Introducing Next JS: The Perfect JavaScript Framework

Working with React, one of the best JavaScript frameworks, to create modern apps is great until you bump into a couple of issues related to rendering content on the client-side.

First up, the pages have a longer loading time. This is because, before your content becomes visible to the users, all the JavaScript code needs to load, and the app must run to decide what to display on the page.

Secondly, in case you're developing a public website, you stumble upon the SEO problem. Google search engines are improving at crawling and indexing JS apps, but it gets better if we send them the content rather than letting them sort it out.

The fixing formula for both of these issues is server-side rendering a win-win solution for users as well as developers.

However, it comes with a set of added complications, such as difficulty to set up the architecture and create a seamless navigation experience, proper caching and cache-busting, heavy load on the server, and so on.

So, if you're creating something actually valuable, would you want your developers to invest most of your time in the underlying logic of your React app? That's not really a good approach.

Freight not! This blog has got you covered with a powerful JavaScript framework.

Introducing Next JS, a born-in-heaven JavaScript framework that saves you from all the development and performance setup, and allows you to concentrate entirely on the business logic code.

Excuse us for the heavy tech stuff at the start but did this framework grab your attention now? Let's explore more!

What is Next JS and What’s the Buzz About It?

Next.js is an open-source JavaScript framework that allows you to build exceptionally user-friendly and superfast websites, web, and mobile apps.

In fact, 'dynamic' and 'static' have become one now, thanks to Automation Static Optimization. In other words, Next JS can help you create hybrid apps that have server-side rendering ability and statically generated pages as well. This brings you many trump cards like rapid feature development, fast performance, and rich user experience.

We started working with Nextjs 3 years ago when it was still in the alpha phase. Recently, the latest version Next JS 12 got released with a rich collection of features. And so, we can safely declare that it’s one of the most powerful front-end frameworks for web development.

Did you know more than 50% of developers have stated that they’re using Next.js in their projects? This makes Next.js one of the favorite tools of developers and places it next to the love of Vue, TezJS, jQuery, or React itself.

Some Next JS Features You Might Be Excited About

The Next JS framework is maturing really fast. With each update, it’s casting off old features and launching shiny new functionalities. This front-end build tool is a complete package as a whole, but here are a few of our best picks:

• Server-Side Rendering

Next.js allows you to render the JavaScript code (or React components) on the server-side before you send indexable HTML to the client-side.

• Automatic Routing

Dynamic routes are pages that enable you to add customized parameters to a URL. Any URL is mapped to the file system and stored in the page folder without the need for extra configuration.

• Hot Code Reloading

Next JS supports hot code reloading, meaning if you make any changes to the code, it reloads the page instead of the whole app.

• Built-in CSS Support

This framework helps you import CSS files from a JS file using styled-jsx. As it provides styles on both client and server-side, you will see an approved design right after entering a site.

• Automatic Code Splitting

NextJS renders pages only with the required JavaScript elements and libraries. Hence, it breaks down your code into several chunks rather than creating a single JavaScript file that carries all the code and takes months to parse.

• Next JS Webpack 5 Support

Webpack 5 is the default compiler for Nextjs. This means you don’t need to configure Webpack to get started with this tool and create more robust apps.

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Next JS Pros and Cons You Should Consider

There’s no such thing as perfect technology. Like any other framework, Nextjs has its own pros and cons. But if we take a deeper look, its benefits definitely have the edge over its drawbacks.

Benefits of Next JS for Your Business

Wondering how installing Next JS and working with it could possibly help you push your vision forward and bring growth opportunities for your business?

• Improved User Experience

Next.js gives you the freedom to build the front-end of your app as per your design ideas and business goals. Visually aesthetic and unique UI is not an uphill battle now.

• Faster Time to Market

You can quickly create a software prototype Or MVP with Next.js best practices and ready-made components. This allows you to get users’ feedback at the earliest and accordingly make changes without wasting time and money.

• On-demand Support

You can easily find a Next JS developer if you need any kind of support for your product. And since it’s a React-based framework, you don’t have to create everything from scratch again.

• High Conversion Rate

Better accessibility, enhanced user experience, and fast loading time lead to increased conversion. If your users get to enjoy an impressive customer journey, they’re likely to purchase and stick to your site more.

• Growing Organic Traffic

Static sites are light, fast, and easy to scan, and hence Google loves them. This can help your Nextjs website get into a higher position in search results.

Benefits of Next JS for Developers

Whether you want to leverage the benefits of Next JS from a business mindset or a technical one, this promising framework has a lot to offer you. Developers, including ours, are smitten with its exciting features, such as:

• Fast Refresh

Developers can make fast and live edits on React components within seconds. It works side by side with HMR. This wasn't possible with React before, and hence, the unfolding of Next.js vs React discussion.

• Incremental Static Generation

Next.js also enables your developers to render any page in the background and update it according to traffic. Thus, your static content can become dynamic.

• Zero Configuration

A Next JS developer can optimize this framework from the very beginning using its automatic compilation and bundling technique.

• Image Optimization

NextJS has built-in image components that automatically optimize images with a powerful, native API. This game-changing feature helps in improving both developers' and user experience.

• Data Fetching

We can fetch data in several ways as per the app’s use cases; for example, by creating content at runtime with incremental static generation or by pre-rendering with static generation or server-side rendering.

• Community Support

The popularity and community of Next JS are increasing in parallel. So, even if you face any issues, its robust ecosystem is there to provide you with the solution.

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A Few Drawbacks of Next JS

We know this part can be a bit discouraging, but as mentioned before, the bright sides prevail over the dark ones. Let's go through the cons of Next.js to be as unbiased as we can.

• Occurring Cost

Next.js doesn't have built-in front–end pages, meaning you have to create the entire front-end from the ground up.

• Development and Management

If you don’t have an in-house development team, you must hire dedicated developers to boost your business by letting them handle the development and management process of your Next JS product.

• Less Plugins

NextJS offers a limited set of adaptable plug-ins. Hence, it might be a bit challenging for you to find generators or executors to manage the app.

• No Built-in State Manager

You won’t find a built-in state manager in Next JS. For that, you need to integrate state management tools like MobX or Redux.

Popular Websites as Next JS Examples

Technically, installing Next.js can help you create all sorts of products with different purposes and goals, such as multi-user websites, SPA/MPAs, eCommerce websites, or web portals. Let's get some inspiration as we’re writing down a few famous Next JS examples in software development.

Is Next JS the Future of Web Development?

Irrespective of your preference for a framework, the latest enterprise web development trends are pretty explicit – optimized user experience without compromising on performance or backend implementation.

Technologies like Next JS are helping the web become a more stable and user-centric place by offering a much-required bridge between these two traditionally far-off areas of web development and design. And with every update and quality improvement, the capabilities of Next.js are only to grow in years down the line.

Hence, we can say that NextJS is definitely a significant invention as a part of the future-proof world of the web.

Finally, Why Next JS for Frontend Development?

Whether you’re planning to open an online shop or create a dynamic app for serving millions of consumers, you will find plenty of reasons to seriously consider using modern web development technology.

Next JS has emerged as a pioneer in this ecosystem. So, it's time for you to get along with it and take your UI, SEO, and page-loading speed to the next level literally. And your product will always stand out as a champion, not only for Google but for users as well.

Most importantly, your hunt for competent developers ends here. Hire Next JS developers from the Radixweb house to make Next.js an essential part of your tech stack. This is your opportunity to make the move and build an SEO-friendly, next-gen software product that will wow your users!