Websites · IHS Blog
WordPress vs static HTML for small businesses: speed, security and cost
WordPress powers a huge share of the web, and for good reasons. But for a restaurant or small business whose site is mostly pages, a menu, hours and a booking or contact form, it brings a lot of moving parts.
Security
A WordPress site runs PHP code and a database on every request, plus whatever plugins are installed. This month alone saw PHP2Shell in PHP itself and active attacks on plugins such as Ninja Forms. A static HTML site serves prebuilt files from a CDN: no PHP and no database to attack on the public site. Accounts (domain, hosting, email) still need strong passwords and two-factor sign-in.
Speed
Static files served from a global CDN usually load faster than pages assembled by PHP on each visit, which helps Core Web Vitals and search rankings.
Upkeep
WordPress needs regular core, theme, plugin and PHP updates. A static site has far fewer things to update.
What you give up
- The plugin marketplace: features need to be built or connected as services.
- Complex stores and membership sites are a better fit for dedicated platforms.
- Editing works through an admin panel rather than the WordPress editor.
Our approach
We build static HTML sites on Cloudflare and manage them through the Nexus admin panel. If you are on WordPress, we convert your site for free.
Questions
Is a static HTML site unhackable?
No. It removes the PHP and database layer, which is where most WordPress attacks land, but domain, hosting and email accounts still need protecting.
Can I still edit a static site?
Yes. Our sites are managed through the Nexus admin panel, so menus, hours and pages can be updated without touching code.
Want off WordPress? We convert WordPress sites to fast, secure static HTML on our platform for free, and keep your URLs and Google rankings intact.