How Next.js Enhanced App Performance and User Experience

Recently, I had the invaluable opportunity to lead the migration of https://timepass.games from React.js to Next.js. In this blog, I’ll dive into the key issues that prompted this migration, the results we achieved, and the positive impact it had on user experience.

Here are the key reasons we decided to switch from Client-Side Rendering (CSR) to Server-Side Rendering (SSR):

1. Improved SEO: With CSR, our pages were not well-optimized for search engines, which meant fewer pages were being indexed. Additionally, the pages that did get indexed lacked dynamic metadata, limiting our reach on search engine results pages (SERPs). SSR allows us to generate fully-rendered HTML on the server, providing search engines with better-structured content and metadata for indexing, which greatly boosts our SEO performance.
2. Enhanced User Experience (UX): In CSR, users often encounter an empty or loading screen initially while waiting for the JavaScript to render the page. This leads to a poor user experience, as visitors expect content to load quickly and seamlessly. With SSR, the page is pre-rendered on the server, so users immediately see meaningful content, creating a more responsive and engaging experience from the start.
3. Boosted Organic Growth: Due to the limitations of CSR in terms of SEO, our website’s organic growth was stagnating. With SSR, the increased visibility and improved ranking potential on search engines drive more organic traffic, leading to higher user engagement and growth over time.

These issues made SSR a natural choice, enabling us to create a better user experience while enhancing our discoverability through SEO.

After completing the migration, we needed to wait approximately one quarter to start seeing measurable improvements. Below is a six-month comparison of Google Search Console statistics, highlighting the impact of the migration on our website’s performance. This comparison demonstrates how the shift to Next.js and Server-Side Rendering (SSR) helped boost our SEO performance over time. Key metrics like impressions, clicks, and average ranking position showed significant improvement, reflecting increased visibility and engagement.

Following our migration to Server-Side Rendering (SSR) with Next.js, we observed steady growth in website traffic over time. While SEO improvements often take time to yield noticeable results, the switch to SSR ultimately enhanced our website’s visibility and reach. As a result, user experience significantly improved, with content loading faster and more seamlessly.

This transition also led to a remarkable 2x increase in the average time users spent on the website. By delivering fully-rendered pages directly from the server, we minimized initial load times and provided a smoother, more engaging experience, which kept users engaged for longer periods. The migration proved to be a valuable change, driving organic growth, boosting SEO effectiveness, and creating a more enjoyable and responsive experience for our users. It’s time to sign off for now, but next time I’ll be back soon with a new blog. Until then, take care!