There’s a lot to talk about regarding the differences between static and dynamic loading content and what that means for your website. Let’s get started with the key takeaways so that you’ll get the gist even if you’re too busy to read the whole article:
Key Takeaways
What do static and dynamic mean?
- Static websites are pre-rendered and consist of individual files delivered to all users in the same manner.
- Dynamic websites generate content in real-time from a database and change based on user-specific factors.
- Static websites can be faster to load, cheaper to host, and easier to build, but require a developer to make any changes – that’s a big negative for organizations without their own internal development team – and lack CMS conveniences, functionality, and plugins.
- Dynamic websites allow for endless personalized content and CMS functionality, but are more complex on the backend, can be slower to load, and more susceptible to security threats.
- Static content is cached by saving a copy of the file, while dynamic content caching generates and delivers content from a cache. Generally this means static websites may reduce response time to client requests.
- Dynamic content compression delivers smaller files from the origin server to reach client devices more quickly. Edge Side Includes (ESI) specify where dynamic content appears on a webpage, allowing cached content and content with ESI tags to load faster.
- Examples of situations that call for a static website include simple sites that will not change much, blogs, and some landing pages.
- Examples of situations that call for a dynamic website include web applications, anything with personalization, and customized CMS functionality.
Pros & Cons
- Static websites can be faster to load, easier to host, and easier to build, but lack CMS conveniences, functionality, and plugins, and require a developer to make any changes. That’s a significant negative for anyone looking to change their website on a regular basis!
- Dynamic websites allow for endless personalized content and CMS functionality, but are more complex on the backend, can be slower to load, and more susceptible to security threats.
- Static content is cached by saving a copy of the file, while dynamic content caching generates and delivers content from a cache. Generally this means static websites may reduce response time to client requests.
- Dynamic content compression delivers smaller files from the origin server to reach client devices more quickly. Edge Side Includes (ESI) specify where dynamic content appears on a webpage, allowing cached content and content with ESI tags to load faster.
- Examples of situations that call for a static website include simple sites that will not change much, blogs, and some landing pages.
- Examples of situations that call for a dynamic website include web applications, anything with personalization, and customized CMS functionality.
Let’s dig into the details
Definition and Characteristics
- What is a static website?
- What is a dynamic website?
- What are the characteristics of each type?
Advantages and Disadvantages
- What are the advantages of a static website?
- What are the disadvantages of a static website?
- What are the advantages of a dynamic website?
- What are the disadvantages of a dynamic website?
Situations and Examples
- When to use a static website – with examples
- When to use a dynamic website – with examples
- SEO considerations
Content Caching and Compression
- How is static content cached?
- How does dynamic content caching work?
- What is dynamic content compression?
- How does using Edge Side Includes (ESI) speed up dynamic webpages?
Other Related Concepts
- How do databases and CMSs relate to dynamic websites?
- What is server-side scripting?
- What is serverless computing?
Definition and Characteristics
Static vs Dynamic Websites: Understanding the Differences
In the world of web development, two terms often pop up in discussions: static websites and dynamic websites. While the average person may not be familiar with these terms, they are essential for developers to understand. Static and dynamic websites are fundamentally different, and each has its own unique features and characteristics.
What is a Static Website?
A static website is a basic type of website that displays content that is the same for all visitors. This means that the web page is pre-built, and the content remains the same, regardless of who visits the site. These websites are typically coded in HTML and CSS, and the content on the page does not change unless it is manually updated by a developer.
One of the significant characteristics of a static website is that it is simple to design and develop. Since static websites do not require any database or server-side programming, they are often faster and cheaper to develop than dynamic websites.
Another characteristic of static websites is that they are easy to maintain. Since the content of the website is pre-built and does not change frequently, maintenance is usually minimal, making it ideal for small business websites, personal portfolios, and simple blogs.
What is a Dynamic Website?
Unlike static websites, dynamic websites generate content based on user interaction and other dynamic factors such as the time of day or user location. In other words, dynamic websites provide content that is unique to each user.
Dynamic websites use server-side scripts to generate web pages, usually through a content management system (CMS) or an application server. These scripts pull data from a database or other sources to create web pages that display dynamic content.
