Is your e-commerce really operating at its full potential?

A phenomenon where a visitor adds products to their shopping cart but leaves the site without completing the purchase.

Average abandonment rate: 60–80% depending on the study

Main causes:

• Shipping costs too high
• Checkout process too long or complex
• Perceived security issues
• Mandatory account creation

A hypothetical form of AI that would match or exceed human intelligence across all cognitive domains.

Expected characteristics:

• Autonomous learning – ability to learn without human supervision
• Abstract reasoning – capacity to think conceptually and solve complex problems
• Knowledge transfer – applying learnings from one domain to another
• Creativity and innovation – generating original ideas, solutions, or content

Algorithm

A set of mathematical instructions designed to solve a problem or perform a specific task.

Model

The result of an algorithm trained on data, capable of making predictions or classifications on new, unseen inputs.

A suite of tools that simplifies the creation, sharing, and integration of services and data across applications — allowing developers to plug in new components without deep technical overhead.

Technologies that automate the end-to-end process of developing machine learning models, making AI more accessible to non-experts.

Automated processes include:

• Data preparation
• Algorithm selection
• Hyperparameter optimization
• Model validation

Customer Reviews

Comments and ratings left by buyers about products.

A key driver of trust and conversion.

User-Generated Content (UGC)

Content created by users — including product photos, videos, and testimonials.

It authenticates the brand and influences purchase decisions.

A legal justification that allows the processing of personal data.

Under the GDPR, there are six main legal bases for lawful processing:

1. Consent – the data subject has given clear, informed, and voluntary consent
2. Contract – processing is necessary for the performance of a contract
3. Legal obligation – processing is required to comply with a legal obligation
4. Vital interests – processing is necessary to protect someone’s life
5. Public task – processing is carried out in the public interest or under official authority
6. Legitimate interests – processing is necessary for the legitimate interests pursued by the controller or a third party, unless overridden by the individual’s rights and freedoms

A professional responsible for generating outbound leads through proactive prospecting activities.

Chatbot

A computer program designed to interact with users through a chat interface.

It can operate using predefined rules or leverage AI to enable more natural conversations.

Virtual Assistant

A more advanced version that combines multiple modalities — such as voice, text, and actions — and can perform complex tasks.

Examples: Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant, ChatGPT

A service that allows customers to buy online and pick up in-store, combining the convenience of digital with the immediacy of physical retail.

Key benefits:

• No delivery fees
• Faster pickup
• Opportunities for in-store upselling
• Fewer returns due to immediate product inspection

The CNIL (Commission Nationale de l’Informatique et des Libertés) is the French supervisory authority responsible for ensuring compliance with the GDPR and the French Data Protection Act (Loi Informatique et Libertés).

Main missions:

• Inform and advise individuals and organizations
• Support compliance through guidance and tools
• Monitor and enforce data protection laws
• Anticipate and innovate in digital regulation

Powers:

• On-site and online inspections
• Formal notices and warnings
• Administrative fines
• Orders to cease unlawful processing

Domaine de l'IA permettant aux machines d'interpréter et analyser le contenu visuel (images, vidéos). Simule la vision humaine pour identifier, classifier et comprendre les éléments visuels.

Applications :

• Reconnaissance faciale

• Diagnostic médical par imagerie

• Voitures autonomes

• Contrôle qualité industriel

• Réalité augmentée

OCR (Optical Character Recognition)

Technology that converts images of text into editable digital text.

Facial Recognition

Technology used to identify or verify a person’s identity based on facial features.

Object Detection

Technology that identifies and locates specific objects within images or videos

A freely given, specific, informed, and unambiguous indication of the data subject’s wishes by which they agree to the processing of their personal data.

Criteria for valid consent:

• Freely given: without coercion or undue conditionality
• Specific: given for a clearly defined purpose
• Informed: based on clear and accessible information about the processing
• Unambiguous: expressed through a clear affirmative action or statement

Important: Consent can be withdrawn at any time.

Cookies are files placed on a user’s device when visiting a website, and are subject to specific legal requirements under the ePrivacy Directive and the GDPR.

Types of cookies:

• Technical cookies:Essential for the proper functioning of the site (no consent required)
• Analytics cookies:Used to measure audience and usage (consent required)
• Advertising cookies:Used for marketing and targeting purposes (consent required)

Legal obligations:

• Clear information about the purposes of each cookie
• Prior consent must be obtained before placing non-essential cookies
• Easy opt-out mechanism must be provided
• Limited storage duration based on the purpose of the cookie

CPM (Cost Per Mille)

Cost per 1,000 ad impressions

→ Advertisers pay for every 1,000 times the ad is displayed, regardless of clicks or actions.

