How to Choose the Right Type of Website for Your Business
It’s important to understand the different types of websites so you can confidently choose a developer you feel will properly create and utilize this powerful tool. Websites can be categorized into two types, static and dynamic websites.
How Do I Choose?
Static and dynamic refers to how all the content of a website is displayed and stored such as texts and images. In a static website, the content is displayed excatly the way they are coded, from the main server, and does not change. In a dynamic website, it utilizes more complex code to pull content from other sources in order to display it differently from user to user.
A dynamic website brings the ability to change content on the go based on data points like a users location or user behavior, for example. This allows a business to market in a more personal way. However, this comes at a greater cost in time and money. All of the complexity a dynamic website brings may not be worth the trouble if that functionality is not fully utilized across all platforms.
The Right Choice for Most People
Services like Wordpress are popular because of the user interface that allows any user to build a website without coding, along with many plugins for functionality. We recommend those considering services like Wordpress to also consider hand coded static websites. If you are committed enough to invest in a website developer, it is more than worth it to choose one who can provide the best quality end result.
For most business owners, they only need a simple hub for information with occasional small updates. Static websites are much more simple and come with the benefits of cost, load-times, and security. Static websites are more limited than dynamic sites, but new technologies allow most, if not all desired functionality while keeping those advantages.
How Much Does All this Cost?
The cost of a website varies depending on both type and scope. Generally, dynamic websites will cost more than static websites because of the added complexity. Dynamic websites can range from $4,000 - $20,000 while static websites can range from $1,500 - $10,000. In some cases, a business will charge a monthly subscription fee of $100-$400/mo for a full service website package.