Ever feel left out because you have a static website and everyone else seems to own a blog? All the tips, articles and help seem to be directed to bloggers these days.
And that’s really not a huge surprise since most people opt to create blogs now. They’re quick, easy, dynamic, they foster discussion and you can find hundreds of well-designed themes for free!
I really don’t want to get into a discussion about which is better (blog or static site) because I think it’s all relative. Obviously blogs are current. They provide more instant functionality and they’re easier to create, but it doesn’t mean they’re best when it comes to learning the fundamentals of design.
However, when people say blogs are better than static websites, they are usually referring to the ease, functionality and design options — not necessarily financial success and learning/understanding how to design a website.
I think building static websites prior to having a blog is what helped make editing my blog less intimidating. Since most people start off with blogs today, they aren’t necessarily forced to learn much about the code.
That’s fine if you don’t plan to update your design in a major way, or you find the perfect theme. But it can become a problem if you want to start moving things around, re-designing and positioning elements like AdSense units, banners, etc.
Of course that doesn’t mean all bloggers never become proficient in CSS. I’m sure many of you reading this now learned a lot about HTML and CSS because of your blog and are quite comfortable changing things up.
But I personally believe it’s easier to make sense of things when you start with a static website. The code is often cleaner and you can edit, test and preview your design right from your computer without setting up a server like you would for WordPress.
But I digress…
In spite of what people say about static websites, I know a big part of my audience still uses them and I haven’t forgotten about you! 🙂
I see your comments, read your e-mails and I get your frustrations when it comes to design. So I am putting the finishing touches on a 3-column CSS template that I will be selling very soon, and I promise you it will be the best teaching template you’ve ever seen.
You may remember a few of the free templates I’ve offered from my site and on YouTube over the years. They are pretty basic and fine for getting started, but they don’t hold a candle to the one I have created from scratch.
Template Features
- Very clean HTML & CSS code
- Loads fast
- Compatible with Firefox, Chrome, Safari and even older versions of IE!
- W3C Validated
- Customizable horizontal CSS navigation menus with hover effects
- SEO Optimized (Content is ABOVE the navigation in the source code unlike most 2 or 3 column CSS templates.)
- Over 60 original, graphical backgrounds to choose from
- Over 40 original, custom headers (some with premium, high-res photos)
- Instructional Video
- Embedded instructions in the stylesheet and template to help modify the design
- Guidance with positioning banners, social networking icons and other elements in the header
- Can be configured to work with Site Build It!
- Since it’s static, you can edit, test and preview right from your computer before going live
And because there are so many different headers and backgrounds to choose from, you can create hundreds of different designs just from this one template. (All backgrounds and header designs were created by me in Photoshop, so you’ll have full rights to use them commercially.)
I’ve actually had fun developing the headers and backgrounds and I think those alone will be worth the price of the template. There will even be photos of people with transparent backgrounds that you can position inside the header if you wish.
If you’ve always wanted to have more control over the design of your site, this is going to be the template for you! And if you have a blog, it will help you understand how to customize that as well — especially when it comes to positioning elements in your header like AdSense banners, etc. Even though blogs are dynamic, they still use CSS to govern the design.
So why am I telling you all this before launch? Well, my newsletter subscribers will be getting the template for a deep, discount for a limited time. So make sure you are on my list!
Details will follow soon. 🙂
If you’re reading this from a reader or e-mail, head on over to my blog to sign up for my newsletter so you don’t miss that discount!
Update August, 2011: You can get my HTML / CSS web templates here.
Nice post, I’m looking for red simple wp template for my site… can you give me suggest?
When i use css for my wordpress blog it is very great. I can managed my blog well
I think ‘hard-coded’ static pages are easier to construct, it is often easier for small business owners to find a designer capable of producing these kinds of site
Hi i started my website 6 months and i tried many wordpress themes after reading your post i got clear idea how to customise the wordpress theme and CSS design its really helped me alot lisa thanks for your valuable post ………
Blogs are better than Static Websites because it creates a lot more discussion and share ideas of different minds when having commenting on the posts. Blogs are easy to optimize than the static websites Although Static website also does not take too much time to rank well.
