The Fast Track to Faster Websites - Why Static Site Builders and Netlify are the Perfect Pair

In recent years, there has been a growing trend among smaller businesses and individuals to create websites that are affordable, scalable, and customizable. For many, the platform of choice is WordPress, which offers a wide range of features and tools to help users create and manage their website. However, for those on a budget, the costs of hosting and maintaining a WordPress site can add up quickly, especially as your site grows in size and complexity. Fortunately, there is an alternative that can save you money and still offer the functionality and flexibility you need: Netlify, and it can be made more powerful with other services like 11ty, a popular static site generator.

Netlify is a cloud computing company that offers a modern web development platform designed for static sites. With Netlify, you can host your website for free, and take advantage of their powerful tools, including Continuous Deployment, which enables you to deploy your site quickly and easily. Netlify also plays well with popular website frameworks like React, Vue, and Gatsby. It also offers it’s own out of the box authentication widget through Netlify Identity to make things like admin panels and user gated content a breeze.

11ty, on the other hand, is a static site generator that enables you to create dynamic, fast-loading websites that are easy to maintain and update. By using 11ty to generate your site, you can create custom templates, layouts, and components that enable you to achieve the exact look and feel you want, without the added costs and complexity of a full CMS like WordPress. Additionally, 11ty is built on modern web development technologies, like Node.js and Markdown, making it easy to get started with even if you are new to web development.

One of the biggest advantages of switching from a hosted WordPress site from a provider like Bluehost (or others) to Netlify and 11ty is cost savings. With many popular hosting providers, you need to pay for hosting, maintenance, and updates, which can add up quickly over time. With Netlify, hosting up to 100gb of bandwidth per month is free, and you can deploy your site using their Continuous Deployment feature, which ensures your site is always up-to-date with the latest changes. Additionally, 11ty offers a wide range of free and open-source templates, layouts, and components that can be used to create a professional-looking site without the added costs of hiring a designer or developer.

Another advantage of using Netlify and 11ty is speed and performance. By using a static site generator like 11ty, you can create sites that load quickly and are optimized for performance. This is particularly important for mobile users, who often have slower internet connections and limited data plans. Additionally, Netlify's global network of servers ensures that your site is delivered quickly to users, no matter where they are in the world.

Finally, Netlify and 11ty offer a high degree of flexibility and customization. With 11ty, you can create custom templates and components that are tailored to your specific needs. This enables you to create a unique site that stands out from the competition, without the added complexity and costs of a full CMS like WordPress. Additionally, Netlify offers a wide range of integrations, including with popular tools like GitHub, Slack, and AWS. This makes it easy to integrate your site with other services and tools, without the added costs and complexity of custom development.

If you are a small business or individual on a budget, switching from a hosted WordPress site to hosting on Netlify and deploying with 11ty can be a smart move. Not only will you save money on hosting and maintenance costs, but you will also benefit from the speed, performance, and flexibility of these modern web development tools. By taking advantage of these tools, you can create a professional-looking site that stands out from the competition and drives traffic to your business or personal brand. If you have decided to make the switch to a static site hosted on Netlify but aren’t sure where to start, Raineseed is happy to have one of our in house developers help you through the process.