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250 Part IV: Getting the Word Out without Advertising

ߜ Use e-mail to send one-to-one or one-to-many messages, which are the
online equivalent of direct mail — but without the costs of printing and
postage. See Chapter 13 for advice on sending opt-in versus spam or
unsolicited junk e-mail. Then see Chapter 14 for information on publish-
ing opt-in electronic newsletters — one of the most effective ways for
building your mailing list and sending direct mail to your customers.

The language of cyberspace

The online world is evolutionary. With the con- and www.dummies.com is the address or
stant debut of applications and opportunities domain name. Together they tell your com-
comes a continuous string of new words and puter how to find a Web page.
phrases. Here are definitions for key terms
you’re sure to hear in any online marketing dis- ߜ Web site: A Web page or group of pages
cussion. Also, watch for the Technical Stuff icon that contains text and graphics that can be
in the margins throughout this chapter. It flags accessed by anyone with an Internet con-
explanations for additional terms that apply to nection. The home page is the site’s first
Internet usage. page.

ߜ The Internet, or Net: The global network ߜ E-mail: Short for electronic mail, e-mail
that links networks worldwide. The Internet uses the Internet to send and receive com-
allows users to send and receive e-mail and puter-to-computer messages worldwide.
browse the World Wide Web. E-mail is the main reason most people use
the Internet, sending literally trillions of
ߜ World Wide Web, or Web: The graphical, messages each year.
multimedia aspect of the Internet that uses
Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) and ߜ Browser: Software used to access and dis-
browsing software to allow users from play Web pages. Microsoft Internet
around the world to enter through a linked Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, and Opera are
server and navigate the Internet by access- commonly used browsers.
ing and jumping between documents called
Web pages. ߜ Search engine: A program that allows Web
users to search and access sites contain-
ߜ Web page: A document with its own ing keywords or phrases. Each search
address that is accessible through the engine keeps a catalog of millions of Web
World Wide Web. The address is called a sites. Following a user request for informa-
Universal Resource Locator or URL. An tion, the search engine returns lists of
example of a URL is www.dummies.com. matching sites presented in order based
The http part specifies which protocol the upon the search engine’s proprietary rele-
computer will use to access the document, vancy algorithms.