Will HTML Web sites be Exctinct?

JoeJustin

I just thought I would throw this question out to the community.  The reason why I ask this question is that I have been noticing a lot of the key words I search on the big three return mostly blog sites.  Especially Google.  I would like to hear what you all have to say about this. In the mean time I will voice my opinion on this.  It is my belief that in less than one year you will not see any HTML web sites in the natural listings of any search engines.  The search engines are and will be taken over by blogs.  There I said it!

InvestorFunding

HI Joe,Even Blog sites like WordPress, Jumala, Drupal are still html. HTML is the markup language used for the internet web-browser.  I believe what you are referring to is static websites -vs- dynamic websites.In that case I must agree the days for static are fast closing. However, I don`t think you will see them extinct with in a year or two. Static sites will most likely always have a place on the web. And the ranking or listing in search will be dependent upon the content.  A good static site  that is maintained  and the content updated regularly will still be able to gain high rankings depending upon the topic etc.Now as far as comparing Blog-sites to non-blog sites. I think we will see as the major search engines develop new algorithms to check the validity of the content among other things, blog sites actually start dropping in popularity over non blog sites.For example - I may be searching for a certain product, I want to go to a shopping site that sells that product, not a blog site that talks about that product. That is what I see a lot of right now the the popularity of blogs in the search engines distract from what you might really be looking for. That being the case the search engines like Google will develop a way, (and soon), to preference non blog sites that actually deliver what the searcher may be looking for, while at the same time giving preference to blog sites appropriate to the search phrase.I am finding blog sites useful when comparing products, services or companies. When I type "review" for something I searching I too see blog-sites ranking first and appropriately so. As, this is where I am most likely to find independent reviews.

JoeJustin

Investor funding,Well said!  The reason why I titled it HTML was so that it would be better understood.  I do agree with what you said, except the fact that I do believe that within a year, you will no longer see the static sites on the first page of any search engines.

JoeJustin

Great this is the kind of things I was looking for.  When I see folks still recommending static & flash websites it makes me cringe.  I see it everyday. Small businesses investing money in to a static corporate web site.

JoeJustin

Craig,Thanks for the insight.  You always have a way with words!  I appreciate all the feedback on this topic.  I am not saying that static sites will becomes extinct.  I used the HTML extinct for the headline so folks would read it.  I do believe they will become extinct on the first page of the major search engines (Natural Listing).Again what gets me is how there are companies out there spending 5k or more on corporate web site that is a static or flash web site.

blondieblue

This is a question posed to the proponants of OsCommerce & ZenCart.
Since we all agree that "dynamic" websites appear to be a trend for the time being ...
Is there a way that a static web site`s Front Page can utilize "dynamics" ... to randomly feature products on the Front Page, rather than simply having a static front page with static featured products, using ZenCart or OsCommerce? And have that featured product click thru directly into the store area of that product? 
(Not attacking or boasting or setting anyone up ... just simply asking a question.)

Webline

I think a static vs. dynamic site is relevant to the business/topic of the site. Many small businesses may only want a site to spread the word about their business, share information, get a little promotion, etc., without setting up a huge program to do it. Many may not want to spend the time to do updates and create new pages, even if it is an easier-than-it-used-to-be process with current programs; they want to focus on other things.As far as searches, static or dynamic should not, in my opinion, make any difference as to how a site is ranked. SERP`s are supposed to be based on the relevant content of the site as it relates to the keywords being searched for, not the programming or scripting used to make the site. If a 10 page static site can give searchers better information/content for their keyword search than a 1,000+ page CMS, should a search engine really think the CMS is more valuable and rank it higher simply because its dynamic? I hope not.

blondieblue

Many may not want to spend the time to do updates and create new pages, even if it is an easier-than-it-used-to-be process with current programs; they want to focus on other things.If a 10 page static site can give searchers better information/content for their keyword search than a 1,000+ page CMS, should a search engine really think the CMS is more valuable and rank it higher simply because its dynamic? I hope not.
Now, lets really get you thinking ...
What if creating new "static" pages from a "dynamic" data base was as easy as a click ... What then???
Because remember ... search engines look for "time stamps" on HTML pages. They go to index the site and find new "time stamps" on the HTML pages that were just created by using the "dynamic" data base and guess what ... they re-index the pages and the site.
Now, better yet ... what if you had the ability to take you 200 item data base ... and convert them individually into HTML pages with a single click??
Now you go from a 10 page "static" HTML site .... to a 700 page "dynamically designed" static HTML site. (Why 700 pages? Because your items are going to be cross-indexed within the data base with multiple catagories.)
Cool, eh??

