You might have often heard that a dynamic website can benefit your business and your users. But what does it actually entail? What makes a site dynamic and how does it help bring you more conversions?
What is dynamic website?
A dynamic website is a site that provides different experiences to different users depending on their demographic, location, browsing history, gadgets used, and myriad other factors coming from the integration of content management systems (CMS) and external data sources.
Thanks to that, users can get up-to-date, interactive, and relevant information, which leads to a more engaging and fluid user experience.
Dynamic vs static website
When talking about dynamic websites, we can’t leave out their static counterparts. While a dynamic website provides a more delightful UX and is highly scalable, it needs stronger security measures due to user accounts, databases, and server-side scripting. It might also be more complex to develop, requiring knowledge of server-side scripting languages, databases, and CMSs.
On the other hand, a static website is more traditional. It’s relatively easier and faster to develop, but it has its limitations. It’s hard to scale up and lacks personalization, showing the exact same experience for any user, no matter who and where they are.
If dynamic websites are harder to develop, why make one?
Because it offers a bunch of advantages that static websites don’t have, including:
- Fresh, relevant content: Dynamic websites can easily maintain up-to-date content, which is important for businesses, news websites, and blogs to keep their audiences engaged and informed.
- Interactive: Create a more immersive experience and better user engagement with features like comments, user accounts, forums, interactive forms, and more.
- Scalable: A dynamic website is highly scalable, so it’s easier to add new pages, features, or functionalities as your business grows.
- Personalization: Tailoring content to each user’s needs and behaviors can improve their satisfaction and increase conversion rates.
3 types of dynamic website
Not everything on your website has to be dynamic. Check out these types of dynamic websites and you can just choose one, or combine two of them.
1. Dynamic display
This means that your website visuals, animations, formats, and even layouts fluidly change or move following user interaction. For example:
- After a user logs in, their homepage now shows their name and their dashboard shows their personal information
- A “Pull to refresh” command appears when there are new comments or notifications to load.
- When a user hovers over a product image, a short product description comes up.
2. Dynamic content
Now this is about how all the content on your website, including texts and multimedia content, can change. For example:
- A site shows a big hero banner on desktop and tablet, but it’s hidden when accessed from a smaller screen.
- Language detection or recommendation that changes based on the user’s location.
- Tailored offers on a pop-up screen depending on the previous pages that the user visited.
3. Personalized experience
The more you browse and give your feedback through forms and surveys, the better a website can tailor their solution for you based on your history and preference. We’re sure you’ve often seen this type of dynamic website, for instance:
- Recommended shows on Netflix.
- “You might also like” section on an e-commerce site.
- The Explore page on Instagram and the For You Page on TikTok.
Are you still using a static website?
If you’re running a simple personal branding or company profile website, a static website can be a good choice as it’s relatively easier to develop and cheaper to maintain. However, if you have a more complex, layered user journey and need a scalable website, we must say that you should upgrade to a dynamic website.
We’ll be posting more content about dynamic websites, including some tips and insights to make one. Make sure you’re subscribed to our bi-weekly, 1-minute read newsletter to receive it! If you’re not yet, subscribe through the short form below.
But if you’d like to have expert support to create your dynamic website, we’re ready to help you out! And, hey, did you know that you can get a free 30-minute strategy call to discuss your business and website needs with us? Simply schedule your session here and we’ll be happy to talk to you!
