When it comes to building your online presence, there are many ways you can plan, design and customise your website. However, when you invest in website hosting and begin your website building journey, there’s one question you need to start with – is your ideal website static or dynamic?
The key difference between the two types of websites is the way that their content is stored and delivered to web users. Static websites contain fixed content that’s shown in exactly the same way to each user, whereas dynamic websites display different content to each user based on factors such as user behaviour, location and preferences (e.g. cookies). Keep reading to learn more about the similarities, differences, pros and cons to both types of website.
What is a static website?
A static website loads static, unchanging content. Static websites are made up of web pages stored as single HTML files, and these are delivered straight to the user’s web browser when a page is requested. These files are created using HTML, CSS and JavaScript, which are all known as ‘client-side’ web development languages because they execute in the user’s web browser. Since the web server doesn’t alter these files before they’re transferred to the client device, the files – and therefore the website – will appear exactly the same to anyone who clicks on the site.
Static websites can still have elements like clickable links, buttons and images, but since the content always looks the same to each user, they can’t be truly interactive. Plus, they’re not meant to be changed or updated often, as the developer has to edit each HTML file/web page manually to update the content. Changes made to a shared element (e.g. a header or footer) across the website won’t automatically be applied to each page, making the editing process time-consuming.
An example of a static web page would include pages on portfolio websites, single landing page websites and purely informational sites that don’t contain time-sensitive or personalised content. Usually, static websites only contain a few web pages and will not require frequent changes or updates.
What is a dynamic website?
A dynamic website displays different content to each user by pulling new data from multiple locations on the fly. Instead of being stored in a HTML file, each web page’s content is stored in a backend database or content management system (CMS), and the server will then pull content from one or multiple databases when a user requests a page. This will create a custom-built HTML file for that user, which is loaded onto their web browser.
The back end of the website is constructed using server-side languages like PHP, Python and server-side JavaScript, which determine what content a user should see, fetch that content and then build a web page from it. To learn more about these programming languages and how they’re used frontend and backend, read our helpful article on PHP vs JavaScript.
Information is displayed to users based on several factors, such as their location, settings, preferences and past actions on the site (made possible through the use of website cookies). As such, each user will see unique content that’s interactive and tailored to them, which improves the browsing experience.
Nowadays, most websites are dynamic because this enables features like recommendations, multilingual sites and publishing new blog posts or the latest news stories – even while the user is on the site. Popular examples of dynamic websites and web applications include Instagram, Google Drive, Amazon, Netflix and BBC News.
Static website vs dynamic website: Similarities and differences
Both static and dynamic websites are capable of showing large amounts of content and including rich features like images, videos and clickable links/buttons, but the way they display this content is different. The content on a dynamic website is delivered according to its backend code, which selects content based on the needs and preferences of each user. A static web page delivers the same content to each user.
However, static and dynamic websites will mostly look the same to users, as they’re primarily created in the same languages. Dynamic websites use server-side languages in the backend to deliver unique content, but both types of website are constructed by client-side languages like HTML, CSS and JavaScript in the frontend (client-facing). Both website designs are also capable of being used to create responsive websites, which automatically adjust the content layout based on whether they’re being viewed on desktop or on mobile.
Major differences become more apparent when you look at the construction and maintenance of static and dynamic websites. Both can be built using website builders and CMSs (although it’s often quicker to develop static sites using a static site generator such as Hugo or Jekyll), but dynamic websites will require more initial programming due to their greater complexity. However, ongoing maintenance is more complicated for static websites, as any changes will have to be applied to all web pages manually. When editing a dynamic website, you can apply changes on one web page to all other web pages automatically.
What are the advantages of static websites?
Static websites don’t provide the same functionality and interactivity as dynamic websites, so why would some people prefer to build this kind of website? Here are the main benefits of static websites:
1. Quicker and easier to create
The first major advantage of static websites is that they’re much simpler to create, making them a great choice for those who don’t have a lot of time or technical know-how. Since the content will be the same for each user, you don’t need to connect your website to a complicated, organised database of content. As long as you have basic knowledge of HTML and CSS, you can easily create web page HTML files with all of the content you need.
2. Cheaper cost
Since these websites are so easy to create, the cost is greatly reduced if you use a developer to help you build your site. There’s far less backend processing with a static website, which reduces the time and cost required to get one up and running.
3. Faster page loading speeds
One of the main benefits of static websites is that they typically load much faster than dynamic websites. This is because the user’s browser doesn’t need to make as many requests to the server for resources, as all of the content is pre-determined for every user. Plus, caching is much easier because the content is fixed, which can increase page loading speeds even more. To learn more about caching, read our informative blog post all about the different methods of caching.
Fast page loading speeds are an essential part of providing good user experience, as users don’t want to wait around for a slow, buggy website. In fact, 40% of users will leave a website if it takes more than three seconds to load, which shows you just how many conversions you could be missing out on if you don’t prioritise page loading speed.
To reflect the importance of page speed, Google made page speed a search ranking factor on mobile devices in 2018. If you’re looking for ways to boost your rankings, creating a static website could be a good option if you want to create a smaller site and you don’t need frequent content updates.
4. Better security
Finally, static websites can potentially provide better security for your data and customers’ data. This is because static websites don’t connect to a database or external plugins, which gives hackers fewer ways to get into the site. However, as long as you focus on proper server security, both static and dynamic websites should be safe.
What are the disadvantages of static websites?
Of course, there are downsides to static websites too. Here are a few things to be aware of before choosing a static website:
1. Lack of scalability
Generally, static websites tend to contain fewer web pages because scalability is limited. Whilst you can easily copy changes across hundreds of web pages with a dynamic website, static web pages must all be built and edited individually. This will get very time-consuming as you add more web pages, so it’s best to stick to dynamic websites if you expect to scale your site significantly in the future.
