I began writing this blog post on Christmas Day of 2025.
I migrated this blog from WordPress to pure HTML. I did it with the help of a Static Site Generator, which transforms markdown to HTML.
I became acquainted with this software through my technical explorations. I’ve been using WordPress for over a decade with enormous success. I always thought that getting traffic to my blog needed the right number of resources to provide a wonderful experience.
For a long while, the CMS was the only real choice. But times have changed, and the deconstruction of what’s really needed to serve a content site doesn’t happen in a vacuum.
The logic behind it comes from a renewed interest in the frontend, the new services that serve frontend-based apps, and, of course, sites such as GitHub Pages, Cloudflare Pages, and so on. People figured out that if they could serve a frontend app through these services, they could also serve a simpler website.
Then, even if PHP includes made the work of updating whole sections a breeze, they still needed a server that processed the language. And so static site generators made their entrance. Their development was at its peak around 10 years ago. Today, they are a mature technology that you and I can use to create our content sites, including blogs.
##The marketing point of view##
There I was, paying premium pricing for my website for a long time, and traffic was increasing, but it was doing so steadily, and it was still far from needing the resources for managing a viral hit.
With the situation, keeping the same subscription was mandatory. It suddenly dawned on me that I could keep my costs low. In fact, my costs are less than 10% of what I paid originally. And yes, you read that well.
Shared hosting was an option again. But it all changed with Pelican, the Static Site Generator I’m using. So far, I have been serving many more visitors, and everything seems fine.
##WordPress has its Place##
There are many reasons for saying that WordPress is still relevant. The first is that if you don’t have developer resources (which can be yourself), then a mostly set-and-forget system may be all you need.
Also, it’s mandatory if you’re collaborating with other people in a content creation process of any kind. Many people believe that you need to run a business to make use of a CMS, but this is not completely true. You’ll find that just having another contributor makes it so much easier to log in and begin working.
There are a bunch of benefits of using a system such as the one powering the blog you’re reading right now:
##Benefit # 1: Saving on Resources##
The costs of having dedicated resources for serving a quality experience when you add databases into the mix are high. I know that it may sound logical to invest in a business. You know, I did it for a long time, and that is exactly why you should maximize the result of your investments.
By using fewer monetary resources, I’m also taking care of the environment, as the process of serving webpages is more eco-friendly.
##Benefit # 2: Your site is more Secure##
You’ve read the news: There’s an exploit on a WordPress plugin, and a bunch of websites were hacked. The reasons can be many:
- Someone hacked the system because it’s a PHP/Database system
- SQL Injections
- Vulnerability through a plugin
- And so, on
With a Static Site Generator, you avoid using databases and middleware such as PHP. This makes your website so much more secure.
##Benefit # 3 - Increased Speed##
Do you know what it takes to serve a webpage? It’s a linear process, such as the following: Request > Apache > PHP > MySQL (when needed) > PHP (generates HTML) > Apache > Browser.
As you can see, the process is not really complicated, but you can make it even simpler. The process to serve just the HTML and related files is Request > Apache > Browser, which makes it more elegant to deal with.
##Benefit # 4 – Easier to get SEO Benefits##
As you can see from the last benefit, your website's delivery speed improves by serving pure HTML. This has great effects on SEO, as website speed is a core driver of more traffic and improved conversion rates.
This speed is practical. To put it in perspective, it takes specialized knowledge to tweak any Content Management System to make it faster. And this expertise doesn’t come cheap.
Whether you’re hiring or embarking on a DIY project, it takes considerable resources to speed up a webpage, and sometimes the results aren’t what you expect. And if they are, they need to be audited constantly.
As you read these benefits, it makes more sense why a pure HTML/CSS/JavaScript site makes sense.
##Benefit # 5 – Freedom to Develop##
You’re a tinkerer by nature, or you’d like your work to be flawless. DIY projects require a few basic tools, whether physical or digital. By hiding the tedious and repetitive work, pure HTML sites allow you to deliver your best work.
And this output is apparent in design as well as deep in its source code. Not only will you be allowed to blog with certain technical advantages, but you’ll also become more aware of the technologies that power the World Wide Web, to your advantage.
##Conclusion:##
As you can see, from now on, I’ll be using Pelican, the Static Site Generator, to manage this blog. I must tell you that you can get to speed fast with a vanilla install. Otherwise, if you’re migrating a blog, such as the way I did, it may take developer power to get a successful outcome.
Not only are my costs lower, but they are not at the expense of the end user (you). I have a wide range of benefits, which I’m planning to translate into blog posts. The future is bright, and this migration is part of what the year 2025 brought with it.