Static HTML vs WordPress - How to Create Our Website

Want to create a website, but don't know which one to use? HTML or WordPress? Read this article to the end to find out.

In the past, website building choices were really restricted. In most cases, the only choice was to write every line of code yourself or hire others to do it. But today, with the rise of CMS and different website builders, it has become easier. 

Today, in some website building cases, there is not even a line of code needed. But, just because it is easier to do, does not certainly make them the better option in creating websites.

Static HTML vs WordPress, which one is a better choice?

Actually this comparison is between coding a website yourself and making use of a CMS platform to create it. Thus, let’s first define each one briefly.

Static HTML

A static HTML website is built by a series of HTML files. Each file displays one page of the website and whenever a visitor gets into the website, their browser will show that HTML file in company with some stylesheets.

Whenever you decide to make a change in static HTML, you should edit each page of the website separately. Therefore, in time of redesigning your website, you have to edit every single file which is very laborious.

If you integrate CSS and PHP, the development time will be greatly increased. But yet, you’re looking at a lot of coding.

But, the major superiority of Static HTML is that you have total control over the content of your pages with no predetermined restrictions. The only limiting factor is your knowledge about coding, which 99% of people today consider as a big difficulty to conquer.

WordPress

WordPress is used by almost 40% of the websites today, and it is an open-source content management system (CMS) which nowadays dominates web development.

A CMS is a piece of software used to create and manage all website data. With CMS , there is no need for users to directly interact with the code. Alternatively, they usually interact with the platform’s editor, where contents are added. The software then changes that into HTML, just like a website generator.

In WordPress websites, users should use the Gutenberg editor to provide the content for their website. As soon as published, the data will be sent as HTML to the web browser. Thus, there will be no need for users to write even a single line of code when providing different posts or pages.

Static HTML vs WordPress

• Ease-of-Use

Today, every business should have a website. But not all the business owners are tech-savvy. Commonly, small business owners know nothing about creating a website. Thus, they have to find a fast and simple method. 

In this section we are going to find out which one of these platforms is better for novices.

Static HTML: Accessibility

To build a static HTML website, coding knowledge is necessary. Although HTML is not too hard to learn, it takes a lot of time to learn and practice to become an expert on it.

Commonly novices can't create a full website with HTML.

As mentioned earlier, with HTML, you have to create every page separately, which is like a nightmare when it is needed to frequently change the content on a page.

As the name indicates, Static HTML is great for content that would not change, like a landing page or other one-page site.

The great advantage of using HTML is that you don't have to do the updates. This simplifies the task of maintaining your website and if an update is not done on time, nothing will stop working.

WordPress Accessibility: Winner

WordPress has numerous available plugins and themes, therefore doesn't need any coding knowledge. A plugin is a software component which adds a particular feature to an existing computer program. On the other hand, a theme is the overall look, feel and style of your website which includes things like the color scheme, layout and style elements.

With WordPress, or most CMS generally, users can perform bulk actions for all of their pages or posts very fast. This way, managing the content will become really easy. 

The Gutenberg editor is where you can provide your content and it is block-based. It means that each block has its own feature. For example, when you want to type a paragraph, you should use a paragraph block. For creating a list, a list block is needed. They are very intuitive, you can arrange them in whatever order you like and enjoy the boundless customization level they offer.

Results

In terms of accessibility, WordPress is better than HTML, because although it is great to write your own code, HTML can't provide accessibility. That's why in the past, most small businesses had to hire a web developer to create their websites.

Anyone can create a website using WordPress, thus it is the absolute winner.

• Design

A website should look good, no matter if it is for a small blog, graphic design portfolio, or an online shop. Otherwise, visitors may not trust it and make a purchase. Let's see which one wins this comparison: WordPress website design or Static HTML design.

Static HTML: Design

Static HTML is great in terms of design. Most platforms have some limitation levels that are an obstacle in the way of creative freedom. With Static HTML the only limitation is your coding expertise. But, this is really done using CSS and not HTML.

