As you have landed on this page, it is pretty evident that you are a newbie to the field of website design and development. And if you have read a bit about it, the terms static and dynamic websites might not be the first time you have heard. But what are they? This is exactly what this article would be guiding you about. So make sure that you read till the end to have a clear-cut idea regarding static and dynamic websites.
Let’s talk about static and dynamic websites in detail so that you can understand each of them better.
To put it short, static websites consist of various files that are stored together on a single web server. Each of these files indicates a website’s physical page. Widely known for their easy creation, these websites are pretty much what their name suggests. That is the contents are fixed and are built using CSS, Javascript, or plain HTML. The best part about a static website URL is that you don't need any background knowledge to create one.
Over the years, static websites have become increasingly popular which is accredited to their tools and high performance. They are known for their increased flexibility and their high cost-efficiency makes them a top favorite of a vast majority of business enterprises. Examples of static websites include portfolio sites, brochure sites, read-only sites, resume sites, etc.
Now that you know what a static website is, you might be wondering about its benefits. According to web development experts, here are some of its key advantages.
As you have seen, static websites come with a bunch of benefits no doubt. However, just like two sides of a coin, static websites have their disadvantages as well. Here’s what you need to know;
Building static websites has become easier than ever with the rapid technological advancements. At the same time, given the plenty of static site generators available these days, it can get a bit confusing on picking the right one. But wait…what is a static site generator? Unlike the traditional method of creating static websites using various web frameworks, static site generators come with a set of powerful tools that can take your static website development to the next level. Now, this can be even more beneficial if you are taking baby steps into the web development industry.
Here are 5 of the highly talked-about static site generators that you might want to check out.
Created using the Go programming language, Hugo is known for its ability to be built at the fastest rate and serves best for blogs/write-ups. It is easy to install and comes with templates that are rendered into an HTML site.
Picture Courtesy - Hugo
Built on Node.js and JavaScript, Eleventy promises to deliver the best output provided if you are familiar with the basics of JavaScript. If you are in search of a lean static generator, Eleventy is the one you should go for!
Picture Courtesy - Eleventy
Known to be one of the most static site generators, Jekyll is fantastic for creating blogs. Not to mention, GitHub is powered by this very software.
Picture Courtesy - Jekyll
Although most static site generators are beginner-friendly, in order to get the best of Gridsome, you need to have a certain level of web development expertise. It also comes with a series of plugins and provides various benefits.
Picture Courtesy - Gridsome
If you have a relatively larger static website and need fast rendering, Hexo is the ideal choice. It is a blog framework and even consists of Jekyll plugins.
Picture Courtesy - Hexo
The opposite of static websites are dynamic websites which means here the content can be changed if needed. To elaborate, the website content changes based on the target audience and related aspects. Contrary to static websites, dynamic websites offer more space to utilize creativity since you can modify, edit or make any changes anytime without having to depend on any additional assistance. Dynamic websites are altered based on several factors with the main goal to expand the target audience.
Due to these factors, dynamic website URL has a fanbase of their own since it promotes maximum user interactivity which is vital for especially those who have large business websites. Examples of dynamic websites include blogs, calendars, news sites, corporate sites, etc.
The wide variety of features in dynamic websites is appreciated by many. So what are the key advantages of dynamic websites? They are;
In simple words, a website’s content that can be easily changed, updated, or modified by the user is known as dynamic content. This is pretty much the secret to what makes dynamic websites more interactive and user-friendly.
Just like static content, there are different types of dynamic content. The most common ones are;
To be honest, there is no difficulty in finding dynamic website development platforms due to the immense options available these days. Needless to say, it is best to look into each of them in detail to make a conscious choice. Have a look at 5 of the top dynamic website development platforms!
The static vs dynamic website battle is nothing new to the web development industry. You may also have wondered which of these is the better one. Well, here are a few key distinctions that can give you a better insight. Nevertheless, at the end of the day, the best choice is based on your business requirements.
The age-old question of ‘which is better? Static or dynamic website?’ has been met with a variety of answers each time. And as mentioned previously, it all comes down to your business goals, your customers, your ideas, and so on. So basically a lot of other factors also have to be considered firsthand in addition to the features that each of them brings to the table.
A few steps that can help you come to the right decision regarding this subject would be to first of all, compare your business goals and audience with the pros as well as cons of both static and dynamic websites. Having a strong understanding of these can help you figure out the right solution for the long term and achieve success!
A simple Google search can give you hundreds of more comparisons on static and dynamic websites. But at the end of the day, choosing the best website type is tied to your business requirements, goals, target audience, budget, etc. Hence, various factors have to be taken into consideration before finalizing your decision.
These days, dynamic websites are becoming increasingly popular compared to the static website due to the stronger user interactivity it provides. Nevertheless, a static website’s functionality cannot be ignored as well. Thus, each has its own benefits and if chosen accordingly can take your business to the next level.
Both static and dynamic websites have their own benefits which you now have a better understanding of given the fact that you have read till here.
We hope now you have a solid idea of static and dynamic websites. Feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions or ideas to share!
Having a good website for your business provides the needed first impression to your clients. A business website serves as a bridge for the brand and potential customers.