Exploring Hugo: A Refreshing Change for Web Development

Today was all about Hugo. After stumbling across it while working on an automation project, I decided to give it a try as a potential alternative to WordPress. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but after a day of tinkering, I’m starting to see why so many developers rave about this static site generator (SSG).

What Is Hugo?

For those unfamiliar, Hugo is a tool for building static websites. Unlike WordPress, which relies on databases and dynamic processing, Hugo creates flat HTML files that can be served lightning-fast. It’s lightweight, secure, and—most importantly—simple.

When I started, I wasn’t entirely convinced. After all, I’ve spent years building with WordPress. Could a static site generator really compete? I decided to find out.

My First Day Tinkering

The setup was surprisingly easy. With a few terminal commands, I had Hugo installed and running on my local machine. No bulky database setups, no endless plugin installations—just a clean, lightweight framework ready to build upon.

Here’s what stood out to me during my first day of experimentation:

• Blazing Speed: The pages generated by Hugo load instantly. No caching strategies, no server-side processing—just pure, unfiltered speed.
• Built-in SEO Tools: Right out of the box, Hugo includes features like robots.txt and sitemaps, saving me the hassle of configuring these manually.
• Simplicity: I loved working directly with HTML and SCSS. It felt like going back to basics, but with modern tools at my disposal.

A Trip Down Memory Lane

Working with Hugo reminded me of my earliest days in web development—back when I built my first site on GeoCities in 1998. There’s something satisfying about getting back to the fundamentals, writing clean code, and knowing exactly how everything works behind the scenes.

Of course, Hugo is much more advanced than anything I worked with back then. The ability to generate a fully functional, modern site from a handful of markdown files and templates is nothing short of amazing. It’s simple, but not simplistic.

First Impressions

After a day of tinkering, I’m impressed. Hugo isn’t just another tool; it’s a new way of thinking about web development. It strips away the bloat and gets straight to the point, offering speed, security, and simplicity.

Does this mean I’m done with WordPress entirely? Not yet. There’s still much to learn about Hugo and how it fits into my workflow. But I can already see the potential, especially for smaller, straightforward projects where WordPress feels like overkill.

What’s Next?

Tomorrow, I’ll be tackling a different kind of digital cleanup. There’s a platform I’ve been holding onto for years that no longer serves its purpose. It’s time to let go. More on that in my next post.

For now, I’m excited about what Hugo brings to the table. This could be the start of something game-changing.