Static Site Client Scope
Table of Contents
Static site client scope = jobs that fit Free Tier Hosting Stack: mostly text and images, published by git push or by me on retainer - not live databases, shopping carts, or teams that need a WordPress admin without training.
Scope the sales call before I quote Selling Static Sites. Good fits: portfolio, org brochure, small business presence, project docs, blog where owner learns Git or pays retainer. Bad fits: e-commerce you host, member login, booking engines, five daily non-technical editors with no retainer. Redirect honestly to Shopify, WordPress, or a dynamic stack. Outcomes Over Pitch Decks - pick by fruit, not by what I want to sell.
Before I quote, ask: who updates content and how often? Anything private behind login? Real-time database changes? Cart or checkout I must host? What if I'm unavailable a month? Two or more dynamic yes answers → not this stack. Plain Commitments at Work: say no in the room, not after deposit.
Updates that still fit static: owner learns Git via Client Site Handoff; retainer batches; Git-Based CMS when buttons beat terminal; seasonal pages; external embeds (donate link, Formspree, Calendly) where the site stays static and the tool carries the dynamic part. Minimum Effective Dose: smallest site that solves the job - don't force Hugo where WordPress was honest.
Examples
- Cafe owner wanted online ordering - out of scope; menu page plus link to existing delivery app.
- Freelance designer needed portfolio and case studies - yes, static, live in a week.
- Nonprofit wanted donor portal - no; brochure plus donate button to external processor.
- Client said “just like our old WordPress” but meant five daily editors - wrong tool; didn't pretend Hugo was WordPress.
- Gym wanted class schedule from booking SaaS - embed the vendor widget; static shell around it was fine.
- Sales call checklist caught login requirement - redirected before I quoted a build I'd regret.
Note Relationships
| Relationship | Wikilink | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| contradicts | There Is No Perfect Solution | when I take a bad-fit job because saying no feels awkward |
| extends | Free Tier Hosting Stack | Scope matches what the free static stack can actually carry |
| extends | Minimum Effective Dose | Smallest site that solves the job - not static forced onto dynamic needs |
| extends | Outcomes Over Pitch Decks | Pick stack by what the client needs to produce, not my preferred tool |
| extends | Plain Commitments at Work | Clear yes/no on scope before deposit |
| extends | Selling Static Sites | Defines what I sell before I quote a build |
| extends | Git-Based CMS | Middle path for non-Git editors without full WordPress |
