Glossary
159 web, SEO, e-commerce and marketing terms explained simply, with their French and Arabic translations.
No term matches.
An authentication protocol for online card payments: the customer’s bank asks them to confirm the purchase (SMS code, approval in the banking app). It reduces fraud and generally shifts liability for disputes to the issuing bank.
If many payments fail at this step, check that the verification page displays properly on mobile.
See also : Payment gateway, Two-factor authentication (2FA)
A server instruction that permanently sends an old URL to a new one. It passes visitors and ranking signals to the new page; a 302 redirect is for temporary moves.
When redesigning a site, prepare an old URL → new URL table and 301-redirect every important page.
See also : 404 error, Website migration, Canonical tag
The code a server returns when the requested page does not exist (or no longer exists). A few 404s are normal, but broken links to important pages lose visitors and sales.
Customise the 404 page with a search box and links to your main pages, and redirect useful old URLs.
See also : 301 redirect, Google Search Console, User experience (UX)
A DNS record that maps a domain or subdomain to the IPv4 address of the server hosting the site (the AAAA record does the same for IPv6).
When switching hosts, it is usually the A record you change to point to the new server.
See also : DNS (Domain Name System), CNAME record, Domain name
An experiment that shows two versions of a page or element (A and B) to comparable groups of visitors and measures which one produces more conversions. It needs enough traffic and time for the result to be reliable.
Test one meaningful change at a time, such as the headline or the offer, so you know what made the difference.
See also : Conversion rate optimization (CRO), Landing page, Call to action (CTA)
The publishing format for Android apps on Google Play, mandatory for new apps since August 2021. Google Play uses it to produce APKs optimised for each device, usually smaller to download.
The .aab file is uploaded to Play Console; for a direct install test, you need an APK.
See also : APK, App signing, Google Play Console
A system built on a language model that does more than answer: it plans steps and uses tools (search, APIs, spreadsheets, email) to complete a task with some autonomy. It needs guardrails and human oversight.
Limit an agent’s permissions: it can prepare replies or drafts, but a human approves anything that commits the business.
See also : Large language model (LLM), Automation, Chatbot, API (application programming interface)
AI-generated summaries that Google shows at the top of some searches, with links to the sources used. They grew out of the Search Generative Experience (SGE) experiment and can reduce clicks on some informational queries.
Publish precise, up-to-date, signed content: it is the most likely to be cited as a source.
See also : SERP (search engine results page), Generative AI, Featured snippet, E-E-A-T
A text description of an image placed in its HTML code. It is read by screen readers for visually impaired people, displayed if the image fails to load and helps search engines understand the image.
Describe what the image shows (“brown leather bag worn on the shoulder”) rather than stuffing keywords.
See also : Web accessibility, Search engine optimization (SEO), LCP (Largest Contentful Paint)
A set of rules that lets two pieces of software exchange data automatically, for example your store with a courier, a CRM or an AI service. It removes manual re-entry.
A courier API can create the shipment automatically and pull the parcel status into your back office.
See also : Webhook, Automation, Conversions API (Meta)
The file format of Android apps, which can be installed directly on a device. On Google Play, new apps are published as AAB files, from which Google generates APKs suited to each device.
An APK can be used to let a client try the app, but only install APKs from trusted sources.
See also : AAB (Android App Bundle), App signing, Google Play Console
A digital signature proving that an app and its updates come from the same developer. With Play App Signing, Google holds the app signing key and the developer signs uploads with an upload key.
Keep the upload key and its password somewhere safe, with a backup copy; ideally the company that owns the app has access to it.
See also : AAB (Android App Bundle), APK, Google Play Console
A method that shares the credit for a conversion among the channels and ads a customer encountered before buying (Google search, Instagram, email…). Depending on the model and tool, the same sale can be counted differently, which explains gaps between platforms.
Do not add up the sales reported by Meta and Google: each may claim the same order.
See also : Conversion event, UTM parameters, Google Analytics 4 (GA4), Return on ad spend (ROAS)
Handing repetitive tasks previously done by hand over to software: entering orders, sending confirmations, follow-ups, reports, answering common questions. It frees up time and reduces errors.
Start with the most repetitive task of the week, such as copying website orders into the call center’s sheet.
See also : No-code automation tools (n8n, Zapier, Make), Webhook, API (application programming interface), AI agent
The average amount spent per order, calculated by dividing revenue by the number of orders over a period. A higher AOV makes delivery and advertising costs easier to absorb.
Offering a bundle such as “buy 2, free delivery” is a simple way to raise AOV.
See also : Upsell, Cross-sell, Customer lifetime value (LTV), Return on ad spend (ROAS)
A link on another website that points to yours. Links from trustworthy, topically related sites are a trust signal for search engines; bought or artificial links can instead be penalised.
An article in a local news outlet or a listing in a reputable trade directory is worth more than hundreds of low-quality links.
See also : Search engine optimization (SEO), Internal linking, E-E-A-T
A copy of a site’s files and database that lets you restore it after an outage, a mistake or a hack. A good backup is automatic, regular, stored away from the main server and tested.
Test a restore from time to time: an untested backup is no guarantee.
See also : Staging, Website migration, Malware, Updates
A public or private database listing IP addresses or domains associated with spam or malicious activity. Being listed can get your emails blocked by many servers.
If your IP is listed, find the cause first (hacked account, bought list…) before requesting removal.
See also : IP reputation, Whitelist (allowlist), Email deliverability
In Google Analytics 4, the percentage of sessions that were not engaged, the inverse of the engagement rate. A high bounce rate is not always bad (a visitor may find a phone number and leave), but it often signals a slow or off-topic page.
Compare bounce rate by traffic source: a poorly targeted campaign stands out quickly.
See also : Engagement rate, Google Analytics 4 (GA4), Landing page
An attempt to guess a password by automatically trying a large number of combinations, often against a WordPress login page or a server. Weak and reused passwords are the most exposed.
Limit login attempts, use long unique passwords and turn on 2FA.
