The systems and shorthand behind ecommerce
Ecommerce decisions cross software, marketing and purchasing. These terms are useful when they clarify the decision. They should not be a barrier to asking a sensible question.
ERP — enterprise resource planning
Business software that connects processes such as stock, purchasing, orders and finance. The exact scope depends on the system. An ecommerce integration exchanges the information needed to keep the storefront and operation aligned.
A migration needs to protect order capture, stock accuracy and dispatch, not just move product records.
CRM — customer relationship management
The processes and systems used to manage customer information and interactions. In ecommerce, it can support service, follow-up and relevant marketing. Having a customer record does not create permission to send every kind of message.
Useful follow-up depends on customer needs and appropriate permissions, rather than sending another message because an automated flow has room for one.
SEO — search engine optimisation
Helping search engines discover and understand useful pages, and helping the right people find them through unpaid search results. Technical access, useful content and clear site structure all matter.
Search traffic is a means to a commercial outcome. A page that attracts many irrelevant visits is not automatically valuable.
GA4 — Google Analytics 4
Google’s analytics product for measuring website and app activity. Its reports depend on implementation, consent, event definitions and attribution settings. It is one view of activity rather than a complete record of the business.
Record website and campaign changes alongside the numbers so a later reader can understand what changed before a result moved.
Read more: Your analytics know what happened. They don’t know why.
MOQ — minimum order quantity
The smallest quantity a supplier will accept for an order or product line. It affects cash committed, storage needs and the risk of unsold stock.
An attractive unit cost can still be a poor buying decision if the minimum order ties up cash in stock that will not sell quickly enough.
Make the definition part of the decision
Before comparing results, agree the period, the population and the costs included. Then decide what action the number should inform. A familiar label is not a substitute for a shared definition.