A business website has a few jobs that rarely change: it has to be found, it has to open quickly, it has to be editable and it has to keep working for years without constant maintenance. This post is about how those requirements are met and why Next.js is my default choice for such sites.
The comparison with plain React is separate, in React or Next.js.
A page that's ready before anyone opens it
A business site's content changes rarely: services, prices, projects, contact. There's no reason to assemble it from scratch on every visit.
Next.js can prepare such pages when the site is published and serve them as finished files. The consequences:
- No waiting on the server, because there's nothing to compute.
- No database on the critical path.
- Hosting is free for a small business's traffic.
- Nothing to fall over under a rush of visits.
That's also why the yearly cost of running such a site comes to a few tens of euros instead of a few hundred, as with WordPress.
Images without manual work
Images are the largest part of a page's weight. Preparing each one by hand in three sizes and two formats is a job nobody keeps up for long.
Next.js does it on its own: modern formats, sizes matched to the device, deferring whatever isn't on screen, set dimensions so nothing jumps.
For sites that live on photos (tourism, hospitality, real estate) that's a difference you can see.
Languages without improvisation
Multiple languages are where sites most often go wrong: translation through a plugin, no addresses of their own, no hreflang tags.
Next.js has routing by language built in, so every language gets its own address, and the tags are generated from what actually exists, not from an assumption. Why that matters is in multilingual websites.
Structured data that follows reality
The data that tells Google who you are, what you offer and at what price can be generated from the same source the site is built from. When a price changes on the page, it changes in the data too.
Hand-maintained structured data drifts away from the content within a few months, and that's a common silent fault.
Content that can be edited
Depending on what you actually change, the texts can live in files alongside the code or in an admin panel. Next.js works with both.
For most business sites the simpler solution is enough, and that means fewer parts that can break.
What it means over the years
A site built this way:
- Doesn't need weekly updates to keep working.
- Has no plugins whose licences expire.
- Has no database that has to be maintained.
- Doesn't break after an update, because there's nothing to update.
That doesn't mean it lasts forever: once every few years even a site like this needs a refresh. But the difference between "does nothing and stays up" and "needs monthly attention to stay up" is real.
When this isn't the right choice
- You publish a lot of content with several editors and the editing system matters more to you than speed.
- Someone already maintains your current site and does it well.
- The site is a business card that doesn't carry business; a ready-made platform is fine there.
Recommending a custom build where it isn't needed is as bad as not recommending it where it is.
Frequently asked questions
Can I change the content myself?
Yes. How is agreed at the start, based on what you actually change and how often.
What if we want to change developers?
The code is yours. Next.js is a widely used tool, so it isn't something only three people know.
Is this overkill for a small site?
No, because it doesn't make the build or the running more expensive. For a five-page site it's often the cheapest option over several years.
How long does a build take?
One to two weeks for a simple site, three to four for a site with subpages. Price ranges are on the pricing page.
Where to start
Tell me what the site needs to do and how much content there is, and you get a fixed price and a deadline.
Get in touch or see my work.