Static and Dynamic Website: Differences

Have you heard something like static and dynamic websites? Do you know what they are? If not, then don't worry. Board Infinity will help you to clear all these doubts.

In this article, we will discuss the difference between static and dynamic websites. We will discuss what they are. The URL that can be seen in the address bar of the browser can be used to access a website, which is a collection of web pages and other multimedia material like text, images, and videos. Let us understand what a static website is.

What is a Static Website?

By degree of complexity, static websites are the most straightforward versions of websites. They broadcast the same set of content to all audiences, and are often built using relatively simple tools such as HTML, CSS, or JavaScript. As with the nature of their content, these websites are best used for simple tasks, which are completed in due course.

Examples of Famous Static Websites

1. Mozilla’s Developer Network (MDN Web Docs): Offers a wide range of resources for developers that change little over time.
2. Tesla's Early Brochure Website: Tesla’s first website was simple and featured a list of products with few clickable options.
3. Simple Portfolio Websites: Most individual existential websites are informational, designed to showcase a resume, artwork, or achievements to be indexed on mainframes

Technology Stack for Static Websites

Development Tools:

• HTML/CSS: Fundamental technologies that allow the structure and presentation of pages.
• JavaScript: Enhances the quality of the website thus making it more interactive.
• Static Site Generators (SSG): Some of the examples include Jekyll, Hugo, and Eleventy, among others; which are used to generate static websites.
• Version Control: Git and GitHub for code management and deployment.

Hosting Services:

• Netlify: Compared to other tools, it provides fast deployment with integrated continuous integration and continuous development.
• GitHub Pages: Best used for small-scale hosting of static sites.
• Vercel: Designed for today’s web applications, including static websites.

Maintenance Tools:

• Text Editors: For programming web applications, the candidate uses Visual Studio Code, for quick edits – Sublime Text.
• Content Management Systems (CMS): CMS like Contentful, and Headless CMS are perfect for non-technical users to be managing static content.

What is a Dynamic Website?

Dynamic websites present content that is unique to the site user’s behaviors and decisions, or any other parameters that may be variables at any given time. These websites are built on server relational databases to retrieve and present information based on users’ requirements. Because of that, they can be integrated effectively in multifunctional systems especially those that involve the user.

Examples of Famous Dynamic Websites

1. Amazon: A well-known online store whose catalog, prices, and suggestions change based on the user’s interests and activity.
2. Facebook: A social media that provides content with more visibility in terms of user interactions.
3. Netflix: It depends on user choice, history, or even geographical location of the user.
4. Wikipedia: However, paradoxically, Wikipedia is an active website built on a highly developed CMS platform, according to which, all of its content is portable and can be modified in real-time.

Technology Stack for Dynamic Websites

Development Tools:

• Languages: For server-side scripting identified languages are PHP, Python, Ruby, Java, or JavaScript using NodeJs.
• Frameworks: Using ready web frameworks: Django (Python), Ruby on Rails (Ruby), Laravel (PHP), or Express.js (Node.js) to ease your work.
• Front-End Libraries: To design interactive User interfaces one can use a range of technologies such as React, Angular, or Vue.js

Databases:

• Relational Databases: MySQL, PostgreSQL, and Microsoft SQL Server.
• NoSQL Databases: For real-time data management, there is MongoDB or Firebase.

Hosting Services:

• AWS (Amazon Web Services): Karneval can deliver a reliable and agile hosting environment for dynamic websites.
• Google Cloud: For applications that require real-time processing is best suited.
• Heroku: Makes it easier to host dynamic applications created with frameworks such as Django or Node.js.

Maintenance Tools:

• CMS: WordPress, Joomla, or Drupal for the purpose of managing dynamic content.
• Performance Tools: Currently, applications developed can use New Relic or Google Lighthouse to check for performance issues and uptimes.

Comparing Static and Dynamic Websites

Applications of Static vs Dynamic Websites

Static Websites

• Corporate Brochures: Presenting the products of a company or some kind of service.
• Event Pages: Daily sale promotional web pages for the products during the event or launch.
• Documentation: Instructions to operate some equipment; frequently asked questions where the content does not change over time.
• Benefits: Faster deployment, lower cost, and reduced complexity.

Dynamic Websites

• E-Commerce: Sites such as Amazon or Etsy need stock availability on the hour and individual product suggestions.
• Content Platforms: Newspapers, blogs, and news portals are some of the dynamic websites as well as social media apps that create content to be delivered.
• User-Centric Apps: Services like Google Drive or Slack provide specific features and present context associated with the input of the user.
• Benefits: These include; the scalability of the system, the ability to customize it to fit the user’s needs, and the ability to facilitate interactive content.

How to Choose Between Static vs Dynamic Websites

When deciding which type of website suits your needs, consider the following factors:

Content Updates:

• If updates are minimal then static sites are recommended.
• Dynamic websites are better, if there are often changes in the content of the site.

Interactivity:

• Select static if you don’t plan to have much engagement such as in portfolios.
• Use Dynamic for user accounts shopping carts or personal dashboards.

Budget and Resources:

• Static sites are cheaper and coding is quite simple compared to dynamic sites.
• There is a need for a higher level of investment and professionalism to carry out dynamic websites.

Traffic Handling:

• Static websites prove advantageous with the traffic since the content is usually loaded beforehand.
• High-traffic websites may require further optimization for dynamic websites.

Conclusion

In this article, we have discussed the difference between static and dynamic websites. We have discussed what they are. So basically, there can be static or dynamic websites. A static website is a simple website with fixed content, whereas a dynamic website is an advanced website that provides different content in response to client requests.