eCommerce Terms Glossary -The eCommerce space is full of abstract terms. Black & Black has compiled a glossary to help you out.

This is an A-Z dictionary that will help you navigate all the technical terminology and jargon that you are likely to face if you work with us or in the eCommerce industy.

• Above-the-fold

  Visible screen estate of an ecommerce website a user sees without scrolling.

• A/B Testing

  A/B testing is a way to compare two versions of something to figure out which performs better.

  In the context of the eCommerce industry it is an experiment of showing two variants of the same web page, marketing campaign etc to a group of consumers at the same time generally to see which version performs better.

• Accessibility

  Web accessibility means that websites, tools, and technologies are designed and developed so that people with disabilities can use them. More specifically, people can: perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with the Web.

• Acquisition Cost

  Acquisition cost refers to the total amount of money spent on marketing and promotions divided by the number of sales acquired.

  Acquisition cost = Total expenses / Number of sales

  In terms of eCommerce the cost of acquisition refers to the cost to acquire a new customer.

• Affiliate Marketing

  Affiliate marketing is a marketing model in which third-party publishers promote a merchant’s goods or services and receive a percentage of the sales or web traffic in return.

  It is considered a key part of a modern marketing strategy.

• Alt Tag

  Alt tags are metadata that offer text descriptions of web images for search engines and screen readers for the visually impaired. As a best practice, they often include a simple summary of the graphic.

• AOV (Average Order Value)

  Average Order Value (AOV) is a crucial metric that gauges the average amount customers spend when placing an order on a website or mobile app.

  This is an important metric when trying to understand yoru customers behavior.

• API (Application Programming Interface)

  An application programming interface (API) is a way for two or more computer programs or components to communicate with each other. It is a type of software interface, offering a service to other pieces of software.[1] A document or standard that describes how to build or use such a connection or interface is called an API specification

• ATC Rate (Add to cart rate)

  ATC Rate is the percentage of visitors that add items to the shopping cart.

• Backlink

  A backlink in the context of a website is a hyperlink from another website that directs to a page on your site. Backlinks from reputable websites (Eg. high traffic websites) to a website greatly improves search engine credibility and is hence an important part of SEO best practice. A large volume of backlinks is associated with higher Google page rankings and improves overall organic SEO. This can drive down cost of acquisition.

• Below-the-fold

  Below the fold is the content of a website a user only can see when scrolling down the page.

• B2B (Business-to-Business)

  Business-to-business refers to business that is conducted between companies, rather than between a company and individual consumer.

• B2C (Business-to-Comsumer)

  B2C refers to a business model in which a company sells products or services directly to consumers.

• C2C (Consumer-to-Consumer

  Consumer to consumer business refers to a type of commerce where individuals can buy and sell products or services directly to other individuals using an online platform or marketplace. For example, bringatrailer.com or amazon.com is a C2C business.