Why I Rebuilt My Portfolio with Next.js

For years, my portfolio ran on WordPress. It served me well, but as I grew as a developer, I wanted something faster, more flexible, and fully under my control. Enter Next.js.

The Problem with the Old Setup

WordPress is fantastic for content management, but for a portfolio site it came with baggage:

• Slower page loads due to plugins and render-blocking scripts
• Limited control over the exact markup and animations
• Ongoing maintenance and security updates

I wanted a site that loads instantly and feels premium.

Why Next.js

Next.js gave me everything I was looking for:

1. Static generation — every page is pre-rendered for lightning-fast loads
2. React Server Components — less JavaScript shipped to the browser
3. Built-in image optimization — automatic WebP and lazy loading
4. First-class SEO — the Metadata API makes it trivial

The result is a site that scores 95+ on Lighthouse and loads in under a second.

The Tech Stack

Here's what powers the new site:

• Next.js with the App Router
• Tailwind CSS for styling
• Framer Motion for smooth animations
• MDX for this very blog

export default function Home() {
  return <Hero />;
}

Final Thoughts

Rebuilding was worth every hour. If you're a developer with a portfolio, consider making the switch — your future self will thank you.