See also : Two-factor authentication (2FA), Web application firewall (WAF)
A mechanism that keeps a ready-made copy of pages or files (in the browser, on the server or on a CDN) to serve them faster without recomputing everything. Personal pages such as the cart or customer account must be excluded.
When a change does not show up, clear the site and CDN caches before assuming a bug.
See also : CDN (content delivery network), TTFB (Time to First Byte), LCP (Largest Contentful Paint)
An in-house or outsourced team that calls or messages customers on WhatsApp to confirm their orders, check the address and answer questions before shipping. In cash-on-delivery e-commerce it plays a key role in the delivery rate.
Give agents a short script and answers to common objections (delivery time, price, size).
See also : Confirmation rate, Cash on delivery (COD), Upsell, WhatsApp Business
A button or link that clearly invites the visitor to take the next step, such as “Order now” or “Request a quote”. Its wording, visibility and placement affect conversions.
Use a specific action verb rather than a vague “Submit”, and keep the button visible without scrolling on mobile.
See also : Landing page, Conversion rate, A/B test
An indication (rel="canonical") that designates the preferred version of a page when several URLs show identical or very similar content, for example with filters or tracking parameters. It helps avoid splitting ranking signals across duplicates.
A product page reachable through several categories should point to a single canonical URL.
See also : Indexing, 301 redirect, Hreflang
When a visitor adds products to the cart or starts checking out, then leaves without completing the order. Common causes are surprise costs, a long form or a lack of trust.
Show delivery costs on the product page and keep the form to the essentials (name, phone, city, address).
See also : Checkout, Retargeting, Conversion rate, Conversion rate optimization (CRO)
A payment method where the customer pays for the order in cash (or sometimes by card) when the courier hands it over. It is the dominant e-commerce payment method in Morocco because it reassures buyers, but it exposes the merchant to unconfirmed orders and refusals at the door.
Before launching a campaign, work out your real margin including delivery fees, returns and refused orders, not just the selling price.
See also : Confirmation rate, Delivery rate, Return rate, Delivery company (courier)
A network of servers spread around the world that store copies of a site’s files (images, scripts, sometimes whole pages) and serve them from the point closest to the visitor. It speeds up the site and can also absorb some attacks.
Useful for a site visited from several countries, for example Morocco, Europe and the Gulf.
See also : Cache, TTFB (Time to First Byte), DDoS attack (distributed denial of service), LCP (Largest Contentful Paint)
A program that automatically converses with visitors or customers on a website, WhatsApp or Messenger. Modern chatbots often rely on an LLM and can answer common questions, qualify a request or hand over to a human.
Always provide an easy handover to a human agent for cases the bot cannot handle.
See also : Large language model (LLM), WhatsApp Business, RAG (retrieval-augmented generation), Automation
The final step of a purchase where the customer enters their details, chooses delivery and payment, then places the order. Every unnecessary field or step can cost sales.
On mobile, a single-page order form that opens the numeric keypad for the phone field makes buying easier.
See also : Cart abandonment, Payment gateway, Conversion rate
The percentage of people who click after seeing an ad, an email or a search result: clicks ÷ impressions × 100. A low CTR often signals an unappealing or poorly targeted message or visual.
In Google Search Console, a well-ranked page with a low CTR deserves a better title.
See also : Impressions, Cost per click (CPC), Title tag, Meta description
A Play Console testing track that distributes the app to a restricted list of testers before public release. For personal developer accounts created after 13 November 2023, Google requires a closed test with at least 12 opted-in testers for at least 14 consecutive days before you can apply for production access.
Recruit more than 12 active testers to keep a margin, and collect their feedback during the 14 days.
See also : Google Play Console, AAB (Android App Bundle)
A measure of visual stability: it scores unexpected movement of elements while the page loads, for example a button jumping because of an image or a banner. Google considers it good at 0.1 or less.
Always set image width and height and reserve space for banners and ads.
See also : Core Web Vitals, User experience (UX)
Software that lets you create and edit a site’s pages, posts and products through an admin interface, without writing code. WordPress, Shopify and Drupal are common examples.
Choose a CMS your team can use day to day, not just the one that looks impressive in a demo.
A DNS record that makes one name an alias of another domain name instead of pointing directly to an IP address. It is often used to connect a subdomain to an external service.
Example: shop.mysite.com as a CNAME to the address provided by your e-commerce platform.
See also : DNS (Domain Name System), A record
The National Commission for the Control of Personal Data Protection, the Moroccan authority responsible for enforcing Law 09-08. It receives processing declarations and authorisation requests, informs the public and can inspect and sanction.
The CNDP website provides declaration forms and guides by type of processing (customers, video surveillance, marketing…).
See also : Law No. 09-08 (Morocco), Privacy policy, Consent
The share of incoming orders that the customer confirms, usually through a phone call or a WhatsApp message, before they are shipped. It is calculated by dividing confirmed orders by the total number of orders received.
Calling back quickly after the order, while the customer still remembers the purchase, usually helps confirm more orders.
See also : Cash on delivery (COD), Call center (order confirmation), Delivery rate
A person’s freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous agreement to the processing of their data for a given purpose: advertising cookies, newsletter, promotional messages. It must be as easy to withdraw as to give.
An unticked box to receive offers by WhatsApp or email is better than assumed agreement.
See also : Cookie, GDPR, Law No. 09-08 (Morocco), Double opt-in
A specific visitor action that you treat as a valuable outcome and that measurement tools record: purchase, form submitted, WhatsApp click, call. Ad platforms use it to optimise campaigns.
Optimise campaigns for the event closest to the sale that you receive in sufficient volume.
See also : Tracking pixel, Google Analytics 4 (GA4), Attribution, Conversion rate
The percentage of visitors (or sessions) who complete the target action, such as placing an order. It is the number of conversions divided by the number of visitors, multiplied by 100.
100 orders from 5,000 visitors is a 2% conversion rate.
