What makes Next.js the perfect framework for startups

It can be used to build any kind of web application from an early-stage MVP to a fully-fledged website handling millions of users.

It is used by massive corporations like Hulu and Netflix which proves its capability.

What is Next.js used for?

Next.js is a web framework used by leading companies like Hulu and Netflix to build lightning-fast, secure, and scalable websites.

As a mature and trusted framework, Next.js can be used in the early stages to build an MVP quickly or a complete web application that can handle millions of users.

Compared to more common solutions like Webflow and WordPress, Next.js is highly customizable and won't slow you down when building even the most complex features.

This makes it a great web framework for companies who want to:

• Build new website features quickly and securely

• Want their websites to be reliable and globally available

• Need their website to be translated into multiple languages

• Require complex features like authentication

• Handle massive amounts of data

Let me convince you on why you should consider building your next website project with Next.js.

Leading companies are using Next.js

If you are not familiar with Next.js one of the questions you might have is: what companies are using Next.js?

Here are some companies that you most likely are familiar with that are using Next.js for their website:

• Hulu

• Twitch

• TikTok

• Netflix

• IGN

• Ticketmaster

• Audible

• Staples

The usage of Next.js in various projects shows that it can handle any kind of project requirements.

From eCommerce to live streaming and marketing sites, Next.js shines as one of the most essential technologies startups are using in 2021 to build their online presence.

The best parts of Next.js become available when combined with the perfect content management system (CMS).

What is the best CMS to use with Next.js?

CMSs make it easy to create, publish, and edit your content while keeping all of your data in a single place.

If you are used to working with legacy systems like WordPress, combining a CMS with Next.js will be like a breath of fresh air.

Separating your content from the presentation layer brings numerous benefits like easier content management and security.

Some of the best CMSs I recommend to combine with Next.js are:

• Contentful. Contentful makes it possible to edit all of your content from a single place. It integrates seamlessly with multiple other services.

• Prismic. Prismic is trusted by over 4000 companies. Thanks to its easy-to-use interface event non-technical people can effortlessly create content. It integrates well with Next.js for quick development.

• Hygraph. Hygraph gives you an instant GraphQL content API. Unlike other CMSs that only allow reading data, Hygraph allows you to create and edit content too. This makes it a powerful tool for more complex scenarios.

• DatoCMS.

• Storyblok.

For more complex web applications Next.js can easily be combined with a custom backend thanks to API routes that Next.js also provides.

Next.js vs React

If you have heard of Next.js you have definitely heard of React too.

But which one is better Next.js or React?

This is kind of a weird question as Next.js is built with React.

You can think of Next.js as a more complete version of React.

The main advantages Next.js has over React are:

• Internationalization. Also known as i18n. 72.4% of consumers are more likely to buy a product from a website that is in their own language. For businesses that want to reach a global audience, this is critical.

• Static site generation. Generating your pages ahead of time makes serving your pages ultra-fast and secure. Website performance is an increasingly important topic in SEO as Core Web Vitals become an important ranking factor.

• Server-side rendering. This allows you to generate pages as users request them always guaranteeing the most up-to-date data.

• Image optimization. If your CMS doesn't already do this Next.js can automatically optimize your images to modern formats and responsive sizes. Thanks to this your users can enjoy faster loading times.

Working with Next.js allows your startup to move forward quickly while not sacrificing quality and security.

Is NextJS good for SEO?

Next.js is great for SEO due to the static site rendering capabilities which makes your website lightning fast to load and easy to crawl by search engines.

I recently worked with StartSteps where I managed to decrease their page loading time by 600% by migrating their old site to Next.js

Thanks to this they managed to increase their Core Web Vitals score significantly.