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The Tetra Technology
Knowledge Base

Glossary of Web, Hosting & Marketing Terms

Plain-English definitions for the terms that come up most in client conversations.

How It Works

What happens when someone visits your website

A simplified look at the request your browser makes every time a page loads.

Browser requests your domain
DNS resolves it to a server IP
Hosting server handles the request
Database returns the needed data
Page renders in the browser
Hosting & Security

Terms you'll hear from us about infrastructure

SSL / TLS

Encryption that secures data between a browser and a server — shows as the padlock icon and the "https://" prefix.

DNS

The system that translates a domain name like yoursite.com into the numeric IP address of the server hosting it.

VPS (Virtual Private Server)

A dedicated slice of a physical server's resources — more control and consistency than shared hosting, less cost than a full dedicated server.

CDN (Content Delivery Network)

A network of servers that caches your site's files closer to visitors around the world, so pages load faster wherever they are.

Uptime

The percentage of time a server stays online and reachable. 99%+ uptime means well under 4 days of downtime a year.

Nameservers

Servers that tell the internet where your domain's DNS records live — usually pointed at your hosting provider after purchase.

SEO & Marketing

Terms you'll hear about getting found online

SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

The practice of improving a site so it ranks higher in organic (unpaid) search results for relevant terms.

Local SEO

SEO focused on ranking for "near me" and location-based searches — driven heavily by your Google Business Profile.

Map Pack

The block of 3 local business listings with a map that appears above organic results for local searches.

PPC (Pay-Per-Click)

Paid ads, typically on Google or Meta, where you pay only when someone clicks your ad rather than for impressions.

Backlink

A link from another website pointing to yours — one of the strongest signals search engines use to judge credibility.

Bounce Rate

The percentage of visitors who leave after viewing just one page, often used as a rough signal of page relevance.

E-Commerce

Terms you'll hear about running an online store

COD (Cash on Delivery)

Payment collected in cash when the order is delivered — Pakistan's dominant payment method, and the main source of fake/failed orders.

RTO (Return to Origin)

A shipment that couldn't be delivered and gets sent back to the seller — a direct cost from failed COD orders.

AOV (Average Order Value)

Total revenue divided by number of orders — a key number for calculating marketing spend and automation ROI.

Cart Abandonment

When a shopper adds items to cart but leaves without completing checkout — commonly 60-80% of all carts started.

Payment Gateway

The service (JazzCash, Stripe, etc.) that processes an online payment between customer, bank and merchant.

SKU (Stock Keeping Unit)

A unique code identifying a specific product variant, used for inventory tracking across a store.

Development

Terms you'll hear about how things get built

API

A defined way for two pieces of software to talk to each other — how your site might pull courier rates or send WhatsApp messages.

CMS (Content Management System)

Software (like WordPress or a custom admin panel) that lets you edit site content without touching code.

PWA (Progressive Web App)

A website built to behave like an app — installable, works offline, and loads near-instantly on repeat visits.

CI/CD

Continuous Integration/Deployment — automated pipelines that test and ship code changes without manual steps.

Responsive Design

A layout that adapts automatically to any screen size, from a phone to a widescreen monitor.

Staging Environment

A private copy of a site used to test changes safely before they go live on the real, public version.

Term not listed here?

Ask us directly — we're happy to explain anything in plain language before you commit to a project.

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Zara · Tetra Assistant
Typically replies in a few minutes
Try "SEO", "Shopify", "hosting", or a client name.