Static or Dynamic?

More mumbo jumbo – static or dynamic, what's that about?

A static web site is one that doesn't change – its pages look the same all the time. It's not to say the web site can't be updated every now and again, but the pages viewed by you, or me, today, or tomorrow will generally be the same.

A static web site is often called a brochure-style web site. It's a good first step if you don't have a web site at all yet. It's like having a brochure promoting your product or service, but putting that brochure onto the web for all to see.

A static web site can still be highly effective- it can look great, it can tell your audience a great deal about your business, and it can let them know where to go for more information.

There is a lot more you can do with your web site though – quite easily, by making it dynamic. Dynamic means moving, changing, flexible, and most importantly: interactive. A very simple example of a dynamic web site is one that has a News or Upcoming Events section on the home page. The content can change often – perhaps several times a day, keeping your web site fresh and exciting, a web site that your visitors like to come back to and visit often.

A dynamic web site is also a web site that might be tailored to the user – perhaps by way of a membership area of the site. Content may be specifically compiled and presented in a way that suits the member's interests.

Another example of a dynamic web site, is a site that has a page search facility. The page that displays the results of the search is a dynamic page – the information on that page is compiled on the fly based on the keywords that the user is searching for. A dynamic web site has pages that can change in format and content based on user-input, time of day, input by a web author, or some other influence.

You can probably start visualising how much more powerful a dynamic web site can be than a static web site. You have a site that is infinitely changeable, interactive with the user, tailored to their needs and requests.

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