TJ Slade
Web designer · Kansas City
If you are getting a website built for your Kansas City business, one of the first choices you will face is whether to go with a static site or a content management system. It sounds technical, but the answer usually comes down to one simple question, and getting it right is the difference between a site that fits your business and one you are quietly overpaying for. I am TJ Slade, a Kansas City web designer, and it is the first thing I ask every new client.
A quick bit about me first
I run Solo Digital Design out of Overland Park, and I work with small businesses, nonprofits, and entrepreneurs all over the Kansas City metro. When you hire me, you work with me: no account managers, no hand-offs, no committee, just one person who knows your project start to finish. I got into this building sites for family and friends while I was teaching computer science, and the teaching part still shows up in how I work. I am good at taking something technical and making it make sense, which is exactly what the rest of this post is about.
The first question I ask every Kansas City business: static or CMS?
Before we talk design or budget, I want to know one thing: do you need to update the website yourself? Your answer sorts almost every web design project into one of two buckets, and it's the difference between a site that fits your business and one you're quietly overpaying for.
What a static site is
A static site is hand-built, page by page. It loads fast, there's nothing behind the scenes to maintain, and it's the cleanest way to put a professional business online. The catch people worry about is “what if I need to change something?” You will, and that's fine. When you do, you send it my way and I make the edit, usually quickly. You're trading a login you'd rarely use for a site that's faster and simpler.
What a CMS is
A CMS, or content management system, is a site you can log into and edit yourself. Change text, swap photos, publish a blog post, add a product. Platforms like WordPress power a huge share of the web for exactly this reason. A CMS is the right call when your content changes often, when you want to write regularly, or when you are selling online and adding products yourself. It costs more up front, and it grows naturally into stores and custom features.
How to tell which one your business needs
Run through these. The more you answer “yes,” the more a CMS earns its place:
- Will you be updating the site yourself most weeks?
- Do you want to publish a blog or news regularly?
- Are you selling products online and adding them yourself?
- Do you need logins, bookings, or other custom features?
If most of those are a “no,” a static site will serve you better and cost less. Here's the honest version: most Kansas City small businesses I talk to need far less than they think. Paying for a CMS you'll log into twice a year is money that could go somewhere useful. I'd rather build you the right thing than the bigger thing.
What this looks like in real businesses
It gets clearer with examples. A plumber, a law office, or a new restaurant usually wants a fast, professional site with their services, their story, and a way to get in touch. Nothing on it changes week to week, so a static site is perfect and cheaper to run. A boutique that adds new products every few days, a gym posting class schedules, or anyone who wants to publish a blog like this one is a natural fit for a CMS, because they are in the site constantly. And plenty of businesses start static and add a CMS to one part later, like bolting an online store onto an otherwise simple site. There is no prize for picking the fancier option. The prize is picking the one that matches how you actually work.
Can you switch from one to the other later?
Yes, and this is the part that takes the pressure off the decision. If you launch with a static site and your needs grow, we can add a CMS or rebuild on one when the time comes. It is more work than starting there, but it is a normal step as a business grows, not a mistake you have to avoid. That is why I usually steer people toward the simpler, cheaper option when they are on the fence. You are not locking yourself in. You are starting with what you need today and keeping the door open for what you might need in a year.
Get web design help in Kansas City
If you can't tell which bucket you're in, that's normal, and it's exactly what I'm here for. Tell me about your business and how hands-on you want to be, and I'll point you to the option that actually fits. You can see honest ranges for both on the pricing page, or read exactly how much a website costs in Kansas City. Or just reach out and we'll figure it out together, one local business owner to your neighbor down the road.