Database driven e-commerce sites.....

"Sam (primetlc® webmaster)" <prime-tee-ell-cee DeleteThis @tiscali.com> wrote in message
news:3fb8a742_2@mk-nntp-2.news.uk.tiscali.com...
 > Just looking for a general spread of opinions here.....
 >
 > If you were building and administering an e-commerce site with an online
 > database of around 2000-3000 products, what would be you preferred method
of
 > data entry for the database?....
 >
 > 1. Using the database management interface on a standalone PC then
 > uploading the database.....
 >
 > 2. Creating a PW protected form on the server so it can be instantly
 > updated over the net.....
 >
 > 3. A combination of the above two methods.....
 >
 > Personally, I'm going with option 3 myself......We need to be able to farm
 > the data entry out to people who don't have internet connections, but we
 > still want to have the ability to enter data *live* into the database so
 > it's instantly available without having to upload every time......
 >
 >


I'd personally offer them all 3 options

Regards
Richard Grove

<a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://shopbuilder.org" target="_blank">http://shopbuilder.org</a> - ecommerce systems
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 >> Stay informed about: Database driven e-commerce sites..... 

"Sam (primetlc® webmaster)" <prime-tee-ell-cee RemoveThis @tiscali.com> wrote in message
news:3fb8a742_2@mk-nntp-2.news.uk.tiscali.com...
 > Just looking for a general spread of opinions here.....
 >
 > If you were building and administering an e-commerce site with an online
 > database of around 2000-3000 products, what would be you preferred method
of
 > data entry for the database?....
 >
 > 1. Using the database management interface on a standalone PC then
 > uploading the database.....
 >
 > 2. Creating a PW protected form on the server so it can be instantly
 > updated over the net.....
 >
 > 3. A combination of the above two methods.....
 >
 > Personally, I'm going with option 3 myself......We need to be able to farm
 > the data entry out to people who don't have internet connections, but we
 > still want to have the ability to enter data *live* into the database so
 > it's instantly available without having to upload every time......

Some interesting (and good) replies already... I hope my response will
contribute something worthwhile:

When I first read the question, my immediate answer is #2...

Although this doesn't work with data entry personelle without internet
access, I was thinking in terms of the data and what all it would entail.

If you are selling something like shirts and have your database set up like:

small red shirt
small blue shirt
medium red shirt
medium blue shirt
large red shirt
large blue shirt
.... etc ...

Then either method works for you...

But if you are doing something where you enter

item: Shirt, pants, hats

and then enter the options
color: blue, red
size: small, medium, large, extra large, double extra large

and then tie the options to the items (ie: shirts come in all 4 sizes and
both colors... pants come in both colors and available as S, M or L... and
hats come in red only and are only 1 size fits all)

then option 2 is best (your form can tie options into an item) as it would
be pretty slow moving to have data entry people looking up codes for options
each time they enter an item (rather than just selecting them)

if the options affect the price, then again you definitly want to go with #2
IE: if all blue items are $1.00 more... and double extra large shirts are
$0.50 more than other shirts... it would be easier to tie this into the
database with a good form. And if you have to update prices later in the
future you can do it with 1 quick entry to say make all blue items $1.25
more... rather than go over every item and find the blue ones and raise the
price by 25 cents...<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Database driven e-commerce sites..... 

"Sam (primetlc® webmaster)" <prime-tee-ell-cee RemoveThis @tiscali.com> wrote in message
news:3fb8a742_2@mk-nntp-2.news.uk.tiscali.com...
 > Just looking for a general spread of opinions here.....
 >
 > If you were building and administering an e-commerce site with an online
 > database of around 2000-3000 products, what would be you preferred method
of
 > data entry for the database?....
 >
 > 1. Using the database management interface on a standalone PC then
 > uploading the database.....
 >
 > 2. Creating a PW protected form on the server so it can be instantly
 > updated over the net.....
 >
 > 3. A combination of the above two methods.....
 >
 > Personally, I'm going with option 3 myself......We need to be able to farm
 > the data entry out to people who don't have internet connections, but we
 > still want to have the ability to enter data *live* into the database so
 > it's instantly available without having to upload every time......

Number 2 I think.

I occasionally use a script on the web which I don't want others to access.
I just upload it when I need it!
--
Charles Sweeney
<a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.CharlesSweeney.com" target="_blank">www.CharlesSweeney.com</a><!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Database driven e-commerce sites..... 

"Charles Sweeney" <me RemoveThis @charlessweeney.com> wrote in message
news:bpac06$1lqgsp$1@ID-162618.news.uni-berlin.de...
 > "Sam (primetlc® webmaster)" <prime-tee-ell-cee RemoveThis @tiscali.com> wrote in
message
 > news:3fb8a742_2@mk-nntp-2.news.uk.tiscali.com...
  > > Just looking for a general spread of opinions here.....
  > >
  > > If you were building and administering an e-commerce site with an online
  > > database of around 2000-3000 products, what would be you preferred
method
 > of
  > > data entry for the database?....
  > >
  > > 1. Using the database management interface on a standalone PC then
  > > uploading the database.....
  > >
  > > 2. Creating a PW protected form on the server so it can be instantly
  > > updated over the net.....
  > >
  > > 3. A combination of the above two methods.....
  > >
  > > Personally, I'm going with option 3 myself......We need to be able to
farm
  > > the data entry out to people who don't have internet connections, but we
  > > still want to have the ability to enter data *live* into the database so
  > > it's instantly available without having to upload every time......
 >
 > Number 2 I think.
 >
 > I occasionally use a script on the web which I don't want others to
access.
 > I just upload it when I need it!

