I think some people might think I’m crazy using static HTML for my FOR PROFIT websites. Hint: This blog is not a static HTML site. There is a method to my madness and I think it is very important why I do it this way. If you’re unfamiliar with what HTML is, it’s just the language that web browsers read to construct a website. Even though this blog isn’t a static HTML site, my web server hands over HTML pages to it for the browser to read.
There are three main reasons why I go with static HTML:
- Speed
- Security
- Webhosting Problems
Speed
I think speed is by far the most important aspect of selling anything on the internet. This has nothing to do with Google or search engine optimization. Google has announced that they’re looking to speed now and have it in the algorithm, but it doesn’t make up anything substantial, YET.
A website needs to open fast. SNAP! (I just snapped my fingers) I don’t want one second of lag when it comes to potential visitors that will buy. It’s as simple as that for me.
Basically there are three types of things that a website can possess for the loading of a page: HTML code, Service Side Operations and Server Side Operations with a Database.
HTML: This is the fastest because you already have all the work done. You made the page in HTML and the web server just has to send the data to the visitor.
Server Side: This means that there is programming code in with your webpage and that the server’s CPU actually has to process the code before HTML is created and can be sent to the visitor.
Server Side With a Database: This is where you have information stored in a database. The database is on a separate server and needs to be connected locally. The programming code is processed. And when information needs to be pulled out of the database, the server has to connect to the database server and pull the information. Once this is all done, HTML data is sent to the visitor.
Guess which one takes longer. WordPress (which this blog is running on) does the Server Side with a Database. You may notice that a blog like this may have a 2 – 5 second pause as you connect and then everything loads. WordPress runs on PHP Server Side Language and accesses a mySQL database. If you’re running a Server Side Language (PHP, PERL, SSI), it is for the most part normal. The time it takes a computer to process language doesn’t take that long and visitors will never even know. But there is a reason why I brought it up, which I will go into on the webhosting problems section.
Security
HTML can’t be hacked. It can’t be cracked. It can’t be exploited. Your webhost could get hacked, but it is completely regardless of the HTML. Exploited servers happen typically because they can somehow manipulate the server side operations of the code to open up the server. That is really all there is to it.
This is why you have WordPress updates because they find holes and they need to be fixed. This is why it is important to update WordPress immediately after an update. If you miss the update, you risk getting hacked. And remember people are typically hacked before a fix is created and an update is released.
I’m not trying to scare you or anything like that. I just can’t imagine having 100 websites all running WordPress and forgetting to update just one of them.
Webhosting Problems
My biggest pet peeve with webhosts is that they offer “unlimited” everything. I think all of us recognize that nothing is unlimited and in reality they’ll shit can your account if you get anywhere close to it.
If I was on a dedicated server (on a server all by myself) I wouldn’t have a problem with it. But I’m not really interested in paying $200/mth for a dedicated server. A shared server is what most of us are on and it’s shared. There are other people on the same computer and they all have the same “unlimited” plan.
The most common webhosting problem you run into is the mySQL database server lagging. There’s always some asshole that thinks they can have “unlimited” mySQL databases (1 per WordPress site). So they setup 1000 WordPress sites in an hour and lag down the entire database server. This causes anyone on the same computer to have a lag with any site that needs the database (like this WordPress site).
Guess what? My static HTML sites load fast. SNAP! When the database server is lagging or down.
Sometimes the processing of Server Side operations actually crashes too. It’s not quite that common, but it does sometimes happen. Any site that has PHP or any other type of server side language will experience a 500 internal error, which is what people will see when they go to your site.
Guess what? My static HTML sites load fast. SNAP! They don’t need any server side operations done, so it’s not an issue.
The only way that HTML goes down is if there is an internet load problem, CPU overload or the web server just goes down. And in those cases no website setup will work for you.
This is why I use static HTML for the vast majority of my sites. I do use PHP without the database. I just use it for include() commands, so that I can do site wide editing of footers, headers and shit. So that is really the big secret for why I use static HTML. I told you there was a method to my madness lol.
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