Static vs Dynamic Website Design
Tisha Littlejohn
Bringing Teams Together Through Movement | Line Dance Team Building Facilitator | Workplace Engagement Strategist | Speaker
We encounter examples of static and dynamic website design every day and are probably intuitively aware of the differences between the two. However, it can be a difficult concept to explain and even more difficult to decide which option we should choose if we are planning on building a new website. In this article we are going to look at the core differences between the two, how to identify what type of design any website is using and the pros and cons of static and dynamic website design.
What is a static website?
Static websites, like the name implies, don’t change. Each webpage on a static website displays only the content that is in the source code. That content can include things you might think of as dynamic, such as videos and animated text, but the key aspect that sets static websites apart is that each page displays exactly the same to each visitor, regardless of their location, language, etc.
HTML is used in most cases to build static websites and once the source code is written, they are pretty much set in stone. To change content on a page requires you to rewrite the source code. Visitors can’t interact with the site much beyond clicking on links or contact forms. You can often tell if a particular website has a static design by checking the URL. Extensions such as .htm and .html indicate that a specific page is written in HTML and the website is probably built on a static design.
Advantages of static websites
Static website design offers much more flexibility in how a site is designed. It’s perfect for bespoke designs, where pages differ drastically in content or appearance. HTML is a powerful and very customizable language. A website owner may want to have pages grouped into various themes, such as a school website that may want a different style for different grades.
This kind of design is perfect for websites that aim to inform and don’t require the input or interaction of the visitor. A perfect example is a news website. Articles and editorials can be added as static pages, designed to be read but wouldn’t offer the option to like or comment on.
This kind of website generally has a much lower initial set up cost than a dynamic website. Coding in HTML is much easier and cheaper than scripting in server side languages, in particular the testing phase is very much simplified for a static website compared to a dynamic design.
Disadvantages of static websites
The major disadvantage of a static website is that it can be awkward to change or add content once the site is built, especially if you have no coding experience. As a static site only displays what is in its source code, any change or addition means changing that source code. For most webmasters, this will mean going back to their web designer to implement these changes. This can get expensive, particularly if your site requires a lot of updates. The saving in initial set up costs of a static design can often be offset by higher ongoing costs.
Static sites, by their very nature, don’t allow you to offer personalized experiences to your visitors. This is a major drawback if your site is any kind of e-commerce or social media. As each page appears exactly the same to all visitors, you could be losing sales or ad revenue by not being able to present each potential customer with the right content for them.
As your site grows, it can be difficult to keep up if you are using a static website design. As each site is a custom design, each new product or article requires a new page to be built manually. While it is possible to do this on a small scale, just as a blog etc., it becomes very time consuming if you are trying to run a large scale e-commerce operation.
What is a dynamic website?
The core difference between static and dynamic sites is that a dynamic website design takes data such as the user’s time zone, the day, cookies etc., to build a custom page for each visitor. Dynamic website designers use a number of languages such as PHP and JavaScript to power elements of each page that change based on interaction with the visitor. URL’s with extensions that end in .php, .asp and .jsp are good indicators that a particular website is built on a dynamic design.
As well as server side scripts, dynamic websites also employ client side scripts to build pages that provide a unique experience to each visitor. Prime examples of this kind of site are social media platforms, such as Facebook. No two Facebook timelines are the same. Each one pulls various information about the user, such as who their friends are, what kind of things they have liked in the past and certain filters they have set, to arrange posts into a completely bespoke list, just for that user.
Advantages of dynamic websites
Dynamic websites allow you to pull data from a range of databases and arrange that information in an infinite number of ways. It provides the framework for social media feeds, personalized suggestions in online shopping and vast e-commerce websites. Whereas static websites have individual, custom pages, the pages on a dynamic website are very similar, all built from a finite set of templates. It’s the information on a dynamic webpage that is completely customizable.
E-commerce platforms such as Amazon all use dynamic website design as it provides the kind of scalability you need to add thousands of individual product pages, with little effort. In fact dynamic websites are so versatile that many run on content management systems, such as WordPress. These are user friendly systems that allow webmasters to quickly and simply add pages, categories, widgets and functions to their site, without having to engage a web designer to do it. Dynamic websites have much lower ongoing running costs than their static equivalents.
Disadvantages of dynamic websites
Designing a dynamic website is a much more complicated endeavour than building a static site. Each dynamic page will have a number of elements that have to be tested extensively to make sure they work under in every situation. Databases need to be secured and programming is much more involved, possibly needing the use of APIs, as well server requests. The set up costs, as a result, are higher than building a static site.
Pages on a dynamic website are more restricted in their appearance. Each page is generated from one of a set number of templates. While it is possible to dynamically create thousands of different pages on any given site, most of those pages will display information in a similar way. While this is ideal if you have a large number of products that users search through, it stifles creativity if you are trying to display unique or one off item.
Which website design should I choose for my site?
If you are running a site that requires significant interaction with the user or needs regular updating, then you absolutely should choose a dynamic website design. While a static website can inform, only a dynamic site can sell or advertise. Static websites can be compared to an advertising sign, it can tell you how good a product is, and even where to find it, but it can’t process a sale or tailor its message to each reader. A dynamic site, on the other hand, is a salesman. It can read each visitors, react to their needs and determine their wants. It actively sells to them based on what it knows about them, and can close and process a sale there and then.