In conversations about web development, I sometimes slip out some technical terms that some do not understand. A common one is the “dynamic page”. I usually get a blank stare and the inevitable question “What is a dynamic page?” After many years of developing web sites for customers I find that the static page approach is the most flexible for future web maintenance and design changes. However, a good example where dynamic pages are necessary is when your site has a large catalog or a login for customers to retrieve account information. The decision to use one method over the other will depend on your situation.

What is a Dynamic Page?

A dynamic web page is a page that has connections to a database. Depending on information that can be passed from another page, a dynamic page can change it’s content based on that information. For example if you had a product page for a Frankenstein Halloween Mask and the data for that product was stored in a database, that same page could show the information for a Wolf man Halloween Mask if different information was passed. What kind of information? Well, we call these variables. For example; if mask=1 was passed, the dynamic page would show Frankenstein Mask. If mask=2 was passed, then the dynamic page would show Wolf man Mask. It’s the same page. It just shows different information because of this variable.

So you can see that with a large online catalog that a database and dynamic pages can be handy. You would not have to create a different page for a new Halloween Mask, you would just enter the information that changes like the picture, description and price. This would require back office pages associated with the shopping cart and is considered advanced web programming.

What is a Static Page?

This is simply a normal web page written in html. Nothing fancy and not depending on a database to display information. In order to change information on a static page you would need web site editing software like Adobe Dreamweaver and Microsoft FrontPage. These programs are not too expensive however there is a steep learning curve. If you take a little time you can learn how to use one of these softwares or hire someone you know to help you.

Which Method is for me?

If you plan to build a web site that requires a user or customer to login in order for them to retrieve account information those pages have to be made dynamic because they will access a database to fill the page. However, if you have a small store and you have twenty or so Halloween masks you might want to consider making them static pages.

Let’s look at a hundred product catalog made with dynamic pages. In order to add a new product you will need to login to the back office of the web site and locate the editing tools. While adding a new product you will have to type in the description and price as well as upload a picture. But now you decide that you want to show the product in two different colors. The back office web site administrator doesn't have any provisions for this second picture. So now you have to call that expensive programmer to update the system to allow for the second photo.

Ok, now let’s look at a hundred page product catalog made with static pages. In this scenario either you or your web master can use a web site editing program like FrontPage or Dreamweaver. In order to add a new product page we simply take an existing product page and make a copy of it with a different file name. We go to the file and change the product information. In this case, if we want to add a second photo of the product in a different color we are free to do so. It doesn’t effect any of the pages

As you can see in both instances you are performing the same amount of work to input a new product but, there are no restrictions on the static page. My advice is that you should hold on to the static page method in the early stages of you web site and make only parts of your site dynamic if they absolutely need to be. Too often I see cart systems, blogs and directories that are developed with dynamic pages that the owner wants to change and the change is expensive.

This is because their web sites are wrapped around a “system”. By using static pages the design changes are less painful and more economical.

If you would like to learn how to build and maintain your own static page web site, give us a call to schedule an appointment. With Site Mechanix you learn fast and you learn what’s important.

Karl Knelson - Site Mechanix, LLC
Web Development and Web Consulting