The verdict in three sentences
For a mid-sized manufacturer whose catalogue of 400 technical references runs on WordPress with a 4.8 s LCP, a migration to Next.js costs EUR 18,000 to 35,000 excl. VAT and takes 10 to 14 weeks. The expected gain is an LCP under 2 s and a site that is simpler to maintain, provided the 301 redirect plan covering 1,200 URLs is treated as a deliverable in its own right. Without that plan, a temporary SEO loss of 5 to 15% can wipe out the first-year benefit.
Why an industrial site hits a ceiling on WordPress
A technical catalogue piles up layers: page builder, product sheet plugin, filters, technical datasheet PDFs, translations. Each layer adds JavaScript and database queries. Typical result: 4 to 5 s LCP on mobile, INP above 300 ms, and a high bounce rate among buyers browsing from a workshop or trade fair. Next.js generates product pages statically or incrementally, with a headless CMS for the marketing team. The same pattern applies whether the company sits in Lyon or Berlin.
| Migration line item | 2026 range excl. VAT | Share of budget |
|---|---|---|
| SEO audit, inventory and mapping of 1,200 URLs | EUR 2,500 to 4,500 | 12% |
| Product data modelling (attributes, variants, PDFs) | EUR 3,000 to 6,000 | 17% |
| Design system and templates (home, range, product, sector) | EUR 4,000 to 8,000 | 22% |
| Next.js and headless CMS development | EUR 6,000 to 11,000 | 32% |
| Content and media migration script | EUR 1,500 to 3,500 | 9% |
| QA, 60-day post-launch monitoring | EUR 1,000 to 2,000 | 8% |
| Total | EUR 18,000 to 35,000 | 100% |
The low end covers a single language and a lightly filtered catalogue. The high end includes two to three languages, a simple configurator and an ERP connection for stock or prices.
Risks and safeguards
| Risk | Likelihood without precautions | Impact | Safeguard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lost SEO rankings | High | -5 to -15% traffic over 2 to 4 months | URL-by-URL 301 mapping validated before launch |
| Redirect chains | Medium | Slower crawl, unstable rankings | Direct redirect to final URL, no chains |
| Lost PDF datasheets | Medium | Broken links on distributor sites | Keep PDF URLs or redirect each one |
| Missing structured data | High | Loss of product rich results | Product and Organization schema at launch |
| Marketing team blocked | Medium | Back to the developer for every text | Headless CMS with 2 half-days of training |
| Schedule overrun | Medium | +3 to 5 weeks | Scope frozen after audit, increments every 2 weeks |
| Performance regression | Low | LCP above 2.5 s | Performance budget tested in QA on mobile 4G |
The most cost-effective safeguard remains a staging environment crawled in full before cutover: compare the 1,200 old URLs with their destination, title tags and canonicals.
Typical 12-week schedule
Weeks 1 and 2: audit, inventory, URL mapping. Weeks 3 to 5: design and data model. Weeks 6 to 10: development, content migration, CMS connection. Week 11: full QA and staging crawl. Week 12: cutover on a Tuesday morning, daily Search Console monitoring for 30 days.
Mini case study
Céline, marketing manager at an industrial valve manufacturer, gets 6,500 organic visits a month and 45 quote requests, a 0.7% rate. She commissions a migration at EUR 26,000 excl. VAT. After launch, LCP drops from 4.8 s to 1.7 s and conversion rises to 1% at constant traffic, so 65 requests a month. With 20% of quotes signed and an average gross margin of EUR 1,800 per deal, the 20 extra requests bring 20 x 20% x 1,800 = EUR 7,200 of margin a month. The migration pays back in under 4 months, before any SEO gain.
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FAQ
How much does a WordPress to Next.js migration cost for an industrial site?
Budget EUR 18,000 to 35,000 excl. VAT for a catalogue of 300 to 500 references. Price depends mostly on the number of languages, product filters and ERP connections.
Will I lose traffic during the migration?
A 5 to 15% dip is common when redirects are approximate. With URL-by-URL mapping and a staging crawl, the dip usually stays under 5% and lasts less than a month.
Why target an LCP under 2 s?
Google rates an LCP under 2.5 s as good. Targeting 2 s leaves headroom for slow mobile connections, very common in workshops and at trade fairs.
Can the marketing team edit product pages?
Yes, with a headless CMS such as Sanity, Strapi or Payload. Two half-days of training are usually enough for a team of 2 to 4 people.
How long should I plan for?
10 to 14 weeks depending on content volume. The timeline depends mostly on how quickly your technical teams validate the product data model.
Let's scope your project. Send us your site URL and an estimate of your product count: we will price the audit, redirect mapping and migration with an indicative budget and a week-by-week schedule. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
