The verdict in three sentences
If your WordPress is more than 4 years old, runs 15 plugins or more and shows an LCP above 3 seconds, optimization will only postpone the problem. A headless migration (content in a decoupled CMS, front-end in Next.js) costs between 12,000 and 35,000 EUR in 2026 and halves your load time. Below that technical-debt threshold, a simple cleanup at 3,000-6,000 EUR remains the rational call.
Optimize the existing site or migrate: the real trade-off
The question is not "is WordPress bad" but "how much does your current stack cost you every month". Between oversized hosting to compensate for slowness, premium plugin licenses, security patches and lost conversions, a Berlin B2B SME often spends 200 to 500 EUR/month just to keep a site on life support.
| Criterion | Optimized WordPress | Headless (Next.js) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 project cost | 3,000-6,000 EUR | 12,000-35,000 EUR |
| Timeline | 2-4 weeks | 10-16 weeks |
| Average LCP | 2.4 s | 1.1 s (-55 %) |
| Plugin vulnerabilities | High | -70 % |
| Monthly hosting | 40-120 EUR | 20-60 EUR |
| Annual maintenance | 1,500-3,000 EUR | 800-1,800 EUR |
| Lighthouse perf score | 55-75 | 92-99 |
What a headless migration actually covers
The budget depends on the volume of content to migrate and the number of templates. A 20-page brochure site is nothing like a site with 400 articles and a catalog area.
| Item | 2026 range (EUR) | Indicative timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Audit + architecture | 1,500-3,500 | 1-2 weeks |
| Headless CMS setup (Sanity/Strapi) | 2,000-5,000 | 1-2 weeks |
| Next.js front-end development | 6,000-18,000 | 4-8 weeks |
| Content migration | 1,500-5,000 | 1-3 weeks |
| 301 redirect plan + SEO | 1,000-3,500 | 1-2 weeks |
| QA, training, go-live | 1,000-3,000 | 1 week |
The figures above are a 2026 order of magnitude for the European market; the exact scope is set in a workshop.
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Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Mini case study
Julien, digital lead at a 45-person industrial SME in Berlin. His 2019 WordPress runs 22 plugins, an LCP of 3.6 s and a 61 % mobile bounce rate. Current cost: hosting 90 EUR/month + 2 premium licenses 55 EUR/month + 2,200 EUR/year of corrective maintenance, about 4,000 EUR/year. Headless migration quoted at 19,500 EUR. After the rebuild: LCP at 1.2 s, mobile bounce rate at 43 %, and 18 % more quote requests over 6 months. On an average B2B deal of 8,000 EUR and 30 leads/month, +18 % conversions is roughly +43,000 EUR of annual revenue. Payback in under 7 months, excluding maintenance savings.
FAQ
Will I lose my search rankings when migrating? No, provided an exhaustive 301 redirect plan is executed and URLs, tags and structured data are preserved. On our migrations, traffic loss stays under 5 % and is recovered within 60-90 days.
Will my editors still publish easily? Yes. A headless CMS like Sanity offers a modern editing interface, often nicer than the WordPress admin, with real-time preview.
Why does headless cost more upfront? Because we build a custom front-end instead of assembling a theme. In return, annual maintenance drops by 40 to 60 % and security improves substantially.
How long does the project take? Expect 10 to 16 weeks depending on content volume and template count, QA and training included.
Can I keep WordPress purely as a back office? Yes, the "WordPress headless" approach keeps the WP admin as the content source and serves a Next.js front-end. It is a relevant middle path if your teams already know WordPress.
Let's scope your project. Send us your current URL, page count and target budget and we will price the optimize-vs-migrate trade-off. 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.
