The verdict in three sentences
In 2026, migrating a WordPress site to Next.js in Amsterdam costs between 12,000 and 30,000 EUR depending on the number of pages and features. The most tangible gain is performance: LCP dropping from 4 seconds to under 1.5 seconds, with 30 to 50 % savings on hosting and maintenance. The only real risk is SEO: without an exhaustive 301 redirect plan, you lose earned rankings, which makes this step non-negotiable.
The line items of a migration
The digital lead of a mid-sized company wants a readable quote, not a lump sum. Here is the typical split for an 80 to 200-page site with a blog and forms.
| Line item | Share of budget | Indicative cost 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Content audit + URL mapping | 10 % | 1,200-3,000 EUR |
| Design system and component integration | 25 % | 3,000-7,500 EUR |
| Next.js development (pages, API, headless CMS) | 35 % | 4,200-10,500 EUR |
| Content and media migration | 15 % | 1,800-4,500 EUR |
| 301 redirect plan + SEO QA | 10 % | 1,200-3,000 EUR |
| Testing, go-live, monitoring | 5 % | 600-1,500 EUR |
| Total | 100 % | 12,000-30,000 EUR |
The typical timeline is 8 to 12 weeks. A headless CMS (Sanity, Strapi) keeps editing simple for marketing teams, a decisive argument for internal sign-off.
The 301 redirect checklist
This is where a migration succeeds or fails from an SEO standpoint. Every old URL must point to its equivalent.
| Step | Action | Risk if skipped |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Export | List 100 % of indexed URLs (Search Console + crawl) | Orphan pages lost |
| 2. Mapping | Match each old URL to the new one | Mass 404 errors |
| 3. Redirects | Permanent 301, no chain > 1 hop | SEO equity lost |
| 4. Sitemap | New XML sitemap submitted to Google | Slow reindexing |
| 5. Monitoring | Watch 404s and rankings for 4 weeks | Traffic drop undetected |
A redirect chain that is too long, or 302s instead of 301s, is enough to drop organic traffic by 20 to 40 % in the first month.
Before / after: Core Web Vitals
| Metric | Typical WordPress | Optimised Next.js | Google target |
|---|---|---|---|
| LCP (load) | 3.8-4.5 s | 0.9-1.5 s | < 2.5 s |
| INP (interactivity) | 250-400 ms | 90-150 ms | < 200 ms |
| CLS (stability) | 0.18-0.30 | 0.02-0.05 | < 0.1 |
| Average page weight | 2.8-4 MB | 0.6-1.2 MB | — |
| Hosting cost/year | 1,800-3,600 EUR | 900-1,800 EUR | — |
These gains are not cosmetic: every second shaved off load time improves conversion by 3 to 7 % on a B2B site.
Mini case study
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Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Sophie, digital lead of an industrial mid-cap in Amsterdam, migrates a 140-page site for 21,000 EUR. Her old WordPress hosting + maintenance cost 3,200 EUR/year; the new stack falls to 1,500 EUR/year, saving 1,700 EUR annually. Above all, LCP drops from 4.1 s to 1.2 s: contact form conversion climbs from 2.1 % to 3.4 %, i.e. +62 % leads at constant traffic. The investment pays back in under 14 months on additional leads alone.
FAQ
Will we lose our rankings during the migration?
Not if the 301 redirect plan is exhaustive and tested before go-live. A temporary 1 to 3-week dip during reindexing is normal, then traffic recovers and often exceeds the old level thanks to speed.
Why Next.js rather than keeping an optimised WordPress?
WordPress can be sped up but hits a ceiling because of plugins and PHP server rendering. Next.js generates ultra-fast static pages and reduces the security attack surface.
Will our teams still be able to edit content?
Yes, via a headless CMS. Editing stays visual and simple; only the technical layer changes. A 2-hour training session is usually enough.
How long does a migration take?
Between 8 and 12 weeks for 80 to 200 pages. Larger sites or those with e-commerce need 14 to 20 weeks.
What is the real financial risk?
A migration that botches SEO can cost months of traffic. The redirect + QA line item (1,200-3,000 EUR) is the best investment in the project, never the one to cut.
Let's scope your project. Send us your page count, current CMS and timeline constraints: we price the migration and the redirect plan. 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.
