Database Development
Database Development, Optimisation and Migration Services
Schema design, query and index tuning, migrations and search infrastructure across MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis and Elasticsearch.
The Database Decides How Your Application Behaves Under Load
Almost every "the site is slow" investigation ends at the database. A missing index, a query fetching ten thousand rows to display twenty, a schema that made sense when the business was smaller, or a report running on the same server as checkout — these cost far more performance than any front-end tweak can recover.
We design schemas that model your business properly: normalised where integrity matters, denormalised where read speed matters, with the constraints, types and indexes that stop bad data getting in. Then we prove it with real query plans and load tests rather than assumptions.
We work across relational databases (MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, SQL Server) and non-relational stores (MongoDB, Redis, DynamoDB), and we add specialised engines where they earn their place — Elasticsearch or OpenSearch for search and faceting, InfluxDB for time-series metrics, Neo4j for relationship-heavy data.
What’s Included
What Our Database Work Covers
Schema & Data Modelling
Relational and document models with the right keys, constraints, data types and indexes from the start.
Query & Index Optimisation
Finding the slow queries, reading the execution plans and fixing the cause — often turning seconds into milliseconds.
Migrations & Platform Moves
MySQL to PostgreSQL, on-premises to cloud, or consolidating databases — with verification and a rollback plan.
Caching & Read Scaling
Redis caching layers, read replicas and connection pooling so reporting never slows down transactions.
Search Infrastructure
Elasticsearch or OpenSearch for fast, typo-tolerant, faceted search over large catalogues and document sets.
Backups, Replication & Recovery
Automated backups, point-in-time recovery, replication and — critically — tested restore procedures.
Benefits
What Good Database Work Delivers
- Pages and reports that stay fast as your data volume grows.
- Lower hosting costs, because efficient queries need far less hardware.
- Data integrity enforced by the database, not hoped for in application code.
- Recovery you have rehearsed, so an incident is an inconvenience rather than a crisis.
- Reporting that no longer competes with customers for the same resources.
Technologies Used for Database Development
We recommend the right tools for your goals, budget and team — never a one-size-fits-all stack.
Discuss Your ProjectHow We Work
Our Database Development Process
Discovery & Consultation
We learn about your business, audience and goals, review any existing website and agree on clear success criteria.
Strategy & Planning
We define the sitemap, features, technology stack and timeline, so scope and budget are clear before work begins.
UI/UX Design
We design wireframes and polished, responsive layouts for your approval, focused on usability and conversions.
Development
We build with clean, standards-based code, integrate your tools and set up an easy-to-use content editor.
Testing & QA
We test functionality, speed, security, accessibility and SEO across browsers and devices before launch.
Launch & Support
We deploy, monitor and fine-tune your site, then provide ongoing maintenance and support as you grow.
FAQ
Database Development FAQs
Our site slows down at peak times — is the database the cause?
Frequently, yes. We capture slow query logs during a peak, read the execution plans and identify the specific queries and missing indexes responsible, then fix and re-measure so you can see the difference.
MySQL or PostgreSQL?
PostgreSQL has richer types, stronger analytical features and excellent JSON support; MySQL and MariaDB are ubiquitous, simple to host and perfectly capable for most web workloads. Migration between them is realistic but not free, so we only recommend it when the benefit is concrete.
Do we need MongoDB?
Sometimes — for genuinely document-shaped, schema-variable data. Often a relational database with JSON columns gives the same flexibility while keeping joins and constraints. We will recommend based on your actual access patterns.
Can you migrate our database without downtime?
In most cases we can get very close, using replication to keep the new database in sync and switching over in a short, planned window with a tested rollback.
Explore More
More Cloud, Data & AI Services
Technologies and services that work well alongside database development.
Cloud Hosting & DevOps
AWS, Azure, Google Cloud and DigitalOcean setup, Docker and Kubernetes, CI/CD pipelines, Nginx tuning, monitoring, backups and cost optimisation.
AI Integration & LLM Development
Practical AI in your product — assistants, document understanding, search over your own content, and OCR or classification pipelines built with Python and modern LLM APIs.
Hosting, Server & DNS Management
Nginx, Apache, Docker and cloud servers configured, secured and kept running — plus DNS, SSL and Cloudflare set up correctly the first time.
AI Chatbot & Website Assistant
An assistant that knows your services, answers real questions, quotes from your prices and captures enquiries while you sleep. Try ours — it is in the corner of this page.
Case Studies & Live Demos
Database Development in Practice
Projects where this work made a measurable difference — the problem, what we built and the results. Each one has a working demo you can try.
- Magento 2
- PHP 8
- MySQL
Magento eCommerce
Industrial Parts B2B Store
An 84,000-SKU Magento 2 store with contract pricing, quick order and ERP-synced stock for trade accounts.
- PostgreSQL
- pg_stat_statements
- Redis
Database Optimisation
Rental Marketplace Database Optimisation
Search dropped from 2.4 seconds to 38 milliseconds, and the marketplace went from six database servers to two.
- React
- TypeScript
- Node.js
Web Application Development
Freight Dispatch & Driver Tracking Platform
A live dispatch board built in React and Node.js that replaced a spreadsheet-and-phone workflow for 120 drivers.
- Python
- FastAPI
- Tesseract OCR
Data Automation & OCR
Invoice Processing & OCR Automation
A Python pipeline that reads 18,400 supplier documents a month and posts 93% of them without a person keying anything.
- Java 21
- Spring Boot
- Spring Batch
Enterprise Integration
Warehouse Order Service & Event Integration
A Spring Boot order service processing 9,600 orders a day across four warehouses, with event-driven stock sync.
- Ruby on Rails
- Hotwire (Turbo & Stimulus)
- PostgreSQL
SaaS Product Development
Field-Service Quoting SaaS
A Rails MVP taken from idea to paying subscribers in ten weeks, with Stripe billing and Hotwire interactivity.
From the Blog
Guides and Comparisons Worth Reading
Straight answers on when this technology is the right choice, what it costs and how to get the most from it.
Zero-Downtime Deployments for a SaaS on Kubernetes: Health Checks, Migrations and Rollbacks
Kubernetes can roll out a new version without anyone noticing, but only if the application cooperates. Here is what makes releases invisible to users: honest health checks, graceful shutdown, database migrations that both versions can live with, and rollbacks you have actually tested.
Modernising a Legacy PHP Order System Without Stopping the Orders
An order system that takes money all day cannot be switched off for a rewrite. Here is how we modernise legacy PHP while orders keep flowing: map it, put tests around every path that touches a price, change the data in small steps and move modules across one route at a time.
Designing an API for Vehicle Telematics Data: Ingestion, Storage, Rate Limits and Versioning
Telematics platforms have two jobs that pull against each other: absorbing bursty device data around the clock, and serving customers an API that is fast, predictable and stable for years. Here is how we design for both, drawing on a NestJS platform that ingests 40 million events a day.
Database Development Enquiry
Tell Us About Your Database
Tell us which database you run, how large it is and what is slow, so we can target the investigation.
- Reply within 24 hoursA real person reviews every request.
- Free consultationHonest advice, no obligation.
- 100% confidentialHappy to sign an NDA.
- We review your requirements
- We reply with questions or a call slot
- You receive a clear, itemised proposal