HTML tells the webpage what content is on it, cascading style sheets (CSS) tells the web page how they look. Therefore, in HTML page design, actually CSS is considered.

Fortunately, there’s a lot of instances of CSS code that you can use as a template online. However, one disadvantage is that you will be looking at lines of code rather than the actual web page.

WordPress Design: Winner

In terms of design, WordPress has numerous themes to choose from. These themes can change your website’s appearance promptly.

You can also use CSS code to modify your theme, therefore the customization for WordPress website design is countless.

Moreover, you also have access to page builders. Every page builder has its own toolset and specialization to help you create your website as you wish. They usually use a drag and drop interface, which you can use to drag particular elements onto a page and see them immediately after editing.

Results

Although you can build anything using your own code on a static HTML website or using WordPress, the difference is that in WordPress, it is possible to select the interface you use to create a webpage and you can see the changes immediately afterward. Therefore, the procedure is easier in WordPress.

• eCommerce

Nowadays, online shopping has become really popular, and many websites try to create an online presence in eCommerce. Fortunately, today, creating an online shop is very easy.

Static HTML: eCommerce

Well, it is surely possible to build an HTML website with eCommerce functionality, but as we mentioned above, “static HTML” is great for content that will not change. This is in contrast with eCommerce websites that are busy and changing all the time.

In eCommerce websites, you should spend a lot of time and effort to add new products, update prices, change the featured items, and everything else which is enormous in an HTML environment.

The only appealing aspect of using HTML is that you don't need to pay any transaction fees to a platform, outside of the payment gateway (PayPal, Stripe, etc.). But at the same time, not all platforms do this either.

WordPress eCommerce: Winner

In terms of eCommerce, WordPress has a key advantage, WooCommerce. This plugin will change your site into a completely developed online store organized to do business. It handles everything from payments to product pages.

WooCommerce is totally free and easy to use and this is why more than 5 million online shops are created by WooCommerce.

The only thing you have to do is just going through settings and selecting a payment gateway. Then you need to just add products to your store. Actually you can set up a completely stocked online shop in one day.

Results

In eCommerce, WordPress dominates HTML because it is easy to create, maintain and doesn't charge any transaction fees. While it is still very common to create websites with HTML in 2021, building an eCommerce website with it is not. It needs a small team to do it considering today's standards.

• Pricing

Nowadays, website building is very affordable. It actually depends on the platform you select to use and the features you want to include.

In terms of costs, both HTML and WordPress are tied, but there can be some fees related to each one that is worth vedifying.

Static HTML: Pricing

HTML is only a coding language, therefore no cost is associated with using it. But in spite of that, just like all websites, you have to spend money on a web hosting company to host your website.

Today, hiring a web developer to create a website from the beginning in HTML is still popular. Once more, coding a whole website is not easy, and can cost you a lot of money. It actually depends on the web developer you find. In spite of that, if you create the website from the beginning yourself, the cost is $0.

WordPress Pricing: Winner

WordPress is totally free to use. Everything from the initial installation to all of the updates you'll get afterward is free with no additional charges. The actual cost of making use of WordPress is paying for web hosting services which is something all websites should pay for.

Premium themes and plugins cost money, too. Commonly, a premium theme costs something between $30 to $50. On the other hand, a premium plugin range is much broader. It is totally optional to use plugins or themes.

Moreover, users can create a website with WordPress using just free tools. And the result usually looks just as good.

Results

HTML and WordPress are totally free. Although they both include additional costs, those are entirely optional. The real cost for both of them is finding a good web hosting service.

And because of WordPress popularity, you can get a better experience when you find a dedicated WordPress host. This is why it is the winner in this case.

Conclusion: Static HTML vs WordPress

WordPress is the most widely- used CMS on the internet because it is easy to use and you can do virtually anything. Although you can do anything with HTML too, it is suitable for static content like homepages not websites that will continually change or update their appearances.

Moreover, you have to know the language inside and out to create a scalable and customizable web page. With WordPress, you can get the same results with less amount of time and effort.