See also : Conversion rate optimization (CRO), Conversion event, Landing page, Call to action (CTA)
An approach that aims to get a larger share of visitors to take the desired action (purchase, quote request, call) by analysing their behaviour and improving pages through successive tests.
Before buying more traffic, fix what is holding your pages back: every visitor costs money.
See also : Conversion rate, A/B test, Heatmap, Sales funnel
Meta’s solution for sending conversion events directly from your server or tool (store, CRM) to Meta, instead of relying only on the browser. It complements the pixel when blockers or browser restrictions cause data loss.
Use the same event ID on the pixel and the server side so Meta can deduplicate events.
See also : Meta Pixel, Conversion event, API (application programming interface)
A small file a website stores in the browser to remember information: cart, login, preferences, analytics or advertising. In the European Union, non-essential cookies (analytics, advertising) require prior consent.
In your banner, separate the cookies essential to the site from analytics and advertising ones.
See also : Consent, Tracking pixel, GDPR, Privacy policy
Three metrics defined by Google to measure visitors’ real experience: LCP (loading speed), INP (responsiveness) and CLS (visual stability). A page is rated “good” when, at the 75th percentile of visits, LCP ≤ 2.5 s, INP ≤ 200 ms and CLS ≤ 0.1.
Check the Core Web Vitals report in Google Search Console to see which pages need fixing on mobile.
See also : LCP (Largest Contentful Paint), INP (Interaction to Next Paint), CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift), TTFB (Time to First Byte)
The amount of ad spend needed to obtain one conversion, most often a sale. It is the budget spent divided by the number of conversions. With cash on delivery, it is better calculated on delivered orders than on orders received.
MAD 1,000 spent for 20 delivered orders means a CPA of MAD 50 per delivered order.
See also : Cost per lead (CPL), Return on ad spend (ROAS), Customer lifetime value (LTV), Conversion event
The average amount paid for each click on an ad. On Google Ads it depends notably on competition for the keyword and on the quality of the ad and landing page.
A low CPC is only worthwhile if those visitors convert; always judge by cost per sale.
See also : Click-through rate (CTR), Cost per mille (CPM), Search engine advertising (SEA)
The ad spend needed to obtain one qualified contact (lead): a filled form, a quote request, a WhatsApp message. It is the budget divided by the number of leads.
Compare CPL across campaigns, but also check how many of those leads actually become customers.
See also : Lead, Cost per acquisition (CPA), Landing page
The price paid for 1,000 displays of an ad. It is the basic metric for awareness campaigns and a reference for comparing audience costs across platforms.
If CPM rises sharply, your audience may be too small or heavily contested by advertisers.
See also : Impressions, Cost per click (CPC), Click-through rate (CTR)
The automatic browsing of a site’s pages by search engine robots such as Googlebot, which follow links to discover and re-read content. A page with no links pointing to it is hard to discover.
Avoid orphan pages: every important page should be reachable through a link from the menu or another page.
See also : Indexing, robots.txt, Internal linking, Sitemap (XML sitemap)
Offering products that complement the one the customer is buying, on the product page, in the cart or after the order.
With a sunscreen, suggest a lip balm or an after-sun lotion.
See also : Upsell, Average order value (AOV), Product page
An estimate of the revenue a customer brings over the whole relationship with your business, including repeat purchases. Compared with acquisition cost, it shows how much you can afford to spend to win a new customer.
A customer who reorders every three months is worth far more than their first order: plan WhatsApp and email follow-ups.
See also : Average order value (AOV), Cost per acquisition (CPA), Newsletter, WhatsApp Business
An attack that floods a website or server with requests from a large number of machines to make it slow or unreachable. CDNs and specialised protection services filter much of this traffic.
During a major campaign, DDoS protection keeps an attack from cutting off your sales.
See also : CDN (content delivery network), Web application firewall (WAF), Uptime
A link that opens a specific screen of an app (a product, an order) instead of its home screen. On Android, App Links let a regular web URL open the app if it is installed.
In a notification or campaign, link straight to the relevant product, not to the app’s home screen.
See also : Native app, Push notifications, UTM parameters
A provider that carries parcels to the customer and, with cash on delivery, collects the payment and remits it to the merchant. Its rates, coverage area and remittance speed directly affect profitability.
Compare delivery and return fees, cities covered and how often collected cash is paid out.
See also : Cash on delivery (COD), Delivery rate, Return rate, SLA (service level agreement)
The share of shipped orders that are actually delivered and paid for by the customer. With cash on delivery, this is the metric that determines the revenue you actually collect.
Track it by city, product and courier to see where parcels are being lost.
See also : Cash on delivery (COD), Confirmation rate, Return rate, Delivery company (courier)
A cryptographic signature added to outgoing email, verifiable with a public key published in the domain’s DNS. It proves the message comes from an authorised sender and was not altered in transit.
Enable DKIM in every service that sends email for you, then publish the record it gives you.
See also : SPF, DMARC, Email deliverability
A policy published in DNS that tells receiving servers what to do with email failing SPF and DKIM checks aligned with your domain (none, quarantine or reject), and where to send reports. Gmail and Yahoo require it for bulk senders.
Start with p=none to observe reports, fix legitimate sources, then move gradually to quarantine or reject.
See also : SPF, DKIM, Email deliverability, Phishing
The Internet’s directory that translates a domain name into technical addresses: which server shows the website, which one receives email, and so on. This information is stored as records (A, CNAME, MX, TXT…) and changes can take some time to propagate.
Before changing host, write down all your current DNS records, especially the email ones.
See also : A record, CNAME record, MX record, Domain name
A website’s human-readable address on the Internet, such as oufrid.com, which replaces the server’s numeric IP address. It is rented for a renewable period from a registrar and is also used for business email addresses.
Register the domain in your own name (not your provider’s) and turn on auto-renewal.
See also : Registrar, Top-level domain (TLD), DNS (Domain Name System)
A two-step sign-up method: after entering their address, the subscriber must click a confirmation link sent by email. It ensures the address is valid and that the person really wanted to subscribe.
