Static and Dynamic – What’s the difference?

There are two very distinct, and very different types of websites that are available and all websites fall into these two categories. These categories are static and dynamic, and it is crucial to know the difference between each so that you can make an informed decision about which is best for your business.

Static
Static websites use HTML and every page of the site is treated separately, so that to edit the site, every page must be accessed individually. This obviously takes a great deal of skill and expertise as it draws on quite advanced technologies. A web developer is therefore needed to handle the updates of these sites, meaning that updates can be few and far between.

Dynamic
Dynamic websites are more functional than static sites and can take a great deal of hassle out of managing the content too because they can be built with a content management system. They can also allow for communication and information sharing between the business and the customer. This kind of interfacing can be very rewarding for firms looking to expand their consumer base. Dynamic websites can be updated regularly because they do not require the same level of expertise, and so anyone can handle the content with ease.

Which one is right for me?
Choosing which website is best for you depends entirely upon your business and what you want to gain from you site. If you are looking to increase your consumer base and engage with your customers, then a dynamic website may be best for you and will be worth the initial outlay. If you are looking to create a site that will merely provide contact details for your business and a list of services that are unlikely to change, then a static website may be best and will not require a great deal of money to develop. This is particularly useful if you are a smaller business with limited funds. If you are a business that depends upon your online consumers and your services change regularly then you will want to inform your customers of any changes, offers, promotions etc. This can be very costly if you have a static website as you will require the services of a professional. A dynamic website will almost certainly be the preferred option in this instance.

It is important to consider the benefits of each and to know what each can do for you. One possibility is to consider a partially dynamic website with static pages that are unlikely to need updating, for instance, those pages that contain contact information, location or company history, but have dynamic pages for the aspects of your site that will require constant updates, e.g. catalogue pages for online stores. If you do have a web developer then discuss the benefits of each option with them in more detail to help you make a decision that is right for your business.