I'm starting a small construction company with a friend and need to build our website. I have a background in UI/UX and graphic design, along with some coding skills in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. While I have experience with WordPress, I prefer using plain HTML, CSS, and JS because it feels cleaner and faster to me. We need a few pages like a landing page, about, services, projects, news (optional), and a contact page.
I'm facing a few questions: 1) Is building with HTML/CSS a smart move instead of WordPress? I know WordPress is easier but I'd really like the straightforward approach. 2) How can I manage a dynamic projects page where I can easily add, edit, and delete projects without constantly changing the code? Can I achieve this without a full headless CMS, and if so, which would work best with plain HTML/CSS? 3) Contact forms are crucial—how do I set one up on a basic HTML/CSS site? Any recommendations?
I'm open to the idea of a headless CMS if it simplifies things but want to keep it straightforward. I'd appreciate any advice or tips you may have!
5 Answers
If you've got the technical skills, I'd recommend using WordPress with a custom design. It'll make long-term content management easier. You can also use Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) for custom fields if you need them.
I like using Concrete CMS for projects like these. You can create a theme with only HTML and Sass, but still enjoy CMS features. It allows for dynamic project lists and editing directly in the UI once set up.
If you're looking for dynamic project pages, you'll need to add a database and API to fetch the data for each project so your JavaScript can render it appropriately.
It really depends on your specific needs. If you want to manage updates easily without editing code, you'll need some kind of CMS or a custom admin portal. WordPress also offers headless CMS options. For contact forms and dynamic content, maybe check out tools like FormSpree. Given your frontend skills, going with WordPress might make the most sense.
One thing to consider is that many construction companies frequently update their branding and portfolio. Using a CMS can make those redesigns a lot smoother since you can swap themes without losing your content. With a static build, you'd typically need to rebuild every project page from scratch each time.
Thanks for the insight! Do you really think a simple site like this would benefit from WordPress instead of sticking with plain HTML and CSS?