We often get asked about the benefits of a WordPress (dynamic) website, as opposed to a traditional (static) website. Some of our clients want to know what the two terms mean, what the differences are and what the costs are.

What is a WordPress website?

We usually respond that WordPress is the best option to choose. WordPress was originally intended to be a blogging platform, but is now used regularly to build informational websites. It is a content management system (CMS), which means the user has full control of editing and creating content, without the need to go into the code.

WordPress has a number of already designed ‘themes’, meaning it’s very easy to have a website without any need to code at all. The code has already been done for you. Unless you want a bespoke custom theme, you can find one of the free or paid ones, and use it straight away and already have a well-designed nice website.

What is a static website?

A static website is a site that has been programmed from scratch. It is done by a web developer, who is also in control of the content.

Why do you recommend using WordPress?

WordPress is very easily customisable. You can base the design on an existing theme (less time-consuming), or you can design a theme from scratch.

It means the client has full control over amending their content, meaning less expense to them as they will not have to keep asking the web developer to make the changes. This means the website is a lot easier to maintain.

WordPress means it is a lot easier to manage the search engine optimisation (SEO). It has a number of free SEO plug-ins, and many SEO-friendly features already built in. With a static website, all the SEO has to incorporated into the build additionally.

Since the WordPress platform and the plug-ins have already been built, there is ongoing developer support through the WordPress forums and software updates. With a static website, there is support from the web developer only.

There is a lot of extensibility and functionality through WordPress plug-ins. If you want to change the website (for example, its appearance), or you want to add something on (for example, a newsletter sign-up box) it is very easy and quick to do so.

Benefits of a static website:

• Quick to build
• Cheap to build
• Small files, so cheap to host

Disadvantages of a static website:

• They become outdated very quickly, especially if the content is very rarely updated
• It requires technical expertise in order to make updates to the website
• The site is not very useful to the client – it simply exists
• Less search engine-friendly as the content becomes old and stagnant

Overall, we highly recommend WordPress websites and most of our sites are built on this platform.

Advantages of a WordPress website:

• Very functional and interactive
• They are easy to update and maintain, even by the client themselves
• New content brings more people back to the site and helps in the search engines
• If an existing theme is used, the website can be up and running very quickly
• It’s very easy to incorporate social media into the website

Disadvantages of a WordPress website:

• Depending on the theme, it can take more time to develop the website
• Hosting may cost a little more

How much will my website cost?

In many cases, a WordPress website will be cheaper than a static website. If the client chooses a theme that has already been designed, most of the work is already done. If the new website is based on an existing theme, such as Twenty Ten, there is also less work involved.

However, if we are creating a customised bespoke website, the WordPress theme may need to be designed from scratch, which can be very time-consuming and expensive.

In a small number of cases a static website may be more suited and cheaper. If the client just wants a basic website, for the simple reason of having a web presence, a static website can be beneficial. If the client has no interest in computers or the internet! or has no interest or potential interest in ever blogging, then this can be a good option. Static websites can be quick and cheap to develop. There may be additional costs involved if the site ever needs to be updated because the web developer will need to be involved.

Summary

Many sites from the last decade are static, but more and more people are realizing the benefits of a dynamic (WordPress) website. WordPress sites can really make the most of your site. They often look ‘cleaner’ and ‘smoother’ as well.

Here at Lioness Marketing, we highly recommend WordPress. There are many benefits to the client, particularly the ease in which they can make content updates themselves, as well as it being a lot easier to add on new functionality or change the website in the future as necessary.

Do you want a beautiful, custom-made WordPress website? We’d love to build you one, so do get in touch.