The short answer
For most new small business sites I recommend static: plain pages with no editor, no plugins and no database, so the site is faster, harder to break and cheaper to run, and I make the changes you send me. WordPress is the better choice when you sell online, need a members' area or login, or want to edit pages yourself every week. With me, static starts at $1,200 and WordPress at $2,500.
How I decide
A static site is the right choice for most new small business websites, because most of them are a handful of pages that change a few times a year. WordPress is the right choice when the site has to do more than show pages: take orders, run a members' area, or let you log in and change things yourself every week. Both are good platforms, and you still choose; I tell you which one I would pick for you and why.
What the difference actually is
A static site is a set of finished pages sitting on a server, ready to load. There is no editor behind it, no plugins and no database, so there is very little that can slow it down or go out of date. When something needs to change, I change it and publish the new version.
WordPress is a content management system (software that builds each page from a database when someone visits). It gives you a login and an editor, so you can add a news post or swap a photo yourself, and it can be extended with plugins for a shop, bookings or a members' area. It runs 39.4% of all websites, according to W3Techs in November 2026, so it is well supported and nobody is locked in.
How the two compare
| What you are comparing | Static site | WordPress |
|---|---|---|
| Who makes the changes | I do, from what you send me | You can, in the editor, or I can |
| Speed | Fast by default | Fast with care, slower as plugins pile up |
| Upkeep | No plugins or core updates to run | Core, plugin and theme updates every month |
| Online store or login | Not the right tool | Yes, with WooCommerce or a membership plugin |
| Build price with me, from | $1,200 | $2,500 ($5,000 with a store) |
| Hosting and care each month | $100, hosting and updates included | $44 hosting through Brella Tech, plus $50 if I do the updates |
The monthly figures are the ones that matter over a few years. On static, the $100 Care + Content Bundle covers the hosting, the backups and checks, and the changes you send me. On WordPress, the $44 Care Plan covers the hosting and the updates WordPress needs to stay safe, and the Content Updates add-on at $50 a month is there if you would rather send the changes to me than make them yourself. Every WooCommerce store is on the $88 Care Plan.
When I recommend static
Static is my default for a new business site now, because it suits the way most small businesses actually use their website. You want it to look right, load fast on a phone, tell people what you do and get them to call or enquire. You do not want another login, and you would rather send me a text with the new price than learn an editor.
This site is the example. It is static, and I make every change to it myself, from new pages to the articles you are reading now. Nothing on it needs a plugin updated, so there is nothing to patch on a Sunday night.
When I recommend WordPress
I recommend WordPress for three kinds of site. The first is a shop, because WooCommerce handles the products, the cart, the payments and the stock, and none of that belongs on a static site. The second is a members' area or anything else with a login. The third is an owner who wants to be in there every week, adding posts, gallery photos or listings themselves, because then the editor earns its keep.
Rogue Society, a gaming apparel brand in my portfolio, is the first kind. It sells online, so it runs on WordPress with WooCommerce, and that is a case where I would not suggest anything else.
What it costs to get started on either
You can pay upfront, or spread the build over 12 months with nothing upfront and no premium added. On the payment plan a static site is $200 a month all up, which is the $1,200 build over 12 plus the $100 bundle. A WordPress Business Site is about $250 a month with hosting and care, or about $300 with Content Updates as well. The full breakdown, including what each price includes, is in how much a small business website costs in Australia, and every price sits on my Websites page.
What to do next
If you are not sure which one suits you, book a 30-minute call and tell me what the site needs to do and who will look after it. I will tell you which platform I would pick on the call, and the exact quote comes in writing afterwards.