Website/blog look and feel hold a lot of value, it is important to keep your visitor engaged ….
but one should also not forget about C2C ratio while opting a designer template. if you made you site heavy and stuff it with tons of codes then automatically site will get heavier which will directly lead to long loading time … if you site takes lot of time in loading this search engine crawler will start ignoring it.
Just try to maintain a health C2C ratio lets say, it should vary from 15 to 20, below that mean you need to work on your site…
To start with website designing, we have to start with proper content, as content is king in the website designing.
hey lisa, i have to make a website and submit it to my computer teacher..what topic shud i choose??
btw i like ur blog n stuff 😉
Hi Lisa, as a web designer, I prefer static websites. I have a three column web page template that I use to create all my different designs. The most important design feature is that the content is the first port of call for the spiders. I noticed that your new template offers this feature also – content is above navigation in the source code.
Hi Lisa,
Just wondering if you have launched your new template yet?
I sure did
http://www.easystartertemplates.com
CMA its the to go, of course it helps to know the basic html so that you can make any modifications on the fly!
thanks for the informative content
Hi Lisa, I feel a good cms is vital for a ecommerce site but a static site need frequent fresh unique content or a blog on the back of the domain.
Waaaw… great… I still use your free template … just can not wait for this launch? tel me when is the launch.. I am a big time static site fan…
Shaon
Lisa,
Great article and I agree blogs are not only useful and easy to manage, but they’re essential for good SEO too. Even if our clients request a static or dynamic site, we suggest including a blog in their site. Its one of the best ways to keep your site’s content fresh in the eyes of Google and it keeps your clients/customers up to date with what’s happening. Obviously there’s a lot of other great reasons to blog, but I’ll leave that to you. 🙂
Keep’em coming, you’re a great resource!
~Matt
Lisa,
Your website has been an invaluable resource for me. I have 3 static sites and a couple of CMS (WordPress) sites. Having worked with wordpress, the static sites now drive me crazy. One of them is very large and when I want to add one little link to all 300 pages, it takes forever. All of my sites from here on out will be CMS. Thanks again. You’re helping lots of peeps like me.
That will be a great launch Lisa.
I think you have explained well the best of both worlds, static websites and blogs, good luck with your proyect.
Static websites will always have their place. Sales pages, squeeze pages…and so on. But blogs are ideal if you plan on continuing to update your content.
Alas – the much awaited product! Congratulations Lisa – waiting to see how it would turn out
Hi! Lisa, I guess this is the first time I really noticed I’ve not subscribed to your blog even though I call you my mentor.
Well! I’ve done that and I’m earnestly waiting to see your template.
Keep me posted.
Regards,
Chukwuka.
Hi! I’ve recently started my site. (sorry is in spanish) I didn’t know very much about static or blogs, html,or css. Your site and blog have helped a lot. I’ve visited other sites as well and now I have a static page a blog, Very glad I found your site. I have done a lot of research html and css, good stuff!
Will it be able to work with the Shredder site that I have. This is a static site already and it is hosted on HostGator?
Lisa, You’re spot on about the static website versus a blog. My first sites were blog-only, but since entering the realm of the static page website plus blog, I see the value of combining them. The static pages serve as good anchors, or foundations, for the ever-changing blog.
Completely agree Tom!
Hi Tom
My blog has a fixed front page – apart from the list of latest posts, so I can optimise the front page and still have a blog attached.
I notice that many WordPress sites now are page based and don’t have a blog.
With my theme you can have a blog or just have pages – best opf both worlds.
This is perfect for static website owners. I am sure it will be a great design then. Thanks for the tip!
