JavaScript Object Notation |
| KPI | Key Performance Indicator |
| MMS | Multimedia Messaging Service |
| MT | Modified Tweet |
| NSFW | Not Safe for Work |
| POP | Post Office Protocol |
| PPC | Pay Per Click |
| QR Code | Quick Response Barcode |
| RFI | Request for Information |
| RFP | Request for Proposal |
| ROI | Return On Investment |
| RSS | Rich Site Summary (aka Really Simple Syndication) |
| RT | ReTweet |
| SaaS | Software as a Service |
| SE | Search Engines |
| SEO | Search Engine Optimization |
| SEM | Search Engine Marketing |
| SERP | Search Engine Results Page |
| SLA | Service Level Agreement |
| SMB | Small Business |
| SMM | Social Media Marketing |
| SMS | Short Message Service |
| SSL | Secure Sockets Layer |
| SWOT | Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats |
| TLD | Top Level Domain |
| TLS | Transport Layer Security |
| TOS | Terms of Service |
| UGC | User Generated Content |
| URI | Uniform Resource Identifier |
| URL | Uniform Resource Locator |
| UI | User Interface |
| UX | User Experience |
| WP | WordPress |
| WYSIWYG | What You See Is What You Get |
| XML | Extensible Markup Language |
As more and more of the business world moves to the online arena, there will be an ever-increasing need to know and understand digital acronyms like the ones listed above. Being able to converse fluently using these terms will be an asset in communicating your goals for your business and its digital properties.
I hear you, “This is great, but man, I want that list.”
Here you go.
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Got an acronym you’re curious about or that you think should be added to our list? Please share it in the comments!
