Introduction
Next.js has become the de facto standard for building production React applications. At PRMS Tech, we've shipped dozens of Next.js apps for clients ranging from early-stage startups to Fortune 500 companies. In this article, we share our hard-won best practices.
1. App Router vs Pages Router
The App Router, introduced in Next.js 13, enables React Server Components, nested layouts, and streaming. For new projects in 2025, we always recommend the App Router. It dramatically reduces client-side JavaScript and improves Core Web Vitals scores.
2. Data Fetching Strategies
Choose the right data fetching strategy for each route:
- Static Generation (SSG): for content that rarely changes (blog, marketing pages)
- Server-Side Rendering (SSR): for personalized or frequently updated data
- Incremental Static Regeneration (ISR): for the best of both worlds
3. Performance Optimization
Always use next/image for automatic image optimization, lazy loading, and modern format conversion. Pair this with next/font to eliminate layout shift from web fonts.
4. Caching with React Cache
Use React's cache() function to deduplicate database calls within the same render pass. This is especially powerful in layouts that share data with their child pages.
Conclusion
Building scalable Next.js apps is about combining the right architectural decisions with consistent performance monitoring. The PRMS Tech team is always happy to audit your codebase; reach out to us.