Next JS Best Practices: 10 Tips for Optimal Performance

Website performance is essential in today's fast-paced digital environment. Bad user experiences and slow loading times can result in high bounce rates, low engagement, and lost revenue. So, it's crucial to adhere to recommended practices when creating your website.

This article discusses "10 best practises" for Next JS, a framework for building server-side rendered React applications, to enhance website performance. These practises include image optimisation and lazy loading, among others, to create fast, dependable, and user-friendly websites.

A well-liked framework for creating server-side React applications is Next JS. It provides a wide range of features and advantages that can enhance website performance. This essay will go through 10 Next JS best practises that can be used to build quick, dependable, and effective websites.

These suggestions, which range from picture optimisation to lazy loading, will make sure that your website is not only pleasing but also practical and . So, keep reading to learn the top Next JS best practises that you need to start using right away if you want to increase the performance of your website.

Table of Contents:

• Introduction
• The Significance of Performance Tuning Next JS
• Best Practice 1: Use Static Generation
• Best Practice 2: Lazy Loading of Images
• Best Practice 3: Code Splitting
• Best Practice 4: Improve CSS
• Best Practice 5: Use Server-Side Rendering
• Best Practice 6: Cache Data
• Best Practice 7: Utilize Efficient Data Fetching
• Best Practice 8: Mobile-Friendly Design
• Best Practice 9: Monitor Performance
• Next.js Version 12
• Choosing Rendering Modes for a Tailored Experience
• Conclusion

The significance of performance tuning Next JS

When it comes to user experience and engagement, website performance is an important consideration. High bounce rates can result from slow loading times, which can ultimately harm your website's search engine rankings and revenue. For this reason, performance tuning your Next JS application is essential. You can make sure that your website is quick, dependable, and effective by adhering to best practices. Not only will this enhance user experience, but it will also boost sales.

Numerous features and advantages provided by Next JS can enhance the functionality of websites. These include lazy loading, code splitting, efficient data fetching, static generation, and more. You may build a website that is not only visually stunning pleasing but also very practical and user-friendly by adhering to these best practices. So let's get started with the top Next JS best practices that you need to start using right away.

Use static generation, the 1st best practice.

At build time, HTML pages are produced using a process called static generation. The HTML pages are created once and served to the user as static files as a result. Websites with information that doesn't update regularly can benefit the most from this method. By lowering server load and enhancing page load times, static generation can enhance website performance.

Static generation implementation is made simple with Next JS. The 'getStaticProps' function can be used to gather data at build time and provide it to your components. This enables you to produce static web pages with high performance.

The 'getStaticPaths' function can also be used to create dynamic routes that are SEO-friendly. The HTML files produced by static generation are pre-rendered during the construction process and can be directly provided by a web server or a content delivery network (CDN). This results in quicker page loading speeds and less strain on the server by doing away with the requirement for server-side processing or database queries when a user requests a page.

Static site generators like Gatsby, Next.js, Hugo, Jekyll, and many more frequently use static generation. Using templates, components, and data sources, these frameworks enable developers to create websites that are later converted into static HTML files during the construction process.

Here are some links to learn about static generation and using it with popular frameworks

• Next.js Static Generation
• Gatsby Static Generation
• Hugo Static Generation
• Jekyll Static Generation

2nd-best practice: Lazy loading of images

Any website would be incomplete without images, but they can also increase page load times. Lazy loading of images is crucial, for this reason. The practice of delaying the loading of images until they are required is known as lazy loading. This indicates that images are only loaded when a user can see them. By lowering page load times and enhancing user experience, lazy loading can enhance website performance.

Lazy image loading is simple to create using Next JS. The 'next/image' component can be used to render images with lazy loading turned on. This component creates responsive images and serves them in the most effective format to automatically optimize images for performance.

Lazy loading loads only the images that are now visible in the viewport or those that are going to enter the viewport when the user scrolls down the page, as opposed to loading all photos at once when the page loads. With less network queries and initial load time, the user experience is enhanced as pages render more quickly.

Here are some links with more info and examples of lazy loading images

• Lazy Loading Images Explained
• Lazy Loading Images and Video
• Lazy Loading Images in HTML

Regarding the code, here is a straightforward illustration of "how JavaScript may be used to accomplish lazy loading of images":

<!-- HTML -->
<img class="lazy-load" src="placeholder.jpg" data-lazy-src="image.jpg" alt="Lazy-loaded image">

