Basics
, 2 min read
Static vs dynamic website: which does your business need?
Static and dynamic websites are built differently, cost differently and suit different businesses. The difference in plain words, and how to choose.
Every website is either static or dynamic, and most business owners are never told which one they are buying. It decides how fast the site is, what it costs to run and whether you can edit it yourself, so it is worth understanding before you pay for one.
Static, in plain words
A static website is a set of finished pages. They are built once and sent to every visitor exactly as they are, like printed leaflets handed out at the door. Nothing is assembled when someone visits, which makes the pages very fast and leaves very little that can break or be hacked.
Dynamic, in plain words
A dynamic website builds each page at the moment someone asks for it, usually from a database. WordPress, online stores and anything with a login work this way. It is what lets content change constantly and lets different visitors see different things, such as their own cart or account.
| Static | Dynamic | |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | Very fast | Depends on hosting and plugins |
| Running cost | Very low, often free hosting | Hosting and upkeep every month |
| Security | Little to attack | Needs regular updates |
| Editing yourself | Needs an editing panel added | Built in |
| Logins, carts, accounts | No | Yes |
Which one you need
If your website explains what you do, shows your work and takes enquiries, a static site does all of that, faster and for less. That covers most salons, clinics, consultants, trades and restaurants.
If you sell products with a cart, need customer or student logins, or publish new content every day and want to do it yourself, you need something dynamic, at least for that part of the site.
Choose by what the site has to do, not by what is fashionable. Most small business sites never need a database.
Can you mix them
Yes. A common setup is a static site for the pages, with a booking tool, a payment link or a small editing panel added only where it is needed. You get the speed of static and the features you actually use.
Our launch, business and growth websites are built static, which is why they are fast and cost almost nothing to host. Online stores need a dynamic setup, and are priced separately.