What Is A Static Website?

Date First Published: 30th August 2022

Topic: Web Design & Development

Subtopic: Web Development

Article Type: Computer Terms & Definitions

Difficulty Level: 5/10

Learn more about what a static website is in this article.

A static website, also known as a stationary website, or a flat website is one that delivers the same content each time it is viewed and is delivered exactly as stored, regardless of the identity of the user or other factors. They are much simpler to build than dynamic websites, but are harder to maintain. Static websites are only made up of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, and can be built by uploading a few HTML and CSS files to a web server. Unless the content is manually updated by the website owner, it does not change.

Static websites can still have interactive and engaging elements, such as clickable buttons and links, search bars, animations, digital downloads, JavaScript alert boxes, and more. Interactive websites have elements that actually allow users to interact with a website. But, the website will always look the same to every visitor. Static websites are often smaller than dynamic websites.

Static websites are the opposite of dynamic websites, which can change each time they are accessed without the website owner manually updating them. An example of a dynamic webpage is a homepage that automatically changes the content based on the time of day the visitor is viewing it. Dynamic webpages are built using server-side scripting languages, such as PHP, ASP, JSP, etc.

Advantages and Disadvantages Of Static Websites

• They are much simpler to build than dynamic websites. This is because they are only made up of a number of prebuilt files and anyone with knowledge of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript can build a static website.
• They are simple and easy to understand for users. A simple website will make it easier for visitors to find what they are looking for, use the website, and understand how it works.
• They are faster than dynamic websites because pages on static websites are prebuilt and do not need to request data from an external resource, such as a database. Also, they are easier to cache. Page speed is very important for user experience.
• Since they don't require an external resource, they are more portable and can be viewed offline.

• For large websites, they are impractical. For example, every time the website owner wants to update site-wide information that every page contains, they will have to manually edit every HTML file.
• Lack of personalisation - Content cannot be personalised to suit the needs of visitors and create a better experience for them. For example, it would be impossible to automatically show visitors different information based on their location with a static website.
• Some types of websites, such as ecommerce websites are impossible to build statically. Functions, such as adding products to a shopping cart and checking out cannot be performed with a static website.

History

All websites were static in the early days of the World Wide Web. However, static websites became less practical as users started expecting more functionality from websites, such as auto-generated content, personalised content, and content that automatically changes without the website owner having to manually update it. That was the reason why dynamic websites started to become much more popular.