What are the advantages and disadvantages of storing visitor counts in a database for layout customization?

Storing visitor counts in a database for layout customization can provide valuable insights into user behavior and preferences, allowing for personalized user experiences. However, it can also lead to increased database load and potential privacy concerns if visitor data is not handled securely.

// Connect to the database
$servername = "localhost";
$username = "username";
$password = "password";
$dbname = "visitors";

$conn = new mysqli($servername, $username, $password, $dbname);

// Increment visitor count
$sql = "UPDATE visitor_counts SET count = count + 1 WHERE id = 1";
$conn->query($sql);

// Retrieve visitor count
$sql = "SELECT count FROM visitor_counts WHERE id = 1";
$result = $conn->query($sql);
$row = $result->fetch_assoc();
$visitor_count = $row['count'];

// Close database connection
$conn->close();

// Use visitor count for layout customization
echo "Welcome! You are visitor number: " . $visitor_count;