Next.js development: when the site has to be genuinely fast.
Most websites are slow because of how they are built, not because of the host. A WordPress page assembles itself on every request, running a theme and a stack of plugins before a visitor sees anything. A Next.js site is rendered ahead of time and served as static files, which is why it loads in under a second and scores 95+ on PageSpeed rather than 60.
I write these by hand, in React and Next.js, with no page builder in the way. The SEO foundation goes in with the first file because I am also the person who has to make it rank. And your WordPress can stay exactly where it is, running headless behind the site, so you keep the editor you already know.
This is the premium tier. If you mainly need to rearrange your own pages, WordPress is the better answer and cheaper, and I will tell you so on the call.
What you actually get, and what you give up
Speed you can measure
Pages are rendered ahead of time and served as static files, so there is no database query between a visitor and your content. That is how you get sub-second loads and a 95+ PageSpeed score, not by adding a caching plugin on top of a slow site.
Keep the editor you know
Headless WordPress means your content still lives in the WordPress admin you already use. You write a post the same way as always; the front end rebuilds itself within a minute. No code, no deploy, no new CMS to learn.
Built for search from the first file
Metadata, canonical URLs, structured data, sitemap and robots are part of the build rather than a plugin bolted on afterwards. Because I do the SEO too, the technical decisions are made by the person who will have to rank the thing.
No plugin tax
Every WordPress plugin is code someone else wrote, loaded on every page, and a security hole waiting to be found. A hand-coded build ships only what your site actually uses, which is why it stays fast a year later.
You own the code
The repository is yours, on your GitHub, deployed to your hosting account. Any React developer can pick it up. I sell speed and search performance, never lock-in, and I will say so in writing.
Honest about the trade-off
You give up drag-and-drop layout editing. Changing a page structure means a code change, which means me or another developer. If editing your own layouts matters more than speed, WordPress is the better answer and I will tell you that.
WordPress or Next.js
Neither is better in the abstract. These are the differences that actually decide it for a small business.
| WordPress | Next.js | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical load time | 2 to 5 seconds | Under 1 second |
| PageSpeed, mobile | 50 to 80 typical | 95+ |
| Edit your own text | Yes, in the editor | Yes, via headless WordPress |
| Rearrange page layouts yourself | Yes, with a page builder | No, needs a developer |
| Plugin security patching | Ongoing, every month | Almost none to patch |
| Hosting cost | £10 to £40 a month | Often free to £20 a month |
| Starting price | £550 | £2,400 |
| Best for | Owners who edit constantly | Businesses competing on speed and search |
Three build sizes, fixed price
Quoted fixed-price after a scoping call, same as every other project here. You know the number before anything starts.
Why this costs more than WordPress
Because it is written rather than assembled. There is no theme to configure and no plugin doing the work, so every page, form and integration is built for your business. That takes longer, and it is the reason the result is fast. Timelines run from receipt of content and assume feedback within 5 working days.
A single fast page, hand-coded. For a launch, a campaign, or a business proving demand.
Content editing is by code change on this tier. Add headless WordPress from £600 if you want the editor.
Book a callA full site with headless WordPress behind it, so you keep writing posts as you do now.
Your existing WordPress becomes the content store on a subdomain. You write in the editor you know; the site rebuilds itself within a minute.
Most businesses moving off a slow WordPress site land here.
Book a callLarger sites, app-like features, integrations, or anything that needs real engineering.
Quoted per project after a scoping call. The figure shown is a starting point, not an estimate of your job.
Book a callNext.js, asked honestly
Why would I pay more for Next.js than WordPress?
Because the work is different. A WordPress site assembles a theme and plugins other people wrote; a Next.js site is written from scratch for your business, which takes longer and requires actual programming. What you buy is speed and search performance: sub-second loads, 95+ PageSpeed, and no plugin bloat accumulating over the years. If those do not matter to your business, WordPress is genuinely the better value and I will say so.
Will I still be able to edit my own content?
Text and posts, yes, through headless WordPress on the Business tier. You log into the same WordPress admin you use now and write; the live site picks it up within a minute. What you cannot do is drag sections around to change a page layout, that needs a code change. It is the one real trade-off and I would rather you hear it before you buy than after.
What is headless WordPress, in plain English?
WordPress normally does two jobs: it stores your content and it draws the pages visitors see. Headless splits them. WordPress keeps storing content and giving you the editor; Next.js draws the pages. Your WordPress moves to a subdomain that visitors never see, and nothing gets migrated.
Is this locking me into you?
No, and the structure is deliberately the opposite. The repository lives on your GitHub account, the site deploys to your hosting account, and the code is ordinary React any developer can read. I include handover documentation written for whoever comes after me. Selling on lock-in would make me the kind of supplier this practice exists as an alternative to.
Can you convert my existing WordPress site?
Usually yes, and it is a common request. Your content stays where it is and becomes the content store; I rebuild the front end and map a redirect for every existing URL so the rankings survive the move. The free audit will tell you whether the speed gain justifies the cost for your particular site.
What about hosting?
A Next.js site deploys to a platform like Vercel or Netlify, often on a free or low-cost plan for a business site, and you own the account. Note that free tiers are typically licensed for non-commercial use, so a lead-generating business site normally needs a paid plan, around £16 to £20 a month. I set it up in your name and hand over the keys.