With all the new open source content management systems available, it’s very rare that a static HTML site would be a good idea. But it does happen occasionally. We were just hired by a client who has just spent money on developing a static html site but isn’t please with the design. He WANTS an online brochure and has no intentions of adding / editing content more than once per quarter.
He does not want to budget for a full customized theme or skin creation, and he does not want to use a free theme or skin that someone else might be using. He wants a simple original design, and wants only 5 pages, and wants to plug in the content that he already has. So, he has decided to do a static 5 page website with an upscale design.
You may ask: What about search presence? Well, using such tools as Google Local and Google Adwords, and the equivalent of these in other engines (plus directory listing and linkback campaigns), this client will have the ability to be present in search.
So, would the client be better off investing a little more money in a content management system… even with the situation as it is? Yes. It is always better to build in technologies that accommodate growth. But, all I can do is educate and present options. The client makes the ultimate decision.
We will still have a nice end result, and the site (if the client is right about how he plans to use the site over time) will still be a good investment.