What I find amusing about static websites is that the coding is what turns me off about them, but once upon a time I used to write them from scratch for fun! Certainly coding’s come a long way since 1997, but still, it was fun. I also had a lot more time back then. =)
Delena
Including an instructional video, high res photos and more? Now that’s a website template jam-packed with great features.
I just used Artisteer3 to design my blog. I love this program. Please stop by and check it out. I am adding things so it is in the baby phase.
Hi Lisa
Nothing wrong with static sites.
They load so much faster than WordPress sites.
No constand updating to the latest versiuon and they rank just as well as dynamic sites.
And as for bandwidth usage… no comparison.
Bang! page loads like lightening. LOL
Back to basic, hahaha when majority of the internet marketers are using wordpress and using free templates now, I am very delighted to see you helping static site users on this.
I am really confused now. i want to start a techno-blog using wordpress, but after reading you, i am confused.
which one is better Static wesite vs Blog?
shall i go with Static website?
Blogs are best if you want to build a community and plan to update often with the “latest” information. Static sites are best for reference sites that you want the content to be in a logical manner. Notice 2createawebsite.com versus this blog. This blog highlights my latest work because the content is organized by date. My static site has reference-able information that doesn’t change as often.
So it’s really up to how you plan to deliver your content. Just understand both have advantages and disadvantages. Watch this video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53vhn6aQPtY
Oh, Wow, Lisa! I can hardly wait for your new template. I used your basic free one for ages and it was one of my first learning tools (I messed it up over and over, and kept having to download it again :)).
I’ve been letting my static site languish lately and playing with WordPress and Thesis, but now I’ll look forward to working behind the scenes again on my website.
Thanks!
Including an instructional video, high res photos and more? Now that’s a website template jam-packed with great features.
And yet another website creation guru telling us that there are no two ways about it, we need to learn HTML and CSS to have absolute control. If only we will listen.
Great! I am planning to create a wordpress tutorial this week, but I guess i’ll see your template first. Might learn a thing or two.
Woh! This is great. There are not
Many templates designed to teach. I would be quite easy to learn CSS with the template.
Regards
Hassam Ahmad Awan
BLoggingeHow
Hey Lisa! Im really interested in the new template. Im trying to re-arrange the content and other features on my blog. So i’ll be one of those using it in terms of my blog.
Thanks!
Hi Lisa, how are you getting the word out on WebsiteBabble about this offer? I’m sure many of the members over there will be thrilled to find out about this.
Btw – congrats on the Mavs win!
Yeah I plan to. Had a techncial snafu this morning and it threw my whole day off. LOL Thanks for the suggestion, Ileane.
Thanks Lisa!
Lisa, I have been a “silent fan” since I discovered your site about a year and I just wanted to thank you for all of the free, valuable information you provide your readers with, not only on your static website, but your blog as well- second to none to say the very least! Can’t wait to buy the template.
ps- I thought it was kinda cool when I found out that you are from my hometown of St. Louis. Lol. 🙂
thanks again,
Matt M.
Go St. Louis! 🙂
Hey Lisa,
I’ve been following your site for the past 2 years and it really has been a great inspiration to me as well as the websitebabble forum which I am a member of (Nefiasm is my username) I have recently taken steps to kick my plan in to action and hope to be online soon.
I have also subscribed and confirmed my subscription to your newsletter and will be looking forward to future updates.
Brendan.
Hi Lisa,m new to your blog and i found this information very useful.Before i didn’t have more knowledge about static websites and how they are created,but reading your post i came to know more about static website ands waiting for your template to be launched….
Thanks Lisa! I have been following you for a while and I read your posts about blog vs static website. After working with the wordpress format I am a bit frustrated at times with the “ease.” I want to get a bit dirty. This summer my goal is to research a product via clickbank and some of your other recommendations. I want to create a static website that looks professional. How will your new template designs coincide with SBI? Are you still a fan of SBI? Thanks!
Hi Michaela,
SBI works with any static template so in order to make mine work with SBI you’ll just have to change some filenames in accordance to their guidelines. Yes I’m still a fan.