Finding the right content management system for your business and website development is essential. If you are searching for an alternative to WordPress for your enterprise, you may like to consider what Statamic 3.0 has to offer.
What is Statamic?
Statamic is a content management system that has been popular with developers since it hit the scene in about 2012. It uses a flat-file approach rather than a database like WordPress.
What this means is that your templates, content and assets are all held in files on your CMS and you can closely version control your site.
Why Is It a Good Fit for Your Web Project?
Statamic provides all the functionality of WordPress without the complication. There are benefits to creating websites using a flat-file approach. For a start, the system is very fast for a start and security is improved because you don’t have a database (the first point of attack for most hackers) to worry about. You also have close version control and a more simplified setup.
Key to the success of Statamic is that it allows you to have greater control over functionality and customising code. It uses the PHP framework Laravel which means you can go beyond generic coding and have as much flexibility in design as you want.
Statamic websites are also Google-friendly. That’s because the sites are generally quick loading and are highly secure because the CMS is contained in a flat-file system.
Who is it for?
In the early days, it was aimed at developers and designers who were more likely to use a platform such as this to create websites. In more recent times, Statamic has been trying to attract content creators as well as business bottom-liners who are more focused on ROI and profit.
Statamic not only provides a range of powerful tools to develop all sorts of content, but it also allows you to collaborate in real-time with other users. The content editor is easy to use and delivers excellent variety in how you position and organise text and images.
For developers, Statamic provides a great deal of functionality and version control, with various tools such as blueprints and fieldsets. Laravel is a favourite with developers and designers who want to create stunning bespoke sites that stand out from the crowd.
What Are the Advantages Over WordPress?
WordPress is undoubtedly the biggest and most often used CMS on the planet at the moment and it’s nearly always the go-to platform for new businesses. One of the initial concerns that website owners have is the cost.
WordPress is free to use at setup. For Statamic, you are charged an annual fee which is around $259 a year ($59 per year after that). For this, you get all the functionality you are looking for. In other words, you don’t have to worry about themes and plug-ins, they come as standard.
If you are setting up WordPress you are going to find the ‘hidden’ costs of running your site rising quickly. For example, you may want to buy a theme for $49, add JetPack to your system for another $99 or some other plug-in that increases functionality. You can soon find yourself spending a lot more than the $249 that Statamic charges as a one-off spend.
The other advantage is security. The reasons many developers opt for this CMS is that it gives greater control over security with its flat-file design. Unfortunately, WordPress is one of the most hacked systems because it is so popular. The vast majority of attacks are on databases – Statamic doesn’t have one and that makes their sites less vulnerable.
Check out this great blog post over on the Statamic website about Statmatic vs Wordpress.
Finally, the Statamic ecosystem has grown considerably over the last few years which means you can almost be guaranteed to find the assets you are searching for. It also has a pretty healthy community which you can use to get support.
Summary
While it can often seem like a leap of faith, swapping to Statamic for your next website project makes a lot of sense.
While the upfront cost can seem excessive compared to a ‘free’ WordPress site, you will probably end up spending a lot less on the design and upkeep in the long run. With quicker download speeds and strong security, you can also expect platforms like Google to offer improved rankings.