Glossary

The terms in the quote that nobody explains

Name: ALPENIQ
Address: Glasistrasse 9, Bülach, ZH, 8180, CH
Telephone: +41 78 354 30 93
Price range: $$

Definitions with Swiss context

Each entry answers the question in one paragraph, names the most common misconception, and says what it means in practice for a Swiss SME. Not a translated encyclopaedia article — what we actually end up explaining on the job.

All terms

19 terms

APIApplication Programming InterfaceAn API is the defined point where two programs talk to each other. It sets out which questions one system may ask and what shape the answer comes back in. Without one, two systems exchange data through people retyping it. With one, they do it directly, in seconds, and without typos.
BacklinkA backlink is a link from another website to yours. Search engines read it as a signal that somebody considered your page worth pointing at. What matters is not the count but the source: one link from a Swiss trade publication weighs more than a hundred from directories that accept anyone.
BackupA backup is a copy of your data that the business can be restored from. What matters is not that it runs but that the restore works and how long it takes. A backup that has never been restored is an assumption, not protection.
Cloud ComputingCloud computing means drawing computing power, storage and applications over the network instead of running your own servers. You pay for use rather than hardware, and the provider handles operations and maintenance. The gain is not always price — it is the shift of investment and responsibility.
Corporate DesignCorporate design is a brand's binding visual rulebook: logo, colours, typefaces, imagery and the rules for using them. It is the visible part of corporate identity — what a company stands for. A logo on its own is not a corporate design; what matters is what stays constant across every application.
CRMCustomer Relationship ManagementA CRM is the system where contacts, conversations, quotes and closed deals all live in one place. It answers three questions that otherwise sit in individual heads: who are we talking to, what was said last, and which quote is still open. Without one, that knowledge leaves the company the day someone resigns.
CTRClick-Through RateCTR is the share of impressions that turn into clicks. A hundred impressions and three clicks is three percent. It measures one thing only: whether what people see makes them click — not whether anything good sits behind it. A high CTR followed by an immediate bounce is a bad result, not a good one.
Customer JourneyThe customer journey is the whole path from first contact to signed job and beyond. It covers every touchpoint: the Google search, the article, the recommendation from an acquaintance, the phone call. Its value is not the diagram. Its value is the question of where people drop out.
ERPEnterprise Resource PlanningAn ERP is the central system a company runs its core processes in: orders, stock, purchasing, invoicing, payroll and accounting in one place instead of five. The point is not the software. The point is that every department works off the same numbers — an order is entered once and is visible everywhere after that.
KPIKey Performance IndicatorA KPI is a number you make a decision against. What separates it from an ordinary metric is not the calculation but the consequence: when a KPI moves, somebody changes something. Numbers that never prompt anyone to act are reporting material, not steering.
Landing PageA landing page is a page with exactly one goal, reached by visitors arriving from one particular source — an ad, an email, a link. What separates it from a normal subpage is the absence of distraction: no navigation, no second offer, one next step.
Managed ServiceA managed service is an arrangement where an external provider runs a system day to day rather than only repairing it when it breaks. You pay a fixed monthly fee instead of hours. What separates it from hourly billing is the incentive: under a managed service, the provider earns by nothing going wrong.
PhishingPhishing is an attempt to obtain credentials, payments or data through a faked message. It poses as a bank, a supplier, an authority or your own management. It attacks a person under time pressure rather than a system — which is why antivirus software alone does not protect against it.
Power AutomatePower Automate is Microsoft's automation service. It connects applications and runs workflows on its own: an email with an attachment arrives, the attachment lands in SharePoint, an approval goes out, and once granted a list entry is added. It is already included in most Microsoft 365 plans.
RansomwareRansomware is malware that encrypts data and demands payment to decrypt it. Modern variants copy the data first and threaten to publish it — at which point a working backup solves only half the problem. Entry usually happens through phishing or an exposed remote-access service.
ROIReturn on InvestmentROI puts the gain from an activity against what it cost. The formula is (return minus cost) divided by cost. An ROI of 200 percent means one franc became three. The number is only as sound as its two halves — and in marketing it is usually the return that is uncertain, not the cost.
SaaSSoftware as a ServiceSaaS is software you do not buy and install but rent and use through a browser. The vendor runs the servers, the updates and the backups. Microsoft 365 and Salesforce are SaaS. What actually changes is not the price — it is who carries responsibility for keeping the thing running.
SEASearch Engine AdvertisingSEA is paid advertising inside search engines: ads that appear when somebody searches a particular term. You pay per click, not per impression. What separates it from SEO is not visibility but timing and cost — SEA works the same day and stops the moment you turn the budget off.
Two-Factor Authentication2FATwo-factor authentication requires two different proofs at sign-in: something you know (a password) and something you have (a phone or a security key). A stolen password alone then opens nothing. It is the single measure with the best ratio of effort to effect.

The terms in the quote that nobody explains

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