From a technical standpoint there are really only 2 types of website:

• Static - server delivers files only
  
• Dynamic - server runs scripts and can use Databases

Given the huge variety of websites out there, it can sometimes be hard to tell upon which technology they are built. We explain some of the pros and cons of these technologies below.

Static Websites

A static website is one where the web server just issues the files which make up the website as they are requested by your browser.

Static makes them sound like boring websites. All static means is that there is no computation done of the web server.

You can still have things like audio and video content which downloads as a file and executes directly in your browser.

To make changes to a static website, it is best to use specialised website editing software. An example of this is the free software NVU which is available for download from www.nvu.com.

Dynamic Websites

With a dynamic website the web server performs some calculations to determine what information should be delivered to the user's browser.

Dynamic websites are usually associated with a database and the page that you see in your browser is dynamically built depending on the selections you make in your browser.

So what does this mean to you, the person who needs a website?

Let's look at some examples of static and dynamic websites.

The most basic of websites is the static HTML.

The static HTML website is simply a collection of files on a Web server. These files are a collection of text and image files and maybe some other files like music and video.

HTML is a format of text file which is designed for display in a web browser.

Static HTML websites used to be the most common type of website for small business.

The falling popularity of the static HTML website is mostly due to the need for specialised software and special skills to update them.

A CMS based website uses a combination of software scripts and databases on the web server to produce the pages for display on your web browser.

There are a wide range of business benefits that can be obtained by implementing a CMS, including:

• faster turnaround time for new pages and changes
• increased site flexibility
• decentralised authoring
• reduced site maintenance costs

How does a CMS website offer you these things?

You achieve faster turnaround because you can make changes yourself. No longer do you have to wait for your web developer to do this for you.

Site flexibility comes from the myriad of 3rd party extensions which can be installed in quality CMS's. These extensions give you instant functionality from media libraries to shopping carts and anything you can think of in between.

Decentralised authoring, what does that mean? You can update your website from anywhere in the world. All you need is a computer connected to the internet.

As you don't need to pay your Web Developer to make basic changes to your site, you save money on maintenance.

Use a CMS for:

• Replace your static website
• Product catalogue
• Incorporate an On line store (shopping cart) into your website
• Include a Blog in your website
• Community share information include logins
• On line marketing and mail outs of newsletters and promotions

The CMS is becoming the most common type of dynamic website due to its versatility. You can use a CMS to achieve most of the things you could want from a website.

There are as many customised products available which fit the definition of a dynamic website, the most common being:

• Blog
• On line store
• Wiki
• Forum
• Bulletin board