I like the No2 option too....Nice and clean, uncluttered and fast, and if we
weren't farming out our data entry to some folks who arent online, that's
the one we'd go with.....For the time being, I'm stuck with option 3
though.....<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Database driven e-commerce sites..... 

"Sam (primetlc® webmaster)" <prime-tee-ell-cee RemoveThis @tiscali.com> wrote in message
news:3fb8b648$1_1@mk-nntp-2.news.uk.tiscali.com...

 > I like the No2 option too....Nice and clean, uncluttered and fast, and if
we
 > weren't farming out our data entry to some folks who arent online, that's
 > the one we'd go with.....For the time being, I'm stuck with option 3
 > though.....

Others (Mr Tasso eg) may be better placed to advise on "dirty data". If you
have several people entering data, then they must be very consistent.

I would use as many hard entries as possible, drop-down boxes, check boxes
etc, to keep the data consistent.
--
Charles Sweeney
<a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.CharlesSweeney.com" target="_blank">www.CharlesSweeney.com</a><!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Database driven e-commerce sites..... 

Charles Sweeney wrote:
 > "Sam (primetlc® webmaster)" <prime-tee-ell-cee.DeleteThis@tiscali.com> wrote in
 > message news:3fb8b648$1_1@mk-nntp-2.news.uk.tiscali.com...
 >
  >> I like the No2 option too....Nice and clean, uncluttered and fast,
  >> and if we weren't farming out our data entry to some folks who arent
  >> online, that's the one we'd go with.....For the time being, I'm
  >> stuck with option 3 though.....
 >
 > Others (Mr Tasso eg) may be better placed to advise on "dirty data".
 > If you have several people entering data, then they must be very
 > consistent.

Indeed you must, but a professional data-entry team should already know this
and be double keying all data to ensure data enetered is correct (at least
according to the input documents).

 > I would use as many hard entries as possible, drop-down boxes, check
 > boxes etc, to keep the data consistent.

that's splendid advice for one-off or ad-hoc entries, but slows things down
considerably at the data entry house.

Sam: I'd organise the data prep so they deliver a flat file (csv or fixed)
for the bulk load(s).

--
William Tasso - <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://WilliamTasso.com" target="_blank">http://WilliamTasso.com</a><!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Database driven e-commerce sites..... 

"Charles Sweeney" <me RemoveThis @charlessweeney.com> wrote in message
news:bpag7o$1mg7eh$1@ID-162618.news.uni-berlin.de...
 > "Sam (primetlc® webmaster)" <prime-tee-ell-cee RemoveThis @tiscali.com> wrote in
message
 > news:3fb8b648$1_1@mk-nntp-2.news.uk.tiscali.com...
 >
  > > I like the No2 option too....Nice and clean, uncluttered and fast, and
if
 > we
  > > weren't farming out our data entry to some folks who arent online,
that's
  > > the one we'd go with.....For the time being, I'm stuck with option 3
  > > though.....
 >
 > Others (Mr Tasso eg) may be better placed to advise on "dirty data". If
you
 > have several people entering data, then they must be very consistent.
 >
 > I would use as many hard entries as possible, drop-down boxes, check boxes
 > etc, to keep the data consistent.

Yep, we've found that to our peril.......We've also encountered problems
with duplicate entries......But I'm throwing together something to scan,
find and eliminate them.....<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Database driven e-commerce sites..... 

"William Tasso" <SpamBlocked.DeleteThis@tbdata.com> wrote in message
news:bpahkr$1lbijm$1@ID-139074.news.uni-berlin.de...
 > Charles Sweeney wrote:
  > > "Sam (primetlc® webmaster)" <prime-tee-ell-cee.DeleteThis@tiscali.com> wrote in
  > > message news:3fb8b648$1_1@mk-nntp-2.news.uk.tiscali.com...
  > >
   > >> I like the No2 option too....Nice and clean, uncluttered and fast,
   > >> and if we weren't farming out our data entry to some folks who arent
   > >> online, that's the one we'd go with.....For the time being, I'm
   > >> stuck with option 3 though.....
  > >
  > > Others (Mr Tasso eg) may be better placed to advise on "dirty data".
  > > If you have several people entering data, then they must be very
  > > consistent.
 >
 > Indeed you must, but a professional data-entry team should already know
this
 > and be double keying all data to ensure data enetered is correct (at least
 > according to the input documents).
 >
  > > I would use as many hard entries as possible, drop-down boxes, check
  > > boxes etc, to keep the data consistent.
 >
 > that's splendid advice for one-off or ad-hoc entries, but slows things
down
 > considerably at the data entry house.
 >
 > Sam: I'd organise the data prep so they deliver a flat file (csv or
fixed)
 > for the bulk load(s).

I'm getting the data back as Excel documents.....What benefits would I get
from a CSV over an XLS?<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Database driven e-commerce sites..... 

Sam (primetlc® webmaster) wrote:

 > Just looking for a general spread of opinions here.....
 >
 > If you were building and administering an e-commerce site with an online
 > database of around 2000-3000 products, what would be you preferred method of
 > data entry for the database?....
 >
 > 1. Using the database management interface on a standalone PC then
 > uploading the database.....
 >
 > 2. Creating a PW protected form on the server so it can be instantly
 > updated over the net.....
 >
 > 3. A combination of the above two methods.....

4. Delegating the responsibility.<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Database driven e-commerce sites.....