So let’s discuss how is wordpress different than standard website?

In a standard website (.html based), a developer/designer creates a template shell, saves each individual page as a separate file, and uploads the content.  When an item needs to be changed, it has to be changed on the individual file and re-uploaded.  If you’re a small business with a small web-budget, you don’t have resources to have someone change a single word every time you need one changed.

WordPress does things differently. Instead of storing the content in files, it stores the content in a database.  The database is either stored on a different part of the server, or sometimes on a different server altogether.  Whereas a static page contains both structure and content, the WordPress theme envelops and wraps the content in the theme files – meaning you can change, edit, delete, and add new content using one set of template files.

Building a Website? Decide which one is right solution for you.  HTML Vs WordPress

So you want to build a website. Should you go with simple HTML or use a platform like WordPress. The ultimate answer lies in the question, “What do you want to do with your site?” Let’s look at some advantages held by each option.

1) Updates – How often do you plan to update the site, and who will be doing the updates? WordPress has a supreme advantage over a straight HTML site when it comes to updates. Not only is it an open-source platform that allows you to use multiple programming languages, so you get all the bells and whistles (HTML, PHP, MySQL, ASP, etc), but it is also user friendly for those who don’t know programming code. In other words, if you are creating the site for someone other than an online marketing agency and you want them to be able them to be able to update the site themselves, WordPress gives them the flexibility to do so. Of course, you still need to create anything major, but the user will be able to update the blog, add pages and make basic updates without bothering you.

2) Bandwidth – Because WordPress offers so much, it’s a big platform. This means it takes up a lot of bandwidth. Simple HTML sites tend to take up less space. But ultimately, the extra bandwidth is no big deal if you are prepared for it – just make sure you are prepared for it!

3) Plug ins – One of the great advantages of WordPress is that because so many people use this universal platform, new plug ins are created almost daily. Instead of reinventing the wheel, find a plug in that does what you are looking for and with a few clicks you’re in business. Plug ins can be used to add social media marketing, SEO tools, display images, improve security, add forms, embed videos, lock out spammers and more. Yes, you can do all of these things with HTML, but you have to write the code and hope you don’t make a mistake in your code throwing the whole code off.

4) Security – With hackers around every corner, this continues to be an issue for all websites, regardless of how they are built. However, the advantage goes to HTML on this one. It is much more difficult to hack a site that has been individually coded in HTML, though not impossible. If you go the WordPress route, it is important to make sure that you keep you with the latest security plug ins.

5) SEO – If you are building a website, you probably want people to see it. Therefore, putting everything else aside, this is the most important aspect of your website. One of the great features of WordPress is its ability to integrate SEO into your site. Yes, you can optimize your website with HTML, but you have to know all of the important SEO elements and spend time incorporating each one. Since WordPress was built as a blogging platform, SEO is kind of built-in (plus there are tons of plug ins to make it even better). You still have to work on SEO, but since Google loves new content and WordPress makes adding new content a breeze the SEO advantage goes to WordPress.