SHOULD I HAVE A DYNAMIC WEBSITE OR A STATIC WEBSITE??

Dynamic vs static, which website is best. Well, to be honest, not everyone needs a dynamic website and should read these next few sentences when considering which way to go.

Dynamic websites are very powerful and easy for you, the client to use. Stevenson Illustration's dynamic websites allow you, the client, to edit your own content. However, the additional functionality of a dynamic website (CMS) also creates more variables that need to be considered when building and maintaining your website. These variables require extra work and make the design more expensive. If you are not planning to update the information on your website any more than three times a year, for example, it’s not really worth investing the extra money in making the website dynamic. Another positive note about a static website is the ability to create richer, more eye catching templates. The design of custom templates is far more flexible using a static website rather than a dynamic site, although great strides are being made everyday with regards to dynamic template design.

Dynamic CMS Website Explained in laymen’s terms.

I have visited a number of different websites looking for information about this subject and I must say that most of the information found was described at such a technical level that if I weren’t familiar with their terms I would have been lost. So here for all the non-techy people who would like this explained to them in non-techy terms, please read this page. The subjects are not exhaustive, but they are a good start.

Dynamic (in the website sense of the word) means that the data or content can change 'dynamically'.

Dynamic websites are database driven which means the content is stored separate from the layout or template. When the user requests a web page, the layout and content are merged together and displayed, which is not the case with a static website. Your layout/template and your content become one using a static website and are not flexible.

Dynamic content like your text and images are fed from a database or Content Management System (CMS) so when the data is updated, the content on the website is also updated. This method opens up a lot of options for the flexibility and functionality of your website.

FEATURES OF A DYNAMIC  WEBSITE:

Interactive Components - What is that?  Interactive components allows the client or customer visiting your website to interact with things like discussion forums, polls, comments, user registration processes and newsletter subscriptions. Interactive components also give you the ability to have complex e-commerce based websites such as online storefronts, ticket and accommodation booking systems for hotels, etc. The list can go on and on. These interactive compnonents mentioned here are only a few of the many things you can do with a dynamic website .

Image, banner and text management functionalities –  enables clients to upload images, banners and text to the website without having to wait for their webmaster to update it for them. With Stevenson Illustration websites clients don’t have to purchase any special software or spend weeks or even months learning how to use it, as would be the case with a static website if you, the client, wanted to manage the content yourself. With Stevenson Illustration’s dynamic websites, clients can update their own content virtually from anywhere in the world where they can get online and login with minimal training.

Powerful query functionalities…?  Translated, means you can have a powerful ‘search’ tool, for instance, with more options to choose from than the typical ‘one’ item in your search box. For example, if you were a car dealer you could have multiple criteria to choose from to get one result. Year, Make, Model would give you all the results for vehicles that matched those three criteria. With a static website this is near to impossible to create. You can have a ‘search’ but there are normally no multiple options in the search form, only one.

Restrictive role based access. What does that mean? It means you can allow users to have different levels of access to the website and have password protected pages. For instance, say you want your secretary to be the one to keep the website current. You want her to have to ability to upload images, change text, upload new text, etc. She would have a user access level that would allow that. Visitors to your site who wanted to login, however, would only be allowed to participate in a user discussion forum like comment on an article or view webpages designed for registered users only. They would not be allowed to make any changes to the website.  All your visitor comments, etc. can be held for approval from you (if you wish) before they go live on the website.  
         

 © 2009 Stevenson Illustration

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