CPC (Cost Per Click)

Cost per click

→ Advertisers are charged only when a user clicks on the ad.

CPA (Cost Per Acquisition)

Cost per acquisition

→ Payment occurs only when a predefined action is completed (e.g., sale, sign-up, lead).

CRM is a strategy that centralizes, stores, analyzes, and leverages all interactions between a customer and a company.

The goal? To optimize customer relationship management and improve commercial performance.

The term also refers to the software solutions used to manage these interactions — enabling businesses to track contacts, monitor sales, and analyze customer behavior throughout their journey.

A component of CRM focused on analyzing the data collected throughout the customer relationship.

It leverages advanced techniques to extract insights and support strategic decisions.

Key techniques include:

• Profiling – to define customer typologies and behavioral patterns
• Scoring – to assess customer potential and prioritize leads
• Segmentation – to better target marketing actions and personalize campaigns

A software solution designed to store, track, manage, and analyze information about prospects and customers.

It leverages all touchpoints — both physical and digital — to better understand the target audience and optimize profitability.

Cross-selling

A sales technique that involves offering complementary products related to the item initially selected.

Example: Suggesting a phone case when a customer buys a smartphone.

Up-selling

A technique aimed at encouraging the customer to choose a more expensive or upgraded version of a product.

Example: Recommending a model with more storage capacity.

Data Science

A discipline that combines statistics, programming, and domain expertise to extract actionable insights from data.

Big Data

Extremely large and complex data sets that require specialized tools and technologies for processing and analysis.

The 5Vs of Big Data:

• Volume – massive quantities of data
• Velocity – high speed of data generation and flow
• Variety – multiple data types and formats
• Veracity – data quality and reliability
• Value – the business utility and impact of the data

A subset of Machine Learning that uses multi-layered artificial neural networks to model and understand complex data.

It is particularly effective in processing images, speech, and natural language.

Common applications:

• Image recognition
• Natural language processing (NLP)
• Speech recognition
• Autonomous drivingSous-ensemble du Machine Learning utilisant des réseaux de neurones artificiels à plusieurs couches pour modéliser et comprendre des données complexes. Particulièrement efficace pour l'image, la voix et le langage naturel.

Applications courantes :

• Reconnaissance d'images
• Traitement du langage naturel
• Reconnaissance vocale
• Conduite autonome

The GDPR strengthens the individual rights of data subjects:

• Right of accessRequest confirmation that data is being processed and access to one’s personal data
• Right to rectificationRequest correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
• Right to erasure (“right to be forgotten”)Request deletion of personal data under certain conditions
• Right to restriction of processingTemporarily limit the use of personal data
• Right to data portabilityReceive personal data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format and transmit it to another controller
• Right to objectObject to the processing of personal data on legitimate grounds

A business model in which the seller does not stock the products being sold.

When an order is placed, the seller forwards it to a third-party supplier, who then ships the product directly to the end customer.

Advantages:

• No inventory investment
• No logistics or warehousing to manage

Disadvantages:

• Lower profit margins
• Limited control over product quality and delivery

Refers to all commercial transactions conducted via computer networks — primarily the Internet.

It covers the entire online sales process, from product or service presentation to payment and delivery.

Types of e-commerce:

• B2C (Business to Consumer): transactions between businesses and individual consumers
• B2B (Business to Business): transactions between companies
• C2C (Consumer to Consumer): transactions between private individuals

Automated emails sent to visitors who left items in their cart without completing the purchase — designed to encourage them to finalize the transaction.

Best practices:

• Send within 3 to 24 hours after cart abandonment
• Remind users of the items they selected
• Include a strong incentive (e.g. discount, free shipping)
• Limit to a maximum of 3 follow-up emails to avoid fatigue

A specific and explicit objective for which personal data is collected and processed.

Data may only be used for the purpose initially declared.

Key points of the purpose limitation principle:

• Data must be collected for clearly defined and legitimate purposes
• It cannot be further processed in a way that is incompatible with those original purposes
• Any new purpose requires a new legal basis

The complete set of processes involved in handling customer orders — including receiving, storing, picking, packing, and shipping products.

Fulfillment options:

• In-house: internal management by the company
• 3PL (Third-Party Logistics): outsourcing to a logistics partner
• Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA): logistics handled directly by Amazon

A visual representation of the buying journey shaped like a funnel, illustrating the conversion process step by step.

It breaks down each stage of the customer journey — from awareness to the final purchase.

Speech-to-Text (STT)

Real-time conversion of spoken language into written text.

Used in transcription, voice commands, and accessibility tools.

