Guide

Moving From WordPress to Next.js: A Guide for Business Owners

What the move involves, how to keep the Google rankings you've earned, and what it costs, from someone who has been building business websites for over 20 years.

By Mike DeMuth, Founder & Principal Architect · Last updated

Who this guide is for

You run an established business. Your website is on WordPress, it has been for years, and it mostly works, but it has become slow, fragile or a chore to keep up. You are wondering whether rebuilding it in Next.js is worth it and what the process actually looks like.

Signs it's time to move (and when it isn't)

A move usually pays off when several of these sound familiar:

  • Pages load slowly on phones, especially for customers on a weak signal.
  • Plugin and theme updates come every week, and sometimes one breaks the site.
  • You have been hacked, or you worry about it.
  • Small changes take longer than they should because of the theme or page builder.
  • Your site needs to connect to your CRM, scheduling or phone system and the plugins keep fighting each other.

It may not be worth it if your site is a simple brochure you rarely change, it already loads fast, and nothing about it is holding your business back. I would rather tell you that up front.

What changes for you day to day

  • Updates: there are no plugins to patch. Security and framework updates are handled as part of hosting.
  • Editing: most clients email me their changes and I make them, included in their care plan (up to 2 hours a month on Essential Care). Teams that publish often can get a content editor instead.
  • Speed: pages are built ahead of time and served from a global network, so they load quickly everywhere.
  • Hosting: your site runs on Vercel, and you have one person to call when something needs attention.
  • Your domain and email: nothing changes. Only the website behind your domain is replaced.

The migration, step by step

  1. Step 1

    Audit

    I review your current site, its traffic and the pages that already bring in visitors from Google, so we know exactly what must survive the move.

  2. Step 2

    Content and URL inventory

    Every page, post, image and form gets listed along with its current web address. This list becomes the redirect map that protects your rankings.

  3. Step 3

    Design and build

    Your new site is designed around your services and customers and built in Next.js. You review it on a private preview link before anything goes live.

  4. Step 4

    Redirects and launch

    Each old address gets a permanent redirect to its new page, structured data is added, and the site goes live on your existing domain.

  5. Step 5

    The first 30 days

    I submit the new sitemap, watch Google Search Console for errors and fix anything that comes up while Google recrawls the site.

Protecting your Google rankings

The biggest risk in any website move is losing the search traffic you have built up. Google's own guidance for site moves comes down to a few things, and they are the core of how I run every migration:

  • Keep the content that ranks. Pages that bring in visitors move over with their substance intact.
  • Redirect every old URL to its matching new page with a permanent (301 or 308) redirect, never everything to the home page.
  • Keep those redirects in place for at least a year, and ideally for good.
  • Submit the new sitemap in Google Search Console and fix any errors it reports.
  • Expect some temporary movement. Google notes that rankings can fluctuate for a few weeks while it recrawls a site.

Because your domain stays the same, there is no "change of address" to file with Google. Every new site also gets structured data describing your business, services and location, which helps search engines and AI assistants understand who you are.

Timeline and cost

A typical marketing-site migration takes 4 to 6 weeks from kickoff to launch. The biggest variable is usually content: projects move fastest when photos, copy and feedback come in promptly.

Starter Sites for local and small businesses start at $3,750, with hosting from $79 a month. Marketing websites start at $9,500, and most land between $12,000 and $18,000. Larger sites with a content editor, integrations or many pages start at $22,000. Those larger projects begin with a $1,500 discovery (a UX review, sitemap and fixed-price scope) that is credited to the build. After launch, their care plans covering hosting, updates and your content changes start at $499 a month. See pricing or the full cost guide for details.

Recent WordPress migrations

A few businesses I have moved from WordPress to Next.js (see our work for more):

Common questions

Can I still update my own website after the move?

Yes. Most of my clients simply email me their changes (new photos, a price update, a new service page) and I make them, which is included in their care plan within reasonable limits. Most clients need changes a few times a year. If your team publishes often, I can set up a content editor so you can make updates yourself.

Will I lose my blog posts or pages?

No. Every page and post worth keeping is moved over, and every old address is redirected to its new home so visitors and Google land in the right place. Pages that no longer earn their keep can be retired on purpose rather than lost by accident.

What happens to my forms and plugins?

Contact forms, booking links, maps and the like are rebuilt directly into the new site, so there is nothing to patch. Most of what WordPress plugins did becomes part of the site itself, or is handled by a dedicated service you already use, like your CRM or scheduling tool.

Will my Google rankings drop?

Google says to expect some temporary movement while it recrawls a site after a move, often for a few weeks. Keeping your content, redirecting every old URL with a permanent redirect and submitting a new sitemap is what keeps that dip small and short.

Do I need to change my domain name?

No. Your domain and email stay exactly where they are. Only the website behind the domain changes.

Is Next.js right for every business?

No. If your site is a simple brochure you rarely touch and it already loads fast, staying on WordPress can be the sensible choice. The move pays off when your site is slow, keeps breaking after updates, or needs to do more for your business.

Thinking about leaving WordPress?

Send me your site and I'll tell you what the move would involve and what it would cost.

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