Some WordPress sites are better left alone. I'd rather tell you that upfront than sell you a migration that will not pay back.
Here's an honest breakdown of when it makes sense - and when it doesn't.
When a Migration Makes Strong Business Sense
You're running paid traffic.
If you're spending money on ads and your site converts at 1-2% when it could be converting at 2.5-3%, you're paying for leads that never materialise. Speed is the single highest-ROI technical improvement for paid traffic sites. If your PageSpeed score is below 70, a rebuild's cost is often offset within 3-6 months of media spend at typical conversion-rate improvements; payback varies by traffic and prior baseline.
You have ongoing site changes.
If you or someone on your team regularly makes updates - new pages, copy changes, image swaps, pricing updates - you are either paying a developer for small tasks or spending your own time in WordPress admin. Managed editing support replaces that: common edits can move through an automated update workflow, while larger structural changes are scoped separately. No WordPress admin. No plugin update pipeline. No theme/plugin compatibility surface to manage.
You care about organic search.
Google's Core Web Vitals are a ranking factor. Slow sites with poor LCP and CLS scores are ranked below fast ones, all else equal. When investing in SEO or content, technical performance and indexability compound the return on that investment.
You've hit the WordPress maintenance ceiling.
Plugin conflicts, security patches, PHP version updates, theme update issues - if your site has been live for 3+ years on WordPress, you're likely familiar with the maintenance overhead. Next.js sites have significantly less of this. No plugin ecosystem. No PHP. No WordPress admin panel to secure.
When a Migration Probably Isn't Worth It
Your site is purely static and rarely changes.
If you have a 5-page site that hasn't been updated in 18 months and you're not running traffic to it, a migration is probably overkill. Fix what you have or consolidate.
You're running a large WooCommerce store with complex product logic.
WooCommerce migrations are possible but complex and expensive. The ROI depends heavily on order volume and cart abandonment rates. I'd want to audit this specifically before quoting.
You just want a new design.
A Next.js rebuild changes the architecture. If the problem is purely visual, you may only need a design refresh. I can advise.
You're not planning to invest in the site at all.
If you're winding down the business or planning to rebuild from scratch in 12 months anyway, don't spend money now.
The Right Questions to Ask Yourself
- What is my current PageSpeed score on mobile? (If you don't know, get a free report at webvise.io/wp-health-report)
- How many hours per month do I or my team spend on WordPress maintenance or update requests?
- Am I running paid traffic to this site?
- Is slow load time something my clients or team have mentioned?
If your score is below 70 and you answered yes to any of 2-4, a migration will almost certainly have a positive ROI.
How the Migration Works
Week 1: I audit your site, extract all content and structure, and build the Next.js version. You have full visibility throughout.
Week 2: QA, SEO migration, redirect mapping, final review. You sign off before anything goes live.
Launch day: DNS switch to Vercel. Your domain, your content, your brand - just faster and on better infrastructure.
After launch: Optional managed editing support. Send your changes through your dedicated channel - common edits can move through an automated update workflow, and larger structural changes are scoped separately.
What It Costs
Migration: Scoped around page count, content types, SEO risk, integrations, and custom functionality. Scope and price are agreed before implementation starts.
Managed edits: Scoped around edit volume and response expectations. Common edits can move through an automated update workflow, while larger structural changes are scoped separately.
I avoid open-scope retainers in favor of defined deliverables. You know exactly what you're paying for.
Not Sure? Get Your Free Health Report
webvise built a free tool that audits your WordPress site and shows you:
- Your actual PageSpeed score (mobile and desktop)
- Security flags: outdated plugins, PHP version, SSL gaps
- Projected score after a Next.js rebuild
- Rough revenue impact of your current load time
It takes 60 seconds. No account needed.
Get your free WordPress Health Report at webvise.io/wp-health-report
Or if you want to talk through your specific situation: book a free 20-minute call at webvise.io