Britt Desbien
Static Site Generators provide an easy way for people looking to create a website to get one online without much of the content management system-based site complications. These site creation tools are a growing web development trend in 2018 because CMS-based sites are overkill for the needs of many website owners.
Static Site Generators
A static site generator is a service that creates web pages through a series of customizable templates and user data entry. Static sites generate pages when the owner makes changes to them and hosts the page as a pre-made set of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files1. This contrasts CMS-based sites, which look for updates and build pages when a visitor accesses them. Static site generators essentially abandon updating websites through a back-end system and no longer requires server processing to generate pages. Instead, generators create and update pages through an editor and save the updated versions to the hosting platform.
Why Static Site Generators are catching on
Static site generators are catching on because they offer a simple execution for sites that don’t take advantage of CMS capabilities. It’s common for businesses and individuals to create a website to have an online presence, but rarely make changes or updates to those sites. CMS-based sites are excellent for constantly updating websites that continue to implement new features; however, a site doesn’t benefit from the CMS if it’s not using those capabilities. CMS platforms offer powerful capabilities but do so by being far more complicated to use than static sites.
In terms of real-world benefits, static site generators can get better load times because the server doesn’t have to generate a page on request, it’s already done2. Generators also offer better site security because there’s no server code running behind the scenes for hackers to exploit1. Static sites are easier and often cheaper to host then CMS sites because static sites don’t require as complex of hosting capabilities1.
Static Site Generators and the Future of Website Development
Static site generators aren’t going to replace CMS sites, but small business and personal websites will likely transition to static sites. Static sites can’t replace a CMS for all websites, especially ones that require substantial user interaction including e-shops like Amazon.com 2. However, static site generators are positioned to create a web where CMS-based and static sites co-exist.
Looking for a web development company that can assist in developing a static website? Contact The frank Agency today for unparalleled web design and development.
Cited Sources
- FreeCodeCamp https://medium.freecodecamp.org/static-sites-are-back-24d01a01f11a
- DavidWalsh.name https://davidwalsh.name/introduction-static-site-generators
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