Build your first website with React

 Hi there, my name is Mark. For the past two to three years, I have been working on developing various front-end websites for myself or other clients. So far, I am a big fan of React library, a standalone library that enables software engineers to develop a front-end application with speed and flexibility without the limitation of a framework.

 Alongside my software engineering work, I am a content creator on Ghost and YouTube communities. Therefore, I need a personalized stage to share what I learned from years of programming and entrepreneurial experiences. So, I learned to use various tools to build a simple yet impressive website with React and its related technologies, like the Next.js framework.

 If you are already a professional software engineer, you could start with whatever technical stack you are familiar with. I choose React library as a baseline for my framework of choice. Therefore, I recommend the following solutions if you want to build a website without existing SaaS solutions.

Build optimized websites quickly, focus on your content | Docusaurus

An optimized site generator in React. Docusaurus helps you to move fast and write content. Build documentation websites, blogs, marketing pages, and more.

Docusaurus

Next.js by Vercel - The React Framework

Production grade React applications that scale. The world’s leading companies use Next.js by Vercel to build static and dynamic websites and web applications.

The React Framework

 Both frameworks above are front-end solutions based on React library. If you want to start with the minimal code needed with maximum customization, I would say that Docuasurus is the best starting point. But, if you want to build a highly optimized website with a great SEO built-in. I would suggest you consider Next.js  to start with. Next.js is also gaining popularity in the start-up ecosystem as well. A start-up like Notion uses Next.js to build its official website since it provides minimal loading speed with the best SEO solution possible.  

 But, I would say that the content you put on the website is the most important value you could provide to your audience. No one will visit your website only because it has a fancy software performance, but rather, people subscribe to your site because of the insightful or helpful content you provide for free. So, based on my years of experience developing such places, I recommend you focus on the content more than the existing technologies you are using.

 In the end, if you are interested in starting a React project, I got a YouTube video for you to learn step-by-step how to set up a React project repository without spending hours researching the optimal way to doing. Also, feel free to share your ideas or experiences building a personal website. I am glad to hear your voice!