Glossary

Words, made simple.

26 terms you'll hear around AI and online business, each with a plain definition and an everyday example.

26 terms found

Affiliate marketing: Recommending another company's product and earning a commission if someone buys through your link.; Example: A blogger linking to a camera they use and earning a small fee per sale.
AI (Artificial Intelligence): Software that learns patterns from examples so it can do tasks that normally need human thinking.; Example: Your email's spam filter uses AI to spot junk messages.
API: A way for two pieces of software to talk to each other and share data.; Example: A booking website using a payment provider's API to take card payments.
Audience: The particular group of people you want to help and reach.; Example: New parents looking for simple budgeting tips.
Automation: Setting up technology to do repetitive tasks for you automatically.; Example: An email that's sent automatically when someone downloads your guide.
Chatbot: A program you talk to through messages, which replies automatically.; Example: The little chat window on a shop's website that answers delivery questions.
Context: The background information the AI has in the conversation, which shapes its answer.; Example: Telling AI 'I'm a beginner' first leads to simpler explanations.
Conversion: When a visitor takes the action you hoped for, such as signing up or buying.; Example: Someone clicking 'Download' on your guide counts as a conversion.
CTA (Call to Action): A clear prompt telling the visitor what to do next.; Example: A button that says 'Start Learning'.
Digital product: Something you create once and sell or share online as a file or access, with no physical stock.; Example: An ebook, a printable planner or an online course.
Email list: People who have given you permission to email them. You own this connection, unlike social media followers.; Example: Subscribers who receive your weekly tips newsletter.
Engagement: How people interact with your content — likes, comments, shares, replies.; Example: Followers replying to your post with their own questions.
Funnel: The step-by-step journey someone takes from first discovering you to becoming a customer.; Example: Social post → free guide → helpful emails → paid ebook.
Generative AI: AI that creates new content — text, images, audio or video — rather than just sorting information.; Example: Asking a tool to write a birthday poem for your mum.
Hallucination: When AI confidently states something that is false or made up.; Example: AI quoting a book that doesn't actually exist.
Landing page: A single web page with one clear purpose, such as getting a download or a sale.; Example: A page that only explains a free guide and how to get it.
Lead magnet: A free, useful resource offered in exchange for someone joining your email list.; Example: A free 15-page starter guide or a printable checklist.
LLM (Large Language Model): A model trained on vast amounts of text so it can understand and write language.; Example: The technology that lets ChatGPT reply to your questions in full sentences.
Machine learning: The way computers improve at a task by studying lots of examples instead of following fixed rules.; Example: A music app getting better at recommending songs the more you listen.
Model: The trained 'brain' behind an AI tool. Different models have different strengths.; Example: ChatGPT can run on several models, some faster and some more thorough.
Niche: A specific topic or market you focus on, rather than trying to serve everyone.; Example: 'Healthy meals for busy nurses' rather than just 'cooking'.
Offer: What you provide, who it's for, and what it costs — packaged clearly.; Example: A £17 ebook that walks beginners through setting up their first online income system.
Prompt: The message or instruction you give an AI tool.; Example: 'Summarise this article in three bullet points.'
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation): Improving your website so it shows up more readily in search results like Google.; Example: Writing a helpful article titled 'How to start a budget in the UK'.
Token: A small chunk of text (roughly part of a word) that AI reads and writes. Limits are often counted in tokens.; Example: 'Unbelievable' might be split into a few tokens behind the scenes.
Value proposition: A short, clear statement of the problem you solve and why someone should choose you.; Example: 'Plain-English AI lessons for complete beginners — no jargon, no hype.'