Technologies forge ahead and not everyone catches up with them. New inventions and notions lead to new words creation confusing newbies. Do you have troubles with some terms that refer to fast-developing e-Commerce world? We have made a list of words that each online merchant need to know making your business start easier. Understanding these foundational terms is crucial for navigating the digital commerce landscape, as detailed in our roadmap for successful e-commerce re-platforming.
API
An abbreviation of application program interface, is a set of routines, protocols, and tools for building software applications. The API specifies how software components should interact and are used when programming graphical user interface components. A good application program interface makes it easier to develop a program.
Back end
It deals with databases and data processing components, so the purpose of the back-end system is to launch the operating system's programs in response to front-end system requests and operations. In other words, the back-end system implements responses to what the front end has initiated.
Back up
It means to copy files to a second medium (a disk or tape) as a precaution in case the first medium fails. One of the cardinal rules in using computers is back up your files regularly.
Bandwidth
The amount of data that can be transmitted in a fixed amount of time. For digital devices, the bandwidth is usually expressed in bits per second (bps) or bytes per second. For analog devices, the bandwidth is expressed in cycles per second, or Hertz (Hz).
Cache
A component that transparently stores data so that future requests for that one can be served faster. The information that is stored within a cache might be values that have been computed earlier or duplicates of original values that are stored elsewhere.
File Transfer Protocol
File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is a protocol used on the internet in order to transfer files. It was a popular means of making files available over the internet, either via public or private FTP sites, before the advent of the web. Site developers now use FTP to upload / download files to the server when making changes / additions to web pages. For more advanced setup, you might need to create FTP access with cPanel.
Firewall
A piece of software or hardware designed to serve as a barrier to exclude outside intruders, typically those on the internet, access to internal content. Companies often adopt firewalls in order to keep their internal communications private.
Front end
It is the same as user interface, the junction between a user and a computer program. Front end is a set of commands or menus through which a user communicates with a program.
SEO
Search engine optimization is a methodology of strategies, techniques and tactics used to increase the amount of visitors to a website by obtaining a high-ranking placement in the search results page of a search engine including Google, Bing, Yahoo and other search engines.
SEO helps to ensure that a site is accessible to a search engine and improves the chances that the site will be found by the search engine.
XML
XML (eXtensible Markup Language) is used to enable the sharing of data across different sites on the web. A popular use of XML is RSS, used to subscribe to news feeds and blogs. XML is a means of describing data, in a customizable fashion, in order to apply a structure to the data that is necessary for the export.
That’s it for today! Hope it was a useful contribution to your word stock and e-Commerce knowledge. However, if you already have online business, but want to perform some changes, don’t miss a possibility to get a new store using migration with Cart2Cart.
Monthly Update – November 2025
As November 2025 rolls in, a significant trend reshaping the e-commerce landscape is the accelerated adoption of headless commerce architectures. This approach decouples the front-end presentation layer (what customers see) from the back-end commerce functionality (like product information, pricing, and checkout processes). Businesses are increasingly gravitating towards headless solutions to gain unparalleled flexibility, speed, and customization capabilities. This allows them to deliver highly personalized and engaging shopping experiences across various touchpoints—web, mobile apps, IoT devices, and even voice assistants—without being constrained by traditional monolithic platforms. The benefits include faster loading times, improved SEO, and the ability to update the front-end without disrupting the back-end, which is critical for staying agile in a rapidly evolving market. When considering a migration, evaluating a platform's compatibility with a headless setup is paramount for future-proofing your online store and meeting the sophisticated demands of modern consumers.
For more details, explore our FAQ section or schedule a call with a migration expert.
