Static web sites are pre-built internet pages that show the identical content material to each web site consumer. Not like dynamic web sites, there’s no back-end database serving up personalised content material primarily based on what customers do.
This implies static web sites have quicker load instances, cheaper internet hosting, less complicated safety, and fewer upkeep tasks than a dynamic website.
Although the content material on a static website is “fastened” content material, it doesn’t need to be immobile or uninteresting. You possibly can nonetheless add kinds, movies, and results. In fact, there are limitations with static websites, however intelligent builders can often discover workarounds to get precisely what they need.
Let’s take a detailed take a look at 9 static web site examples which are extraordinarily efficient for a variety of enterprise use-cases.
In every instance, I’ll name out the static website generator or web site builder utilized in every instance and spotlight particular web page parts to function inspiration.
Observe: Freshmen can have no bother making a easy static web site with a web site builder like Wix. It’s all level and click on, you gained’t have to code something. There’s much more to know if you wish to create a posh website utilizing a static website generator.
1. Freelancer Static Web site Instance: Sophie Brittain
Constructed with Wix
Sophie Brittain, a contract product designer in New York Metropolis, has a refined static web site that showcases her work and makes it straightforward to get in contact.
The location is tremendous easy. We’re speaking two pages, 4 colours, a pair mouseover results, and fewer than 500 whole phrases.
However there’s nothing lacking.
The main target of the location is her previous work, which is captured in top quality photographs. There’s nothing ingenious in the best way it’s organized, but it surely’s clear that she has accomplished demanding design tasks for giant manufacturers.
We take an actual shut take a look at the web site of any freelancers we rent on Fast Sprout. Perhaps we’ll take a peek at a resume (possibly), however we’re 100% checking the web site of any author, designer, developer, or different contract position we have to fill.
In case you are a full-stack developer, a dynamic website is a good way to showcase your skills.
For anybody else, advanced web page parts are in all probability going to take the main target away out of your work.
2. Instructional Static Web site Instance: Fashionable CSS
Constructed with Eleventy
Fashionable CSS is a static web site with tons of tutorials and guides for internet builders. It’s constructed and maintained by Stephanie Eckles, an engineer/educator with a ardour for entrance finish growth.
Proof of Stephanie’s ability with CSS is all over the place on this website, from the distinctive format of particular person tutorials to the rainbow spotlight mouseover results. She clearly is aware of her stuff.
Getting deeper into the teachings you’ll discover fantastically organized content material explaining precisely how you can recreate the fascinating web site look for your self.
There are some well-placed advertisements on this website, which in all probability present slightly little bit of earnings. However with schooling web sites, usually it’s the paid content material (programs and different digital belongings) that drive income.
In that regard, Fashionable CSS is actually a standout as the entire content material is free. Wow. I’d extremely advocate checking it out in the event you plan to do any hand coding in your static website.
3. Portfolio Static Web site Instance: Johannes Arnold
Constructed with Publii
Static web sites make a superb dwelling for portfolios. In our featured instance, photographer Johannes Arnold efficiently shows his work by maintaining the location clear and simple to navigate.
I like that he doesn’t have a separate web page for his portfolio–the principle web page is it. You possibly can click on on the photographs and go to a separate web page with a bigger gallery for every mission.
There aren’t any distractions from Johannes’ images. Photos and some movies are the one factor breaking apart the white house. No colours, background results, nor different web page parts to get in the best way. The one textual content longer than a caption is on his about me web page.
For some internet designers, maybe the web site is the portfolio the place you showcase precisely what you are able to do.
However for the overwhelming majority of individuals making an attempt to share their work, the web site is simply the shelf that shows previous work. A easy shelf is okay–you need individuals to focus on your portfolio, not the location.
4. Multilingual Static Web site Instance: Let’s Encrypt
Constructed with Hugo
Wait, aren’t static websites unhealthy if you wish to have a couple of language?
Sure, I’d say more often than not it’s not going to be your best possibility. However say you could have a ton of visitors from all around the world and also you desire a multilingual static web site–it’s tough, however it may be executed.
Let’s Encrypt is a certificates authority that gives free, automated SSL certificates for greater than 300 million web sites across the globe.
Now, when you must present an important service utilized by hundreds of thousands of individuals, you want an internet site that may scale–a easy static website makes excellent sense.
Figuring out the difficulties, Let’s Encrypt labored with the static website generator Hugo to create a multilingual static web site. You possibly can view the outcomes for your self to see how they did it.
There’s a languages button with an intuitive icon which gives a drop down of 27 totally different languages.
Clicking the interpretation merely directs you to a brand new web page (letsencrypt.org/ko, for instance, for Korean) which options the identical website however within the desired language.
Let’s Encrypt would spend a ton extra time and money on a dynamic website. As a nonprofit with an extremely high-traffic on-line vacation spot, utilizing a leaner and extra environment friendly static website is unquestionably the best way to go.
