The benefits of static web pages

CMS Watch has published a terrific article by Tony Byrne entitled Is There a Gremlin in Your Website?, which explains in depth the benefits of publishing static web pages.

Now, if you’re not worried about the technical details, it’s okay: Movable Type’s supported dynamic and static pages for years, and you can continue using either or both together depending on your preferences. But if you’re using Movable Type and want to learn more, the good news is that you’ve already got access to all the power of static pages by default, without having to tweak or install any plugins or extensions.

Byrne’s included a great list of some of the benefits this publishing architecture offers:

• Static pages get delivered faster.
• Static pages are easier to index.
• Static pages show a better face to external search engines.
• Meaningful file names improve usability.
• No need to worry about database uptime.
• Static pages are actually quite mobile.

If you rely on your blog for your business or your reputation, it’s worth understanding why static pages may be a smart choice. Movable Type’s publishing power can keep you connected to the audience you care about without ever fearing they’ll face an inscrutable “error establishing a database connection” or a slow-loading page for your most popular content.

There’s other benefits, too, of course. A flexible templating system means you can do powerful things like generating Microsoft Word documents or slideshows or even PDF files. And of course, there’s infinite potential in what you can create with just XHTML and CSS, especially using common tools like Adobe GoLive and Dreamweaver, which both support creating Movable Type templates right within the tool.

In all, Movable Type’s publishing system is one of the most flexible parts of the platform, and understanding the benefits of its options can help you get the most out of the sites you use to communicate.