Most web site hosting plans includes at least one, if not more databases. Depending on the operating system of the server they could be MySQL, PostgreSQL or Microsoft Access. If you're wondering what you can use them for or whether they'll help your website, read on for more information.

To state the obvious, a database stores your data in a way that allows it to be easily accessed. The data could be product specifications, customer names and email addresses, sales history or even the content of your web pages.

Using a database to store and retrieve that information can make your website more effective for your customers by giving them a more interactive experience.

The Most Common Use for Databases on the Internet

The most commond way databases are used on the internet is to create "dynamic" web pages. These pages are built from information in the database, each time a visitor requests them.

On an ecommerce site for example, product information can be stored in a database. When a visitor clicks on the link to read more about a particular product, the page is built from information in the database.

This makes updating and maintaining the information much easier. Instead of having to edit each page that product appears on (which you would have to do with static pages) you can just edit the information in the database and whenever someone requests a page with that item, the updated information will automatically show up for them.

Dynamic web sites usually use a template for the layout of the pages. This template can include things such as headers, footers, navigation menus, etc. Basically, anything that remains constant from one page to another.

The information from the database gets inserted into this template by the web server, before it gets sent to the visitor requesting a page. They still get a standard HTML page that would appear to be static if you viewed the source code, but the web server put that page together dynamically before it was sent.

Templates can be laid out any way you like. You still have complete freedom in page layout and formatting, but when combined with a database server you can do much more, such as recommending similar products, upselling related add-ons, etc. - all based on the information in your database.