Is Your Business a Good Fit for HTML Static Site Generators?

It is essential for your organization to have an online presence. Your website is where customers go to purchase from you, conduct research on your business, contact you and your team, and form a positive opinion of the products and services you offer and the way your company is run.

To put it another way, it’s crucial.

You have likely invested a considerable amount of time and effort in creating and optimizing your website to your exact specifications. It is likely a dynamic site with plenty of features and a user-friendly design to keep visitors engaged. You are likely to frequently update the site content in order to prevent it from becoming outdated and use a comprehensive content management system (CMS) to make the process simpler.

Is there a way to quickly create static websites without a lot of coding? While this method may have its limitations, such as not being able to create dynamic web pages or sites with JavaScript controls and data pulled directly from a database, it is still a viable option for quickly conveying a message.

Now what? How about the rest of you?

Static site generators are tools with a specific purpose which may be beneficial for your organization. Let us investigate whether these resources are a suitable solution for your business.

Can you explain what a “static site” is?

In response to this query, it is important to note that initially all websites were static. This meant that HTML files were delivered to load the page’s assets, which could include images and links. As a consequence, the content of these websites did not change unless a programmer made modifications manually. Therefore, no activity occurred.

For private, non-commercial purposes, these websites were sufficient. However, it soon became apparent that the static website was too limiting as more and more businesses started to go online.

This is the driving force behind the continually changing nature of this website. Websites such as this have the capability to regularly refresh their content, providing users with a vast array of new resources. Content management systems (e.g. WordPress) have been created to make administering these dynamic sites easier.

In contrast, in the 1990s, static websites were created using manually-coded HTML and CSS. These languages were sufficient for constructing the desired website.

Considering how much better dynamic sites are, why bother with static ones at all?

It is no longer possible to return to the static websites of the 1990s. Therefore, one must ask why there is an attempt to revive them. Automation and DevOps provide the answer to this issue. These technological advancements have enabled businesses to reap the benefits of static websites.

However, the reality is rather different.

Static websites often require additional resources to remain functional and up-to-date. Static site generators bridge the gap between static sites and more complex content management systems, allowing website owners to benefit from both. These generators provide a combination of features that provide a more dynamic and efficient website experience.

Create a website consisting of static HTML pages using pre-existing ideas such as page templates (from the world of CMS).
Databases, markdown files, APIs, or any other data source may all be mined for material for these sites.
A staging server is where the actual site creation takes place.
After the HTML files have been generated, they are uploaded to the live server.

Static websites have come a long way since the 1990s. With the help of static site generators, it is now possible to create and deploy multiple sites with the same design but different content quickly and easily. This process is so efficient that it is impossible for your users to distinguish between the automated and manual processes.

But should your company choose this particular system?

At first, the process of integrating a static site generator into your existing workflow may seem challenging. It requires a high level of technical expertise from developers and DevOps to set up and manage all the components. Automation of this process is difficult, but the rewards are plentiful.

Flexibility
Successful websites
The number of server-side dependencies is reduced.
Improvements in Stability and Safety
Enhancements to testing and version control
New material may be released more rapidly.
Increasing the rate of automation
Utilization of cached pages for performance enhancement

It is essential to consider whether the switch to a static site generator platform would be of benefit to the business, as this requires a significant financial investment. Additionally, the teams may face a steep learning curve, as this is a completely new model for content distribution, and they will have been accustomed to using the same platform for some time.

Unfortunately, many static site generators are still relatively specialized applications, so there is not a wide community available to provide assistance if problems arise. This can lead to a longer period of time needed to get set up. Your teams will need to get accustomed to an entirely new building process. The issue is further complicated if there is no standardized administrative interface.

In the end, things become considerably trickier if your website has features like user registration, forms, search, and forums.

Conclusion

It is worth considering whether the potential benefits of using static site generators would be worth the effort required. Though it is highly likely that these generators can bring about considerable gains, the process of implementation is not without its challenges.

Here’s a quick rundown of several popular static site generator platforms to consider if you’re still interested.