Static vs. Dynamic Web Sites

Websites come in a variety of different shapes and sizes but one way they can be divided is between static sites and dynamic sites.

The difference is not obvious when you’re just looking at a website in your browser, but it can make a big difference in the function of your website.

Static Web Sites

Static Web pages display the exact same information whenever anyone visits it. Static Web pages do not have to be simple plain text. They can feature detailed multimedia design and even videos. However, every visitor to that page will be greeted by the exact same text, multimedia design or video every time he visits the page until you alter that page's source code.

Advantages of Static Web Sites

Flexibility is the main advantage of a static site - every page can be different if desired, to match the layout to different content, and the designer is free to put in any special effects that a client may ask for in a unique way on different pages. This allows theming - for instance an author may want a different theme for a different book and associated pages or perhaps for a series of books, in order to match the cover designs or the context of the stories.

Disadvantages of Static Web Sites

The main problem with any static web site appears when you wish to update the content. Unless you are conversant with HTML and the design methods used in the site then you have to go back to the designer to have any content changes made. This may be perfectly fine when a new page is required which needs design input, but if all you want to do is change some text then it can be a nuisance for both client and designer.

The second main problem is scalability. If you wish to sell products on your site and you have a lot of them then you may have to construct individual pages for each one, which can take considerable time, effort and cost.

Dynamic Web Sites

Dynamic pages can serve a variety of purposes. For example, websites run by content management systems allow a single source code file to load the content of many different possible pages. Content creators use a gateway page to submit the material for new pages into the Content Management System database. The dynamic page can then load the material for any page in the database, based on parameters in the URL with which a visitor requests the page. Dynamic pages are also what let users log into websites to see personalised content.

Advantages of Dynamic Web Sites

The main advantages of dynamic sites are that by connecting them to databases you can easily pull in information in an organised and structured way to create product pages or categories of related products sorted in a variety of different ways depending on how the user wants to view them.

This ability to connect to a database means that you can also create a content management system - an interface which allows the client to input and manage data via a web-based series of administration pages. That content can be text for their pages and images to go along with the text, or items in their product range with categories, specifications, short and long descriptions, images. In both these cases it can be as simple or as complex as the client requires.

Disadvantage of Dynamic Web Sites

The design of a dynamic site is more fixed than a static one because many of the pages are essentially a template into which data and content is poured to create multiple pages of a similar type. So for instance all your product pages will be essentially the same page layout with different data being displayed. While some customisation capability can be built in it is usually quite limited, such as selecting from a set of pre-defined options. Individual layout changes to particular pages are not usually possible.