You’ve heard about “WordPress static site” and static site generators, but you’re not quite sure what it entails. This article will examine a simple but ingenious way to convert dynamic websites to static versions instantly online. The potential for static sites is perfectly illustrated with the FLATsite WordPress management platform. This allows you to develop and manage hundreds of website from a single dashboard. There’s no need to log into individual WordPress accounts. Everything is one place with the use of headless WordPress technology.
How does Flatsite static site generator work?
FLATsite WordPress management platform is best described as a system which facilitates secure WordPress sites without building limitations. It is designed to make life easier for people who manage a large portfolio of websites. They create an account, set up WordPress sites then export the finished product as static HTML. A user can generate a static site with a single click, making the process super easy to deploy anywhere. This is a part of the platform so, there’s no extra work or plugin to install.
This framework let’s you generate a complete static copy of each of your website pages. Website files (including CSS, graphics, etc.) are detached from the traditional WordPress site and stored on a remote FLATsite server. The separation of the dashboard and traditional site coding is where the term headless WordPress technology is derived.
Using a static site generator will strip away the need for dynamic/repetitive code on each of your pages. This is highly beneficial for your visitors who will see a faster load speeds.
What advantages are there for Static Sites?
We will now take a look at the main reasons to make your WordPress site static and the benefits.
1. Easy management for agencies and developers
As we touched on above, it is possible to manage hundreds of websites on a single FLATsite dashboard. This is perfect for web agencies and developers looking at WordPress site static options and the ability to manage very low maintenance accounts in one place.
In this instance, the basic WordPress code and static website are stored on a separate server. Therefore, the static pages will load instantly thereby enhancing the reputation of agencies and developers with their clients.
The beauty is that site visitors will see no reduction in website display, functionality and the customer experience. Low cost website maintenance, one login and the ability to develop hundreds of sites from a single dashboard, it is no surprise that agencies and developers are falling over themselves to move onto this new system.
2. Static Pages Load Faster
Historically, if a website had relatively slow page load times then a coder would need to go through the individual files and remove unnecessary coding. This method reduce the communications between your server and the various databases/scripts behind-the-scenes. This reduction in communication can lead to significantly faster page load speeds. Thereby giving your visitors a much more enjoyable experience.
With a static site generator, each page is static with no communication to databases, etc. which effectively converts your site into an instant cache.
The beauty of static pages is that while the site is converted from dynamic to static, there is no negative impact on the visitor’s experience. When you consider you have literally a split second to capture the attention of a potential visitor, static pages are the way ahead.
3. Enhanced WordPress site security
WordPress is the most popular content management system on the planet today. Due to its open source status, it is also the most popular target for hackers. Using a static site means there is no need to revert back to databases and various scripts each time one of your web pages loads. This removes potential vulnerabilities such as SQL injections and cross-site scripting. These are the main ways hackers gain access to a website and its files.
Static sites offers significant security for WordPress code. Indeed the system will also remove the traditional traits of WordPress websites effectively throwing hackers off the scent.
4. Scalability for traffic spikes
What you tend to find with dynamic websites is that a sudden burst of interest can result in a significant spike in traffic. Each page loaded involves a degree of communication with various databases and script instructions. This means a burst of excessive traffic can wipe out your full resource capacity. It may create an overload on your server. Unfortunately this can easily lead to website downtime and cause untold damage to your business and reputation.
The situation with WordPress site static versions is very different.
In fact, static sites will load in an instant because they do not require the same level of additional resource during traffic spikes. Since each page is static, it is possible to scale up your website without switching hosting plans – often at greater expense.
One useful analogy is that of creating the scene for a wedding photograph. Rather than creating the scene, with individuals, background, positioning, etc. each time you want to view the image, you simply look at a photograph which is static, instant and doesn’t change.
5. Low maintenance costs
As your static website, created using a static site generator, is a direct copy of your dynamic pages there is no need to worry about outdated software plug-ins. WordPress updates occur behind-the-scenes. You must deploy chances to static pages if you want them to reflect there. As these static pages are effectively a snapshot in time they are extremely low maintenance which gives you more time to concentrate on your website and expanding your business.
It is also possible to revert to a historic version of the static pages in the event of an issue with a more recent dynamic version update.
Many entrepreneurs will often take out additional cover for online maintenance which under the FLATsite WordPress management platform will not be required. This is a platform which literally pays for itself as savings on maintenance contracts can be ploughed back into the business. Low maintenance, faster page speeds and enhanced customer experience, what more can you ask for?
6. Reduced optimization costs
Website/webpage optimization can be a relatively expensive and time-consuming task. As we touched on above, it involves the optimization of each page by removing/trimming down excess code/dynamic actions. At some point there will be a trade-off between enhanced optimization and the underlying customer experience. If you use a static site generator to create a WordPress site many of these optimization actions are already taken care of.
It is only once you begin to use a static website but you realize the potential benefits and cost savings going forward. While the financial/time benefits are obviously important these are savings which can be reinvested back into your business. The cumulative impact of cost savings, time benefits and enhanced customer experience can certainly grow as we have demonstrated in this article.
7. Reduced hosting fees
When looking at WordPress site static plans there are many issues to consider, one of which is the cost of hosting. This is based upon the level of resources required to operate a website and any future expansion plans. With a static site, you will only need a little disk space on a cheap hosting plan. What’s more static site pages load speeds tend to perform much better while requiring less computing resources.
Going forward when someone accesses your site he’ll only see the static website pages (your code and files are on a separate server). This delivery method requires minimal hosting resources (no dynamic elements). So there is a huge potential for cost savings.
To sum up
The ability to create WordPress site static versions which load instantly and remove sometimes costly communication delays as with dynamic websites is priceless. The fact that there is no compromise on website display, functionality or visitor experience is invaluable. Static websites have numerous benefits and are likely to become the norm for many websites in the months ahead.
