Static VS Dynamic Websites
It’s 2018 and we’re seeing almost every website having a dynamic website design, as compared to the past where static website design was the norm.
Google ranks dynamic, responsive websites better as compared to unresponsive, static websites. It’s more than just a trend to have a dynamic website; user-friendliness is an actual factor which the google crawler uses for ranking.
Static & Dynamic Website Difference
Static Websites are written in plain HTML and the code is displayed to the user as-is.
Dynamic websites are written using server-sided languages such as PHP, JSP, Coldfusion, etc. In dynamic websites, the content is called in by scripts, which is stored in different files or from a database, depending on the action taken by the user.
Static Website Advantages and disadvantages
Pros
Static websites are far more flexible compared to dynamic websites. Each page can be different if required; the designer has the ability to put in different effects that is requested by a client.
- Makes theming easier
- Lower cost as compared to Dynamic websites
- Less time required to complete the end-product depending on complexity
- MAY load faster depending on design and operating machine
Cons
When it comes to static websites, changing content is not simple. The designer would have to constantly go back and forth with the code to have content changes. It’s a more tedious process which hinders with adaptability of websites.
- Editing process is tedious for both clients and designer
- Scalability is a major drawback; it takes considerable effort and cost to scale websites and expand them
- Costs for updating the content stack up and cost more in the longer run
Dynamic Website Advantages and disadvantages
Pros
Dynamic websites are connected to databases, when a request is called, data & information can easily be pulled easily in a structured, fashioned manner. This makes it more dynamic and the data can be available to the user the way they want it to be.
- Database connection means that there is a content management system that allows clients to input manage data through administration pages
- Content can be text, images, videos, audio, etc.
- You can add long and short descriptions and make complex (or simple) websites
- Editing times are very small, relatively easy to modify
Cons
While it may seem that dynamic websites will be more, well, dynamic than static websites, that’s not the case. You can change pretty much everything about static websites by manipulating the code. For dynamic websites, you get a template you can drag and drop different modules, and create layers, pages, etc.
- All website changes need to be done within a given template’s capabilities
- Websites have a pre-determined set of options available, hindering complete control of your website
- Initial cost may be higher, but the cost to modify is smaller. It’s actually cheaper on the longer run
Conclusion
At the end of the day, you’ll need to decide which kind of website you want to go for, what your budget is, who’s creating your website and your use-case.