You can categorize the websites into two different types of static websites and dynamic websites. Static websites are the ones that deliver a fixed interface. The content of a static website doesn’t change, and it offers the same content for all its visitors. They are usually developed with HTML. However, dynamic websites offer dynamic content. They can deliver different content to the users along with interactive experiences. Advancing programming languages are being used for the development of these dynamic websites. Let’s deep dive and learn more about static websites.
1. What exactly is a static website?
According to the definition on Wikipedia, a static website is something that has stationary or flat pages. Web pages that users can see are stored exactly in the same way on the server. However, content in a dynamic website is generated through a web application. This is the reason why a static website shows the same information for all the users.
Behind static websites, you can find a fixed code. No changes take place on the website unless a developer goes ahead and makes changes to the code. It will act as a brochure for a business. A brochure is offering fixed content to the users at all times. It is the same for a static website as well. It doesn’t have the ability to change based on user actions. If you want to change the content, you will have to go ahead and make alternations or create a new change. That’s why some people even tend to call static websites brochure websites.
A static website will be the most basic type of website that you can create. That’s because you don’t need to go ahead with server-side processing to complete the development of the static website. You just need to focus on client-side developments. Hence, you can even use a simple online web development tool to create one as well.
The client-side programming languages you can use for the development of a static website include JavaScript, CSS, and HTML. However, there are instances where some web developers use languages such as PHP for the development of static websites as well.
2. Benefits of getting a static website
There are numerous benefits that a static website can deliver to you. Let’s take a look at some of the most prominent benefits out of them.
2.1 You can easily host the website
Your static website is having basic HTML files. Therefore, you don’t have to deal with any complexities at the time of hosting your website. You will even be able to go for a basic shared hosting plan and host the website. The website will only require limited storage space on a host. This will help you to save money on hosting. You just need to find a web host, store your static website, and make it available for visitors. The process of hosting a static website on a server will only take a few minutes.
2.2 You can improve the loading speed of your website with ease
It is essential for every website to deliver the fastest possible loading speed to visitors. If not, you will not be able to offer the perfect user experience that all your visitors are looking forward to getting. According to studies, it has been identified that a static website is usually 10 times faster in loading when compared to a dynamic website. This is mainly because you don’t find any server-side processing behind a static website. The web hosting server will only provide a copy of the website to the users in the way it is. If you can pick a reliable web hosting provider, you will be able to deliver your website to visitors within a second.
According to a study conducted by Kissmeterics, it was identified that around 47% of internet users are expecting websites to load within just two seconds. The same study revealed that 40% of the visitors will turn back and go if the website fails to load within three seconds. If your website is taking a lot of time to load, you will end up increasing your bounce rates. This can create a negative impact on your SEO efforts as well.
If you are looking for a convenient method to reduce abandonment rates and increase web traffic, you should be taking a look at a static website. This will contribute a lot to the user experience that you deliver as well.
2.3 Static websites are more reliable
If you are concerned about the reliability of your website, you should take a look at static websites. While browsing through websites, you must have seen many errors. Seeing such an error when loading a web page can be frustrating. In most instances, these errors take place due to technical issues in database connections. You don’t need to plug in a database to your static website. Hence, you can receive all the support you want to stay away from these errors.
Your static website will only have some basic HTML files. Therefore, you can easily host it. It is even possible for you to plug in a Content Delivery Network (CDN) to your static website and have different copies of the website stored in multiple servers across the world. Once you do it, you can ensure that your website is getting loaded to the visitors at all times. They will not have to experience any errors.
2.4 You can easily improve the security of your website
We often see news about websites getting hacked. This is something that you shouldn’t ignore. You need to remain mindful of the threats that you are facing. However, you can easily improve your website security by keeping it static.
In a static website, you don’t see any intermediary. In other words, there is no database in a static website, no dynamic software or plugins plugged into the website, or the threat of ending up with code injection. Therefore, you will be able to keep peace of mind.
One of the best things about having a static website is that you don’t have to focus on regular maintenance. You can simply host it and forget it. There are no updates or patches that you will have to worry about in your static website.
2.5 Static websites are scalable
Another benefit that you can experience by having a static website is scalability. You will not be able to simply host a website and forget it. When your business is getting more popular, traffic coming into your website will increase. This is where you will come across the need to focus on methods to handle massive traffic. Handling traffic on a dynamic website can be complicated. That’s because you are already having a complex code running on the server. However, you don’t need to worry about these problems, and you can easily scale up your static website. To accommodate increasing traffic to your static website, you just need to increase the bandwidth.
Final words
As you can see, a static website can deliver numerous benefits to you. Due to these benefits, we can see a trend where people are coming back to static websites. If a static website is in a position to cater to your requirements, there is no need to make your life complicated by going for a dynamic website. You can simply stick to it and experience all benefits that come on your way.