Text-to-Speech (TTS)

Speech synthesis technology that transforms written text into natural-sounding spoken language.

Common in virtual assistants, audiobooks, and accessibility solutions.

Voice Cloning

Technology that enables the reproduction of a specific voice using a small set of audio samples.

Used in personalized assistants, dubbing, and content creation.

Process Automation (RPA – Robotic Process Automation)

The use of software robots to automate repetitive, rule-based tasks traditionally performed by humans.

Predictive AI

The application of AI algorithms to anticipate future events based on historical data patterns.

Predictive Analytics

A set of techniques that leverage data, statistical models, and machine learning to estimate the likelihood of future outcomes.

Algorithmic Bias

Unintentional discrimination introduced into AI systems through biased training data or flawed algorithm design.

It can lead to unfair outcomes that disproportionately affect certain groups.

Explainable AI (XAI)

The development of AI systems whose decisions can be understood and explained by humans.

XAI improves transparency, trust, and facilitates regulatory compliance and human oversight.

Responsible AI

An approach to building AI systems that are ethical, transparent, and socially beneficial.

It integrates fairness, accountability, and privacy by design into the entire AI lifecycle.

A type of artificial intelligence capable of creating new content — including text, images, audio, video, or code — based on prompts or instructions.

It produces original outputs by drawing on its training data and learned patterns.

Popular tools by type:

• Text: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini
• Images: DALL·E, Midjourney, Stable Diffusion
• Code: GitHub Copilot, CodeT5
• Audio: ElevenLabs, Murf

An e-commerce strategy that leverages influencers and content creators to promote and sell products through their engaged communities.

Common formats:

• Personalized discount codes
• Affiliate links
• Co-created product collections
• Social media account takeovers

Key performance metrics:

• Engagement rate
• Conversion rate per influencer
• ROI per partnership
• Cost per acquisition (CPA)

Artificial Intelligence refers to a set of technologies that work together to enable computers to mimic human intelligence.

By combining sophisticated algorithms with the power of massive data processing, machines can approximate human behavior and perform complex tasks.

Types of AI:

• Narrow AI (Weak AI): specialized in performing a specific task
• General AI (Strong AI): human-level intelligence across multiple domains
• Superintelligent AI: surpasses human cognitive capabilities

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to Measure E-commerce Success

• Revenue and growth
• Number of orders
• Average order value (AOV) – average amount spent per order
• Conversion rate – percentage of visitors who complete a purchase
• Cart abandonment rate – percentage of users who leave without checking out
• Customer acquisition cost (CAC) – average cost to acquire a new customer
• Customer lifetime value (LTV) – total revenue expected from a customer over their relationship with the brand

Commercial contacts who have shown interest in a product or service.

They represent a conversion opportunity to be nurtured and pursued.

Turn cold leads into warm relationships.

Deliver high-value content. Build trust. Sell later.

A video-based sales format where a host presents products live and in real time.

Viewers can interact, ask questions, and purchase instantly — all within the stream.

Popular platforms:

• TikTok Live
• Instagram Live Shopping
• Facebook Live Shopping
• YouTube Shopping

Key elements:

• Real-time interaction with viewers
• Live product demonstrations
• Instant Q&A during the session
• Exclusive, time-limited offers

AI models trained on massive text corpora to understand and generate human language.

They are capable of performing a wide range of language-based tasks such as conversation, writing, translation, summarization, and more.

Popular examples:

• GPT-4 (OpenAI)
• Claude (Anthropic)
• Gemini (Google)
• LLaMA (Meta)

A subfield of Artificial Intelligence that enables machines to automatically learn from data without being explicitly programmed for each specific task.

Algorithms improve their performance over time as they are exposed to more data.

Types of learning:

• Supervised learning: trained on labeled data to predict known outcomes
• Unsupervised learning: used to discover hidden patterns in unlabeled data
• Reinforcement learning: learning through rewards and penalties based on actions taken in an environment

A set of tools and techniques designed to automate the execution of marketing campaign actions.

It enables the triggering of repetitive tasks (emails, SMS, etc.) based on predefined scenarios and user behavior.

Key benefits:

• Saves time on repetitive manual tasks
• Personalizes messaging at scale
• Improves lead scoring and qualification

An online platform where multiple sellers offer their products or services.

The marketplace handles the technical infrastructure, logistics, and sometimes payments, in exchange for a commission on sales.

Examples: Amazon, eBay, Fnac Marketplace, Cdiscount

Key advantages:

• Instant visibility to a large audience
• Technical infrastructure provided (storefront, hosting, integrations)
• Access to an existing customer base with high purchase intent

E-commerce conducted via mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.

