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Marketing & Business Glossary

The marketing, business and tax jargon Australian small businesses actually meet — explained in plain English, so nobody can blind you with acronyms.

36 terms

A/B test

Running two versions of an ad, email or web page at the same time to see which one performs better. You split your audience, show each group a different version, and keep the winner.

It takes the guesswork out of marketing spend so you put money behind what actually works.

ABN (Australian Business Number)

An 11-digit number that identifies your business to government, the ATO and other businesses. Most businesses need one, and you get it free from the Australian Business Register.

Without an ABN, other businesses must withhold 47% tax from payments to you, and you can't register for GST.

ACCC (Australian Competition & Consumer Commission)

The national regulator that enforces competition and consumer protection law, including the Australian Consumer Law. It polices misleading advertising, unfair practices and dodgy pricing.

The ACCC can fine businesses heavily for false or misleading marketing claims, so your advertising must be accurate.

ACN (Australian Company Number)

A 9-digit number issued by ASIC to every company registered in Australia. It's separate from an ABN and only applies if your business is a company (Pty Ltd).

It's legally required on company documents, so customers and suppliers can verify the company is real and registered.

Australian Consumer Law

The national set of consumer protection rules covering guarantees, refunds, misleading conduct and unfair contract terms. It applies to almost every business selling to consumers in Australia.

It sets the minimum rights you must give customers — ignoring them risks complaints, refunds and regulator action.

Awareness

The top of the marketing journey, where potential customers first learn that your business exists. Measured by how many people see or hear about you, not yet by sales.

You can't win customers who have never heard of you, so awareness is the foundation everything else builds on.

BAS (Business Activity Statement)

A form you lodge with the ATO — usually quarterly — to report and pay GST, and often PAYG withholding and instalments. Only GST-registered businesses need to lodge one.

Lodging your BAS late or wrong attracts ATO penalties and interest, so it pays to stay on top of it.

Bounce rate

The percentage of visitors who land on your website and leave without clicking through to another page or taking any action.

A high bounce rate often means your page is slow, confusing, or not matching what people expected.

Brand

The overall impression people have of your business — your name, logo, tone, reputation and the feeling customers get when they deal with you. It lives in your customers' heads, not just on your logo.

A strong brand lets you charge more and keeps customers choosing you over cheaper rivals.

Call to action (CTA)

A clear instruction telling someone what to do next, such as “Call now”, “Get a quote” or “Book online”. It usually appears as a button or a line of text.

Without a clear next step, interested people drift away instead of becoming customers.

Conversion

When someone takes the action you wanted — making a purchase, filling in a form, calling, or booking. Each business defines its own key conversions.

Conversion rate

The percentage of visitors or leads who actually complete the action you want. If 100 people visit and 3 buy, your conversion rate is 3%.

Lifting conversion rate means more sales from the same traffic, with no extra ad spend.

CPC (Cost per click)

How much you pay each time someone clicks your ad in platforms like Google Ads or Meta. Prices are set by auction and vary by industry and keyword.

It tells you what you're paying to get a single person onto your site, so you can judge whether the traffic is worth it.

CPL (Cost per lead)

The average amount you spend in advertising to generate one enquiry or lead, worked out by dividing total spend by the number of leads.

It shows whether your marketing is bringing in enquiries at a price your business can afford.

CTR (Click-through rate)

The percentage of people who click an ad, email or search listing after seeing it. If 1,000 people see your ad and 20 click, your CTR is 2%.

A low CTR usually means your message or offer isn't grabbing attention.

EOFY (End of Financial Year)

The end of the Australian financial year, 30 June. Businesses finalise their books, lodge tax returns and often run sales to clear stock before this date.

It's the deadline that drives your tax obligations and a peak buying period worth marketing around.

Fair Trading

State and territory consumer protection agencies (such as NSW Fair Trading or Consumer Affairs Victoria) that handle business registration, consumer complaints and trading rules locally.

They're often the first place a customer complains, and where you register a business name in some matters.

Funnel

The journey a customer takes from first hearing about you (top) to becoming a paying customer (bottom). People drop off at each stage, so it narrows like a funnel.

