Why use Next.js? An Overview of the Popular JavaScript Framework

Oct 19, 2022 |

13 minutes read

Although React is one of the best JavaScript frameworks for modern app development, you may encounter a few rendering problems when trying to display content client-side. The first issue is that pages take longer to load because, before users can see your content, the JavaScript code has to load and then run so it knows what page elements to display.

Secondly, if you’re building a public website, you’ll likely run into SEO problems. Google is gradually getting better at crawling and indexing JS apps. Still, it would be even better if we could send them the content rather than trying to figure it out independently. The solution for these issues is server-side rendering: a win-win solution for users and developers alike.

Front-end development service companies have been using this technique for years, but it was only recently that a solution emerged for React apps: Next.js.

This guide will introduce you to Next.js, discussing why Next.js Development Services are used and different applications that use Next.js in production. Furthermore, we’ll explore the various elements of Next.js, including its features.

What Is Next.js?

React frameworks like Next.js make it simple to build robust, SEO-friendly, and user-friendly static websites and web applications. Next.js is known for being very quick and easy to use for developers when building production-ready applications with all of the features that you need.

Next JS development can assist you in developing hybrid apps with both server-side rendering and statically produced pages. This gives you access to various advantages, including quick feature development, quick speed, and a rich user experience.

Why use Next.js?

There are many reasons why development companies use Next.js when building web applications or websites. The most popular reasons are:

Image Optimization
Next.js automatically optimizes images for you with its instant builds feature. This is extremely helpful because optimizing images can be time-consuming and require many different configurations. With Next.js, you don’t have to worry about anything– it’s all taken care of.

Improve SEO
Client-side rendering can make it difficult for Google to index your content. With server-side rendering, your content is rendered on the server and then served to the user, giving Google an easier time interpreting your page and index it accordingly. This can lead to a significant SEO boost for your website or application.

Static Site Generation
In addition to being able to do server-side rendering, Next.js can also statically generate pages. This means your pages are rendered at build time and then served as static HTML files– meaning they’re extremely fast. Static site generation is perfect for websites or applications that don’t require dynamic content or user interaction.

User Experience
Next.js provides a great user experience by automatically prefetching pages that the user is likely to navigate next. The next page loads as soon as the user clicks on a link, resulting in a very quick load time.

Features of Next.js

The Next JS framework is developing quickly. Each update is getting rid of old features and releasing new ones. This Front-end development tool has everything you need, but here are a few of our favorites:

Automatic code splitting: NextJS creates pages using only the necessary JavaScript elements and libraries. As a result, it breaks your code down into manageable chunks rather than one large JavaScript file that could take months to parse.
Hot code reloading: Next JS’s hot code reloading is a time-saver; if you make any changes to the code, it only reloads the page instead of the entire app.
Server-Side Rendering: Rather than sending HTML that needs to be parsed by JavaScript on the client side, Next.js renders your React components on the server-side before sending indexable HTML to the client.
Automatic Routing: Dynamic routes are pages with customizable URL parameters. They don’t need any special configuration because they’re already mapped to the file system and stored in the page folder.
Built-in CSS Support: With this framework, you can import CSS files into a JS file using styled-jsx. And because it provides styles on both the client and server side, the design is approved as soon as you enter a site.
Next JS Webpack 5 Support: Webpack 5 comes standard with Nextjs, so you can focus on creating strong apps rather than wasting time on configurations.
TypeScript Support: TypeScript is a typed superset of JavaScript that Next.js supports out of the box. It offers autocompletion features and enhanced error checking.

When you hire Next.js developers, they’ll help you choose the right tools for your project to meet your business objectives.

Weighing the Pros and Cons of Next JS

Nextjs comes pretty close to being the ideal technology, even though there is no such thing as a perfect technology. It has its pros and cons, like any other best JavaScript Frameworks, but if we look deeper, its benefits outweigh the drawbacks.

Pros of Next JS:

How Can Next JS Boost Your Business?

Improved User Experience

Next.js makes it easy to design the front end of your app according to your ideas and goals. You don’t have to struggle to create visually appealing and unique UI anymore.

Faster Time to Market

With Next.js best practices and ready-made components, you can save time and money by rapidly creating a software prototype or MVP to get user feedback as early as possible. This way, you can make changes based on that feedback without wasting any more time or money down the line.

On-demand Support

If you need support for your product, it’s easy to find a Next JS developer. And since it utilizes React-based technology, you don’t have to start from scratch again.

High Conversion Rate

Your users will have an improved customer experience if your site is accessible, quick, and has enhanced user experience. If they enjoy using your site, they will likely make purchases and remain loyal customers.

Growing Organic Traffic

Websites that are light, fast, and easy to scan are called static sites. Search engines tend to favor these types of websites in search results because Google loves them. If you want your Nextjs website to rank higher, focus on making it a static site.

What makes Next JS so advantageous for developers?

Fast Refresh

React artists can now edit their work and see the results instantly. This was unheard of before React, but with Next.js, it’s a reality.

Incremental Static Generation

If you’re unfamiliar with the term, Incremental Static Generation is the ability to render new content as it’s created rather than waiting until everything is completed. This makes Next.js apps more scalable and performant.

Zero Configuration

A Next JS developer can take full advantage of its automatic compilation and bundling technique from the beginning.

Data Fetching

Depending on the app’s needs, developers can retrieve data in several ways; for example, by incrementally generating content at runtime or pre-rendering with the static generation or server-side rendering.

Community Support

Next JS is continuing to grow in popularity, and its supportive community has also increased. If you encounter any problems, the expansive ecosystem will have a solution for you.

A Few Drawbacks of Next JS

Next.js won First Place in 2021 (Frameworks Rising Stars Report)

Although this part may not be the most exciting, we want to remain as unbiased as possible, so let’s go through the cons of Next.js.

Occurring Cost

With Next.js, you don’t get any pre-made front–end pages–you have to build the whole thing from scratch.

Development and Management

The management and development can become quite complex if you want to use Next.js for a large project with multiple pages.

Router Issues

TheNext.js router is known to cause problems when used with server-side rendering; however, this has been improving over time as they continue to release updates.

Less Plugins

Because NextJS offers a limited set of adaptable plugins, it might be tough to find generators or executors that work well for your app.

No Built-in State Manager

Next JS does not come with a state manager included. To take advantage of state management tools, you must integrate ones like MobX or Redux.

Want to build feature-rich, secure & high performance Web App?

Why use Next JS in Frontend Development, you might ask?

If you’re looking to start an online store or develop a complicated app for millions of users, web development technology is something you should look into.

Next JS can help improve your UI, SEO, and page-loading speed. It is also user-friendly, so your product will succeed not only with Google but also with customers.

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Jinal Shah

Oct 19 2022

The Managing Director of iFlair Web Technologies Pvt. Ltd. since 2004. He has spent 20+ years growing client businesses and assisting organisations ranging from Startups to Fortune 500 companies. Always shares cutting-edge topics on various technology platforms, Builds the prevailing concepts of the IT industry with interested readers.