Static Vs Dynamic: Leveraging Website Features to Maximize Audience Engagement

I’m sure by now you’ve recognized the importance of having a high-quality website. But a good website isn’t solely defined by whether it looks nice. You have to take into account other aspects, including functionality and ease of updates. When it comes down to it, the question is static vs dynamic? But what exactly does this mean? Let’s take a closer look.

Static Websites

Static websites are created using HTML and display what’s in the code to the person viewing the site. The way it works is that each page is stored as a separate HTML file that can be customized or edited as the company or the designer pleases. This is the way that websites in the early ages of the internet were built.

Static websites are great in the sense that each page can be vastly different and load quickly because each page is directly stored as is. However, because each page is coded separately, you would have to re-code certain elements on each page regardless of whether each page needs the same updates. In terms of scalability, static websites may not be your best bet.

Dynamic Websites

Dynamic websites differ in the sense that instead of storing individual files for pages, they use server technologies to call upon each piece of previously stored information to build the page as soon as the user visits it. Think of content management systems (CMS) like WordPress. They provide you with customizable templates where you can simply input your data and content which is then stored in a database. This is great when updating content or design on multiple pages. You simply make your change and the CMS will update that detail across all pages.

These sites also allow for more complex features that are useful for E-commerce websites such as logins and payments. Keep in mind that dynamic websites may be a lot more challenging to set up in the beginning, but further changes will be much simpler to accommodate.

Okay, so which is better?

You’re probably wondering how each option will cost you. While static websites are often cheaper, they require ongoing fees to update the content. Dynamic websites are typically more expensive up front but have little to no ongoing charges with the exception of costs for significant changes in the basic design or advanced capabilities you may wish to add.

At Kraus Marketing, we work with WordPress, a CMS platform, to build a majority of sites for both our B2B or B2C clients. Our in-house web developers are well versed in all aspects of the program and work to keep your dynamic website up-to-date as your business grows. Contact us today for more information!