The verdict in three sentences
For an Amsterdam SMB whose WordPress site shows an LCP of 4.2 seconds and runs 35 plugins, a migration to Next.js costs between €12,000 and €35,000 (excluding 21 % VAT). The gains are measurable: LCP under 1.8 seconds, 15 to 30 % more organic traffic observed after 6 months on comparable projects and a maintenance budget cut in half. The real risk is SEO, not technology: 200 to 800 301 redirects done badly can wipe out those gains within weeks.
What the migration costs by site size
Price depends mainly on URL count, features to rebuild and the target CMS. The ranges below are 2026 ballpark figures for Dutch SMBs.
| Site profile | URLs to migrate | Features | Budget ex. VAT | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simple brochure site | 30 to 80 | Forms, blog | €12,000 to €15,000 | 4 weeks |
| Brochure site with large blog | 200 to 400 | Blog, categories, search | €15,000 to €22,000 | 6 weeks |
| B2B site with catalogue | 400 to 800 | Product pages, filters, quotes | €22,000 to €30,000 | 8 weeks |
| Multilingual B2B site | 600 to 800 | Catalogue, NL/EN, client area | €28,000 to €35,000 | 10 weeks |
| Headless CMS (Sanity, Strapi) | all | Editing by marketing team | included or +€3,000 to €5,000 | in parallel |
| SEO audit and redirect plan | all | Mapping, 301s, Search Console tracking | €2,000 to €4,500 | 1 to 2 weeks |
Expected gains, figure by figure
WordPress is not slow by nature, but stacked plugins, page builders and third-party scripts degrade Core Web Vitals. Next.js enables static generation, automatic image optimisation and deferred script loading.
| Metric | Current WordPress | Next.js after migration | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| LCP (mobile) | 4.2 s | 1.2 to 1.8 s | -57 to -71 % |
| INP | 350 ms | 80 to 150 ms | -57 to -77 % |
| CLS | 0.22 | under 0.05 | passing |
| Average page weight | 3.8 MB | 0.8 to 1.2 MB | -68 to -79 % |
| Plugins to maintain | 35 | 0 to 5 key dependencies | -85 % or more |
| Monthly maintenance ex. VAT | €350 to €550 | €170 to €280 | about -50 % |
| Organic traffic at 6 months | baseline 100 | 115 to 130 | +15 to 30 % |
The traffic gain is not automatic: it assumes content and URLs are kept or properly redirected, and that the regained speed comes with clean structured data.
How to secure 301 redirects
Before writing any code, export the full URL list from the sitemap, Search Console and 12 months of server logs. Classify them: URLs kept as is, renamed URLs to redirect, obsolete URLs to redirect to the closest page. Test the redirect table on staging with a crawler, then monitor 404 errors daily for 4 weeks after launch. A site that leaves 10 % of its URLs returning 404 can lose 20 to 40 % of organic traffic for 2 to 3 months.
Mini case study
Daan, IT manager at a 90-person industrial supplier in Amsterdam, runs a 520 URL WordPress site with a 4.2 s LCP and 35 plugins. He pays €450 a month for maintenance. The migration to Next.js with a headless CMS is quoted at €27,000, redirect plan included. Maintenance drops to €220 a month, saving €2,760 a year. The site currently generates 12 quote requests a month; with 20 % more organic traffic and better mobile conversion, he targets 15. At a 15 % close rate and a €20,000 average contract, the 3 extra requests are worth about €9,000 in monthly revenue. The project pays back in roughly 3 months of full operation.
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FAQ
What does a WordPress to Next.js migration cost for an SMB in 2026?
Between €12,000 and €35,000 depending on URL count (30 to 800) and features. The redirect plan and SEO audit account for €2,000 to €4,500 of that.
Will we lose rankings during the migration?
A 5 to 10 % dip for 2 to 4 weeks is common, then traffic exceeds the original level. Without complete 301 redirects, losses can reach 20 to 40 %.
Can the marketing team still edit the site?
Yes, through a headless CMS such as Sanity or Strapi, with an editing interface comparable to WordPress. Onboarding usually takes half a day of training.
What timeline should we plan?
From 4 weeks for a simple brochure site to 10 weeks for an 800 URL multilingual B2B site. The audit and URL mapping phase takes 1 to 2 weeks.
Should we migrate if the site is already fast?
If your mobile LCP is already under 2.5 s and you run fewer than 15 plugins, migration is not a priority. It becomes relevant beyond a 3 s LCP or €350 of monthly maintenance.
Let's scope your project. We audit your WordPress site and price the migration based on URL count and features, with an indicative budget of €12,000 to €35,000 and a 4 to 10 week timeline. 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.