It accounts for an increasingly significant share of online sales.

Mobile-specific features:

• Touch-optimized interfaces for seamless navigation
• Mobile payment solutions (Apple Pay, Google Pay, etc.)
• Geolocation capabilities to personalize offers and services
• Dedicated apps for enhanced user engagement and retention

The mobile version of a CRM system, accessible via smartphone or tablet.

It offers a fully responsive interface that provides real-time access to customer data — anytime, anywhere.

A prospect who has initiated first contact with the company and expressed interest in its products or services.

A set of practices that combine Machine Learning and DevOps to automate and optimize the lifecycle of AI models in production environments.

Key components:

• Model versioning to track and manage model iterations
• Automated training pipelines for consistent and reproducible workflows
• Continuous monitoring to track model performance and data drift
• Automated deployment for seamless updates and scaling

A branch of artificial intelligence that enables machines to understand, interpret, and generate human language in a natural way.

Key applications:

• Chatbots and virtual assistants
• Machine translation
• Sentiment analysis
• Text summarization
• Spell checking and grammar correction

Shopping Cart Functionality

Allows visitors to select and temporarily store the products they intend to purchase before proceeding to checkout.

The cart can be saved between sessions for a smoother customer experience.

Key optimizations:

• Persistent cart across sessions, devices, and browsers
• Easy quantity updates directly in the cart
• Automatic shipping cost calculation based on cart contents and location
• Built-in promo code handling with real-time discounts

Payment Gateway

A service that securely processes online payments by acting as an intermediary between the e-commerce website, banks, and card networks.

Popular solutions: Stripe, PayPal, Worldpay, Adyen

Key selection criteria:

• Transaction fees (fixed + percentage)
• Accepted payment methods (credit cards, digital wallets, local options)
• Security & compliance, including PCI DSS certification

A robust payment gateway ensures secure, fast, and frictionless transactions — critical for trust and conversion.

A centralized system for managing all product-related information — including descriptions, technical specifications, images, prices, and more.

Key benefits:

• Consistent product data across all sales and marketing channels
• Time-saving catalog management through a single source of truth
• Fewer errors thanks to centralized updates
• Enables multichannel and omnichannel strategies with ease

Know where your prospects stand.

Track progress. Forecast conversions.

Automated processing of personal data used to evaluate certain personal aspects of an individual — particularly to analyze or predict performance at work, economic situation, behavior, preferences, or interests.

Examples:

• Credit scoring
• Targeted advertising
• Product recommendations
• Predictive HR analytics

Specific rights under GDPR:

• Right to be informed about the existence of profiling
• Right not to be subject to automated decision-making with legal or significant effects
• Right to human intervention in the decision-making process

Systems designed to retain customers and encourage repeat purchases through targeted incentives.

Common features include:

• Loyalty points
• Cashback rewards
• VIP programs
• Exclusive promo codes
• Priority shipping

The art and science of designing effective instructions for generative AI models.

It involves crafting optimal prompts to get accurate, relevant, and high-quality results.

Common techniques:

• Zero-shot prompting – no examples provided
• Few-shot prompting – includes a few examples to guide the model
• Chain-of-thought prompting – encourages step-by-step reasoning
• Prompt templates – reusable structures for consistent outputs

A Record of Processing Activities is a mandatory register under the GDPR (Article 30) that documents all personal data processing carried out by an organization.

It includes:

• The purposes of processing
• The categories of data and data subjects
• The recipients of the data
• Data retention periods
• Security measures in place
• International data transfers, if applicable

Computer systems inspired by the human brain, composed of interconnected artificial neurons that process information in parallel.

They are designed to recognize complex patterns and improve through learning.

Main types:

• CNN (Convolutional Neural Networks): specialized in image processing
• RNN (Recurrent Neural Networks): suited for sequential data (e.g. text, audio, time series)
• Transformer: state-of-the-art architecture for natural language processing and contextual understanding

A natural or legal person who determines the purposes (“why”) and means (“how”) of processing personal data.

It is the entity that decides why and how the data is processed.

Key responsibilities:

• Define the purposes of the processing
• Ensure the lawfulness of the processing
• Respect the rights of data subjects
• Implement appropriate security measures

The GDPR is a European regulation that came into effect on May 25, 2018, governing the processing of personal data within the European Union.

Its purpose is to strengthen and harmonize data protection laws for all individuals across the EU.

Main objectives:

• Give individuals greater control over their personal data
• Hold organizations accountable for how they collect and use data
• Harmonize rules across EU member states
• Increase sanctions for non-compliance

A cloud-based software delivery model accessible through a web browser, with no local installation required.

