e-Commerce Glossary

Here's a glossary of common terms used in e-commerce:

• E-commerce: Short for electronic commerce, it refers to the buying and selling of products or services over the internet.
• Online Store: A website or platform where businesses showcase and sell their products or services to customers online.
• Shopping Cart: A virtual cart that allows customers to collect items they wish to purchase while browsing an online store.
• Checkout: The process by which a customer completes their purchase, providing payment and shipping information.
• Payment Gateway: A service that authorizes and processes online payments from customers to merchants.
• SSL Certificate: A digital certificate that encrypts data transmitted between a website and a user's browser, ensuring secure communication during transactions.
• Inventory Management: The process of tracking and controlling a business's stock of products to ensure availability and avoid stockouts.
• Fulfillment: The process of preparing and delivering orders to customers, including packaging, labeling, and shipping.
• Dropshipping: A business model where a retailer does not keep physical inventory but instead transfers customer orders and shipment details to a manufacturer, wholesaler, or another retailer who then ships the product directly to the customer.
• Marketplace: An online platform where multiple sellers can list and sell their products or services to customers, such as Amazon or eBay.
• Affiliate Marketing: A performance-based marketing strategy where individuals or websites (affiliates) earn a commission by promoting other companies' products or services and driving sales through their unique referral links.
• SEO (Search Engine Optimization): The practice of optimizing a website's content and structure to improve its visibility and ranking in search engine results, increasing organic traffic.
• Conversion Rate: The percentage of website visitors who complete a desired action, such as making a purchase or signing up for a newsletter.
• CRM (Customer Relationship Management): Software or tools used to manage and analyze customer interactions, providing insights to improve customer service and marketing efforts.
• Mobile Commerce (m-commerce): The use of mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, for conducting online transactions, including browsing, purchasing, and making payments.
• Upselling: A sales technique where a customer is encouraged to purchase a more expensive or upgraded version of a product or add complementary items to their order.
• Cross-selling: The practice of recommending related or complementary products to customers based on their current purchase or browsing history.
• Return Policy: The guidelines and procedures a business follows when customers wish to return or exchange a purchased product.
• Customer Support: Services provided to assist customers before, during, and after a purchase, including answering inquiries, resolving issues, and providing technical assistance.
• Analytics: The collection, measurement, analysis, and reporting of data related to an e-commerce business's performance, user behavior, and marketing campaigns.