When we tell clients we build their website with Astro.js, the question often comes: “What’s that? And why not WordPress like everyone else?” That’s a fair question — and we’re happy to answer it. Because our technology decision isn’t a whim; it’s the foundation of our entire philosophy.
The Short Version
Astro.js is a modern web framework that delivers websites as pure HTML — ultra-fast, secure, and perfectly readable by search engines and AI assistants. For you as a client, that means: a website that loads faster than your competition’s, ranks better on Google, and can be recommended by ChatGPT and other AI assistants.
But let us tell you the long version.
Our Observation: Most SME Websites Are Too Heavy
Over the past few years, we’ve analyzed hundreds of SME websites. The pattern is almost always the same:
- A WordPress installation with 15–30 plugins
- A premium theme that tries to do everything (and therefore loads everything)
- Google Fonts loaded externally
- Images that aren’t optimized
- JavaScript libraries loaded on every page, even when only needed on a single one
The result: 2–5 seconds loading time, Lighthouse scores of 30–60, and a user experience that drives potential customers away before they’ve read a single word.
This isn’t a WordPress problem per se — it’s an architecture problem. WordPress was developed in 2003 as a blogging platform. Since then, it’s been extended to do everything: e-commerce, membership areas, learning platforms, social networks. This flexibility has a price: weight.
For an SME website — homepage, about, services, blog, contact — WordPress is like a truck when you need a bicycle. It works, but it’s heavy, slow, and requires a lot of maintenance.
Why Astro?
When we founded 0gravity, we wanted a different approach. We asked ourselves: What is the absolute minimum technology an SME website needs to perform at maximum capacity?
The answer: pure HTML and CSS, delivered from a CDN, with only as much JavaScript as is actually needed. And that’s exactly what Astro delivers.
The Astro Philosophy: Less is More
Astro follows a radical philosophy: Send the browser only what it needs. For a typical SME page, that means:
- 0 KB JavaScript for static pages (homepage, about, services)
- Only a few KB for interactive elements (contact form, cookie banner)
- Pure HTML that renders immediately — no waiting for JavaScript
This is called “Zero JavaScript by Default” — and it’s why our websites achieve Lighthouse scores of 95–100, while the average WordPress website sits at 40–60.
What This Means Technically
When a visitor opens your website, here’s what happens:
With a WordPress website:
- Browser sends request to the server
- Server starts PHP, queries the database
- Server assembles the HTML page
- Server sends HTML to the browser (500–2,000 ms)
- Browser loads CSS, JavaScript, and fonts (500–2,000 ms)
- JavaScript is parsed and executed (200–1,000 ms)
- Page is visible: 1.5–5 seconds
With an Astro website:
- Browser sends request to CDN
- CDN delivers the pre-built HTML page (20–80 ms)
- Browser renders HTML and CSS immediately
- Page is visible: 0.3–0.8 seconds
This isn’t a marginal difference. It’s a fundamental architectural advantage.
What This Means for You as a Client
Let’s set aside the technical details and talk about what matters to you:
1. Your Website Is Faster Than the Competition
In a market where customers decide within 3 seconds whether to stay or leave, speed is a competitive advantage. Our data shows: every second of faster loading time means 7–10% more conversions. That’s not a theoretical value — that’s real money.
2. You Rank Better on Google
Google favors fast websites. Core Web Vitals have been a ranking factor since 2021, and Google will only intensify this focus. An Astro website meets all Core Web Vitals with top scores — giving it a structural SEO advantage over slower alternatives.
3. AI Assistants Can Recommend You
ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other AI assistants prefer websites that deliver clean HTML and are quickly crawlable. An Astro website is ideal for AI crawlers: no JavaScript rendering needed, clean structure, fast response times. More on this
4. Your Hosting Costs Are Minimal
An Astro website consists of static HTML files. These can be hosted on a CDN — often for free or for a few francs per month. No server needed, no database, no PHP runtime. For comparison: professional WordPress hosting costs CHF 20–100/month plus maintenance.
5. Your Website Is More Secure
No PHP, no database, no plugins, no admin login — no attack surface. A static Astro website can’t be hacked because there’s nothing that could be hacked. That means: no security risk, no data loss, no embarrassing situations.
6. Maintenance Is Simpler and Cheaper
No plugin updates, no theme updates, no PHP version upgrades, no database optimization. An Astro website requires virtually no technical maintenance. Content changes are quickly implemented — either by us or through a headless CMS.
”But What About…?” — Common Objections
”I can’t edit content myself”
That’s not universally true. There are various options:
- You send us the changes — we implement them within 24 hours (included in maintenance package)
- Headless CMS — you edit content in a comfortable interface, similar to WordPress
- Markdown files — for technically savvy clients, a fast, direct option
Most of our clients choose option 1 or 2 and are happier than with their old WordPress setup.
”Astro is new and unknown — is that risky?”
Astro was first released in 2021 and has since built one of the fastest-growing communities in web development. It’s used by Google, Microsoft, Netlify, and thousands of companies worldwide. The code is open source, development is active, and funding is secured. More on the comparison with established alternatives
”Can Astro do everything WordPress can?”
No — and that’s the point. Astro can do what an SME website needs, and does it better than WordPress. For things beyond a content website (e-commerce, membership areas, complex web apps), there are better specialized tools. Not every problem needs a Swiss army knife.
”Can you find Astro developers if we switch agencies?”
Yes. Astro is based on standard web technologies (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) and has a growing developer community. An experienced web developer can take over an Astro project within days — significantly easier than a complex WordPress setup with 20 plugins.
Our Philosophy: Technology in Service of the Client
At 0gravity, it’s not about using the coolest technology. It’s about using the best technology for our clients. And for the vast majority of Swiss SMEs that need a website that builds trust, attracts customers, and gets found on Google and ChatGPT, Astro.js is simply the superior tool.
We measure our success not by the complexity of our technology, but by the results it delivers:
- Lighthouse scores of 95–100 — consistently, not as an exception
- Loading times under 1 second — on every device, everywhere
- Core Web Vitals in the green zone — all three metrics
- Satisfied clients — who have more inquiries, more customers, and fewer technical problems
See the Difference Yourself
Test it: open our website on your phone. Notice how quickly it loads? Now open your current provider’s website. See the difference?
If you want that difference for your own business, check out our services and pricing — or contact us for a no-obligation conversation.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Do I need to understand what Astro.js is as a client?
No. You need to know as much about Astro as you do about your car’s engine. What matters to you are the results: faster loading times, better Google rankings, lower costs. The technology behind it is our responsibility.
Can I migrate my existing WordPress website to Astro?
Yes. We regularly migrate WordPress websites to Astro. The process includes: content transfer, redesign, SEO migration with correct redirects. Typical duration: 4–8 weeks. Your Google rankings are preserved — and typically improve significantly.
Does Astro work with any hosting provider?
Yes. Astro generates static HTML files that run on any web server. We recommend cloud hosting on Vercel or Cloudflare for maximum performance and minimal cost — but traditional hosting works too.
Is there anything Astro can’t do?
Astro is optimized for content websites. For complex web applications with real-time data, user authentication, and server-side logic, we recommend other solutions (or a combination). But for 95% of SME websites, Astro is the ideal choice.
What’s your stance on WordPress?
We have nothing against WordPress. It’s a good tool for certain use cases. But for the websites we build — fast, secure, SEO-optimized, AI-ready — there are better tools. And our job is to recommend the best tool for our clients’ purpose, not the most popular one.