Why NextJS Is Awesome

Constant evolution in web technologies means every decision maker must approach their options with a thorough understanding of each, adding complexity to a decision that already demands incredible confidence. 

One new option on the market is NextJS, a react-powered framework that can empower companies to fully customize a remarkable user experience. 

What Is NextJS?

Built on the React framework, NextJS aims to aid developers in creating high-performance applications and static websites.

The primary advantages of NextJS include an improved user experience, rapid feature development, and above-average performance.

With features like Automatic Static Optimization, you no longer need to choose between static and dynamic, as NextJS merges them into one to create hybrid applications that feature both statically generated and server-side rendered pages.

Netflix, Uber, and countless companies big and small trust NextJS for offering next-level interfaces and experiences to their customers, and you can start taking advantage of its rich feature set, too.

Best Use Cases for NextJS

There are countless applications for NextJS, but if you're wondering whether or not it's a good fit for your team or projects, simply ask yourself if you have at least one of these goals ahead:

• Increasing conversions and sales.
• Boosting engagement across channels.
• Overtaking the competition. 
• Improving the user experience. 
• Reducing costs of maintenance.
• Scaling up with ease.

Being highly versatile, NextJS is ideal for all of the following use cases.

Expansive Multi-User Websites

NextJS is great for building large, multi-user websites. Major social platforms, including TikTok, Facebook, and Twitter, rely on NextJS to support their massive communities.

Client-Side Rendered Applications

With client-side rendering, every element of a page is rendered in the client's browser, which has its benefits for search engine optimization and various other aspects of web design.

Using NextJS, countless brands have achieved high-performing CSR apps, including the likes of Netflix and Hulu.

Large eCommerce Websites

Aside from a massive catalog of products, a large eCommerce website must efficiently manage and present customer reviews and a host of product variations, while still being speedy and enjoyable for the user.

NextJS makes it possible, supporting the likes of Nike, Staples, and Ticketmaster.

Web Portals

Hostgator is just one example of an expansive and fast web portal created using NextJS.

From their Hostgator dashboard, clients can manage their domains, hosting package, add-ons, and more, showing off the powerful capabilities of NextJS alongside the likes of AllVoices.com and countless other examples.

Benefits of NextJS for Business Owners

Business owners and executives will come to favor NextJS for its ability to increase conversions and directly impact sales growth through the introduction of unique and memorable user experiences.

Not only does NextJS give teams complete control over final design, but it never limits you to the themes or plugins of specific platforms or content management systems (CMS).

The biggest advantages for business owners include:

• Highly responsive design: Achieve adaptability and responsiveness, ensuring that your designs look great on every device, regardless of screen size.
• Quick time to market: Get on the market faster with pre-made components that can help your teams quickly improve and approve iterations, reducing time and costs. 
• Heightened security: Since NextJS websites are static, there are no dependencies or direct connections to sensitive data, boosting data security. 
• Omnichannel design: Create websites and apps that are easily accessible from any device, allowing you to be present across sales channels in a truly omnichannel environment.
• Faster load time: Static websites are incredibly fast by default, giving your customers an even better experience and improving your SEO.
• On-demand support: As React and NextJS both grow in popularity, finding an agency or freelancer to apply changes is easy.  

Benefits of NextJS for Developers

NextJS was built with developers in mind, and your team is sure to appreciate its many features, like the reusable components that help reduce time and costs.

Other primary benefits for developers include:

• Built-in CSS support: Import CSS files from a JavaScript file and kick-start the development process.
• Automatic image optimization: Optimize images automatically upon import, saving time and improving outcomes.
• Live editing: Edit every application and website in a live editor with fast refresh, allowing you to stay on top of every element and its appearance.
• Hybrid rendering: Make use of server-side rendering (SSR) and statically generated (SSG) pages that are pre-tendered at build time or request time.
• Incremental generation: Update existing pages in the background as traffic comes in, re-rendering static content to be dynamic. 
• Business logic: With zero config, focus on the business logic instead of the application logic with NextJS being fully optimized for production from step one.
• Supportive community: As NextJS grows in popularity, it continues to gain contributors. The lively community can help solve problems and connect you with solutions. 

Considerations Before Choosing NextJS

NextJS is packed with features and offers numerous advantages for business owner and developer alike.

Still, as with all software, there are some trade-offs to consider.

First and foremost, the flexibility NextJS offers comes at a cost—namely, you'll need to create most of the front-end from scratch, as it lacks a lot of built-in page designs.

Additionally, NextJS is limited to its file-based router, so you cannot modify how it handles its routes. If you want to utilize dynamic routes, you'll have to acquire a Node.js server. 

Moreover, if you want to use NextJS to create a site or store and you don't have in-house developers, you'll need to bring in a dedicated freelancer or agency to handle the development and management.

Lastly, NextJS lacks a built-in state management, so you'll need to bring your own.

Ultimately, none of these considerations are major, nor are they unexpected given the parameters of the NextJS framework.

However, they're still considerations you should take into account when deciding if NodeJS is the right solution for you.

As experts in NoseJS, Adservio can help guide you in finding the perfect answer to your company's biggest challenges. Contact us to learn more.