Customise the confirmation email and remind subscribers what they will receive.
See also : Newsletter, Consent, Email deliverability
An online selling model where the merchant does not hold stock: when an order comes in, the supplier ships it directly to the customer. The merchant focuses on the store and marketing but has less control over quality and delivery times.
Order the product yourself before selling it to check its quality and the real delivery time.
See also : Stock management, Delivery company (courier), Cash on delivery (COD)
Stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness, concepts used in Google’s search quality rater guidelines. It is not a single score but a framework describing what makes content trustworthy, especially on health or money topics.
Sign your articles, present your background, show your work and give verifiable contact details.
See also : Search engine optimization (SEO), Backlink, Social proof
A message that could not be delivered and returns to the sender with an error code. A hard bounce is permanent (address does not exist); a soft bounce is temporary (mailbox full, server unavailable).
Remove hard-bounced addresses quickly: continuing to mail them hurts your sender reputation.
See also : Email deliverability, IP reputation, Newsletter
The ability of your emails to reach the inbox rather than land in spam or be rejected. It depends on authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), sender reputation, list quality and recipient engagement.
If your order confirmations end up in spam, first check your domain’s SPF, DKIM and DMARC.
See also : SPF, DKIM, DMARC, IP reputation
In Google Analytics 4, the percentage of “engaged” sessions, meaning sessions that lasted more than 10 seconds, had at least two page views or a key event. On social media, the term usually means the share of people who interact (likes, comments, shares).
Low engagement on a landing page suggests the content does not match the ad’s promise.
See also : Bounce rate, Google Analytics 4 (GA4), Heatmap
A box Google shows at the top of some results, quoting a passage from a page to answer the question directly, with a link to the source. It is sometimes called “position zero”.
Answer the question in two or three sentences right under a subheading that restates it, then go into detail.
See also : SERP (search engine results page), AI Overviews, Structured data
The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation, applicable since May 2018. It governs how personal data is collected and used and can apply to a business outside the EU, such as a Moroccan one, that targets people located in the Union.
If you sell or advertise to Europe, inform visitors clearly and collect their consent where required.
See also : Law No. 09-08 (Morocco), Consent, Privacy policy, Cookie
A family of artificial intelligence systems that can produce new content (text, images, audio, code) from an instruction. It helps with writing, summarising, translating or answering customers, but its output needs to be reviewed.
Use it for a first draft of product descriptions in three languages, then have each version reviewed by a fluent speaker.
See also : Large language model (LLM), Prompt, Hallucination (AI), AI Overviews
Google’s free tool for measuring a website’s or app’s audience: where visitors come from, pages viewed, events and conversions. It uses an event-based model and replaced Universal Analytics.
Mark your important events (purchase, form submitted) as “key events” to track them as conversions.
See also : Conversion event, Engagement rate, Bounce rate, UTM parameters
A free listing that presents a business on Google Maps and in local results: address, opening hours, phone, photos, reviews and posts. It is essential for being found by nearby customers.
Reply to every review, including negative ones, and keep opening hours up to date during Ramadan and public holidays.
See also : Local SEO, Social proof, SERP (search engine results page)
Google’s developer interface for publishing and managing apps on Google Play: store listing, releases and testing tracks, statistics, reviews, privacy policy and compliance. Opening a developer account is paid and requires identity verification.
Create the account in the company’s name if it owns the app, rather than in the contractor’s name.
See also : Closed testing (Google Play), AAB (Android App Bundle), App signing
Google’s free service showing how your site appears in search: queries, impressions, clicks, average position, indexed pages, errors and Core Web Vitals. It also lets you submit a sitemap and request indexing of a page.
Verify your domain as soon as the site goes live so data history starts building.
See also : Indexing, Sitemap (XML sitemap), Core Web Vitals, Impressions
Google’s free tool for installing and managing tracking codes (Analytics, ad pixels…) from one interface, without editing the site’s code each time. It offers a preview mode to test before publishing.
Manage your pixels in GTM rather than through several WordPress plugins that may double-count events.
See also : Tracking pixel, Google Analytics 4 (GA4), Conversion event
An AI model answer that sounds credible but is false or made up: a figure, quote, reference or feature that does not exist. It is a known limitation of LLMs, reduced by giving them reliable sources.
Never publish a price, law or statistic produced by AI without checking it against the source.
See also : Large language model (LLM), RAG (retrieval-augmented generation), Prompt
A visualisation laid over a page showing where visitors click, move the mouse or stop scrolling, with warmer colours where activity is high. It helps spot ignored or misleading elements.
If many visitors click an image that is not clickable, turn it into a link to the expected action.
See also : Conversion rate optimization (CRO), User experience (UX), Engagement rate
An attribute that tells search engines about the different language or regional versions of the same page, so they show the right version to each user. Each version must reference all the others, including itself.
A site in French, English and Arabic would declare, for example, fr, en, ar and an x-default value for the fallback page.
See also : Canonical tag, Sitemap (XML sitemap), Search engine optimization (SEO)
A security header (Strict-Transport-Security) through which a site tells browsers to always connect over HTTPS for a set period, preventing certain downgrade attacks to HTTP.
Enable it only once the whole site and its subdomains work over HTTPS, starting with a short duration.
See also : HTTPS, SSL/TLS certificate
The secure version of the HTTP protocol, encrypting exchanged data with TLS (the padlock in the address bar). It is essential whenever there is a form, payment or login, and browsers flag non-secure pages.
Redirect every http:// address to https:// and fix images still loaded over http (mixed content).
See also : SSL/TLS certificate, HSTS
A unique 15-digit identification number assigned to businesses in Morocco, identifying them across all government administrations. It must appear on invoices and commercial documents.
Make sure your ICE, and your business customer’s, appears on every invoice.
See also : Invoice, Legal notice
The number of times an ad or a search result was displayed on screen. One person can generate several impressions; reach is the number of unique people.