Working with Hugo, Let’s Encrypt was in a position to preserve the static website everybody beloved and make it accessible to hundreds of thousands extra individuals.
5. Enterprise Static Web site Instance: Martin Container
Constructed with Gatsby
Martin Container sells, rents, and leases refrigerated and dry storage containers on the west coast of the U.S. They use a static web site to draw new prospects.
The corporate builds credibility within the ordinary methods by showcasing their product and utilizing testimonials from comfortable purchasers.
There’s nothing fancy occurring, however it’s a step above primary. It’s not only a photograph of a trailer, it’s a brief gallery that lets individuals see it from a number of angles. There are 9 logos from main purchasers and 4 written testimonials to click on by.
That is hardly an outrageous quantity of content material to feed right into a static website generator. Your enterprise actually doesn’t want a number of areas or half a century in enterprise like Martin Container to have the ability to put up a couple of dozen photographs and handful of shopper testimonials.
It’s a mistake to assume you want flashy design to make a great trying web site. You simply have to hit the basics and preserve it clear.
6. Company Static Web site Instance: Wieden Kennedy
Constructed with Gatsby
Wieden Kennedy, the promoting large with purchasers like Nike, McDonalds, FIFA has a vigorous web site constructed with Gatsby.
Your complete above the fold part is a video that highlights their newest work, and as you scroll down there are extra animated web page parts and mouseover results.
The W-Ok homepage is a superb instance of a static web site with numerous motion. Sure, each consumer goes to get the identical expertise (i.e. there may be nothing dynamic), but it surely’s a far cry from what many individuals assume a static web site can do.
Together with the animations and results, there have been plenty of different particulars that I believed labored very effectively. As an illustration, W-Ok has their workplace areas listed within the footer with reside clocks that present the native time. Did you discover the blacked out clocks for the areas which are outdoors enterprise hours?
7. Nonprofit Static Web site Instance: Digital Democracy
Constructed on: Jekyll
Digital Democracy is a nonprofit group “working on the intersection of human rights and know-how.”
Their web site exhibits what they’ve executed, shares their instruments, and makes it straightforward for individuals to become involved.
Proof of their previous work is captured in easy web page parts: high-resolution photographs, concise textual content blocks, large numbers drawing consideration to “70 tasks in 38 nations.”
There are a number of choices to donate or be a part of the neighborhood. With all of the whitespace and easy shade scheme, the plain orange donate buttons stand out with out being obtrusive.
It’s essential to capitalize on these small moments the place somebody googles an organizations’ title or winds up on their website through social media.
Folks wish to be part of one thing actual. Present them precisely what the nonprofit has executed and the place it’s headed. No frills vital–a nonprofit doesn’t win bonus factors for spending assets on a snazzy web site.
8. SaaS Firm Static Web site Instance: Cypress.io
Constructed on Astro
Cypress.io, a entrance finish testing firm, nails the basics and places a singular spin on their product utilizing a static website.
However Lars! There’s a chatbot possibility on this website–how is that on a static web site?
Properly, in the event you examine the factor you discover that it’s an iframe, which implies the chatbot is definitely on one other (dynamic) web site that processes the customer inputs. Yet one more “limitation” of static websites that devs can work round fairly simply.
Together with the chatbot, Cypress.io has the entire fixings one expects from a SaaS web site organized within the navbar–product, pricing and so forth. Under the hero textual content are buttons to obtain the free without end testing app and documentation to make use of it. A pleasant contact, although hardly distinctive in SaaS.
Total, the above the fold space of the location is generic, credible, and immediately legible to anybody who has purchased software program.
Each SaaS web site does about the identical factor–and that’s okay. Consumers are in search of a couple of key issues and so they need to have the ability to shortly examine their choices.
The remainder of the homepage covers how the product works with a video adopted by a scrollytelling model product walkthrough. Scrollytelling is simply too cute for me, however the give attention to how their product works is wise.
The minimal paid plan for Cypress comes with 10k check runs monthly. Small efficiencies for collaboration and testing administration add up shortly. Potential consumers undoubtedly wish to see the way it drives in comparison with different merchandise.
Constructed with Jekyll
U.S. Net Design Methods (USWDS) publishes a information base to assist different authorities businesses make their web sites extra accessible, invaluable, and safe.
In brief, they supply code for builders, wireframes for designers, and steering to assist different authorities businesses construct higher web sites.
It’s a very generic information base web site, in a great way. The navigation scheme is recognizable. Data is organized in an approachable, logical means.
Ideally, documentation gained’t want to vary usually, which implies a static website ought to work effectively. But it surely’s not essentially true for each firm’s information base.
If in case you have continuously evolving processes, as we do on Fast Sprout, you in all probability wish to use extra conventional information base software program that makes it simpler to edit, collaborate, and publish. For us, proper now, a static web site can be horrible as a information base.
However for big corporations, and positively for the US authorities, the instruments and processes captured within the documentation ought to have a protracted shelf life.
