If you’re buying web hosting for the very first time, you’ve probably had to start thinking about things you’ve never thought of before – like website databases. A website database is a system that stores the data that a website needs to access. Web databases usually include multiple tables that contain data, and each field of the table represents a different type of data. For example, a website with an online forum might have a database with tables that store the username, password, posted comments and upvoted comments for each user.
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Do you need to be a tech whiz to use databases?
You don’t need to be a techie to use website databases. In fact, most database software programs let you “click and create” your database, so you don’t need to worry about learning how to code. All you have to do is fill in each field and hit “Save”. You can also organize your database any way you see fit – whether that’s in alphabetical order, or chronologically, or in a specially designed system that works only for you.
What are website databases used for?
1. To create your own apps
It’s easy to make your own database apps. You don’t even need any programming skills! If you can use Microsoft Word or Excel, you can create your own app in under an hour and start using it to make your life easier or even to make a bit of extra cash on the side.
So, if you already have your data sorted into a spreadsheet, you can simply migrate your data to the cloud, make a few tweaks until it suits your preferred aesthetic, and you’re good to go. If you don’t have any data set up, you can still make an app! Databases are equipped with everything you need to create a solid app, even if you have no data on standby.
2. To create a custom search
One of the sneakiest time-sucks is performing an inefficient search. Most people keep their workstations organized to minimize how much time they spend looking for documents, but some people forget that digital data needs to be organized, too.
You can use databases to look up specific information without wasting time sorting through irrelevant details. For example, you can look up all your employees with birthdays in a particular month, or all the projects whose deadlines are coming up in less than a month.
3. To organize your data efficiently
“Efficiently” means different things to different people, but the good news about databases is that they’re endlessly customizable. So whatever efficiency means to you, you can create a custom layout that lets you see your data the way you want to see it. If you want your information to be grouped by date, you can create a layout for that. If you want it to be grouped by user, you can create a layout for that, too. The only limit is your imagination.
4. To manage users and their privileges
Databases make it easy to manage your users and what they’re allowed to do from their account. Even if you have no technical skills, you can use your database to assign permissions to individual users or even to groups of users. For an added layer of security, you can even make certain parts of the project invisible to certain users or groups. You’re in complete control over how much access you grant to each user.
Do all websites need databases?
You may be surprised to know that not all websites need databases! If you create a website using our Sitebuilder, you don’t need to worry about learning to code or learning to use a database. Our Sitebuilder software makes it easy to create a gorgeous, custom website in minutes. And it’s so easy to use that even complete beginners will quickly get the hang of it. All you have to do is choose the template you want, then use our easy drag-and-drop technology to tweak your template until your website looks exactly the way you want it to!
And the best part is that if you use business email, you can get hosted exchange, so you can sync your calendars, tasks, and contacts. If you already have one of our awesome email hosting accounts, you already know how much easier your life is when you start using email efficiently. Hosted exchange is a great productivity tool to add to your kit.
Wrapping up
Databases are a useful way to keep information organized and to manage which users you allow to access your information. You don’t need technical skills to effectively manage a database, but there is a very slight learning curve. If you don’t want to deal with databases at all, feel free to create a gorgeous website in minutes with our easy-to-use Sitebuilder!
