A Website Is A Website Is A… Really?
Did you know that the website you see may not really be what lies behind the curtain. Like the man behind the curtain in the Wizard of Oz, what you see on a website may not always be what’s really going on behind the scenes. So we will discuss the difference between dynamic websites vs. static websites and how it should matters to you.
Let me explain. Today, the effects and capabilities that you can include in a website is endless. One of my webdeveloper mentors once told me regarding websites, “If you can think it up, anything’s possible.” This is so true. With CSS3 (that allows you to place text and objects on a webpage to look a specific way) and javascript (the programming language that allows you to have those cool effects that scroll you up to the top of the page or at a click of a button a text grows large and changes color) you can do some pretty cool things on your website to wow your visitors.
So with that said, what you see on the front of a website is usually not all what is happening on the back end of a website. There’s a lot more going on than you think.
What’s a Static Website?
So to understand how websites work, let’s go back to the start of websites. Websites are built using code called HTML. Your web browser like Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, or Safari looks at the HTML code that’s written for a website and interprets it to be read in human form just as you are reading this article right now.
A static website on the back end looks something like this:
<html>
<head>
<title>Example Site</title>
</head>
<body>
This is a test site.
</body>
</html>
Obviously there is more to a website than just the above but this is the basic layout of a website. A static website is just a straight coded, as is site that, unless you are familiar with and/or versed in html & css coding, you will not be able to make any changes in your website.
This works for some people because for a lot of people, running your own business is work enough so much that you don’t really have the time to update and maintain a website. Many of our clients have their websites built this way and just have us update and maintain their sites for them using our monthly care package.
A Dynamic Website
For many of our other clients, having a little bit of control from a users perspective with their website is the option they prefer. Although it cost more to build a dynamic site because we have to build it and then re-code the site again to be dynamic, the client has the option to change photos, update and/or change content in a WYSIWYG (What you see is what you get) editor to write blogs or articles on their website as they please sort of what you would see when using Microsoft Word or Open Office.
A dynamic website is first built as a static site. once it’s built it’s recoded to connect to a content manager which combines the power of html along with a database that stores your content, images or files when needed to display on your site.
So the big advantage of a dynamic site is that, for the most part, all you have to do is type in content or upload an image or file, hit update, and it updates the site automatically without having to rewrite code to reflect the changes on the site.
Here is an example of a dynamic site coded to work with WordPress:
And for some of our clients, they still prefer having the dynamic website option but have us maintain and manage their website for them monthly via our monthly care package. For our clients it’s really more so that they are able to have more control over their website content and it saves you time and money in the long run.
So which option should I choose?
It really depends on what your needs are. Are you looking just to get a website up and running quickly? Do you need to be able to change content on the fly? Or is your site just going to be an informational site that has minimal changes?
The key here is to look ahead and imagine yourself having your site already built. What will you be needing to happen after it’s finished? If nothing to very minimal than we would recommend a static site. If you’re looking to be able to login to your site and make changes than you would definitely want to have a dynamic site.
A thing to remember also is that if you’ve started with a static site you can always upgrade to a dynamic site whenever you decided to.
Cost Efficiency
I’m not talking here about just going cheap for the sake of going cheap. The phrase, “You get what you pay for” lies true especially in the webdesign world. I am however talking about being smart financially when it comes to building your website. Looking ahead will save you tons of unnecessary expenses in the long run. You may pay more upfront but in the long run you save a ton of money. We’ll help you make the best long term decisions and walk through you the pros and cons of each.
Long Term Savings
Maintaining and updating your website can a lot of invested time. It also cost money to have a webdesigner update your website. Updating your website regularly can get pretty costly.
Our Solution To You
What we offer is monthly care packages. Our Monthly Care Package includes regular updating and maintenance of your website which saves you a ton of money in the long run.
Need More Help?
Obviously, there is more to a website than just owning it. If you have any questions that we didn’t cover above please call me, Ed at 520-392-5923 and I would be glad to answer any questions you may have and help you with getting informed on making the right decision regarding your website.
We do offer a FREE 30 Minute Website Build Consultation, Normally $350 to our callers. We are limited to the amount of consultations we are able to offer so call today while slots are available. We’ll get all of your questions answered and get you headed in the right direction for your website. Don’t miss out! Call me at 520-392-5923 today.