Database driven websites

Databases have increasingly become a "must have" technology for any website on the Internet that wants to be useful and interesting to its visitors. Databases are so powerful and so useful, almost every popular site you visit on the Internet is sure to be using one in some way.

What is a database?

A database is a store of information, usually in large quantities, and often of a complex nature. A database could contain something as simple as a list of people, or as complex as accounting data, weather forecasts, and other information that is interrelated beyond simple lists. Some common database systems are Oracle, MS SQL, MySQL, and MS-Access.

What is a database driven website?

A database driven website is a website that uses a database to gather, display, or manipulate information. An example of this would be an "e-commerce" site using a database to store your online orders and billing information. Another example would be a site that displays current stock market information; it is retrieving this information from a database and displaying it on a website.

Database driven websites are very powerful tools because they allow a site to be dynamically generated or customized to display the information that is relevant to each visitor. They allow a website to quickly and efficiently display a subset of relevant information selected from a larger pool. They also allow a website to be interactive and store information the user enters, for use in the rest of their visit to the website, or for use in other activities.

What are some examples of database driven websites?

There are examples of database driven websites wherever you look. Popular sites like Yahoo! and Google use databases for almost every aspect of their sites. News sites like CNN and MSNBC display the latest news, sometimes displaying news that is relevant to particular geographic or cultural areas, all by using databases. Weather sites, online forums, and shopping sites they all use databases!

What can I do with a database driven website?

The possibilities are endless. I have extensive experience building database driven websites -- it's what I do best! I can evaluate your needs and recommend a database driven website solution that is right for your organization. Use this checklist to see if your project is a candidate for a database driven website, or contact us for more information.

Look through this

simple checklist

to see if you are a candidate for a database driven website!

Yes   No	Do you wish to sell a product over the Internet?
Yes   No	Do you have a large number of products with a wide range of features or styles?
Yes   No	Are different segments of your market interested in accessing different product features or benefits? (Examples: gifts under $10; gifts over $10)
Yes   No	Does your website contain a large amount of information that needs to be regularly updated?
Yes   No	Would you like your customers or prospects to select areas of information that are of specific interest to them?
Yes   No	Do you wish to be able to enter data only once and have it instantly updated throughout your entire website?
Yes   No	Does your site need to deliver customized reports to different individuals?
Yes   No	Do you wish to let your own staff or even your customers instantly access inventory availability?

If you have answered

yes to one or more of these questions

, a database driven website may well be the ideal answer to your communication needs. Contact me today for more information.