Many impressions and few clicks: rework the visual, the hook or the targeting.
See also : Click-through rate (CTR), Cost per mille (CPM), Google Search Console
The step in which a search engine stores a page in its index after crawling it, making it eligible to appear in results. A page can be crawled but not indexed if it is judged duplicate, low quality or marked noindex.
Search Console’s “Pages” report explains why some pages are not indexed.
See also : Crawling, Sitemap (XML sitemap), robots.txt, Google Search Console
A measure of page responsiveness: the time between an interaction (click, tap, typing) and the visible screen update, across the whole visit. It replaced FID in March 2024; Google considers it good at 200 ms or less.
Heavy third-party scripts (chat widgets, multiple trackers) are a common cause of poor INP: keep only those you need.
See also : Core Web Vitals, User experience (UX)
How pages within the same website link to each other. Good internal linking helps visitors and search engines find important pages and understand how they relate.
From a blog post about delivery in Morocco, link to your e-commerce service page with descriptive link text.
See also : Crawling, Backlink, Search engine optimization (SEO)
A commercial and accounting document detailing a sale or service: seller and customer identities, date, number, description, quantities, prices, taxes and total. In Morocco it must include the company’s identifiers, including the ICE.
Number invoices sequentially and keep them: they are needed for accounting and in case of dispute.
See also : ICE (Common Company Identifier, Morocco), Terms and conditions of sale, Law No. 31-08 (Morocco)
Mail providers’ assessment of how trustworthy a sending IP address is, based on its history: volumes, spam complaints, bounces, presence on blacklists. A poor reputation sends your emails to spam, even legitimate ones.
On a new server, ramp up sending volume gradually rather than mailing your whole list at once.
See also : Blacklist (blocklist), PTR record (reverse DNS), Email deliverability, Email bounce
A metric chosen to track progress toward a specific goal: monthly revenue, delivery rate, cost per order, number of quote requests… A few well-chosen KPIs beat a cluttered dashboard.
For a cash-on-delivery store: orders, confirmation rate, delivery rate and cost per delivered order.
See also : Return on investment (ROI), Conversion rate, Cost per acquisition (CPA)
A word or phrase people type into a search engine and for which a website wants to be visible, in SEO as well as in advertising. Choosing keywords depends on search volume, competition and the intent behind the query.
“Web developer Casablanca” and “create a free website” are two keywords with very different intents.
See also : Long tail, Search intent, Search engine advertising (SEA), Title tag
A page built for a single goal, often tied to an ad campaign: present one offer and push the visitor toward one action (order, leave contact details). It limits distractions such as menus and outgoing links.
Repeat in the page headline the exact promise of the ad the visitor clicked.
See also : Call to action (CTA), Conversion rate, A/B test, Social proof
An artificial intelligence model trained on very large amounts of text to understand and generate language. It powers conversational assistants such as ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini.
An LLM does not know your prices or stock: you must supply that information, for example through a RAG system.
See also : Generative AI, Token, RAG (retrieval-augmented generation), Hallucination (AI)
The Moroccan law on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data, adopted in 2009. It notably requires informing people, respecting their rights (access, rectification, objection) and completing prior formalities with the CNDP.
A contact or order form collects personal data: include an information notice and declare the processing.
See also : CNDP (Morocco), GDPR, Privacy policy, Consent
The Moroccan law setting out consumer protection measures, in force since 2011. For distance selling it notably requires clear information for the consumer (seller identity, price, fees, delivery terms) and provides a seven-day right of withdrawal.
State in your terms of sale how customers can exercise the right of withdrawal and who pays return costs.
See also : Terms and conditions of sale, Legal notice, Return rate, Invoice
A technique that delays loading images, videos or iframes further down the page until the visitor scrolls near them. It speeds up the initial display and saves mobile data.
Enable it for images below the fold, but never for the main image at the top of the page.
See also : LCP (Largest Contentful Paint), Core Web Vitals, Cache
The time it takes to display the largest element visible on load (often the hero image or main heading). Google considers it good at 2.5 seconds or less at the 75th percentile.
Compress the hero image, serve it in a modern format (WebP, AVIF) and do not lazy-load it.
See also : Core Web Vitals, CDN (content delivery network), Cache, Lazy loading
A person who has shown interest in your offer by leaving contact details or reaching out (form, call, WhatsApp message) but has not bought yet. Sales work then consists of turning them into a customer.
Call back or reply to leads as fast as possible: interest fades quickly.
See also : Cost per lead (CPL), Landing page, Sales funnel, WhatsApp Business
A page identifying the publisher of a website: company or personal name, address, contact details, legal identifiers (in Morocco, for example, RC and ICE), publication manager and host. It strengthens transparency and trust.
Link to the legal notice in the footer of every page.
See also : Terms and conditions of sale, Privacy policy, ICE (Common Company Identifier, Morocco)
Work on visibility for location-based searches (“plumber Marrakech”, “near me”), especially in Google Maps. It relies on the Google Business Profile, consistent contact details everywhere and customer reviews.
Use exactly the same name, address and phone number on your site, your Google profile and directories.
See also : Google Business Profile, Search engine optimization (SEO), Structured data
Long, specific queries that are each searched rarely but are very numerous in total. They are usually less competitive and express a clearer intent, so they often convert better.
Instead of “shoes”, target “men’s safety shoes size 44 delivery Rabat”.
See also : Keyword, Search intent, Search engine optimization (SEO)
Harmful code planted in a website or device: redirects to dubious sites, spam pages, theft of payment data, fraudulent emails… An infected site can be flagged by Google and browsers.
Warning signs: unknown pages indexed, redirects on mobile, new admin accounts. Restore a clean backup and change every password.
See also : Backup, Updates, Web application firewall (WAF), Phishing
A short summary of a page placed in its HTML code, which Google may show under the title in results. It does not directly affect rankings, but a clear, compelling text can raise the click-through rate.
Summarise the main benefit and add something concrete: nationwide delivery, free quote, cash on delivery.
