Static HTML vs. WordPress: Speed or Simplicity?

Last updated on March 30, 2023 by Cameron Sheppard

So you want to create a website.

You’ve been looking for a place to start a blog, or post the menu of your family-owned restaurant.

However, you googled “how to make a website” and a million different website builders and articles appeared. You probably wondered, “where do I start?”

Well, I’m not here to teach you how to code or use a complex admin interface, but I can provide some guidance on which route to take. In this article, I’ll describe two popular website creation methods and look at their pros and cons in relation the average Joe.

What is a static HTML website?

A static HTML website merely refers to a group of HyperText Markup Language (HTML) files whose content cannot be modified without digging into the actual code.

HTML is the standard backbone of information on the web. Almost every text snippet, button, and other element you see on a webpage starts with HTML. It then goes on to be styled with Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), another popular coding language.

Making an HTML website is basically starting from scratch. But no worries, because there are tools like static site generators that make the process a whole lot easier. All you have to do is learn how to modify the content.

I know what you’re thinking: it’s all technical mumbo jumbo. You don’t want to turn into that one IT guy who gets carpal tunnel from coding all day, do you?

Well, that’s one way to describe a coder’s work life in a nutshell.

Fortunately, HTML is arguably the easiest coding language to learn. Believe me, I’ve seen students start and, within a month, build a professional-looking website from scratch.

This may be partly attributed to HTML’s straightforward structure, in which all elements are made with tags. There’s no document.getElementById crap; just tags like <img> and <nav> that do some of the busywork for you.

Of course, learning HTML takes some time. One way to build a website quicker is by using WordPress.

What is a WordPress website?

WordPress is an open-source content management system (CMS) that serves as a convenient way to design a website, without all the code jargon.

The popular CMS allows you to create posts and pages, install plugins, and even use pre-made templates—all from a user-friendly dashboard.

Here’s a screenshot of this user-friendly admin dashboard:

Obviously, there’s a lot to explore. It’s probably not what you expected to use when building your website. If this is true, you may be better off using a more simplified platform such as Wix or SquareSpace.

But that’s what you’re greeted by when you first install WordPress. The platform is almost entirely visual, depending on which plugins you decide to run.

Let’s delve deeper by looking at the pros and cons of both static HTML and WordPress.

Pros and cons of static HTML

What’s good:

What’s not:

Who static HTML is good for

Static HTML is good for businesses that don’t need to update their website periodically, or only need to display basic contact information, such as:

Pros and cons of WordPress

What’s good:

What’s not:

Who WordPress is good for

WordPress is good for businesses that constantly update their information and handle complex actions online, such as:

My personal choice

Static HTML.

Yeah, what a weird choice for someone who runs their own website on WordPress.

If I was stuck between WordPress and static HTML and I know I could reasonably succeed by choosing the latter, nine times out of ten I’ll be coding away. But this is just from a personal project standpoint; I think it’s a cool challenge to create a website from scratch.

So I say, if you’re a small business that just wants to get something out there (because everyone has a website), then get coding! You’ll be satisfied with the results.

Final thoughts

Static HTML or WordPress? Whichever route you decide to take, make sure to give yourself time to learn and improve. Rome wasn’t built in a day, blah blah blah.

On a simpler note, you can hire a local design firm or a freelancer to build your website for relatively low cost. Maybe money is a worthy exchange for your time? I challenge you, dear reader, to think about that question as you go about your day.