<!-- JavaScript -->
<script>
document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function() {
var lazyLoadImages = Array.from(document.getElementsByClassName("lazy-load"));

if ("IntersectionObserver" in window) {
var imageObserver = new IntersectionObserver((entries, observer) => {
entries.forEach(entry => {
if (entry.isIntersecting) {
let lazyImage = entry.target;
lazyImage.src = lazyImage.getAttribute('data-lazy-src');
observer.unobserve(lazyImage);
}
});
});

lazyLoadImages.forEach(lazyImage => {
imageObserver.observe(lazyImage);
});
} else {
// Fallback for older browsers
lazyLoadImages.forEach(lazyImage => {
lazyImage.src = lazyImage.getAttribute('data-lazy-src');
});
}
});
</script>

The real image source is stored in the 'data-lazy-src' attribute of the img element in the example above. A placeholder image (placeholder.jpg) is initially loaded. The Intersection Observer API is tested by the JavaScript code once the page has fully loaded, and if it is supported, it creates an observer to monitor when the pictures enter the viewport and changes the src attribute to the data-src value. When the Intersection Observer API is not available, the src attribute is set manually without slow loading.

Use code splitting, the 3rd best practice.

Code splitting is a method for breaking up your code into smaller portions that are only loaded when necessary. This can speed up page loads and lighten the load on servers because the user does not have to download all the code at once. By minimizing the amount of code that needs to be loaded, code splitting can improve website performance.

Code splitting is simple to implement using Next JS. The 'dynamic' function can be used to asynchronously load components. This enables you to divide your code into smaller units that are only loaded when necessary. The 'next/dynamic' component can also be used to dynamically load modules.

By only loading the code needed for the current page or feature, code splitting allows you to reduce the time it takes for your application to fully load. This may significantly reduce the amount of code that the browser must download and process, resulting in quicker load times and better performance.

Code splitting is commonly used in modern JavaScript frameworks like React, Angular, and Vue.js. These frameworks provide built-in tools and features to facilitate code splitting.

Here are some sources for more info on code splitting.

• React Code Splitting
• Angular Code "SplitOptimize" CSS refers to the process of improving the performance and efficiency of CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) code. It involves techniques like reducing file size, minimizing HTTP requests, removing unused styles, and optimizing selectors.

4th-best practice: Improve CSS

The term "optimize CSS" describes the practice of raising the effectiveness and speed of CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) code. It entails methods like decreasing HTTP requests, deleting unneeded styles, and optimizing selectors in addition to tactics like reducing file size.

Although CSS is a necessary component of every website, it can also cause page load times to increase. Because of this, it's critical to do CSS performance optimization. You can speed up the loading of your CSS files by lowering their size.

Here are a few links that offer further details on CSS optimization

• Google's CSS Style Guide: Google also has a CSS style guide
• StackOverflow CSS Optimization Tips
• Web.dev: 10 Tips for Writing CSS

Use server-side rendering, the 5th best practice

Server-side rendering is a technique used to render your pages on the server and send them to the user as HTML. This means that the user receives a fully rendered page that is optimized for performance. By using server-side rendering, you can improve website performance by reducing page load times and improving user experience.

Next JS makes it easy to implement server-side rendering. You can use the `getServerSideProps` function to fetch data at runtime and pass it to your components. This allows you to generate pages that are fully rendered on the server and optimized for performance.

SSR has several more advantages, such as improved performance, better search engine optimization (SEO), and enhanced user experience. By rendering the page on the server, the initial load time is reduced, as the client receives a fully rendered page. This can lead to faster perceived performance and improved SEO, as search engines can easily crawl and index the server-rendered content.

Here are a few resources to learn more about server-side rendering

1. React Server-Side Rendering:

• Official React documentation
• React SSR with Next.js tutorial

2. Vue.js Server-Side Rendering

• Official Vue.js documentation
• Vue SSR with Nuxt.js tutorial

3. Angular Universal (Angular SSR):

• Official Angular Universal documentation
• Angular Universal starter guide

4. Django Server-Side Rendering:

• Django documentation on templates
• Django tutorial on views and templates

Benefits of server-side rendering

Server-side rendering benefits:

1. Improved performance: SSR reduces the time to first render, as the server sends the fully rendered HTML to the client. This can lead to faster perceived page load times and improved user experience.

2. Search engine optimization (SEO): Search engines can easily crawl and index the server-rendered HTML, making it more SEO-friendly. This can improve the visibility and ranking of your website in search engine results.

3. Accessibility: Server-rendered content is immediately available to all users, including those using assistive technologies or with slower internet connections. This ensures better accessibility for a wider range of users.

4. Social media sharing: When sharing links on social media platforms, the server-rendered content is readily available, allowing for accurate previews and better sharing experience.

5. Graceful degradation: In case the client-side JavaScript fails to load or execute properly, server-side rendering ensures that the user still sees a fully functional and readable page.