See also : Title tag, Click-through rate (CTR), SERP (search engine results page)
Meta’s (Facebook, Instagram) tracking pixel installed on a website to record events such as content view, add to cart or purchase. The data is used to measure campaigns, optimise delivery and build retargeting audiences.
Fire a “Purchase” event only on the thank-you page, with the order value.
See also : Tracking pixel, Conversions API (Meta), Retargeting, Conversion event
A DNS record that specifies which servers receive email sent to a domain, with a priority order. A wrong or deleted MX means messages to your business addresses are no longer received.
If you use Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, the exact MX values are given in their documentation.
See also : DNS (Domain Name System), SPF, Email deliverability
An app built specifically for one system (Android or iOS) with its official tools and distributed through app stores. It has full access to phone features but requires its own development and maintenance.
Before launching an app, ask what it offers your customers beyond a good mobile website.
See also : PWA (progressive web app), APK, Push notifications
An email sent regularly to a list of subscribers to share news, tips or offers. It keeps you in touch with customers without depending on social media algorithms, provided you have their consent.
A useful monthly newsletter beats a daily promotion that drives unsubscribes.
See also : Double opt-in, Consent, Email deliverability, UTM parameters
Platforms that connect applications through visual workflows (“when this happens, do that”) without traditional programming. n8n can be self-hosted; Zapier and Make are online services.
Typical workflow: new WooCommerce order → row in Google Sheets → WhatsApp message to the customer → alert to the team.
See also : Automation, Webhook, API (application programming interface)
A service that lets a website accept online card payments by securely passing the transaction between the customer, the bank and the merchant. In Morocco the CMI is the most widespread option; internationally, examples include Stripe or PayPal.
Check per-transaction fees, payout delays and supported currencies before choosing.
See also : 3-D Secure, Checkout, SSL/TLS certificate
A scam that impersonates a trusted organisation (bank, host, Meta, Google, courier) by email, SMS or message to trick the victim into giving login details or bank details, or installing malware.
Be wary of urgent messages such as “your page will be deleted”: always log in by typing the official address yourself.
See also : Two-factor authentication (2FA), DMARC, Malware
A module that adds a feature to software such as WordPress: forms, SEO, caching, payments, security… Each extra plugin can slow the site down or introduce a vulnerability if it is poorly coded or abandoned.
Remove unused plugins and avoid those that have not been updated for a long time.
A document explaining what personal data a website or app collects, why, how long it is kept, who it is shared with and how people can exercise their rights. Google Play also requires one to publish an app.
Mention the third-party tools you use (Analytics, ad pixels, courier, WhatsApp) and the contact for exercising rights.
See also : Law No. 09-08 (Morocco), GDPR, Cookie, Consent
The page of an online store that presents a product: photos, price, description, variants, reviews, delivery terms and the order button. It is often the page that makes or breaks the sale.
Answer on the page the questions customers ask on the phone: delivery time, size, how to use, warranty.
See also : Social proof, Call to action (CTA), Conversion rate, Structured data
An instruction or question written for an AI model. A precise prompt that gives context, the expected role, the answer format and examples usually produces much better results.
Instead of “write a description”, specify the product, audience, tone, length, language and key points.
See also : Large language model (LLM), Generative AI, Hallucination (AI)
A record that maps an IP address back to a domain name, the reverse of an A record. It is set by whoever owns the IP address (often the host), and mail servers check it to judge a sender’s reliability.
If your VPS sends email, ask the host for a PTR that matches the sending server’s name.
See also : DNS (Domain Name System), IP reputation, Email deliverability, SMTP
Short messages sent by an app (or a compatible website) that appear on the user’s device even when the app is closed. On recent Android versions, the user must allow them.
Send useful notifications (order shipped, targeted offer) and not too often, or users will turn them off.
See also : Native app, PWA (progressive web app), Deep link, Consent
A website built to behave like an app: installable on the home screen, partly usable offline and, depending on the browser, able to send notifications. It is a lighter alternative to a native app.
For a catalogue or a simple customer area, a PWA may be enough before investing in an Android app.
See also : Responsive design, Native app, Push notifications
A technique that first searches your own documents (catalogue, FAQ, terms of sale) for relevant information, then gives it to the language model so it answers from those sources. It makes answers more accurate and up to date.
A RAG assistant can answer with your real delivery times instead of inventing a generic reply.
See also : Large language model (LLM), Hallucination (AI), Chatbot
A company accredited to register and renew domain names on behalf of its customers. It is where you manage the domain’s owner, its renewal and the DNS servers it uses.
Keep access to the registrar account: without it, you cannot renew or transfer your domain.
See also : Domain name, Top-level domain (TLD), DNS (Domain Name System)
Designing a site whose layout automatically adapts to the screen size: phone, tablet or computer. Google mainly indexes the mobile version of sites, which makes it essential.
Test your pages on a real entry-level phone, not just on your computer screen.
See also : User experience (UX), PWA (progressive web app), Core Web Vitals
An advertising technique that shows ads to people who already visited your site, watched a video or engaged with your page, using a pixel or contact lists. It is often used to bring back those who did not order.
Show visitors of a product page a customer testimonial or a limited offer for that same product.
See also : Meta Pixel, Tracking pixel, Cart abandonment, Consent
Revenue generated by advertising divided by the amount spent on advertising. It measures the revenue each unit of currency brings back, but ignores other costs (product, delivery, returns).
A ROAS of 4 means 4 of sales per 1 of ad spend; that is not necessarily profitable if margins are thin.
See also : Return on investment (ROI), Cost per acquisition (CPA), Average order value (AOV), Attribution
The ratio between the profit an investment produces and its cost, usually as a percentage: (gain − cost) ÷ cost × 100. Unlike ROAS, it accounts for all costs.
A website costing 10,000 that generates 15,000 in net profit has a 50% ROI.
