Price Comparison Engine

[analyzer2]

Hi everyone,

I am new here and seeking some help on running a price comparison site for my small local town shops (about 30 shops) but almost all dont have a website. So manual data input would be the only way for these shops to update data. (Some have a PC with internet, some dont)

I have done a little research and found the basics i need:-
(correct me if im wrong)

1. A Price Comparison Script
2. A Database.

to run it i need to host a website where the "price comparison script" (i think) is installed and run which is linked to my database server hopefully which can be located at home.

So which is the best database software or design can i use for price comparison? Would NAVICAT work? or i need a specific design?

What would the best way to input data manually in a automated way without a spider crawling bot? (correct me if im wrong)

Can i buy a price comparison script and use it with the above software?

If there more then just this, please to help and add-on.

Every input is much appreciated. Thanks.

[Funtick]

Why do you need to compare prices if they don't have even Internet access? Just create website for them... so that they can manually input their items...

[Yoshimi]

If you are doing this only for local stores so they all sell the same things? Perhaps you would be better simply offering a simple store front that they could all use, and even then if they don't have a website currently I would question whether they are aware enough to see the benifit in your offering?

[Funtick]

Easiest solution: add your groceries to Google Base, and use Google Base API to design your own web comparison engine... they don't allow robots, but they allow to use their API.