Tech terms, explained simply.

A

Admin panel

A private page where you manage your website or app. You can add products, change prices or read enquiries without writing code.

Example: A bakery owner in Thane logs in to the admin panel to mark a cake as sold out.

AEO (answer engine optimisation)

Writing and structuring pages so search engines and voice assistants can lift a clear, direct answer from them.

Example: A CA firm answers "What is the GST filing due date?" in the first lines of its page.

AI chatbot

A program that replies to customer messages in plain language. A good one answers from your own information and passes hard questions to a person.

Example: A coaching institute's chatbot answers batch timings on WhatsApp and sends fee questions to staff.

AMC (annual maintenance contract)

A yearly support plan. You pay once a year for updates, backups and fixes after the project is delivered.

Example: A school signs an AMC so its website stays updated before each admission season.

API

A set of rules that lets two software systems talk to each other. It moves data between them without anyone copying it by hand.

Example: An online store uses a courier company's API to create shipping labels automatically.

B

Backend

The part of software that users do not see. It stores data, runs business rules and talks to other systems.

Example: When you book a train ticket, the backend checks seat availability and saves your booking.

Backup

A saved copy of your website, app or data. If something breaks or gets deleted, you can restore it from the backup.

Example: A clinic restores last night's backup after a staff member deletes appointment records by mistake.

C

Cloud hosting

Running your website or app on servers rented over the internet, instead of on a computer in your office.

Example: A startup in Bengaluru runs its app on cloud servers so it can add capacity during a sale.

CMS (content management system)

Software that lets you edit website pages, blogs and images through simple forms, without changing code.

Example: A travel agency in Jaipur adds a new tour page through its CMS in a few minutes.

CRM (customer relationship management)

A tool that keeps all customer details, enquiries and follow-ups in one place, so no lead is forgotten.

Example: A real estate broker in Navi Mumbai sees every site-visit enquiry and the next follow-up date in a CRM.

Cross-platform app

A mobile app built from one shared codebase that runs on both Android and iPhone.

Example: A gym builds one cross-platform app so members on Android and iPhone get the same features.

D

Domain name

Your website's address on the internet, like yourbusiness.in. You rent it yearly from a domain registrar.

Example: A sweet shop in Surat buys a .in domain so customers can type its name to find the menu.

DPDP Act

India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. It sets rules for how businesses collect, use and protect people's personal data.

Example: A diagnostic lab asks for clear consent before it stores a patient's phone number for reports.

E

E-commerce

Selling products or services online, with a cart, online payment and order tracking.

Example: A handloom seller in Varanasi takes orders from across India through an online store.

ERP (enterprise resource planning)

Software that connects a company's main work, such as purchase, stock, production, sales and accounts, in one system.

Example: A spare-parts maker in Pune tracks raw material, production and dispatch in one ERP.

F

Frontend

The part of a website or app that people see and use: pages, buttons, forms and menus.

Example: The product page and "Add to cart" button on a shopping site are part of the frontend.

G

GEO (generative engine optimisation)

Making your business information clear, correct and easy to reach, so AI tools describe your business correctly and can mention it.

Example: A hotel in Goa keeps the same address, phone and room details on its website and listings.

Google Business Profile

Your free business listing on Google Search and Maps, with address, hours, photos and reviews.

Example: A dental clinic in Indore updates its holiday hours on Google Business Profile before Diwali.

H

Hosting

The rented server space where your website's files and data live, so people can open it any time.

Example: A restaurant's website files sit on a hosting server, so the menu opens at midnight too.

HTTPS (SSL certificate)

A secure connection between a visitor's browser and your website. It keeps forms and passwords private on the way.

Example: A school's fee payment page shows a padlock because it uses HTTPS.

L

Landing page

A single page made for one goal, like collecting enquiries for one offer or one ad campaign.

Example: A coaching centre runs ads that lead to a landing page for its new JEE batch.

LLM (large language model)

The kind of AI model behind tools like chat assistants. It reads and writes text by learning patterns from large amounts of writing.

Example: An insurance agent uses an LLM-based tool to draft a first reply to a policy question.

M

Maintenance

Regular care after launch: updates, security fixes, backups and small changes that keep software working well.

Example: An e-commerce store updates its payment plugin before the festive sale as part of maintenance.

MVP (minimum viable product)

The smallest first version of a product that solves the main problem for real users. You learn from it before building more.

Example: A food delivery idea starts with ordering from five kitchens in one area before adding more cities.

N

Native app

A mobile app built separately for Android or iPhone using that platform's own tools. It can use the phone's features closely.

Example: A camera-heavy inspection app may be built as a native Android app for field staff.

P

Payment gateway

A service that safely takes online payments by UPI, cards or net banking and sends the money to your bank account.

Example: A yoga studio adds a payment gateway so students can pay monthly fees by UPI on the website.

R

Responsive design

A layout that adjusts itself to fit phones, tablets and computers, so every visitor can read and click easily.

Example: A wedding planner's site shows one column on a phone and three columns on a laptop.

S

SaaS (software as a service)

Software that customers use online and pay for by subscription. One company hosts and updates it for everyone.

Example: A billing tool that many small shops pay for every month is a SaaS product.

Schema markup (structured data)

Extra code that tells search engines what a page is about, such as a business, a service or a list of questions.

Example: A clinic's page uses schema markup so search engines read its opening hours correctly.

SEO (search engine optimisation)

Improving your website so search engines understand it and show it to people searching for what you offer.

Example: A plumber in Vasai adds clear service pages so people searching "plumber near me" can find him.

Server

A computer that runs all the time and sends your website or app to visitors when they ask for it.

Example: When a customer opens your online menu, a server sends the page to their phone.

Sitemap

A file that lists all the important pages on your website, so search engines can find them quickly.

Example: A furniture store adds new product pages to its sitemap so they get found sooner.

U

UI and UX

UI is how the screens look: colours, buttons and text. UX is how easy and pleasant the whole experience feels to use.

Example: Moving the "Book appointment" button to the top of a clinic app is a UX improvement.

Uptime

The share of time your website or app is working and reachable. Higher uptime means fewer outages.

Example: An online exam portal watches its uptime closely during result week.

W

Webhook

An automatic message one system sends to another the moment something happens, like a new payment.

Example: When a customer pays, the payment gateway sends a webhook so the store marks the order as paid.

WhatsApp Business API

The official way for businesses to send and receive WhatsApp messages through software, for alerts, support and chatbots.

Example: A pharmacy sends order-ready alerts to customers through the WhatsApp Business API.