See also : Return on ad spend (ROAS), Key performance indicator (KPI), Customer lifetime value (LTV)
The share of shipped orders that come back to the merchant: parcels refused at delivery, unreachable customers or products sent back after receipt. Each return usually costs shipping both ways without producing a sale.
An accurate product page (real photos, sizes, delivery times) reduces the bad surprises that lead to refusals.
See also : Delivery rate, Cash on delivery (COD), Law No. 31-08 (Morocco)
A text file at the root of a site that tells search engine robots which areas they may or may not crawl. It blocks crawling, not indexing: to keep a page out of results, use a noindex directive instead.
After launch, check that robots.txt no longer contains a “Disallow: /” left over from the staging site.
See also : Crawling, Sitemap (XML sitemap), Indexing
The step-by-step journey that takes a prospect from discovering the offer to buying (ad, landing page, form, confirmation…). Analysing it step by step shows where visitors drop off.
Measure how many people reach each step: the biggest drop shows what to fix first.
See also : Landing page, Conversion rate, Retargeting, Lead
Advertising shown on search engines, mainly through Google Ads: you pay to appear for keywords, usually per click. Results come quickly but stop as soon as the budget stops, unlike SEO.
Start with high purchase-intent keywords, such as “price” or the exact product name plus your city.
See also : Cost per click (CPC), Keyword, Search engine optimization (SEO), SERP (search engine results page)
The set of techniques that improve a website’s visibility in the unpaid results of search engines: helpful content, sound technical structure, speed, links from other sites. Results build gradually but last.
Start with a strong page for each important service or product, using the words your customers actually use.
See also : SERP (search engine results page), Keyword, Backlink, Core Web Vitals
What the user is really trying to achieve with a query: learn something, reach a specific site, compare or buy. Google favours pages that match this intent, so the type of content must fit.
For “best WordPress hosting”, a comparison answers the intent better than a sales page.
See also : Keyword, Long tail, Landing page
The page of results a search engine shows after a query. It contains regular links but also ads, a map with business listings, featured snippets, images or AI-generated answers.
Search your main keywords to see what really occupies the SERP before choosing a strategy.
See also : Search engine optimization (SEO), Featured snippet, AI Overviews, Click-through rate (CTR)
A plan in which many websites share the resources of one server (CPU, memory, disk), managed by the host. It is cheap and simple, but a resource-hungry neighbour can affect performance.
Fine for starting a business website; for a store running paid traffic, keep an eye on response times.
See also : VPS (virtual private server), Uptime, CDN (content delivery network)
A file, usually in XML, that lists a site’s important pages to help search engines discover them. It is submitted notably in Google Search Console and does not guarantee indexing on its own.
Most WordPress SEO plugins generate the sitemap automatically, often at /sitemap.xml or /sitemap_index.xml.
See also : robots.txt, Indexing, Crawling, Google Search Console
A unique code the merchant assigns to each item and each of its variants (size, colour) to track it across inventory, orders and accounting.
A T-shirt in 3 sizes and 2 colours means 6 different SKUs, for example TSH-BLACK-M.
See also : Stock management, Product page
A provider’s contractual commitment on service quality: guaranteed availability, response times, recovery times and compensation if targets are missed.
Before signing a maintenance contract, check the guaranteed response time when the site is down.
See also : Uptime, Delivery company (courier), Backup
The standard protocol used to send and relay email between servers. On a site such as WordPress, sending through an authenticated SMTP server generally improves the deliverability of site emails.
If form emails are not arriving, set up an SMTP plugin with an authenticated sending account on your domain.
See also : Transactional email, PTR record (reverse DNS), SPF
Elements showing that other people trust the business: customer reviews, testimonials, customer photos, client logos, real order counts. They reassure hesitant visitors.
Show genuine, verifiable reviews, ideally with photos; fake reviews destroy trust and may be illegal.
See also : Product page, Landing page, Google Business Profile
A TXT-type DNS record listing the servers authorised to send email on behalf of your domain. Receiving servers check it to detect spoofed messages.
A domain must have only one SPF record: add each sending service (mailbox, store, newsletter tool) to it instead of creating a second one.
See also : DKIM, DMARC, Email deliverability, MX record
A digital certificate installed on a server that encrypts traffic between the browser and the site and proves the domain’s identity. TLS is the current protocol; “SSL” remains the common name. Free certificates exist, for example from Let’s Encrypt.
Watch the expiry date: an expired certificate shows a warning that drives visitors away.
A private copy of a website, identical or close to the live site, used to test changes, updates or a redesign before applying them to production, with no risk to visitors.
Block indexing and password-protect the staging site so it does not show up in Google.
See also : Backup, Updates, Website migration
Tracking the available quantity of each product, incoming and outgoing, to avoid stock-outs and overstock. On an online store, stock can update automatically with each order.
Turn on low-stock alerts so you reorder before selling a product you no longer have.
See also : SKU (stock keeping unit), Dropshipping, WooCommerce
Information added to a page’s code in a standard format (Schema.org, often as JSON-LD) to describe its content precisely: product, price, reviews, business, FAQ, event. It can make the page eligible for rich results.
A product page with structured data can show price, availability and rating directly in Google.
See also : SERP (search engine results page), Product page, Local SEO, Featured snippet
A document setting the rules of the commercial relationship between seller and customer: prices, ordering, payment, delivery, returns, withdrawal, warranties, disputes. Customers must be able to read it before ordering.
For a cash-on-delivery store, specify the confirmation process, delivery times by area and what happens when a parcel is refused.
See also : Law No. 31-08 (Morocco), Legal notice, Cash on delivery (COD), Return rate
A set of files that defines a site’s look and layout in a CMS such as WordPress. A lightweight, well-maintained theme helps with speed and mobile display.
Put your customisations in a child theme so you don’t lose them during updates.
See also : WordPress, Responsive design, Plugin
The HTML element that sets a page’s title, shown in the browser tab and often as the clickable headline in search results. It should be unique per page, clearly describe the content and include the main topic.
Example: “E-commerce website development in Morocco | Company name” rather than “Home”.