Dynamic websites are more complex to design and develop than static websites. They require server-side scripting, database integration, and other technologies that static sites do not need.
The main characteristic of a dynamic website is that it provides personalized content to the user. Examples of dynamic websites include e-commerce sites, social media sites, and news websites.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Static and Dynamic Websites
Whether you choose a static or dynamic website, it is essential to understand the differences between the two types and choose the one that best suits your needs.
When deciding whether to build a static or dynamic website, it’s essential to consider the advantages and disadvantages of each type.
Advantages of Static Websites:
- Fast load times: Static websites are simple and lightweight, resulting in fast load times. They’re usually cached, which means they can be delivered quickly to the user.
- Low cost: Static websites are cheaper to host and maintain than dynamic websites because they don’t require a server or database.
- Easy to create: Static websites are simple to create and don’t require specialized skills or tools.
- High Security: Since there are fewer things that can go wrong, static websites are less vulnerable to attacks.
- Good for SEO: Static websites are search engine friendly because they load quickly and have easily crawlable content.
Disadvantages of Static Websites:
- Difficult to update: Updating a static website requires technical skills and can be time-consuming.
- No interactivity: Static websites can’t interact with users and can’t provide personalized content.
- Limited functionality: Static websites can’t support advanced features such as logins or e-commerce.
Advantages of Dynamic Websites:
- Personalized content: Dynamic websites can deliver personalized content based on user behavior, making for a better user experience.
- CMS functionality: Dynamic websites are easy to manage and update with a content management system (CMS), allowing non-technical users to make changes.
- Powerful features: Dynamic websites can support advanced features such as e-commerce, user logins, and interactive elements.
- Scalability: Dynamic websites can grow and change to accommodate a company’s evolving needs.
Disadvantages of Dynamic Websites:
- High cost: Dynamic websites are more expensive to build and maintain because they require a server, database, and specialized skills.
- Security risks: Dynamic websites are more vulnerable to attacks due to their interactivity.
- Slower load times: Dynamic websites can take longer to load because they’re not cached and require database access.
- Complexity: Dynamic websites are more complex to create, and changes can require significant development effort.
- Maintenance costs: Dynamic websites require ongoing maintenance to keep them up-to-date and running smoothly.
In terms of SEO, static websites are faster, more secure, and easier to crawl than dynamic websites, making them a better choice for small websites with simple requirements. However, dynamic websites can offer a better user experience, leading to longer visits, more page views, and higher search engine rankings.
Situations and Examples
When it comes to choosing whether to build a static or dynamic website, the decision typically comes down to the functionality that is required for a particular website. Here are some examples of when it is appropriate to use a static or dynamic website.
When to use a static website – with examples
A static website is an excellent choice for those who need a simple, affordable website that is easy to maintain. Here are some situations that call for a static website:
- Brochure websites – A static website is perfect for a small business that simply needs to have a presence online. For instance, an accounting firm that only needs a few pages of information about the company and the services they offer.
- Landing pages – If you need to create a simple one-page website, a static website can be an excellent choice. For example, if you want to advertise a specific product or service and provide a form for potential customers to contact you.
- Event websites – If you are promoting a specific event, such as a conference, trade show or music festival, a static website is an ideal way to provide information to potential attendees, such as schedules, ticketing information and directions.
- Personal websites – Static websites are a great option for personal websites, such as an online resume, photography portfolio or personal blog.
When to use a dynamic website – with examples
A dynamic website is the ideal choice if you require a website with complex functionality and the ability to serve personalized content. Here are some situations that call for a dynamic website:
- E-commerce websites – A dynamic website is necessary for e-commerce websites. They require the ability to accept payments, track orders, and show different product information based on user input.
- Social networking websites – Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other social networking websites require a dynamic website to deliver personalized content to each user.
- Real estate websites – A dynamic website is essential for a real estate company because the website needs to show a constantly changing list of available properties, as well as display interactive maps, photo galleries, and virtual tours.
- News websites – A dynamic website is required for a news website because the content is constantly changing and the website needs to be able to handle a high volume of traffic.
