The COVID-19 pandemic has affected people’s shopping behavior, making entrepreneurs move their businesses online to survive. Most likely, with the help of more advanced tools and technologies, the number of eCommerce stores will continue to grow. 

 

If you are an entrepreneur who wishes to start an online business, this article will explain ten techy terms to help you ace the process. 

1. Web Hosting

In short, web hosting makes your website available online. 

 

When building an eCommerce website, you need a hosting service to store and manage your data on a server. You pay a hosting provider to rent space on their server and make your content accessible online. 

 

There are several types of hosting, starting from shared hosting as the cheapest and most beginner-friendly, VPS, dedicated server, and cloud hosting as Hostinger provides. 

 

Having a website to house your eCommerce store can improve its credibility and authenticity as you fully control its customization. To start, you can use shared hosting before upscaling it to other types. 

2. Data Center

A data center is a place to cumulate servers that store users’ data. 

 

There are two types of data centers:

• On-premise data center – consists of physical servers located in a building where people constantly supervise to ensure its safety. 
• Off-premise data center – stores your data on virtual servers using cloud technology. Thus it is often called a cloud data center. 

 

Many large-scale businesses don’t have their own data center but rent the space from a providing company like IBM.

3. Software as a Service (SaaS) 

SaaS is the easiest-to-use cloud computing type, helping people who don’t have technical expertise build a cloud infrastructure. 

 

The SaaS providers manage cloud-based tools so that the end-user can simply operate them. Examples of SaaS are Google Workspace and Office 365. 

 

Cloud-based software can make your business’s administrative work more efficient as all the data is stored on the internet, making it highly accessible. Cost-wise, it is also more affordable than traditional software download and installation. 

4. Content Management System (CMS)

CMS refers to the software that helps users build websites without any knowledge of programming languages. It has a user-friendly interface to manage your web pages, images, blog content, or product placement with no hassle. 

 

There are all-purpose CMSs like WordPress.org, Drupal, or Joomla, or those with a specific purpose like Magento for eCommerce sites. 

 

Building websites using a CMS has a steeper learning curve than website builders, but it is more customizable and relatively more affordable. 

 

If you use a CMS, you can install any plugin to upgrade your website. For example, installing the WooCommerce plugin helps convert any WordPress website into an online store.

5. Business Intelligence

Business intelligence describes actions and processes of generating and analyzing data, such as customer feedback. This can help create a business strategy. 

 

You can manage it on your own using a different range of applications, but some tools can help you maintain all aspects in one go. 

6. Application Programming Interface (API)

API allows applications to connect and share their data to third-party developers, partners, or any department under the company. It acts as a mediator to process data between an application or browser and a web server. 

 

An example of API usage is when you log in to a website or application using your social media account. Thanks to the API that forwards it from your account, you don’t need to refill your personal information. 

 

7. SSL Certificate 

SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer. It is a security protocol that ensures the data transferred from a web server to a web browser is encrypted. 

 

Basically, having an SSL certificate marks a secure internet connection to prevent any third party from breaching the data transferred. If a website has an SSL certificate, it will show a padlock icon on the browser’s address bar. 

 

An eCommerce website should implement this security feature as it stores customers’ information and facilitates transactions. Hosting providers often include an SSL certificate in their subscription plans, so check thoroughly before purchasing. 

8. Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) 

If an SSL certificate acts to secure transferred data, PCI DSS protects the payments to prevent data theft and fraud. Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) governs PCI DSS as a set of standards for any website that proceeds transactions using debit or credit cards. 

 

PCI DSS certification can help ensure your customers that your eCommerce website is safe for transactions. 

 

In short, if you are using a payment gateway, make sure it has the PCI DSS license.

9. Cookies and Cache

Browser cache is a temporary storage in a user’s local computer that downloads a web page’s static information like images. It helps to improve a website’s loading speed the next time a user revisits it. 

 

Meanwhile, cookies store information about the users’ personal information or preferences when they browse. Cookies generally consist of text files. If you ever saved your password on a browser, that’s the perfect example of cookies.

 

You can implement both of these elements to improve your customer’s shopping experience and improve your website’s loading speed.

10. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

SEO is a fundamental part of your online business’s marketing strategy. It refers to a set of actions to implement on your website to rank high on the search engine results pages (SERPs). 

 

There are several types of SEO: 

• On-page SEO – refers to the implementation of the SEO principles you do on the web pages. 
• Off-page SEO – includes the activities outside the web pages, like promoting it on social media platforms. 
• Technical SEO – deals with the maximization of the website’s technical aspects like loading speed or uptime.
• Local SEO – means the efforts to improve local business visibility. This helps your business to appear on Google when someone types “florist near me,” for example.

 

Implementing SEO to your eCommerce website can help raise your brand awareness, even though it doesn’t affect sales directly. It can be a great way to attract potential customers and maintain loyal customers as it strengthens your online business’s presence and credibility. 

Conclusion

In this article, we’ve learned the ten techy terms to help you excel in your online business. There are many more terms to explore, but we hope that the essential ones included in the article can give you a new understanding of growing your business online. 

 

Here’s a little recap of the terms: 

• Web hosting – the service of making your website online. 
• Datacenter – a place to collect all the data of your online store. 
• SaaS – can be in the form of cloud-based tools to help your business’s administrative or office work.
• CMS – user-friendly software to help you manage a website without having to code. 
• Business Intelligence – covers all data processing activities to plan a better business strategy. 
• API – an intermediary that allows applications to connect and transfer data. 
• SSL Certificate – a security protocol that ensures your website is encrypted. 
• PCI DSS – a set of standards for debit and credit card payments on your eCommerce website. 
• Cookies & cache – functions to store data on a user’s local computer to enhance the browsing experience.
• SEO – a set of actions to make your website rank high on SERPs. 

 

We wish you the best of luck with your online business!