Data architecture

Data architecture applies to all web projects, large and small. It means having a strategy for how your data is organized, collected, and displayed. For a company that is starting small and hoping to grow, data architecture is critically important to assure your initial investment will continue to provide value.

Bad architecture means you have to start from scratch on the next project. Good architecture gives you logical places to grow and expand in the future.

Excellent data architecture takes into account product categorization, currency conversion, product & service attributes, and other informational links. It considers the flow of information from internal and external sources. How data is proofed, updated, approved and managed.

When designing a website, it is important to ask the "what if" questions. What if you are wildly successful? What if you fail miserably? What if one area of the business grows more rapidly? A thoughtful approach to information architecture will allow for the database design, administrative screens, and user-interface design to be more adaptable to future changes.

A meaningful discussion with the your web consultant should last more than 10 seconds on these topics. Spend the time upfront to think about 1 year, 2 year and 5 year objectives.

Do you have users who will migrate data? Are there features that you must emulate to match a competitors? Think of other interoperability features your customers may desire in the future.

Have you ever exported data from your banking web site and imported it to your accounting package? Or imported your brokerage data into your tax software? It is these types of conveniences that make users dread the thought of going back to the "old way" of doing things. Be certain YOU are the new way.