An honest comparison
WordPress, or a simple fast website?
WordPress runs over 40% of all websites. It has earned that. But does it suit a small business website like yours? This video is 62 seconds long. It has no sound. It is a demo: it shows what a video in British Sign Language on your website looks like. The video that signs this page is on its way. Read the words it signs. Download the video if it will not play. A computer made this BSL from a short demo script. Nobody signed it live. The person you see is built from studio recordings of Deaf BSL translators, who agreed to it and are paid for it. I am Deaf and BSL is my first language. I watch every video before it goes on the site. If the signing is wrong, tell me. I will fix it.A British Sign Language demo
What WordPress is brilliant at
WordPress is made for putting up lots of pages and posts. It is a good choice if you write new posts every week. It also suits you if you want to edit each page yourself.
It is right for an online shop with baskets, stock and a checkout. For that, it uses an add-on called WooCommerce (what this means). There are lots of ready-made designs (themes (what this means)), add-ons (plugins (what this means)). Lots of people can work on it, too. If that sounds like your business, use it.
What it costs a small business website
Most small business websites do not post new writing. They show who you are and what you do. They show your work, your prices and how to reach you. On WordPress, you might build that with a theme, a page builder (what this means) and lots of plugins. Then your site carries lots of extra parts it never uses.
Extra parts make a page heavy. Heavy pages are slow to open on a phone. A typical web page on a phone is about 2.1 megabytes. This page is under 12 kilobytes, plus a small font file. It is far smaller, and it does the same job.
The second cost is upkeep. WordPress, the theme and each plugin need updates often. Old plugins are the most common way small business sites get broken into. Keeping them up to date is your job. Or you pay a monthly fee on top of hosting.
A zip.ms site has no plugins to update. It has no admin login for anyone to break into.
| What is compared | Typical page | This site |
|---|---|---|
| Trips to load the page | about seventy trips | two trips |
| Accessibility, for disabled visitors | depends on the theme and plugins | 100 out of 100 on Google's test, built in |
| Software to update | WordPress itself, the theme and every plugin | none |
| Who keeps it updated | you, or a paid plan | me, in the price |
| Cookie banner | usually, once you add plugins | none needed |
| Monthly cost | hosting plus upkeep, and it varies | one fixed monthly price, no extras |
You can check this site's numbers yourself. They are all on the public scoreboard. Each one has a date and a link to Google's own test.
Which should you pick?
Pick WordPress if you post new pages all the time. Pick it if you want to edit everything yourself, or need a full online shop. Then all those extra parts earn their place.
Pick a simple, fast website if your site mostly shows who you are and how to reach you. It opens straight away and shows up in local searches. It never needs software updates. You can still add payment links and booking tools. They will not slow it down.
If your business grows too big for a simple website, I will say so. That promise is on the main page too.
Fair questions
Is WordPress bad?
No. This page is about what suits you, not about faults. Some websites work like a shop window. For those, most of WordPress sits unused. But you still carry its weight and upkeep.
Can I edit the site myself?
You send me the change, and I make it. Changes are in the monthly price. Maybe you want to rewrite pages yourself every week. That is a real reason to choose WordPress, and I will tell you so.
What if I need a shop or bookings?
I can add payment links and booking tools. They do not slow the site down. A full online shop with stock and baskets is a job for WordPress with WooCommerce.
I already have a WordPress site. Is it slow?
Send the address to hi@zip.ms. I will tell you how fast it really is. I will also say how fast it could be after a rebuild. Or test it yourself with Google’s free speed test at pagespeed.web.dev.
See the difference on your own site.
The demo comes first, and it is free. See the speed before you pay anything.
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