Static or Dynamic?

First off, let's define what we're talking about. By "static" and "dynamic", I'm referring to websites, of course. A static website is one that doesn't change, or rarely changes. A dynamic website is one that changes frequently. Now, a lot of folks are very confused about which websites are static and which are dynamic. So, let's talk about that. Then I'll tell you why this topic is so extremely important, when it comes to SEO (search engine optimization).

Take a look at this site. It's for Woolfson Eye Institute, a well respected clinic in Atlanta (and other places).

If you clicked on the link, above, you were taken to the site, and what you saw is this: The site loaded, and there were some really neat, colorful graphics that either loaded at the same time as the site itself, or just a few milliseconds after (according to the speed of your Internet connection).

So, with those flashy, eye catching graphics, that site's dynamic, right?

Wrong!

That site's static.

Okay, let's look at another example.

Here's a site. johnchow.com.

When you land on this site, there's nothing moving (except for the ads). So, this site is static, right?

Sorry! :( Wrong again. (Of course, I set it up like this, so don't feel bad.)

This site is dynamic.

So, what's the difference between the two? Both are colorful. Both have stuff that moves. Why is one static and one dynamic and what the heck difference does it make?

Here's the deal.

The Woolfson site is just a collection of webpages that never change. They might update their homepage or their contacts page every now and then, but for the most part the content on this site will be the same day after day after day.

John Chow's site is a blog. The content changes several times a day. New content is being added. The homepage changes every time something new is added. That's what we mean by dynamic. New content is being added on a regular basis, which means that Google has to come visit the site on a regular basis in order to keep its index current.

So, yeah! It's all about Google and other search engines, right? Right!

You do want Google to index pages on your site, don't you? Also, the more pages you have with keyword optimized content, the more traffic you get! So, it behooves you to have a site where there's content being added regularly.

You don't have to be like John Chow and add two or three posts a day. But you do have to add content on a regular schedule. Once a week is fine for a business blog.

How do you make a site dynamic instead of static? How is this magic accomplished?

In a word, the blogging platform of choice is WordPress. (John Chow's blog is built with WordPress. So, are most blogs for serious bloggers, or for businesses who see the potential of a dynamic website.) You can make a dynamic site with just HTML, but that takes a lot of unnecessary work. Use WordPress!

Bottom line? If you don't have a business site, then build one with WordPress. If you have a business site that doesn't have a blog, add a WordPress blog.

Over time, you'll be amazed at how much traffic you'll get, and if you do everything else right, how many more sales you're making!