WordPress or a static site: which is right for a small business?
Short answer: for most small local businesses with 5 to 15 pages, a static site is faster, safer and cheaper to run, because there is no database, no plugins and nothing to patch. WordPress is the better choice if you will publish or edit content yourself several times a week, if you need features that come as plugins, such as memberships, online courses or a shop with hundreds of products, or if you want to be able to hire any developer in the country to work on it. We build static sites, so we have a side in this, but WordPress is a good tool and there are cases where we would point you to it.
What the two actually are
WordPress is a content management system. Each time someone visits a page, the server runs code, reads your content from a database and builds the page. You log in to a dashboard to edit, and you add features by installing plugins. It is the most widely used website platform in the world, and there is a huge pool of themes, plugins and developers.
A static site is built once, ahead of time, into plain files. When someone visits, the server just hands over the finished page. There is no database and no login on the live site for anyone to attack. We build ours with a tool called Astro. Changes are made to the source and the site is rebuilt in a minute or so.
Side by side
| WordPress | Static site | |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | Can be fast, but often slowed by themes, page builders and plugins | Fast by default, because pages are ready before anyone asks |
| Security | A common target. Needs core, theme and plugin updates | Very little to attack. No database or admin login on the live site |
| Editing yourself | Easy, through the dashboard, any time | Through a simple editor or by asking your designer |
| Features | Thousands of plugins for almost anything | Built as needed. Simple forms, booking and shops are fine |
| Hosting | Needs a server that runs PHP and a database | Any basic host, often very cheap |
| Ongoing upkeep | Regular updates, backups, plugin checks | Very little beyond hosting and content |
| Developers | Easy to find anywhere | Fewer, though the files are standard web code |
Neither column is a winner on every row. The question is which rows matter for your business.
When WordPress is the better choice
Being fair about it, because WordPress is the right answer for plenty of businesses.
- You publish often. If you or a member of staff writes several articles a week, a dashboard you can log into from anywhere is worth a lot.
- You edit constantly. A restaurant changing its menu daily, or an estate agent adding listings, needs editing to be instant and in their own hands.
- You need a plugin-shaped feature. Memberships, paid courses, event ticketing, directories, large shops with stock control. WordPress has mature plugins for these, and building them from scratch costs far more.
- You want any developer to be able to pick it up. If you plan to hire in-house or switch agencies often, WordPress skills are everywhere.
- You already have a large WordPress site that works. Moving 200 pages for the sake of it is rarely worth the cost.
If that is you, hire a good WordPress developer, keep the plugin list short, pay for decent hosting and make sure someone is responsible for updates every month.
When a static site is the better choice
- Your site is 5 to 15 pages and changes a few times a month, not a few times a day.
- You would rather email a change than log in and do it.
- Speed on a phone matters, because most of your customers find you on mobile.
- You do not want to think about security updates, plugin conflicts or a hacked site.
- You want low running costs and nothing that breaks if nobody touches it for a year.
That describes most trades, local shops, clinics and professional firms. It is why the small business websites we build are static, and why the care plan can promise same-day edits without a maintenance bill on top.
The hidden costs of each
WordPress itself is free, but running it well is not. Expect to pay for hosting that handles a database, and for premium themes or plugins, many of which charge a yearly licence. The biggest cost is upkeep. Updates come out often, and skipping them is how most small WordPress sites get hacked. Someone has to apply them, check nothing broke and keep backups.
A static site’s hidden cost is editing. If you want to change text yourself every day, you need a content editor added, or you rely on your designer. On our care plan that is covered: small edits by email, done the same day, and one new page or article a month. If you would rather edit it yourself, we can hand over a simple editor at launch.
Can you switch later?
Yes, in both directions. A WordPress site can be rebuilt as a static site, keeping the same addresses and copy, so rankings carry across. That is a common website redesign for us. A static site can also be moved to WordPress if your needs change, because the content is yours and the files are standard. The thing to avoid is a platform you cannot export from at all, which is the real trap with some pay monthly builders.
Questions to ask yourself
- How many times a week will I actually change something on the site?
- Will I do the changes, or would I rather someone else did?
- Do I need memberships, courses, ticketing or a large shop?
- Who will apply the updates every month, and what happens if they do not?
- How fast does my current site load on a phone on mobile data?
- If I stopped paying anyone tomorrow, would the site keep working safely?
If your answers point to WordPress, we will say so. If they point to a static site, send us a short brief and we will reply by email within one working hour with a fixed price.