CYBER MARKETEER – Put CGI scripts to work for you

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Does your site have any of the following features to help enhance its marketability or user experience? * a guest book * calendar * classifieds * shopping cart * search * auto responder * other interactive functionality

If your site employs any of these features you’re doing one of several things: custom programming, buying an “off the shelf” solution with these features built in … or using a CGI script. For the vast majority of tools or functionality that you might be looking to incorporate into your site, you can bet that there is a CGI script that has your name written all over it. There are a great variety of scripts available. They can do everything from run your site’s advertising to keep track of your newsletter sign-ups. Some of these scripts are custom-written and they do cost money, but you would be AMAZED at how many you can pick up for free! This week’s tip can’t begin to tell you all of the things you can do using CGI scripts, but we can point you in the right direction, and even better, show you where to go to get your free scripts. Downloading these free scripts will not only save you money, but the very act of perusing what is available may give you some great new ideas for your site! What is it?Before you start downloading your free CGI scripts, let’s take a moment to understand exactly what they are. In layman’s terms, CGI (which stands for Common Gateway Interface), enables you to add dynamic (meaning “changeable”) content to your Web site. In many cases a simple script can take the place of tedious tasks that you once performed by hand (ex. responding to information requests by hand rather than by using an auto responder). In more technical terms, CGI is a standard method for linking external applications with your information servers (such as HTTP or Web servers). For example, when you request a regular HTML page from your server you are given a document that is static, which means it exists in a constant state and does not change. A CGI program, on the other hand, is executed in real time, so that it can output dynamic information to your site, such as a visitor counter or new banner. A CGI program can be written in any language that allows it to be executed on the system, such as C/C++, PERL, Visual Basic, etc. It just depends what you have available on your system. But enough of the technical details! We’ll give you the ability to learn more about that later. What really should matter is … Why use CGI scripts?Good Internet marketing tenants say that the more interactive your site, the more your visitors — and ultimately you — get out of it. Static Web pages are really something of the past. Web users are getting accustomed to content and tools that are interactive and dynamic, and CGI scripts can enhance your site to provide this. To get an idea about the great variety of CGI scripts available, check out http://www.cgidir.com/ which lists at least 20 different category types. Where do I find CGI scripts?Free CGI scripts abound — you just have to know how to find them. Here are some sites where you can do everything from pick up a free script to get a tutorial or read an expert review on which scripts work best. Happy hunting! CGI Resources (http://www.cgi-resources.com/) is a great resource that not only provides links to download tons of free scripts, but also provides information on remote hosting and freelance programmers you can hire (if necessary) to implement the scripts. The CGI Directory (http://www.cgidir.com/). This site gives you a great listing of scripts, as well as tutorials, FAQ, books, and more. My CGI Scripts (http://www.mycgiscripts.com/resources/) catagorizes scripts by their purpose and provides expert reviews and implementation costs. You’ll also find a rating of scripts at CGI For Me (http://www.cgiforme.com).Ranson’s CGI Scripts (http://www.rlaj.com/scripts/free cgi scripts.html) has both free scripts and more customized scripts for sale. Like the other sites, you can download right off the site. A final two noteworthy sites include The CGI Collection (http://www.itm.com/cgicollection/index.cgi?page=1) and Matt’s Script Archive (http:www.cgidir.com/). Matt’s Archive is a common type of CGI script site, as many programmers who create these scripts enable public access for free.