What is a static website?
Static websites differ to those that are dynamic, and although it may not be entirely obvious if a website is static at first, there are subtle differences that you will notice that will give them away. For instance, static websites tend to be very simplistic in nature without any advanced features or assets. They aren’t designed to be updated frequently because to change the website requires the knowledge of a skilled website developer. As such, you will notice that the content tends to stay the same without much variance at all. In the main the website will be brochure-like in nature and give basic information, like contact details etc – details that are unlikely to change frequently. Although they are expensive to update, they are quite cheap to create and so they are popular with smaller firms that have a smaller budget.
Static websites – The pros
The benefits of static websites are that they are cheap to produce and don’t take very long to develop either. Hosting the site is relatively in expensive too.
Static websites – The cons
Static websites take a great deal of expertise to update and manage, and so they can’t be updated regularly without having to spend a fair bit. Because of this, the content can become quite stale, which is fine if the website is only to provide a list of services and contact details, but not so great if you are a company that is constantly changing and whose business depends on informing customers of these changes.
Dynamic sites can be costly to create and set up, but then they can be updated and amended as often as is seen fit by the site’s owner. Updating the site doesn’t take a great deal of skill or effort and so the aspects of the site can be as imaginative and creative as possible. For an ever-changing business, it is possible to update the customers about any relevant news and developments. The site can be developed so that it works for you. It can be built with a content managements system so that updates can be added automatically and so that customers can post their own information as and when they want, which is known as dynamic publishing.
Dynamic websites – The pros
The benefits of creating a dynamic website are obvious. For larger firms that can afford them, they can reap the rewards of repeat custom by having an ever-changing website with content that is regularly updated to remain fresh and interesting for the viewer or reader. Being able to share information through the site is also important from both the customer’s and the business’ perspective because having this capability encourages communication and increases engagement. Content management systems can help staff manage the content more accurately too in a way that works for them and reduces the amount of effort needed on their part.
Dynamic websites – The cons
Dynamic websites do take quite some time to set up and can cost quite a bit as well. The potential they can have for a business can be quite substantial though, and so the initial outlay should really be given some consideration before it is dismissed in favour of static websites.
Overview
Increasingly, dynamic websites are chosen in favour of static websites because of the capabilities they afford a business. Although they cost a lot, the business they can generate will justify a dynamic website, but of course the outlay has to be there in the first place and for some smaller businesses dynamic websites are not an option. Weighing up the pros and cons is really the only way to make a decision.
