As suggested by their name, static websites refer to web pages or websites whose contents remain the same. Such sites are programmed in HTML code, with the code remaining accessible to the end-users.
Programmers love them as a static site requires less maintenance than those whose web content is constantly changing (dynamic websites). Additionally, one only needs to have basic coding skills to build a fully functional website.
Often, programmers will choose to create a WordPress to static site when dealing with a platform having low user traffic. Big web applications typically require frequent, high-quality maintenance to keep them operational.
Why consider a Static WordPress Site?
Below is a look at times when you should consider building a static website.
1. You Value Security
Can you remember the last time you installed an update for your CMS plugins and software? Statistics indicate that close to 70% of all WordPress Installs suffer from known security exploits. It’s why it’s imperative to learn how to make my WordPress site secure.
When running static websites, you never have to worry about users injecting malicious code into them whenever they visit. Programmers use static site generators running production machines to create this type of website.
The generators take the code submitted and provide you with a WordPress to static site running on HTML files with JavaScript and CSS scripts. Every time a user sends a request to access a given page, the server only transmits the file matching that specific page.
It does this instead of using various assets to create a new page every time a user requests access.
By building a static website, it means that the standard hacking attacks used on dynamic websites, e.g., database security and scripting exploits, won’t work on your platform.
2. Pricing and Hosting
The costs involved in creating a website can easily scare off a person interested in getting a business website. Static websites are cheaper than dynamic websites as all the heavy lifting occurs on the production machine.
As such, the static website price only involves asset storage costs. The static site HTML files don’t take up much space on the production machine, allowing the service to be priced accordingly.
Cheaper WordPress to static site development costs means you can focus on spending your money on services and features that really count. For example, you can invest in asset fingerprinting and atomic deploys to guarantee global consistency.
Other notable investments may include automated builds and Git Integration.
Static sites typically use less storage unlike dynamic sites, so this aspect means you’ll have way more space than required for a large number of WordPress sites. This translates to cheaper hosting for static site users.
3. You Value Speed
Browsers are tasked with rendering JavaScript, CSS, and HTML codes into a human-viewable format. When building a static website, opt to use a modern static website for optimal speed. Learn why from this speed comparison analysis.
What the server will send to your browser is JavaScript, CSS, and HTML. It explains why standard static websites hosted on a CDN tend to run up to 10 times faster than those using legacy CMS.
Furthermore, hosting the WordPress to a static site on a CDN allows you to serve it from the closest node. What this means is that a person viewing its contents from a yogurt shop in London will pull information from a European server, not from a Silicon Valley server farm.
4. Zero Footprint
A typical WordPress install resembles a Frankenstein monster due to the blend of different hardware and software applications. The mix may look like this:
- Your static website theme and template code
- A machine running your favourite Linux distro
- All the plugins needed to run the site
- MySQL
- A webserver running Apache or Nginx
- WordPress (obviously)
- PHP with its associated web server configurations and extensions
The above mix typically applies to those who have chosen to host their business sites. If you’re relying on third-party hosts, you have no option but to hope that they will remember to keep their MySQL and PHP up to date.
Static websites can be hosted on any web server capable of returning HTML files once they have been generated. Make sure to find a host that allows for features such as automated deploys, instant cache invalidation, and continuous deployment.
5. Developer Experience
Static site generators enable the programmer to enjoy the rare beauty that comes with building static websites. The build tools will send the HTML to a pre-specified directory on the production machine.
Additionally, almost all the tools you will use during the build will include a local webserver. The server will allow you to check the progress you have made as you progress with the build. It guarantees that the site will look the same to your visitors as it does to you.
6. Flexibility
A typical site created using Drupal or WordPress will begin as a one-size-fits-all platform. Customization will only occur when you begin to bolt in plugins. And you will need tons of plugins to get the site running.
These sites allow you to get what you want when you need it. The plugins can enable you to build a lean and mean site that perfectly satisfies your complete specifications. WordPress has plugins for everything from blogging to high-performance marketing.
7. Scalability
So, if your site has begun to go viral and has increased user visits it means you will need to change your plans as you will have to pay for extra chunks of bandwidth. If you hadn’t planned properly, this could lead to a whole new round of headaches.
Scalability is rarely an issue for any person running a static website. The site will obviously scale without requiring you to put in extra coding sessions. Keep in mind that increased user requests often translate to additional pages served.
Depending on your provider, the scale could be inbuilt, while others may require you to spend more on your bandwidth to help deal with the traffic surge.
Summary
There’s no better time to take advantage of the reliability, security, and speed offered by static web generators. Their development environment is unique and works well for both skilled and experienced programmers.
Anyone can use them to create a site, be it a business site or an online portfolio. Now is the optimal time to use FLATsite static site builder to make the switch from dynamic to static WordPress. Start FLATsite today, ask a FLATsite expert for your custom offer or start with the premium plan.