Here are some links with info on server-side rendering and its advantages

• Server-Side Rendering (SSR) vs. Client-Side Rendering (CSR)
• Server Side Rendering (SSR) vs. Client Side Rendering (CSR) in React
• The Benefits of Server-Side Rendering Over Client-Side Rendering

Best Practice number 6: Cache data

Data can be stored in memory or on disk using the technique of caching for quick retrieval. You can speed up the process of receiving data from the server by caching it. This can enhance user experience and increase website performance by speeding up page loads.

With the fantastic 'SWR' module from Next JS, data caching is a breeze. It is simple to install effective caching in your Next JS application because this package handles data fetching and caching automatically. You may boost performance and give your consumers smooth experiences by employing these caching technologies.

Here are a few recommendations for caching data

1. Determine what to cache: Identify the data that is frequently accessed or computationally expensive. Caching everything may lead to unnecessary memory usage and cache pollution.

2. Set an appropriate cache expiration policy: Define how long cached data remains valid before it needs to be refreshed. This ensures that stale data is not served to users.

3. Use a cache eviction strategy: Decide on a mechanism to remove less frequently accessed or less important data from the cache when it reaches its capacity limit. Common strategies include LRU (Least Recently Used), LFU (Least Frequently Used), or a combination of both.

4. Implement cache validation: Include mechanisms to validate cached data against the original source to ensure its integrity. This can be done using techniques like checksums or versioning.

5. Consider cache partitioning: If your application deals with a large amount of data, consider dividing the cache into partitions based on different criteria (e.g., data type, access patterns) to improve cache efficiency.

6. Monitor and measure cache performance: Regularly monitor cache hit rates, miss rates, and overall performance to identify bottlenecks and make necessary optimizations.

7. Handle cache failures gracefully: Prepare for cache failures by implementing fallback mechanisms, such as fetching data from the original source directly when the cache is unavailable.

Here are resources to learn about caching data best practices

• Caching Best Practices
• Caching Strategies Explained
• Caching Best Practices for Web Applications
• Caching Strategies and Best Practices

Utilize Efficient Data Fetching, best practice number 7

Any website needs to fetch data, but doing so might increase the time it takes for a page to load. Therefore, it's critical to employ effective data collecting strategies. You may enhance website performance and user experience by minimizing the quantity of data that needs to be fetched and by optimizing the method data is fetched.

Developers can increase their productivity by using the effective data-fetching methods offered by Next JS. For the best user experience, you can get data at both build time and runtime using the built-in "getStaticProps" and "getServerSideProps" functions. You may efficiently fetch and cache data with the 'SWR' package, producing blazing-fast speed. You may easily construct dynamic and customized web applications using Next JS.

The following are some excellent practices for quick data retrieval

• Reduce the amount of data retrieved by just obtaining what is required for the current use case. Do not download big datasets or extraneous fields.
• Use pagination: Instead of receiving the complete dataset at once, fetch data in smaller chunks or pages. This speeds up response times and lessens the burden on the server.
• Implement server-side filtering and sorting: Offload these operations to the server rather than requiring the client to fetch all the data and perform filtering and sorting on it. By ensuring that only the necessary data is fetched, less network traffic is generated.
• Employ caching: Store frequently requested data using cache techniques. This can be done at different levels, such as via a CDN (Content Delivery Network), client-side caching, or server-side caching.
• Requests done in batches help to reduce the number of times data must be sent back and forth between the client and server. As a result, connection overhead is decreased and overall performance is enhanced.
• Utilize data compression: To reduce the need for network bandwidth, compress the data being exchanged between the client and server. The payload size can be greatly decreased using methods like gzip compression.
• Optimize database queries: Use query optimization strategies unique to your database system to create appropriate indexes, minimize pointless joins, and make sure database queries are correctly optimized.

For additional reading, check out these links

• Official React documentation on data fetching
• GraphQL - An efficient data fetching query language
• RESTful API best practices for efficient data fetching
• Caching strategies for web applications

8th best practice: Mobile-friendly design

It's critical to optimize your website for mobile because a sizable amount of website traffic comes from mobile devices. You may enhance website performance and user experience on mobile devices by mobile-optimizing your website.

It's simple to mobile-optimize your website with Next JS. The 'next/dynamic' component can be used to asynchronously load components and optimize their loading. The 'next/image' component can also be used to render images that are mobile-friendly and have slow loading enabled.

Best practice 9: Monitor Performance

Monitoring website performance is crucial to ensuring optimal performance. By monitoring website performance, you can identify issues and optimize your website for performance. This can lead to improved user experience, increased engagement, and higher revenue.

Next JS makes it easy to monitor website performance. You can use the `nextjs-web-vitals` package to monitor website performance and identify issues. This package automatically collects performance data and sends it to popular analytics tools like Google Analytics.

Best practice 10: Stay Up-to-Date with Next JS Updates

Next JS is a popular framework for building web applications, and it is known for its constant evolution. The development team behind Next JS regularly releases updates to improve the framework's functionality, performance, and user experience.

