Let me be clear: WordPress is not bad. For 20 years, it powered nearly every site we built. Then we left it.
The WordPress Problem
WordPress powers roughly 43% of the web. That's why it's the #1 target for hackers. The plugin ecosystem has essentially nonexistent quality control.
We managed 50+ client sites. Every week: compromised sites, plugin conflicts, page builders breaking. The maintenance overhead was enormous.
What We Moved To
Static HTML. Not headless CMS. Not a JAMstack framework. Pure, hand-coded HTML, CSS, and vanilla JavaScript.
Hosting moved to Netlify via GitHub. Deployments happen in seconds. No server, no PHP, no database.
For blog management: Decap CMS. Lightweight, file-based, clean editor at /admin/.
The Results
PageSpeed scores went from the 40s and 50s to 95-99. Security incidents: near zero. Maintenance costs dropped significantly.
Who Should Switch
Ideal for: brochure sites, law firms, contractors, medical practices, service businesses. Not right for: large e-commerce, membership sites, or complex CMS needs.