See also : Meta description, Click-through rate (CTR), SERP (search engine results page), Keyword
A unit of text, often a piece of a word, that a language model processes. The maximum size of exchanges and the billing of AI APIs are usually expressed in tokens.
Shorter instructions and documents use fewer tokens, lowering the cost of an AI assistant.
See also : Large language model (LLM), Prompt
The last part of a domain name, after the dot: generic ones such as .com, .net, .shop, or country codes such as .ma for Morocco or .fr for France. Each extension has its own registration rules and prices.
A business mainly targeting Morocco can take both the .ma and the .com to protect its brand.
See also : Domain name, Registrar
A small piece of code on a website that reports visitor actions to a platform (ads, analytics): page view, add to cart, purchase. It is used to measure campaigns and build audiences, subject to the consent required by law.
After installing it, use the platform’s test tool to check that each event fires exactly once.
See also : Meta Pixel, Conversion event, Google Tag Manager (GTM), Cookie
An automatic message triggered by a user action: order confirmation, invoice, password reset, shipping notice. Customers expect it, so it must be sent reliably, ideally through a dedicated sending service.
Send transactional emails separately from newsletters so a marketing issue does not block your confirmations.
See also : SMTP, Email deliverability, DKIM
The time between the browser requesting a page and receiving the first byte of the server’s response. It reflects server, network and code speed; a high TTFB delays everything else, including LCP.
Page caching and hosting sized for your traffic are the first levers for reducing TTFB.
See also : Cache, CDN (content delivery network), Core Web Vitals, LCP (Largest Contentful Paint)
A login method that requires, besides the password, a second proof: a code from an authenticator app, a security key or an SMS. A stolen password is then no longer enough to access the account.
Turn it on first for email, the registrar, hosting, site admin and ad accounts.
See also : Brute-force attack, Phishing, 3-D Secure
New versions released by vendors (CMS, plugins, themes, server, apps) that fix security holes and bugs or add features. Out-of-date sites are among the most frequently hacked.
Schedule updates: backup, test on staging where possible, then check key pages and the checkout.
Offering the customer a premium version, a larger quantity or a paid option of the product they are already buying, in order to increase the order value.
During the confirmation call, offering a two-unit pack at a better price is a classic upsell.
See also : Cross-sell, Average order value (AOV), Call center (order confirmation)
The percentage of time a website or server is reachable. Hosts often state it in their commitments; a monitoring tool lets you check real availability and get alerted when the site goes down.
Set up an email or SMS alert that warns you as soon as the site stops responding.
See also : SLA (service level agreement), Backup, DDoS attack (distributed denial of service)
Everything a person perceives when using a website or app: how easy it is to find information, clarity, speed and trust. Good UX reduces the effort needed to reach a goal.
Ask someone outside the business to order on your site without help and watch where they get stuck.
See also : Responsive design, Web accessibility, Conversion rate optimization (CRO)
Tags appended to a URL (utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign…) that tell analytics tools where a visitor came from. They let you accurately separate traffic from a campaign, an email or a post.
Example: mysite.com/promo?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=bio&utm_campaign=ramadan. Keep a consistent naming convention.
See also : Google Analytics 4 (GA4), Attribution, Newsletter
An isolated slice of a physical server with dedicated resources and full administrator access. More powerful and flexible than shared hosting, it in return needs to be administered: updates, security, backups.
An unmaintained VPS is an easy target: decide who handles updates and monitoring.
See also : Shared hosting, Backup, Updates, SSL/TLS certificate
Designing a website that everyone can use, including people with disabilities (visual, hearing, motor, cognitive). The international reference is the WCAG standard: sufficient contrast, keyboard navigation, alt text, properly labelled forms.
Check that the whole checkout works with the keyboard alone and that text stays readable in bright sunlight.
See also : Alt text, User experience (UX), Responsive design
A filter in front of a website that inspects requests and blocks those resembling known attacks (injections, mass login attempts, malicious bots). It can come from an external service, the host or a plugin.
A WAF does not replace updates: it reduces risk but does not fix vulnerabilities.
See also : DDoS attack (distributed denial of service), Brute-force attack, Malware, CDN (content delivery network)
An automatic notification that software sends to a web address as soon as an event occurs (new order, payment received, form submitted). Unlike an API you query, the source tool does the notifying.
A “new order” webhook can trigger a WhatsApp confirmation message and a row in Google Sheets.
See also : API (application programming interface), Automation, No-code automation tools (n8n, Zapier, Make)
Moving a site to a new host, domain, CMS or URL structure. Poorly prepared, it can cause downtime, lost email or a drop in search rankings.
Prepare a backup, 301 redirects, DNS records and a checklist to run right after the switch.
See also : 301 redirect, Backup, DNS (Domain Name System), Staging
The business version of WhatsApp, with a business profile, catalogue, quick replies and automated messages; the WhatsApp Business Platform (API) goes further with multiple agents and automation. A click-to-chat link (wa.me) opens a conversation with your number directly.
Add a WhatsApp button to your site with a pre-filled message naming the product being viewed.
See also : Call center (order confirmation), Lead, Chatbot, Consent
A list of senders, domains or IP addresses considered trustworthy, whose messages or access are accepted without the usual filtering. In email, asking a contact to add your address to their contacts has a similar effect.
Invite new subscribers to add your address to their contacts so your messages reach the inbox.
See also : Blacklist (blocklist), Email deliverability
A free, open-source plugin that turns a WordPress site into an online store: catalogue, cart, orders, shipping and payments. Many add-ons extend it with features such as cash on delivery or local payment gateways.
Install only the extensions you need and test every update on a staging site.
See also : WordPress, Plugin, Payment gateway
A free, open-source CMS, the most widely used in the world for building business sites, blogs and stores (with WooCommerce). Its wealth of themes and plugins is a strength, provided it is kept updated and secure.
Update the core, theme and plugins regularly, after taking a backup.
See also : CMS (content management system), Plugin, Theme, WooCommerce
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