SEO Considerations
When it comes to SEO, both static and dynamic websites can be optimized for search engines. Static websites are typically faster to load and easier to crawl by search engines, which can help to improve search engine rankings. On the other hand, dynamic websites can provide a better user experience and can generate more personalized content for users, which can also help to improve search engine rankings. Ultimately, it is important to choose the type of website that is best suited to your particular needs and goals.
Content Caching And Compression
As the internet continues to grow and more websites are being built, website performance has become a critical factor in user experience. One important aspect of website performance is the speed of content delivery. To speed up the delivery of website content, caching and compression techniques are used. In this section, we will explore these techniques in detail and provide examples of how they are used in different industries.
How is static content cached?
Caching is a technique used to store website content, such as HTML files and images, closer to the end-user, reducing the time it takes for content to load. When content is requested, the cached copy is delivered, improving performance. Browsers and content delivery networks (CDNs) can cache static content for a set time period and serve it to users as long as the content continues to be requested. This is possible because static content does not change over time; the same file can be delivered to users over and over.
For example, a news website that publishes articles regularly can store images, such as logos or graphics, in a cache to improve load times. By doing this, the images are served to the user faster since they do not have to be downloaded from the server every time a new article is accessed.
How does dynamic content caching work?
Dynamic content is generated by scripts that change the content on a page based on user interactions or other factors such as device type, location, and time of day. By running scripts in a CDN cache instead of in a distant origin server, dynamic content can be generated and delivered from a cache. This significantly reduces the response time to client requests and speeds up dynamic webpages.
For example, an online store that uses dynamic content to display product recommendations can cache these recommendations on a CDN server. When a user visits the website, the cached recommendations are delivered, reducing the time it takes for the website to load.
What is dynamic content compression?
Dynamic content compression is a technique that involves compressing dynamic content generated by the origin server and delivering it as quickly and efficiently as possible. With dynamic compression, the content still comes from the origin server instead of a cache, but the HTML files generated are made significantly smaller so that they can reach the client device more quickly. Railgun is an example of a product that compresses dynamic content, improving performance.
For example, an online booking system that generates confirmation emails can compress these emails, reducing their size and improving the time it takes for the user to receive them.
How does using Edge Side Includes (ESI) speed up dynamic webpages?
ESI is a markup language that specifies where dynamic content appears on a webpage. Often, a large amount of content on a dynamic webpage remains consistent for all users, and only certain elements on the page are dynamic. This means that much of the HTML code is duplicated in each dynamic copy of the page. To solve for this inefficiency, ESI was developed. Content with an ESI tag is fetched from somewhere else, while the rest of the webpage’s content can be cached. If only some of the webpage is generated dynamically and the rest is cached, the webpage will load much more quickly than if the whole page needed to be generated for each user.
For example, a travel website that displays the same header and footer on all pages can use ESI to cache these elements while still delivering dynamic content such as search results and user account information. This will improve the website’s overall performance, providing users with a better experience.
Dynamic Sites Come With Lots of Benefits – & Pitfalls
Dynamic websites have come a long way since their early days, and today, they offer advanced features that static websites can’t match. They provide a wide range of functionality, including personalization, interactivity, and user-generated content.
Today, dynamic websites are not only catching up with static sites in terms of speed but, in many cases, are even surpassing them. Cloudflare, for example, is a content delivery network that offers a range of services for dynamic sites, including dynamic content caching, dynamic content compression, and serverless JavaScript functions that can run on the CDN, improving performance, and security.
In short, while static websites have their place, dynamic websites have come a long way in recent years and are now more versatile, faster, and more secure than ever. But all those improvements also mean more opportunities for complications and issues.
At ‘corePHP’, a website development company founded in 2000 by our Co-CEO Steven, we specialize in creating custom Content Management Systems (CMS) and have a proven history of creating great solutions. Steven became one of the original Joomla! co-founders, an open-source CMS that now powers 2.5 million websites and has won ‘Best Free CMS’ for four consecutive years.
We have grown into a full-service software development and digital marketing firm serving organizations of all sizes, from small businesses to global Fortune 500 corporations. We offer expert CMS agnostic development, marketing, hosting, and maintenance services and have experience with just about every technology suite on the planet. If you’re looking to build a dynamic website, get started with ‘corePHP’ today.