It is typically offered via a subscription model that includes ongoing maintenance and updates.

The GDPR provides for administrative sanctions that can reach substantial amounts in case of non-compliance.

Administrative fines:

• Tier 1: up to €10 million or 2% of the global annual turnover (whichever is higher)
• Tier 2: up to €20 million or 4% of the global annual turnover (whichever is higher)

Other possible sanctions:

• Formal warnings
• Orders to comply (cease and desist)
• Temporary or permanent restrictions on data processing
• Suspension of data transfers

An evaluation tool that assigns a score to a prospect based on multiple criteria:

• Sociodemographic characteristics
• Purchase behavior
• Website navigation patterns
• Reactions to marketing campaigns

This scoring system helps marketers better segment and target audiences to optimize campaign performance and conversion rates.

In charge of lead qualification between marketing and sales.

Search engine optimization tailored specifically for online retail websites.

Its goal is to increase visibility, drive qualified traffic, and improve conversions through organic search.

Key elements:

• Optimized product pages (titles, descriptions, keywords)
• Clear site structure (categories and subcategories)
• Product meta tags (title, description, schema.org markup)
• Customer reviews to build trust and boost relevance
• Internal linking to guide navigation and strengthen SEO signals
• Avoiding duplicate content across product listings and variants

Social Commerce

Commerce directly integrated into social media platforms, enabling users to purchase without leaving the app.

This approach leverages social engagement and peer recommendations to drive conversions.

Key Features:

• In-feed purchasing directly within the social experience
• User reviews and shares influencing buying decisions
• Product discovery through social content and influencer posts
• Native checkout within the platform (no external redirection)

Benefits:

• Reduced purchase friction with seamless in-app transactions
• Leverages social engagement to drive impulse and trust-based purchases
• Precise targeting powered by social data and user behavior
• Immersive and fluid shopping experience aligned with user habits

A natural or legal person who processes personal data on behalf of the data controller.

The processor acts strictly under the instructions of the controller and does not determine the purposes or means of processing.

Typical examples:

• IT service providers
• Marketing agencies
• Cloud service platforms
• Call centers

Key obligations:

• Follow the instructions of the data controller
• Ensure the security and confidentiality of the data
• Assist the controller in meeting GDPR obligations (e.g. data subject rights, security measures, audits)

In charge of qualifying marketing-generated leads before passing them on to the sales team.

The percentage of visitors who complete a desired action (typically a purchase) compared to the total number of visitors.

Formula: (Number of conversions / Number of visitors) × 100

E-commerce average: Between 1% and 3%, depending on the industry

Key factors to improve conversion:

• UX/UI optimization for smoother navigation
• Fewer checkout steps to reduce friction
• Security reassurance (trust badges, SSL, payment safety cues

A native e-commerce feature on TikTok that allows brands and creators to sell products directly within the platform.

Users can discover and purchase products without ever leaving the app.

Key features:

• Dedicated Shop tab on brand and creator profiles
• Live Shopping for real-time product showcases and sales
• Shoppable videos with product tags
• Brand-creator collaborations for co-promoted content
• TikTok Affiliate Program to boost reach via influencer partnerships

Benefits for brands:

• Access to a young and highly engaged audience
• Viral short-form video format that drives attention
• Strong influence from creators and community validation
• Seamless and natural product discovery through content

Any operation performed on personal data — whether automated or not — including:

collection, recording, organization, storage, alteration, retrieval, consultation, use, disclosure, alignment, erasure, or destruction.

Typical data lifecycle:

1. Collection
2. Storage
3. Use
4. Sharing
5. Archiving
6. Deletion

The transfer of personal data to a country outside the European Union is subject to strict conditions under the GDPR.

Authorized mechanisms include:

• Adequacy decision: the destination country is recognized by the European Commission as providing an adequate level of data protection
• Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs): contractual safeguards approved by the EU
• Binding Corporate Rules (BCRs): internal rules for multinational groups ensuring adequate protection
• Certifications and codes of conduct: voluntary frameworks with binding commitments and enforcement mechanisms

A security incident that results in the destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorized disclosure of, or access to personal data — whether accidental or unlawful.

Obligations in the event of a breach:

• Notification to the CNIL (French Data Protection Authority): within 72 hours if the breach poses a risk to individuals’ rights and freedoms
• Notification to affected individuals: if there is a high risk to their rights
• Documentation: of all personal data breaches, even those not reported

Types of breaches:

• Confidentiality breach: unauthorized access or disclosure
• Integrity breach: unauthorized or accidental modification of data
• Availability breach: loss or destruction of data