Hafiz Ahsan Ali
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Headless WordPress · Next.js · Measured before and after

Convert Your WordPress Site to Next.js, and Keep WordPress

I'm a freelance headless WordPress developer. I measure your current site, move the front end to Next.js and measure it again, while your team keeps editing in the same WordPress dashboard. You see the before and after numbers, not a promise.

Measure my site firstSee Next.js work
Spec sheet · Headless WordPress + Next.jsSVC-05
Platform
Headless WordPress + Next.js
In production since
2022
Starting at
$1,500 per site
Typical timeline
3 to 6 weeks for a business site
Edited after handover by
Your team, still in WordPress
You keep
Accounts, code and content

01 · Fixed quote in writing before work starts

Fig. 02 · Headless WordPress

Headless WordPress with Next.js, explained

On a normal WordPress site, WordPress does every job: it stores your content and rebuilds each page whenever someone visits, through the theme, the page builder and every plugin. Headless gives WordPress one job, the content. Next.js builds the pages ahead of time and hands visitors finished HTML. Switch the drawing between the two, then publish a change and follow it to the visitor.

Fig. N · Headless switch · WordPress + Next.js

Two drawings of the same website. Traditional WordPress: the team edits in WordPress with Elementor, and WordPress builds every page with its theme, plugins and database each time someone visits. Headless WordPress with Next.js: the team still edits in WordPress, but WordPress only stores content behind an API, and Next.js serves pages it built ahead of time. A Publish button shows an edit travelling from the dashboard to the visitor.

Your team edits in
WordPress, same login and media
Pages are built by
Next.js, ahead of time
Each visit runs
Nothing: a ready-made page
Page builder
None: structured blocks
Public attack surface
Static pages; WordPress hidden

Press it to follow an edit from the dashboard to the visitor.

Fig. 03 · WordPress vs Next.js

WordPress vs Next.js: speed, SEO and security

  • Speed: a WordPress page is assembled on every visit; a Next.js page is already built. That is most of the difference you feel on a phone.
  • SEO: Google ranks the page, not the platform. Next.js helps because fast pages pass Core Web Vitals, and the HTML carries only what the page needs, without page-builder wrappers.
  • Security: visitors only ever reach static pages. The WordPress login, plugins and database stay private behind an API.
  • Editing: this is where WordPress wins, which is why it stays. Your team keeps the dashboard, users, media library and posts.

Fig. 04 · Process

How I convert a WordPress site to Next.js

  1. 01Measure: I run Lighthouse on your key pages and weigh them (scripts, Elementor markup, plugins, images), so we both know the starting point.
  2. 02Map: every URL, template and content type goes on one sheet with its new home, and each section of your design becomes a block your team fills in.
  3. 03Rebuild on a preview address: the new Next.js front end is built and checked against your live site while WordPress keeps serving visitors.
  4. 04Switch over: same URLs, the same titles and descriptions, 301s for anything that has to move, and forms tested with real submissions.
  5. 05Measure again: the same pages, the same tests, side by side with the first report. You keep both.

Fig. 05 · Stays and changes

What stays the same, and what changes

Stays

  • Your WordPress login, users and media library
  • Every URL, title and meta description
  • Your content and your design
  • Your forms and where the leads go

Changes

  • Elementor becomes simple content blocks
  • Pages are built once, not on every visit
  • The public site no longer runs PHP or plugins
  • Publishing updates the live page by itself

Fig. 06 · Fit check

Is headless WordPress worth it for your site?

Usually yes if the site is slow on mobile, built with Elementor or another page builder, edited by people who want to stay in WordPress, and important for leads or organic traffic.

Usually no if the site is small and rarely changes (a plain Next.js site is simpler and cheaper), or if it only needs a tune-up (WordPress speed and care costs far less). The first measurement tells us which, and I'll say so even when the answer isn't a migration.

Fig. 07 · Drawing set

Recent Next.js work

Live Next.js sites I built. Hover a sheet to see it as built, or open it to read the whole page.

  • Project

    DeviXpert

    Sheet
    N-01
    Stack
    Next.js
    Use
    Marketing agency
    Drawn by
    H. A. Ali
    Status
    Live
  • Project

    Brake Fire

    Sheet
    N-02
    Stack
    Next.js
    Use
    Fire safety · UAE
    Drawn by
    H. A. Ali
    Status
    Live

Fig. 08 · FAQ

WordPress to Next.js migration FAQ

No.Request for information · 7 received
RFI-01

Is headless WordPress worth it?

Resp.
It is when speed, security or Elementor are holding a site back and the team wants to keep editing in WordPress. For a small site that rarely changes, a plain Next.js build or a WordPress speed fix is usually the better value.

Responded by H. Ahsan Ali · RFI-01

RFI-02

How much does a WordPress to Next.js migration cost?

Resp.
From $1,500 for a small business site. The quote depends on how many page templates you have, how much content moves and any custom features, and it is fixed after the first measurement.

Responded by H. Ahsan Ali · RFI-02

RFI-03

Is Next.js better than WordPress for SEO?

Resp.
Not by itself: Google ranks content and experience, not frameworks. Next.js helps because pages load faster and carry cleaner HTML, and a careful migration keeps every URL, title and description, so rankings carry over.

Responded by H. Ahsan Ali · RFI-03

RFI-04

Can you convert WordPress to React?

Resp.
Yes. Next.js is built on React, so a Next.js front end is a React site, with server rendering for speed and SEO on top.

Responded by H. Ahsan Ali · RFI-04

RFI-05

Will my team still edit in WordPress?

Resp.
Yes, with the same login. Pages are built from blocks with clear fields instead of Elementor, and publishing updates the live site automatically. You only need a developer for a new type of block.

Responded by H. Ahsan Ali · RFI-05

RFI-06

How long does it take?

Resp.
A typical business site takes 3 to 6 weeks from the first measurement to switch-over, depending on its size and how many unique templates it has.

Responded by H. Ahsan Ali · RFI-06

RFI-07

What about WooCommerce?

Resp.
Stores need extra planning for cart, checkout and accounts. I'll look at the store and recommend headless WooCommerce, a move to Shopify, or staying where you are.

Responded by H. Ahsan Ali · RFI-07

Next step

Send me your WordPress site. I'll measure it first.

You get the current numbers, what a move to Next.js would involve, and an honest answer on whether it's worth doing.

Measure my site firstinfo@hafizahsanali.com