2. Lack of personalisation
Another disadvantage is that static websites don’t offer interactivity and personalisation. The content is always the same for each visitor, so there’s no opportunity to tailor each web page to a user’s location, preferences or purchasing journey. This can make your website less engaging for users, and they may be more likely to go to other websites that offer more personalisation.
3. Time-consuming to edit
Having to change each web page manually means that static websites can be time-consuming to edit and manage. This will only become worse as more web pages are added, so it’s best to only use a static website if you have a few web pages and content that doesn't need to be changed often or at all.
What are the advantages of dynamic websites?
Now, let’s take a closer look at dynamic websites. As we’ve already established, these websites can be harder to initially create, so why do people choose them over static websites? Here are some of the main reasons:
1. Functionality
Perhaps the biggest advantage of static websites is their fast page loading speeds, but dynamic websites compete in terms of their functionality and ease of use. Dynamic websites can respond in real time to current events and customer behaviour, offering a complex and rewarding online experience. If you need a complex site with huge amounts of data, bespoke software and the ability to immediately respond to customer behaviours and preferences, you need to build a dynamic website.
2. Easier website maintenance
Despite their complexity, dynamic websites are much easier to edit and maintain once they’re set up. To make sitewide changes, all the site owner needs to do is log into the CMS and change content that appears on multiple pages – the changes will be automatically applied to all pages with that content (such as shared headers and footers). Since you don’t need a web developer to make these changes, dynamic websites are cheap and easy for website owners to maintain, even if they don’t have a lot of technical expertise.
One of the greatest benefits of this simple maintenance is that new content can be added extremely quickly, allowing you to keep up with the latest industry trends. This helps you provide a better user experience.
3. Better user experience
Speaking of user experience, dynamic websites help to keep customers engaged for longer by providing content that’s exactly tailored to their needs. The site’s code is able to detect things like the user’s location and previous actions on the website, which enables the server to fetch the right content from the backend database. Users appreciate personalisation, meaning that they’ll be more likely to revisit the website in the future or make a purchase.
4. Scalability
Lastly, dynamic websites are much more scalable than static ones. Instead of having to build individual HTML files for each fixed web page, you can simply add more information to your site’s database, and the server will pull the appropriate data to construct a web page according to the user’s needs. This makes it much easier to expand your website, which is crucial if you’re hoping to scale your business. Plus, since dynamic websites are simpler to manage, it’s easier to keep on top of large websites with many web pages – if sitewide changes are ever needed, these changes can be automatically duplicated to all pages, no matter how big the website is.
What are the disadvantages of dynamic websites?
It’s clear that dynamic websites are incredibly useful and popular, but there are still some downsides to be aware of:
1. More complicated and costly to create
Although dynamic website maintenance is easier, the initial programming and creation of the site can be more complex because you need a backend database and backend coding knowledge. You may need to hire a web developer to help build your dynamic website, which can be costly.
However, nowadays there are many affordable website builder packages that can help you create a dynamic website by yourself. For example, with the Fasthosts Website Builder, you can create static and dynamic websites by simply dragging and dropping the elements you want into the software.
2. Potential performance issues
Another thing to consider is that dynamic websites are more likely to run into issues like poor loading speed due to the greater amount of processing needed on the back end. The user’s web browser will be sending more data requests to the server, and retrieving this data can take some time.
Luckily, there are many ways you can improve the loading speed of your website without sacrificing its interactivity. Read our article on improving page load times to find out more.
What are hybrid websites?
Looking for the best of both worlds? You may be interested in building a hybrid website.
As the name suggests, hybrid websites use elements of static and dynamic websites to benefit from complex content and faster loading speeds at the same time. In a hybrid website, you may use some static pages for content that doesn’t need to be changed, as this will improve page speed, and for the rest of the site you could use dynamic pages that respond to user data and are easier to edit.
Alternatively, you may decide to start with a static website due to budget constraints and a lack of content, but as your website grows, you can add more content to a backend database and use server-side languages to construct unique, dynamic pages based on what the user wants to see. For example, your ecommerce site may only start with a few products displayed on static pages, but as your product list grows, you can add more items to the website’s database. Based on the user’s preferences, different products would be pulled from the database and added to the ‘recommended’ product list on their web page.
Dynamic websites vs static websites: What should I choose?
Deciding between using static or dynamic websites will depend on what your website's purpose is, and what resources are available to you.
If your site consists of three pages or fewer, and you don’t expect the content to change often, then a static website is more than suitable for you. They come with improved loading times, so it’s easier for sites containing static content to rank more highly on Google, therefore bringing in more traffic.
Due to their comparatively smaller size, they also lend themselves well to shared web hosting plans, and if the content doesn’t need to be updated, they can be set up and left to run.
However, if you’re looking for a website that’s more functional, whether it’s an online shop, a blog, or a forum, then a dynamic website will likely suit your scope better. This way, you’ll be able to control and change the content as much as you like, as well as any content based on user input such as account systems and user profiles.
Of course, creating dynamic websites from scratch can get costly due to the front and backend development knowledge it requires. But if you’re looking for a more cost-effective option which gives you all the functionality you need, a website builder package can help you create your own dynamic websites without the development overhead.
Building a website from scratch can be costly and time-consuming. To make this process as painless as possible, you need a website builder that can give you all the functionality you need without the technical jargon. With the Fasthosts Website Builder, you can simply drag and drop the elements you want in your website, and you can also benefit from helpful templates, SSD storage and a free SSL certificate – all for just £1 per month for the first 3 months. Interested? Contact us today for more information, or visit our blog for more website hosting tips.
