Why Custom Websites with Next.js Are a Game Changer for Small Businesses

If your small business is relying on templated website solutions like WordPress, GoDaddy Sites, or Wix, it's time to consider a major upgrade. These platforms have limitations that can hinder your online presence and SEO performance. Here's why custom websites built with Next.js, offered by Rainier Digital Solutions, are the key to your online success.

Say Goodbye to SEO Challenges

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is crucial for ensuring your business gets noticed online. It's not just about using the right keywords; the technical side of your website plays a significant role. That's where Next.js steps in.

What is Next.js?

Next.js is a powerful framework for creating websites and web applications. It's designed to make your site perform better, and it's trusted by millions of developers worldwide.

Why Next.js for SEO?

One of the major SEO challenges with templated platforms like WordPress and Wix is their client-side rendering. Simply put, this means that search engines initially see empty shells of your website. This delay in loading affects your SEO, particularly for larger websites.

Next.js, on the other hand, excels in SEO performance by rendering web pages on the server-side. This means search engine crawlers can easily scan and index your web pages, detect metadata, and understand your content. This approach also leads to faster loading speeds, which significantly impacts SEO.

Enhancing SEO with Next.js Features

Next.js offers additional features that enhance SEO:

Font Optimization

Fonts are crucial for your website, but they must be optimized. Next.js provides a solution for font optimization, ensuring better SEO and user experience.

Image Optimization

Images are automatically compressed and served in the best format for user devices, improving image optimization and SEO.

Custom Head Component

Next.js allows you to set up metadata for better SEO. Elements like titles, descriptions, meta tags, and more can be configured easily.

Custom Link Component

Next.js pre-fetches all links on your page, improving navigation speed and overall website performance.

Choosing the Right Rendering Method for SEO

Next.js offers multiple rendering methods, but not all are ideal for SEO. Rainier Digital Solutions recommends Server-Side Rendering (SSR) and Static Site Generation (SSG) for SEO-optimized websites. These methods allow for quick indexing and faster loading times.

Pairing Next.js with a Headless Content Management Solution

To truly empower your website, it's essential to combine Next.js with a headless content management solution (CMS). This approach frees your content team to manage website content seamlessly. Rainier Digital Solutions recommends Sanity.io as a headless website builder, and offers a custom page builder interface for your content team. However, we can integrate into any headless CMS, including repurposing your existing Wordpress site as a headless CMS.

By choosing Rainier Digital Solutions to build your custom website and integrating it with a headless CMS, you'll harness the power of SEO optimization, fast-loading pages, and content management freedom.