CasperPortalGlossary
CRM Glossary: CRM and Marketing Terms in Plain English
This CRM glossary defines the CRM, sales and marketing automation terms local business owners run into, from pipeline and lead scoring to drip campaigns, webhooks and two-way sync. Each definition is short and written in plain English, and many include an example from a local service business.
A/B Testing
The process of comparing two versions of a webpage, email, or ad to see which one performs better and drives more conversions.
API (Application Programming Interface)
A software intermediary that allows two different applications to talk to each other. CasperPortal uses APIs to integrate with tools like QuickBooks and Stripe.
Call Tracking
A system that records and tracks inbound phone calls to trace which marketing campaigns, ads, or web pages are generating phone leads.
Campaign
A planned sequence of marketing activities (like emails, texts, and ads) designed to achieve a specific goal, such as promoting a new service or re-engaging old leads.
Churn Rate
The percentage of customers who cancel or stop using your service during a given time period. Lower churn means higher customer retention.
Click-Through Rate (CTR)
The percentage of people who click on a link out of the total number of people who viewed the email, ad, or page.
CRM (Customer Relationship Management)
Software that helps businesses manage interactions with current and potential customers, track sales, and organize contact information in one central database.
Conversion Rate
The percentage of users who take a desired action (like booking an appointment or filling out a form) out of the total number of visitors.
Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)
The total cost of acquiring a new customer, including all marketing and sales expenses divided by the number of new customers gained.
Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)
The total amount of money a customer is expected to spend with your business over the entire duration of your relationship.
Drip Campaign
A series of automated emails or texts sent out on a specific schedule based on user actions or time delays to nurture leads over time.
Email Deliverability
The ability of an email to successfully reach a subscriber's inbox without bouncing or being flagged as spam.
Funnel
The step-by-step journey a potential customer takes from first discovering your business to finally making a purchase or booking a service.
Integration
Connecting different software applications so they can share data and work together seamlessly (e.g., connecting a CRM to a calendar app).
Landing Page
A standalone web page created specifically for a marketing or advertising campaign, designed with a single focus or call to action (CTA).
Lead Capture
The process of saving a potential customer's contact information (usually name, email, and phone number) via a form, chat widget, or inbound call.
Lead Nurturing
Building relationships with potential customers over time through automated emails, SMS messages, and valuable content until they are ready to buy.
Lead Scoring
A methodology used to rank prospects against a scale that represents the perceived value each lead represents to the organization, helping prioritize follow-ups.
Marketing Automation
Using software to automate repetitive marketing tasks, such as sending welcome emails, following up with leads, or requesting reviews after a job is done.
Missed-Call Text-Back
An automated feature that instantly sends a text message to a caller if their phone call goes unanswered, ensuring the lead isn't lost to a competitor.
Opt-In
When a user explicitly gives permission for a business to send them marketing communications, such as emails or SMS messages.
Pipeline
A visual representation of your sales process, showing exactly where every lead is in the buying journey (e.g., New Lead, Quote Sent, Job Won).
ROI (Return on Investment)
A performance measure used to evaluate the efficiency or profitability of an investment. In marketing, it's how much revenue you generate for every dollar spent.
SaaS (Software as a Service)
A software distribution model where applications are hosted by a vendor and made available to customers over the internet, typically on a subscription basis (like CasperPortal).
Segmentation
Dividing a broad target audience into smaller, more defined groups based on specific criteria (like location, past purchases, or behavior) to send more personalized marketing.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
The practice of improving a website to increase its visibility for relevant searches on search engines like Google.
SMS Marketing
Sending promotional campaigns, transactional updates, or follow-ups via text messages directly to a customer's mobile phone.
Trigger
An event or action that automatically starts a workflow or automation (e.g., a customer filling out a form triggers a welcome email).
Two-Way Sync
A data integration method where changes made in one system are automatically updated in another connected system, and vice versa (e.g., Google Calendar sync).
Webhook
An automated way for apps to communicate. Unlike an API where you have to ask for data, a webhook automatically sends data to another app when a specific event happens.
Workflow
A series of automated actions or steps that are triggered by a specific event to streamline business processes and save time.
Bounce Rate
The percentage of visitors who land on your website and leave without interacting with any other pages.
Buyer Persona
A semi-fictional representation of your ideal customer based on market research and real data about your existing customers.
Call to Action (CTA)
A prompt on a website or in an email that tells the user to take a specific action, like 'Book Now' or 'Download Free Guide'.
Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)
The systematic process of increasing the percentage of website visitors who take a desired action.
Cost Per Click (CPC)
The actual price you pay for each click in your pay-per-click (PPC) marketing campaigns.
Customer Journey
The complete sum of experiences that customers go through when interacting with your company and brand.
Double Opt-In
A process where a user signs up for an email list and then receives an email with a link they must click to confirm their subscription.
Engagement Rate
A metric that measures the level of interaction (likes, comments, shares, clicks) that a piece of created content receives.
Inbound Marketing
A methodology designed to draw visitors and potential customers in, rather than outwardly pushing a brand, product or service onto prospects.
Key Performance Indicator (KPI)
A measurable value that demonstrates how effectively a company is achieving key business objectives.
Lead Generation
The process of attracting and converting strangers and prospects into someone who has indicated interest in your company's product or service.
Lead Magnet
A free item or service that is given away for the purpose of gathering contact details; for example, trial subscriptions, samples, or e-newsletters.
Net Promoter Score (NPS)
A customer loyalty metric that measures how likely customers are to recommend a business to a friend or colleague.
Outbound Marketing
A traditional method of marketing seeking to push messaging out to potential customers, such as cold calling, cold emailing, and direct mail.
Return on Ad Spend (ROAS)
A marketing metric that measures the efficacy of a digital advertising campaign by calculating revenue earned for every dollar spent.
Sales Funnel
The buying process that companies lead customers through when purchasing products. The definition also refers to the process through which a company finds, qualifies, and sells its products to buyers.
Social Proof
The psychological phenomenon where people assume the actions of others reflect the correct behavior for a given situation, often used in marketing via testimonials and reviews.
Touchpoint
Any point of contact between a buyer and a seller. It can be a website visit, an email, a phone call, or a social media interaction.
User Experience (UX)
The overall experience of a person using a product such as a website or computer application, especially in terms of how easy or pleasing it is to use.
Value Proposition
An innovation, service, or feature intended to make a company or product attractive to customers.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a CRM and marketing automation?
A CRM stores your contacts, conversations and deals in one place. Marketing automation uses that data to send texts, emails and other actions automatically when something happens, such as a form submission or a missed call.
What is a sales pipeline?
A sales pipeline is a visual view of your sales process that shows which stage every lead is in, such as New Lead, Quote Sent or Job Won.
What is missed-call text-back?
Missed-call text-back is an automation that sends a text message to a caller when their call goes unanswered, so the conversation can continue by text.
See the terms in action
CasperPortal puts CRM, pipelines, messaging and automation in one platform. Browse the features or read the guides to CRM for local businesses and marketing automation for small business.