Ecommerce Personalization Examples for Streamlining Operations
User Experience Design 8 min read
We use cookies to personalize content and ads, which enables us to analyze our traffic.
If you continue to use this website, you consent to the use of our cookies. Find out more here.
Type it below, and we'll show you what we've written about it!
Home Blog Web DevelopmentDynamic vs Static Website: Know the Important Difference
There are key differences between a dynamic vs static website that make each a good choice, depending on your needs.
What’s the right web design and development approach for your small business?
Would your business thrive better with a static and straightforward website? Or would your audiences appreciate a dynamic and adaptive website more?
With billions of people connected to the internet, keeping an online presence somehow levels the playing ground for businesses of various sizes. Multinational brands and small businesses may both tap their target audience using the same digital marketing techniques. In some instances, small players are able to take the center stage with the right digital marketing strategy and precise execution.
As of today, there are billions of web pages crowding the internet superhighway, and they’re all vying for users’ attention. How will your business stand out and reach your target audience? Let’s start with the basics: Your official business website.
According to a Google study, 83% of US shoppers searched for a business online before visiting its physical store. Think of your website as your store-front, business catalog, or drive-through counter. Only, it exists online, and accessible anywhere there’s a stable internet connection.
Through this website, your potential customers learn about your business, products, and services. Even better, they might also sign-up as a lead or make a purchase through these websites.
There are different types of websites. Each with a unique value to different types of businesses. The most common types are dynamic and static websites; choosing one or the other will help you grow your business, as long as it’s the right fit for you and your customers.
In deciding the better type of website for your business, it’s helpful to understand how websites work. Let’s start with static websites.
In a nutshell, when a user types in a web address, their browser sends a request to a server where the content of a website is stored. This server then delivers the code for the web page to a browser which, in turn, displays the page to the viewer.
In a static website, the server delivers a web page based on pre-written HTML and other code (CSS or JavaScript). The page content is pre-uploaded to a server in a user’s browser in advance.
It’s composed of HTML (or CSS, JavaScript) files, each representing a page of the website. If you want to update a content in a static website, even if such content is identical in every page, you would need to do so on each page.
All websites in the early days of the world wide web were static. This type of website is ideal for pages whose content doesn’t change often such as company profiles, blogs or those that primarily offer informational content.
Here are examples of static websites:
In a dynamic website, the server pulls data from a data source, loads it into a template, and creates the HTML code in real time. It is considered as “on the fly” since it dynamically builds web pages right when a user types in the web address. PHP is a popular server technology for dynamic websites. It searches for pieces of information that it then writes into a web page.
A dynamic website is recommended for web pages whose content changes frequently and websites that display unique pages to each user such as social media sites in which users access their personal profiles.
Check out these examples of dynamic websites:
A dynamic website, however, shouldn’t be confused with “dynamic elements”. While you may have a static website, you may include dynamic elements your users may interact with such as forms and buttons.
Should you go for a cheaper static website or a more flexible dynamic site? Let’s assess both sides of the coin.
Each website development approach has its upsides and downsides. Understanding these can aid in deciding which you should choose for your business.
The better approach would primarily depend on your purpose and budget.
As mentioned earlier, a static website is best for web pages in which you don’t have to change the content frequently. If you need a company website or a blog, static pages will work well for you.
If you’re running a limited-time promotion, a static website approach is a more practical option than dynamic one. You may simply take down the page once the promo or campaign ends.
Because of its straightforward approach, a static website is more affordable than a dynamic website.
Dynamic sites may take longer to initially code and are more expensive to build than static websites. But if you’re going to update your content frequently, such as if you’re running an ecommerce website, a dynamic website is a more cost-efficient choice.
Any initial savings from a static website will not offset the additional time and effort you’ll need for future updates and revisions on your web pages.
You should also consider how your choice of web development would affect your SEO efforts. It’s easier for search engine crawlers to rank a static website since its content is already uploaded on servers – crawlers see web pages as users do. However, the time and effort required in updating static web pages are better off spent on SEO such as boosting content marketing.
Dynamic websites may not be easier to rank for search engines, but these are more flexible for changing SEO trends. You can easily revise pages based on new optimization signals, and allot more of your time and resources in creating quality content.
A digital marketing company with its team of web developers and marketing specialists can help you decide, develop and maintain the website that matches your purpose, budget and branding.
More than half of the global population actively access the internet. For businesses, maintaining a strong online presence has become non-negotiable. Begin by building a website that matches your purpose and supports your online branding and digital marketing efforts.
What type of website are you currently working with? Let us know over on Facebook, X, or LinkedIn.
For more stories on web design and development, make sure to subscribe to our newsletter so we can send it straight to your inbox.
Choose topics you want to get regular updates on:
Thank you for downloading our free template.
Expect fresh digital marketing resources delivered straight to your inbox every week.
The email address used was already subscribed to the newsletter.
Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest marketing tips and best practices delivered to your inbox.