The global web development market size was worth USD 56000.0 million in 2021 and is likely to grow at a CAGR of 8.03% during the anticipated period, reaching USD 89013.17 million by 2027 as per a report.
Are you influenced and want a website, but are a little confused about which website is better for you?
Certainly, you have a choice. Typically, people can have a static or dynamic website. For those who are unable to decide, this blog can help them understand and, finally, make an informed decision.
So, let’s start by discovering what these websites typically are.
Static Websites
As the name suggests, this type of website is like a digital portfolio or brochure. Even, some government websites containing descriptive services, regulations, and contact details are static in nature. These are mainly designed using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, which are web-designing or client-side languages. They actually show results on the user’s web browser. As the user requests a URL, the server moves to the HTML file where the URL is saved. And the web server delivers the outcome as-is from the files.
This is why the site displays the same content to each and every user who requests it. Also, it’s no less than a nightmare to individually create each webpage and store it on the server. In case you require editing or optimization via SEO somewhere, a professional web developer & a marketer are required.
But, there are some positive aspects as well, which are associated with its hosting. It is way easier to host it because it’s a straightforward process. There are some dynamic elements like clickable links and buttons, images, videos, CTAs, and JS or CSS-powered animations. So, the struggle is low when it is created. But you can never have interactive elements on these sites.
Dynamic Websites
It’s better to say that dynamic websites are the opposite of static sites. They are more interactive in terms of performance and features. These sites involve the use of advanced scripting languages, such as PHP, JavaScript, or .Net. These programming languages help in developing sites that are highly interactive. You can witness this interactivity through the way it processes a user’s request. The visible content appears interactive because of multiple factors, such as location, local time, settings, preferences, etc.
Typically, it is split into a backend and a frontend, which means that the website has flexibility to show complex content in the backend. And when the user requests a page, the server draws it from one or multiple databases. Also, it generates its own customized HTML file. Once the page is built, this file is sent back to the user’s browser.
Certainly, it can happen through server-side scripting languages (HTML, CSS, and JS). And the best thing is that users won’t be able to see it. What appears to them is just a loaded web page in the browser.
All in all, sites like Twitter, e-commerce deliver personalized experiences. The way it delivers real-time updates and processes interactive features through forms for inquiries or others is absolutely stunning and lightning-fast.
Key Differences
Let’s move forward and discover how they are unique and possess their own individuality.
- Content Flexibility
Static: As aforesaid, the content on this type of website remains static. It means that you cannot change it unless a developer intervenes and modifies it.
Dynamic: Fortunately, these sites have the potential to update content in real-time in several ways. You can interact, send queries to the database, and also automate the whole process.
- User Interaction
Static: These websites serve similar information, no matter how differently they are trying to interact. The result is similar every time.
Dynamic: These sites are equipped with stunning interactive features, such as creating user accounts, integrating forms for inquiries or customers’ details, and personalizing content.
- Development Complexity
Static: You cannot have amazing features and an interactive layout because it’s a very basic-level site. You can use it for creating resumes, profiles, etc. that don’t need multiple elements or premium designs.
Dynamic: These layouts cannot be completed without advanced scripting and database skills. Simply put, these sites take a look and feel together with complex features, navigation, and interactive elements.
- Scalability
Static: These are the best fit for small to medium-scale companies that don’t have multiple things to showcase.
Dynamic: These are ideal for large-scale enterprises or e-commerce websites that repetitively require changes in their database, uploading systems, and user interactions.
- Maintenance
Static: For maintaining these sites, a technically expert developer is a must-have who dedicates hours or days to change codes to update the website.
Dynamic: Maintenance of these sites is like a walkover because they have an automated system to update content, which is called a content management system. Once developed, a non-technical person can also make changes to the content.
Conclusion
These points have made it clear that the selection of a type of website completely depends on the specific needs and goals of a company or business. For a speedy and simple layout, static designs are the best, whereas dynamic designs can deliver overwhelming engagement and personalized user experience.
So, you can decide how much money you can invest, what technicalities or interactivity you need to fulfil your objectives, etc. These factors will all impact your decision. Of course, the aforementioned difference is also going to be a big contributor to your decision.