Mapping your funnel shows you exactly where you're losing potential customers.

GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation)

Optimising your content so AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini and Google's AI Overviews mention and recommend your business when people ask them questions. It's the AI-era cousin of SEO.

More and more buyers ask an AI assistant before they ever reach a search results page.

Google Business Profile

A free Google listing that shows your business on Google Search and Maps, with your hours, location, reviews and photos. Formerly called Google My Business.

For local Australian businesses it's one of the highest-impact free tools for getting found by nearby customers.

GST (Goods and Services Tax)

A 10% tax added to most goods and services sold in Australia. You must register once your annual turnover reaches A$75,000 (A$150,000 for non-profits), then charge it and pass it to the ATO.

Registering late or forgetting to charge GST can leave you owing the ATO money out of your own pocket.

Impressions

The number of times your ad, post or listing is shown on screen, whether or not anyone clicks. One person can generate several impressions.

Impressions measure reach, but on their own they don't prove anyone acted — watch clicks and conversions too.

Landing page

A standalone web page built for a single purpose, usually where people arrive after clicking an ad or link. It focuses on one offer and one call to action.

Sending ad traffic to a focused landing page rather than your homepage typically lifts conversions.

Lead

A person or business that has shown interest in what you sell — for example by filling in a form, calling, or leaving their details. A lead is a potential customer, not yet a paying one.

Lifetime value (LTV)

The total profit you expect to earn from a customer across the whole time they deal with you, not just their first purchase.

Knowing LTV tells you how much you can afford to spend to win a customer and still come out ahead.

Organic

Traffic, reach or results you earn without paying for ads — such as appearing in unpaid search results or in social posts people find naturally.

Organic growth is slower to build but keeps working without ongoing ad spend.

Positioning

The distinct place your business occupies in customers' minds compared with competitors — what you stand for and who you're for. For example, “the affordable local option” versus “the premium specialist”.

Clear positioning helps the right customers instantly understand why they should pick you.

Privacy Act 1988 / Australian Privacy Principles

The federal law and its 13 Australian Privacy Principles governing how you collect, store, use and disclose people's personal information. It applies to many businesses, especially those over A$3 million turnover or handling sensitive data.

Mishandling customer data can trigger complaints, reputational damage and penalties under a regime that is steadily tightening.

Pty Ltd

A proprietary limited company — a separate legal entity registered with ASIC, owned by shareholders and run by directors. It has its own ACN and pays company tax.

It limits your personal liability and can look more credible to clients, but costs more to set up and run.

Retargeting

Showing ads to people who have already visited your website or engaged with you, to bring them back. It uses tracking cookies or pixels to follow up.

Past visitors are far more likely to buy than strangers, so retargeting is usually cheaper per sale.

Retention

Keeping existing customers coming back, rather than constantly chasing new ones. Measured by repeat purchases, renewals or how few customers you lose.

Retaining a customer is almost always cheaper than winning a new one, and loyal customers spend more over time.

ROAS (Return on ad spend)

How much revenue you earn for every dollar spent on advertising. A ROAS of 4 means you made A$4 in sales for every A$1 of ad spend.

It's the quickest gauge of whether a specific ad campaign is paying for itself.

ROI

Return on investment — the overall profit you make relative to what you spent, across any activity, not just ads. Worked out as (gain minus cost) divided by cost.

ROI keeps you focused on profit rather than vanity numbers like likes or views.

SEO

Search Engine Optimisation — improving your website and content so it ranks higher in unpaid Google search results for the terms your customers search.

Ranking on page one of Google brings a steady stream of customers without paying per click.

Sole trader

The simplest business structure, where you and the business are legally the same person. You trade under your own ABN, keep all profits, and report business income on your personal tax return.

It's cheap and easy to start, but you're personally liable for all business debts.

Spam Act 2003

The Australian law governing commercial electronic messages. You must get consent before emailing or texting marketing, identify your business clearly, and include a working unsubscribe option.

Breaching it can bring large fines from the regulator (ACMA), so build your email list with proper consent.

No term matches that — try a different word, or ask Bea.

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