Skip to content
Development

Why We Build Websites with Hugo

The case for static site generators and why speed matters more than features.

3 min read ueb.al

When clients ask what technology we use, “Hugo” often isn’t the answer they expect. They’ve heard of WordPress, Wix, or Squarespace. So why do we choose a static site generator for most projects?

What is Hugo?

Hugo is a static site generator. Instead of building pages on-the-fly when someone visits (like WordPress), Hugo pre-builds every page during development. The result is a folder of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files that can be served from anywhere.

The Case for Static Sites

1. Speed That’s Hard to Beat

When there’s no database to query, no PHP to execute, and no server-side processing, pages load incredibly fast.

MetricWordPress (typical)Hugo
Time to First Byte200-800ms20-50ms
Full Page Load3-8 seconds0.5-1.5 seconds
Lighthouse Score40-7095-100

2. Security by Simplicity

Most website hacks exploit vulnerabilities in:

  • Database connections
  • Plugin code
  • User authentication
  • Admin panels

Static sites have none of these. There’s no database to inject, no plugins to exploit, no admin panel to brute force. The attack surface is dramatically smaller.

3. Hosting is (Almost) Free

Static files can be hosted on:

  • Cloudflare Pages — Free
  • GitHub Pages — Free
  • Netlify — Free tier available
  • Vercel — Free tier available

No servers to maintain. No PHP versions to update. No databases to back up.

4. Version Control Everything

With Hugo, your entire website lives in Git. This means:

  • Complete history of every change
  • Easy rollback if something breaks
  • Multiple people can work simultaneously
  • Automatic deployments from commits

When Hugo Isn’t the Answer

Static sites aren’t for everything. You need a different approach if:

  • Users need to log in and have accounts
  • Content updates in real-time (chat, live data)
  • Complex e-commerce with inventory management
  • User-generated content that updates frequently

For these cases, we recommend Next.js or similar full-stack frameworks .

The Hugo + CMS Combo

“But my client needs to edit content!”

This is where headless CMS tools shine:

  • Decap CMS — Git-based, no server needed
  • Sanity — Real-time collaboration
  • Contentful — Enterprise-ready

The client gets a familiar editing interface. You get the benefits of static output.

Real Results from Our Projects

Sites we’ve built with Hugo consistently achieve:

  • ⚡ 100 Lighthouse Performance scores
  • 🔒 Zero security incidents (there’s nothing to hack)
  • 💰 €0/month hosting on Cloudflare Pages
  • 📈 Improved search rankings from speed gains

Our Development Workflow

1. Client provides content/requirements
2. We build in Hugo with live preview
3. Client reviews on staging URL
4. Approved changes deploy automatically
5. Site goes live on CDN globally

The entire process, from start to launch, typically takes 2-4 weeks for a business website.

Try It Yourself

Curious about Hugo? Here are some resources:

Ready to Build?

If you want a website that’s fast, secure, and affordable to maintain: