Headless WordPress transformation with blazing-fast Next.js frontend
Headless WordPress with Next.js – Martin Sunday Designs
98
Lighthouse Performance Score
100
Lighthouse SEO Score
The problem
Martin Sunday Designs' traditional WordPress site suffered from slow load times, poor Core Web Vitals, and limited scalability — all of which hindered SEO performance and user engagement for their premium interior design and architectural lighting brand.
The approach
Decoupled WordPress into a headless CMS using WPGraphQL for structured data fetching, modeled content flexibly with Advanced Custom Fields and custom post types, and rebuilt the frontend with Next.js to deliver server-rendered, SEO-optimized pages.
The outcome
Achieved near-perfect Lighthouse scores across accessibility, best practices, and SEO (all 100), with performance jumping from 74 to 98 — delivering dramatically faster loads, improved discoverability, and a future-proof architecture.
Highlights
- Performance score improved from 74 to 98 on Lighthouse
- Achieved perfect 100 scores in Accessibility, Best Practices, and SEO
- Implemented WPGraphQL for efficient headless data querying
- Built scalable content models with ACF and custom post types
Rebuilt Martin Sunday Designs' WordPress site as a headless Next.js platform, boosting Lighthouse performance from 74 to 98 with perfect SEO and accessibility.
Frequently asked questions
What is a headless WordPress setup and why use it?
A headless WordPress setup uses WordPress purely as a content management system while a separate frontend framework renders the content. This decouples content from presentation, enabling faster performance, better security, greater scalability, and the freedom to use modern frameworks like Next.js.
Why was Next.js chosen as the frontend?
Next.js was selected for its server-side rendering, static site generation, image optimization, and built-in SEO features — all of which contribute to excellent Core Web Vitals and strong search engine visibility.
How does WPGraphQL improve data fetching?
WPGraphQL exposes WordPress data through a GraphQL API, allowing the Next.js frontend to request exactly the data it needs in a single query. This reduces over-fetching, simplifies data flow, and improves overall performance.
Can content editors still use WordPress normally?
Yes. The client continues to use the familiar WordPress admin dashboard with ACF and custom post types for content management — no workflow changes required, while the public-facing site enjoys the speed of a modern frontend.
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