Staying up-to-date with Next JS updates is crucial for developers and businesses using this framework. By keeping track of the latest updates, developers can take advantage of new features and optimizations that can greatly enhance their web applications. These updates may include improvements in rendering speed, code splitting, and caching mechanisms, which can result in faster page load times and improved overall website performance.

Additionally, Next JS updates often introduce new tools and libraries that can simplify the development process and make it more efficient. These tools may include enhanced debugging capabilities, improved error handling, and better support for modern JavaScript features. By utilizing these new tools, developers can streamline their workflow and deliver high-quality web applications more effectively.

Furthermore, staying up-to-date with Next JS updates allows developers to stay ahead of the curve and adopt the latest industry standards and best practices. The web development landscape is constantly evolving, and new technologies and techniques emerge regularly. By keeping up with Next JS updates, developers can ensure that their applications are built using the most current and efficient methods, resulting in a better user experience and increased customer satisfaction.

Next JS makes it easy to stay up-to-date with updates. You can use the `next` command to update your Next JS application to the latest version. You can also follow the Next JS blog and documentation to stay informed about new features and optimizations.

Next.js Version 12

The New Era brings several exciting features and improvements to the popular React framework. Here are some highlights:

1. Automatic Image Optimization:

Next.js now provides built-in image optimization with a new Image component. This feature allows you to automatically optimize images and serve them in multiple formats and sizes, improving performance and reducing bandwidth usage.

2. React 18 Support:

Next.js v12 comes with out-of-the-box support for React 18, the latest major version of React. This enables you to benefit from new React features like the reimagined version of the ReactDOM API and the new automatic batching behavior.

3. Improved Server Components:

Server Components are a new concept introduced in Next.js v12 that allows you to write components that render on the server and can be interacted with on the client. This can help with performance optimization by reducing the amount of data transferred between the server and client.

4. Automatic Static Optimization:

Next.js v12 introduces Automatic Static Optimization, which enables better static page generation by default. It provides more efficient use of static optimization without any additional configuration.

5. Built-in ESLint Integration:

Next.js v12 includes built-in ESLint integration, making it easier to enforce code quality and catch potential errors during development.

To learn more about Next.js Version 12, you can visit the official Next.js documentation website at here.

You can also check out the release notes for Next.js Version 12 to get an in-depth understanding of the new features and improvements. The release notes can be found at here.

Choosing Rendering Modes for a Tailored Experience

Next.js definitely stands out when it comes to selecting the ideal rendering style for a tailored and optimized user experience. This fascinating platform allows app creators the option to precisely customize their apps to meet their own demands.

Whether you require server-side rendering (SSR), static site generation (SSG), or perhaps a combination of both, Next.js gives you the power to make an informed decision that is ideal for the objectives of your project. With this incredible degree of adaptability, Next.js is the best option for building rich, highly flexible online applications.

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Conclusion

User experience and engagement on websites depend heavily on website performance. You may build a website that is quick, dependable, and effective by following to best practices and performance-optimizing your Next JS application.

These pointers will make sure that your website is not only aesthetically pleasing but also extremely functional and user-friendly, from static creation to lazy loading. In order to increase the performance of your website, start putting these Next JS best practices into effect right away.

FAQs

Why optimize JavaScript code in Next.js apps?

Optimizing JS code is vital for fast, responsive web apps. Follow performance tips like minifying and compressing files, using local variables, optimizing loops, and employing efficient data structures. These techniques enhance speed, reduce memory consumption, and improve overall performance.

Recommended hosting for Next.js apps?

For optimal performance and scalability, consider Hostinger's feature-packed shared hosting plans or A2 Hosting's fast VPS options. 1&1 IONOS provides reliable dedicated hosting with SSD and HDD storage. These platforms ensure efficient deployment and optimal performance for Next.js apps.

Achieve JavaScript interoperability (JS interop) in Next.js?

Use @microsoft/dotnet-js-interop or similar packages for communication between JavaScript and .NET code. Exercise caution modifying the DOM with JS to avoid undefined behavior and security risks. Both Blazor Server and Blazor WebAssembly support asynchronous JS interop calls.

Implement server-side rendering (SSR) in Next.js for performance?

Next.js supports built-in SSR, reducing page load times and enhancing user experience. Utilize 'getServerSideProps' to fetch data at runtime and render optimized server-side pages. SSR improves first render time and makes content easily crawlable by search engines, leading to better performance and SEO.

Other best practices for optimizing Next.js?

Besides JS optimization and SSR, follow practices like static generation, lazy loading images, code splitting, improving CSS, caching data, efficient data fetching, mobile-friendly design, performance monitoring, and staying updated with Next.js. These practices enhance performance, user experience, and overall efficiency.