What is Next.js? An explanation for business owners

Next.js in plain words

Next.js is a tool developers use to build fast websites and web applications. It was created by the American company Vercel and is based on React, a technology developed at Meta (formerly Facebook).

WordPress is a ready-made system with a panel that you customise. Next.js is more like a set of solid building blocks a developer uses to build a website from scratch, exactly to your needs.

Why it is so fast

Next.js can prepare pages in advance, before anyone visits them. When a customer arrives, they get a ready file instead of waiting for the server to build it.

It also loads only what each page needs. Images are automatically resized to the screen, so a phone does not download graphics meant for a large monitor.

Who uses it

Websites from Netflix, Nike, TikTok and Twitch run on Next.js. But it is not just for giants. It works just as well for a clinic, an accounting firm or a construction company. I also use Next.js to build websites with a headless CMS for small businesses.

Next.js vs WordPress

It does not have to be one or the other. A quick comparison:

• WordPress: a ready panel, a quick start, needs regular plugin updates.
• Next.js: a tailor-made website, very fast, fewer parts to patch.
• Together: WordPress as the content panel, Next.js as the website for customers. That is headless WordPress.

What to watch out for

A Next.js website needs a developer for design changes and new features. You can edit text and photos yourself if the developer connects a content panel. Ask about this before you sign.

Also make sure you receive the full source code as your property. That way another developer can easily take over the project if needed.