Glossary of Terms

Our automated phone system that helps direct your call or answer simple questions.

Promotional emails about offers, news, and updates (only sent with your permission).

A friendly reminder we send when it's time to schedule your next appointment.

Text messages we send to your phone for reminders and updates.

Automatic emails like appointment confirmations and receipts.

Canadian law that requires your permission before we send you marketing emails.

US healthcare privacy law that sets standards for protecting your health information.

The form you sign confirming you understand your treatment, including what to expect and any risks.

Your private health and treatment information that we are legally required to protect.

Canadian privacy law that protects your personal information.

Our investment in reaching new clients like you through advertising and outreach.

The long-term relationship we build with you as a valued client over many visits.

Money or treatment value stored on your account for future use.

A deposit or card hold that secures your appointment time, often applied to your final payment.

A system that helps us keep track of our communications and relationship with you.

The screens in our clinic that display information, promotions, and educational content.

Measurements we track to ensure we're providing the best possible service and value.

A bundle of treatments purchased together at a savings, used over multiple visits.

The system we use to manage appointments, billing, and daily operations.

The system we use to process your payments and purchases.

How often clients schedule their next visit - a sign of satisfaction with their experience.

How fully booked our schedule is - we aim to have availability while minimizing wait times.

A digital signature that proves our emails are authentic.

Security technology that ensures emails from us are genuine and not from imposters.

Security software that protects the devices we use to serve you.

A security setting that tells email providers which servers are allowed to send email on our behalf.

Security technology that encrypts your data when you use our website (shown by the padlock icon).

An extra security step that protects your account by requiring both your password and a code sent to your phone.

SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor — a number on sunscreen that tells you how much UVB protection it offers. SPF 30 blocks about 97%% of UV rays, and SPF 50 blocks about 98%%. No sunscreen blocks 100%%, and all sunscreens need to be reapplied every 2 hours. Look for "broad spectrum" on the label to ensure protection against both UVA and UVB rays.

A number from 0 to 11+ that measures how strong the sun's UV rays are at a given time. The higher the number, the faster unprotected skin can burn. In Ottawa, UV is highest in June and July (7-8) and lowest in winter (1-2). Even on cloudy days, UV rays reach the ground — so daily sunscreen is recommended year-round.

A way for different software systems to talk to each other and share information automatically.

A network of servers that helps our website load faster for you, no matter where you are.

The system we use to manage and update our website and digital content.

The system that lets you type our website name instead of a string of numbers.

Every website has a domain name (like ivonne.ca), and DNS records are the behind-the-scenes settings that make it all work. You will almost never see them, but they are the reason typing a website name takes you to the right place. There are a few common types: one tells the internet where your website lives, another tells it where to deliver your email, and another lets you prove to services like Google that you actually own the domain. If you have ever been asked to "update your DNS" or "add a record" when setting up a website, email, or online tool — that is what they are talking about. You usually change them through whoever you bought your domain from (like GoDaddy or Google Domains).

Technology that determines your approximate location to provide relevant local information.

Google Workspace is Google's business suite that gives your team professional email using your own domain (e.g., you@yourbusiness.com), shared calendars, cloud file storage with Google Drive, video meetings with Google Meet, and tools like Docs and Sheets — all managed from one place. It replaces the need for separate email hosting, file servers, and collaboration tools.

The system that manages your work login. When you sign in to your work email and that same login lets you access other work apps automatically, that's your identity provider doing the work behind the scenes. Think of it as the master key system for your organization.

Smart devices like our automated lighting and climate control that enhance your experience.

Behind-the-scenes software that helps our different systems talk to each other.

A secure way to connect different online accounts without sharing passwords.

Technology that reads text from photos or scanned documents automatically.

A limit on how quickly systems can exchange information.

Website design that automatically adjusts to look great on your phone, tablet, or computer.

Online software that we subscribe to rather than install on our computers.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of making your website easier for Google and other search engines to find, understand, and recommend to people searching for what you offer. It includes things like having the right words on your pages, making sure your site loads quickly, and keeping your Google Business Profile accurate and up to date.

The automatic sharing of information between our different systems to keep everything up to date.

A dedicated portion of a powerful computer in the cloud that runs our systems.

An automatic notification that instantly tells our other systems when something happens.