In the relatively short history of the internet, websites have continuously evolved to improve experiences for both brands and their audiences. Due to the leaps and bounds in technological advancements, these changes have made an impact on the way people experience content online.
Modern websites are optimized for viewing on any device–laptops, tablets, and even smartphones–and have become more intuitive. With the rising popularity of smart assistants, pages have also integrated voice search features for a user-friendly browsing experience. Among all the exciting upgrades, one of the most useful features is the dynamic website.
What is a Dynamic Website?
A dynamic website is a website that displays different types of content every time a user views it. This display changes depending on a number of factors like viewer demographics, time of day, location, language settings, and so on.
While static pages require manual updating before their contents change, dynamic websites offer unique content to visitors each time they view the site. This is done through a combination of client-side and server-side scripting.
- Client-side scripting involves code that is executed by the viewer’s browser, using scripting languages like JavaScript. This scripting is responsible for rendering changes to the webpage as a response to actions taken within it, such as mouse clicks or keyboard use.
- Server-side scripting, on the other hand, refers to code that is executed by the server before sending the content to the viewer’s browser. This affects the webpage when it is loaded or visited, like with login pages, submission forms, and shopping carts.
Using both types of scripting allows modern websites to adapt to each user’s view of the page while reducing the server’s load time.
Dynamic Website Elements
Creating a dynamic website allows you to elevate your page’s content to be more relevant and engaging for your visitors. Below are common dynamic website elements that work in a dynamic page setup:
Format changing according to your screen size
With the vast array of smart devices in the market, having a webpage that doesn’t scale well can put off visitors. Dynamic website development allows the page to display on almost any screen without compromising its visual appeal and intuitive layout. This includes rearranging buttons, reformatting text and typography, and resizing images to suit the visitor’s display.
Language changing according to what country you’re browsing from
By using certain web development tools, a dynamic web page can display in the language of the region a site visitor is viewing the page from. This gives your site content a more familiar voice, as well as further personalizing the overall experience.
Custom recommendations based on what you’ve viewed before
One of the benefits of having cookies integrated into your site is that there is a wealth of information at your disposal for creating a more tailored experience on the site. Based on a user’s previous visit, a dynamic website can offer similar or related recommendations. This is useful for sites with a wide variety of content or for e-commerce platforms.
Integration of social media and offsite content
One way to add new and changing content on a site is by tapping into social media. Page plugins can display new content from your brand’s social media platforms. Site visitors can see how active your brand is, even if other onsite content isn’t as frequently updated. The addition of these active feeds also gives Google and other search engines more content to crawl through.
Dynamic visuals and animation displays
Hero images are a vital part of any website. With the right image behind compelling copy, it can attract a site visitor’s attention almost instantly and encourage them to continue browsing. With the use of dynamic elements, you can have a slideshow of images that cycle or change upon refreshing the page. These techniques can also be applied to video content and animation.