20 Marketing & Business Terms Every Small Business Owner Should Know (Explained Simply)
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been in a meeting, listening to someone toss around business or marketing jargon, and I’d just nod my head like I understood. Meanwhile, inside I was thinking, “I have no clue what you’re talking about.”
Later, I’d quietly Google the term just to catch up. lol
Maybe you’ve been there too. The truth is, most of these terms aren’t rocket science — but if you’re not familiar with them, they can make you feel a little left out of the conversation.
I’m sure many of these will already sound familiar to you, but just in case (or as a quick refresher course), here are 20 of the most common terms you’ll hear thrown around in marketing and business — explained simply.
Marketing & Sales Terms
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) – The process of helping your website show up higher on Google so customers can actually find you.
Lead Generator – A freebie (like a checklist, quiz, or guide) you give away to attract potential customers and get their email address.
CTA (Call to Action) – The part of your website, ad, or email that tells people what to do next (like “Book a Call” or “Download Now”).
Conversion Rate – The percentage of people who actually take action (buy, sign up, download) compared to how many saw it.
Funnel – A fancy word for the journey someone takes from first learning about you to eventually becoming a customer.
Content Marketing – Creating helpful stuff (blogs, videos, podcasts) that attracts people to your business and builds trust.
Email Nurture Sequence – A series of emails that build a relationship with someone who just joined your list, guiding them toward working with you.
Evergreen Content – Content that stays useful and relevant for years (like “Top 10 Ways to Save Money on Taxes”), not tied to a season.
Landing Page – A single, focused webpage designed to get people to do one thing (download a freebie, book a call, sign up).
Retargeting – Those ads that follow you around online after you’ve visited a website once. (Creepy? Yes. Effective? Also yes.)
Business & Finance Terms
P&L Statement (Profit and Loss) – A report that shows how much money came in, how much went out, and what’s left over.
ROI (Return on Investment) – The result you get compared to what you spent. Example: If you spent $100 on ads and made $500, that’s a great ROI.
CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost) – How much it costs you to get a new customer (ads, time, marketing expenses).
LTV (Lifetime Value) – The total amount of money one customer is likely to spend with you over time.
Customer & Audience Terms
ICA (Ideal Customer Avatar) – A profile of your “perfect customer,” including who they are, what they want, and what problems they face.
Target Market – The specific group of people you want to reach with your products or services.
CRM (Customer Relationship Management) – Software that helps you keep track of your customer relationships (sales, emails, notes).
Churn Rate – How many customers you lose over a certain time period (like people canceling subscriptions).
Touchpoint – Any time someone interacts with your business — a website visit, an email, a phone call, or even seeing your logo.
Tech & Digital Terms
Pixel – A tiny piece of code you put on your website so ads can track visitor behavior and retarget them later.
Organic Reach – The number of people who see your content naturally (without paid ads).
Paid Traffic – Visitors who come to your website because of ads you paid for.
KPI (Key Performance Indicator) – A fancy way of saying “the numbers that actually matter” (like sales, leads, or conversions).
A/B Testing – Running two versions of something (like an ad, subject line, or webpage) to see which one performs better.
Final Thought
I had to learn all these terms the hard way — usually by Googling them after pretending I already knew. My hope is this list saves you some of that guesswork. The more you understand these ideas, the more confidently you can spot opportunities to grow your business.
And if you’d rather not figure it all out alone, that’s where I come in. Book a free consultation, and let’s talk about how I can help you simplify the story, strengthen your marketing, and set your business up for growth.
