Next.js development for websites and web apps that must load fast and be found
- Server-rendered or pre-built pages, chosen per route
- React components with routing built in
- API endpoints in the same codebase when you want them
- Honest advice when plain React or a CMS is enough
When Next.js is the right choice
Next.js earns its place when the product is more than a brochure and still has to be found in search:
- A marketing site or shop front where pages are built from a headless CMS or an API and must be crawlable.
- A web application with a public part (landing pages, documentation, listings) and a logged-in part, in one codebase.
- A team that already works in React and wants one framework for pages, data fetching and light server-side logic.
- A site that is today a client-side React app and loses search visibility because content is rendered in the browser. See our ReactJS page for the plain React side.
When Next.js is not the right choice
A framework is a cost as well as a benefit. We will tell you if one of these is closer to your case:
- A content site edited by non-technical staff every day. A CMS such as WordPress, or a static site generator, is usually cheaper to run and easier for editors. Our website solutions page covers the options.
- A small internal tool behind a login with no search needs. Plain React, or even server-rendered pages from your existing back end, may be simpler.
- A team with no JavaScript skills and a working PHP or Java back end. Adding a Node.js layer for rendering means one more thing to host and monitor.
- A Vue shop. The equivalent there is Nuxt; see our Nuxt development page.
What we build with Next.js
Marketing and content sites
Pages generated from a headless CMS or API, with metadata, structured data and fast first load treated as requirements, not extras.Storefront front ends
A React storefront in front of an existing commerce platform. See eCommerce solutions for the platform side.Web applications
Dashboards, portals and customer areas with authentication, forms and API routes, built on a shared component library.Reporting
Pull the numbers from several systems on a schedule, write the summary, and point out what changed and why it might matter.Back-office reconciliation
Match payments, orders and invoices across systems and prepare the mismatches for review.Your workflow
If a task is repetitive, rule-heavy and checked by someone anyway, it is a candidate. The AI readiness audit ranks the candidates.Choosing how each page is rendered
The Next.js documentation describes two routers: the App Router, which supports newer React features such as Server Components, and the Pages Router, the original router that is still supported. A new project normally starts on the App Router; an existing one on the Pages Router is not an emergency, and we plan upgrades rather than force them.
The decision that matters more for a business owner is how each page is produced. A page that never changes between visitors can be built ahead of time and served from a CDN. A page that depends on the signed-in user is rendered on request. Choosing per page, not per site, is where Next.js saves effort, and it is also where mistakes are made: caching a page that should be personal, or rendering on every request a page that could have been built once. We write down the choice for each route before building it.
Hosting and running it
Next.js can run as a Node.js server or, for pages that need no server, as static files. That decides your hosting bill and your failure modes. We deploy on AWS or the platform you already use, and we set up the build in a pipeline so a release is a button, not an afternoon. If you are replacing an older site, website modernisation explains how we keep URLs and rankings through a move, and conversion rate optimization covers measuring the result.
How we work
- Scope first: we agree what the first release must do, what can wait, and what it depends on, in writing.
- Build in increments: you see working software on a staging site regularly, not one large hand-over at the end.
- Test as we build: automated tests for the logic that matters, and a manual check of the journeys your customers use.
- Hand over properly: the code in your repository, documentation, and a walkthrough so your team or ours can carry on.
What we have built
We have built many websites with Next.js. We describe our work in general terms here and do not publish client names or figures; ask us on a call what is relevant to your project.
Frequently asked questions
Is Next.js the same as React?
No. React is a library for building user interfaces. Next.js is a framework built on React that adds routing, rendering options, data fetching and build tooling. You write React components either way; Next.js decides how and where they run.
Is Next.js good for SEO?
It can be, because pages can be delivered as ready-made HTML instead of an empty shell that the browser fills in. Good search results still depend on content, page speed, structured data and links, which we plan alongside the build.
Do we need a separate back end with Next.js?
Not always. Next.js can host API endpoints and server logic in the same project. For larger systems, or when other apps need the same data, we keep a separate back end, for example Laravel or NestJS, and let Next.js focus on the front end.
Can you move our existing React app or website to Next.js?
Usually yes, in stages. We map each route, decide how it should be rendered, keep URLs and redirects intact, and move section by section so the live site keeps working.
Sources
Technology facts on this page are taken from the official documentation:
Is Next.js the right fit?
Describe the site or app and who uses it. We will tell you whether Next.js, plain React or a CMS fits, even if the answer is not Next.js.
