What is a static website?
A static website consists of a set quantity of pre-configured files that are kept on a web server. Because they run in the user’s web browser, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript are referred to as “client-side” languages for writing files. The HTML file indicated by the URL together with any accompanying CSS and/or JavaScript files are returned by the server to a user who requests a page via a URL.
The web page will appear the same to everyone who requests it because the web server does not modify the files before sending them to the user during this exchange. The only method to alter the appearance of the website is to manually alter the content of the files because the content is “static.”
Static websites can still be interesting and interactive, despite this. They can still contain forms, digital downloads, CTAs, clickable buttons and links, pictures, and videos, as well as animations made with CSS or JavaScript. You can even make a static website look fairly good if you have the necessary skills. However, a static website will always appear the same to all users.
Websites for resumes, portfolios, brochures, one-time landing pages, and other informational or read-only webpages are typical examples of static websites. These websites don’t need regular updates or personalised content because they are brief (three to four pages or less), have little material, and are small.
Static websites can still be interesting and interactive, despite this. They can still contain forms, digital downloads, CTAs, clickable buttons and links, pictures, and videos, as well as animations made with CSS or JavaScript. You can even make a static website look fairly good if you have the necessary skills. However, a static website will always appear the same to all users.
Websites for resumes, portfolios, brochures, one-time landing pages, and other informational or read-only webpages are typical examples of static websites. These websites don’t need regular updates or personalised content because they are brief (three to four pages or less), have little material, and are small.
Static Website Advantages
Static websites are often advantageous due to their simplicity. The simplest type of website to create and update from scratch is a static one. Static sites are a good choice if you want to quickly and affordably establish a basic website. You can code up a decent one without too much trouble or expense if you know HTML and CSS.
Additionally, from the user’s perspective, static websites are typically faster than dynamic ones. Static websites have pre-built pages that require minimum back-end processing, which explains why. All that is required of the server is to obtain the requested files and provide them to the client. Because the content on static websites is more uniform, they are also simpler to cache.
Static Website Disadvantages
As one might expect, a static website isn’t always the greatest choice. The most obvious problem is scalability: You will need to modify each and every HTML file if you wish to make changes to the content of your site as a whole, such as updating the page header. Additionally, you will need to manually create a new HTML file each time you wish to add a new page. This is just not practicable for massive websites.
The absence of personalisation on static webpages is another drawback. You may lose out on a chance to give visitors a more interesting experience if you are unable to customise material for them. A static website can provide details about your company, but what if you could display varied information to visitors depending on, instance, where they are located?
Ultimately, building many kinds of websites statically isn’t feasible. For example, e-commerce websites usually allow visitors to check out and add things to their carts—features that static sites cannot perform without the help of third-party applications.
These factors explain why the majority of websites you visit today are dynamically created. Let’s investigate what that implies next.