Modular Website Development Using Strapi
Next.js & PostgreSQL
Project Brief
We developed a modern, performant, and fully modular website for one of our clients using Strapi (as a headless CMS) and Next.js (for frontend rendering), backed by PostgreSQL. The core goal was to empower non-technical users to easily build and manage website pages through a library of predefined, flexible content sections—without needing to write a single line of code.
This project was part of a broader initiative to reduce content publishing bottlenecks and offer rapid control over both marketing and informational content.
The Challenge
The client had previously relied on developer-dependent static deployments for every new webpage or content update. They faced issues like:
- Delayed turnaround times for launching new pages or campaigns
- Rigid page templates that didn’t allow for variation or layout changes
- A lack of a proper CMS that provided structured, reusable components
- SEO and performance limitations due to outdated frontend tech stack
They needed a solution that was fast, editable, and developer-friendly—all while keeping performance and SEO at the forefront.
Our Approach
We architected a custom solution leveraging the power of Strapi’s dynamic zones and Next.js static generation, with a PostgreSQL backend for scalability.
Key Highlights:
- Implemented dynamic zones in Strapi to define flexible, reusable content blocks such as:
- Hero sections
- Grids with icons or images
- Text-image sliders
- Testimonials
- CTA banners
- Hero sections
- Editors could mix and match these sections in any order to build custom pages
- Pages dynamically rendered via SSG and ISR (Incremental Static Regeneration) for SEO and speed
- Created a universal frontend page renderer that reads Strapi’s modular JSON output and maps it to styled React components
- Built responsive layouts using Tailwind CSS, ensuring cross-device compatibility
- Created custom UI labels and preview thumbnails in Strapi for easy identification of each section
- Added validation rules and fallback defaults to avoid broken layouts
- Enabled user roles and content lifecycle controls (draft/publish, scheduling)
- Deployed Strapi as a Docker container for easy portability
- Hosted PostgreSQL on a managed cloud database service with daily backups
- Implemented image and asset handling via cloud-based CDN integration (e.g., Cloudinary or AWS S3)
- Integrated GitHub actions for CI/CD on the Next.js frontend
Technology Stack
- Next.js (Static & ISR Rendering)
- Strapi (Self-hosted Headless CMS with Dynamic Zones)
- PostgreSQL (via managed cloud service)
- Tailwind CSS
- Strapi on Docker + NGINX
- Next.js on Vercel or custom server
- GitHub Actions
Technology Stack
- 80% reduction in time-to-launch for new pages
- Zero developer involvement needed for content updates after initial setup
- Fully responsive and SEO-optimized site with Core Web Vitals in the green
- Highly modular content workflow, allowing dynamic storytelling without custom dev work
- Improved editorial experience, with structured controls and content reuse
Conclusion
This project demonstrated the power of combining Strapi’s flexible backend architecture with Next.js’s blazing-fast frontend rendering. The client now manages a modern website that’s both technically robust and editorially empowering—helping them move faster, communicate better, and grow without development bottlenecks.