blondieblue

Search engines don`t use a single event to evaluate relevancy, nor to do indexing. Time stamps may be an important part of things, but the bottom line they`re still only a part of a massively complex set of algorithms.This topic focuses on whether or not HTML is on its way out. As with many generalizations, it wasn`t so clear initially what the context was. For example, Wikipedia isn`t going to disappear anytime soon, and that`s not a very dynamic site. It has new content being added all the time, but using mostly regular ol` HTML.One good point made above is that business Web sites are different from informational and e-commerce sites.
I wonder if anyone has figures pertaining to the ratio of information, e-commerce, business, blogs, and other types of sites exist on the entire World Wide Web portion of the Internet?
Thank you for admitting that timestamps are important in SEO and SERP !! For strong SERP, you need to do a lot of things right. "Dynamic" Time Stamping is one of the keys ... why else do you think active blogs do so well. (Duh, because everytime an addition is made to a blog ... it creates a new time stamp !!)
You`ve proven my point about using HTML pages with your Wikipedia example. Wikipedia, in your own words, "has new content being added all the time". And that is why being able to not only have your "dynamic" .asp, or .php or .cgi e-commerce store operating ... but to be able to very easily create HTML pages for every one of your products is essential for strong SERP.
What is the most difficult type site to have indexed? An e-commerce site, simply because the search engines have difficulty indexing .asp, .php and .cgi scripts.
Now you can have the best of both worlds ... a "dynamic" e-commerce site that allows cross-referencing of products, and allows products to be in multiple categories ...
But also to have that e-commerce site easily indexed by the search engines because you created your entire on-line catalog (store) in "static" HTML format with the click of a button. And you can do it time and time again ... thus keeping your time stamps , which you agreed was an important part of SEO and SERP, current and fresh.

Webline

I understand the concept of timestamps making bots think that content is newer .... and creating multiple pages, etc. My point was that many sites simply don`t need to be set up in such a way. If they were to set up a website, not selling products or having a catalog but only to display business information, they simply wouldn`t need to do anything on such a large scale. They shouldn`t be penalized via lower SERP`s for being static if they are relevant to a search. And, I just don`t see why a search engine would care about how many overall pages a site has, or if they are static or dynamic, as long as the content is relevant to what is being searched for.

blondieblue

And, I just don`t see why a search engine would care about how many overall pages a site has, or if they are static or dynamic, as long as the content is relevant to what is being searched for.
The search engines don`t care about a thing !! They do not have a heart, a soul, or emotions !! They work on mathematical algorithms.
By increasing the overall size of my site (HTML pages), I increase the chances that my site will be indexed.... relevant or not. And if I`m relevant ... then even the better.
Its like going to a buffet at Luby`s and going to a buffet at Ceasar`s Palace in Las Vegas. Which buffet do you think the ants would rather go visit ... the small little buffet with 10 items or the huge, varietal buffet with 250 items??
Come on folks, think. This isn`t "rocket science".blondieblue2007-9-3 19:56:11

Webline

I would have to disagree .... a small site can be indexed just as easily as a large site. And their algorithms take a lot of things into consideration. The fact is that many sites just don`t need to be massive in size and have hundreds of pages; it simply isn`t necessary for every customer, every site, and not every site has to be dynamic. That`s the point I`m trying to make.If I do a site for a customer and they only need a few pages, I simply am not going to try to convince them they need hundreds of pages to get indexed to help them be found in a search.Bigger is not always better.

JoeJustin

This is a great thread!  a lot of interaction.  However, maybe I should have made my point a little clearer as Craig mentioned.  I wanted to find out what people thought as far as the standard Static HTML web sites being on the first page in the major serach engines.  I have many friends who fall into this category and I call them the "Meta taggers".  They still beleive that just by having the proper meta tags that they will be able to rech or maintain first page placement in all of their key words.
As you can see there seems to be a trend happening on the search engines as far as dynamic sites, blogs or CMS.  Becuase of the way Google looks at these sites, the trend will continue.  So why would someone invest money into the static HTML web site?  Why not combine the static web pages you are used to seeing with the power of a Blog?
Why don`t we reccomend this more to new business owners who come to StartupNation? 
Are we doing a diservice to the new business owners who don`t know any better?  Maybe that should be another thread....JoeJustin2007-9-3 21:45:52

john146

Let`s look at it another way. If you want to be on the first page of a search
for lawyers, good luck with that. But if you want to be on the first page of
the search for Intellectual Property Lawyers in

JoeJustin

It might work today.  But it won`t work for long.  All it takes is for a couple fo competitors to either hire the right company or stumble across the fact that a blog is so powerful and your done.  Especially with lawyers, that seems to another trend I am noticing.  a lot of lawyers have been entering the blogsphere in the past 6 months.  So if you want to stay on the first page, you`d better jump on the blog train while you can....

RetiredMember2

You guys are miles ahead of the rest of the world, the money is where the rest of the world is...I`d like to get my clients where you are, but it is years off. I have people I still cannot email.