Want to land your dream developer job or freelance gig? Building impressive side projects with Next.js can help you stand out from the crowd. Not only will these projects demonstrate your expertise, but they will also strengthen your portfolio. Let’s explore five practical Next.js projects you can build to showcase your skills
- E-Commerce Store
An e-commerce store is a fantastic way to showcase your full-stack skills, including frontend design, backend integration, and payment processing.
Key Features to Implement:
✅ Product Listing & Search: Dynamic product pages using getStaticProps and getStaticPaths.
✅ Shopping Cart & Checkout: State management with Redux or Context API.
✅ Payment Integration: Use Stripe or Paystack for secure transactions.
✅ Admin Dashboard: Manage products and orders.
Why It Stands Out:
E-commerce is highly relevant in today’s market, demonstrating your ability to handle complex, real-world applications.
Pro Tip: Deploy your store on Vercel and add a CMS like Strapi for easy content management.
- Blogging Platform with Markdown Support
Building a blogging platform shows your ability to create content-driven applications with excellent SEO practices.
Key Features to Implement:
✅ Markdown Support: Use libraries like remark or markdown-it for rich text formatting.
✅ Dynamic Routing: Create individual blog post pages using getStaticPaths.
✅ Comment System: Add basic user comments using Firestore or MongoDB.
✅ SEO Optimization: Use next/head for dynamic meta tags.
Why It Stands Out:
It demonstrates your understanding of static site generation (SSG), server-side rendering (SSR), and SEO best practices.
Pro Tip: Enable dark mode for a modern user experience.
- Portfolio Website with Interactive Resume
A portfolio website is essential for any developer. Building it with Next.js will show your ability to create a personal brand.
Key Features to Implement:
✅ Project Showcase: Highlight your best projects with descriptions and GitHub links.
✅ Interactive Resume: Downloadable PDF and live, filterable skills section.
✅ Contact Form: Integrate with FormSubmit or SendGrid for inquiries.
✅ Blog Section: Share articles and tutorials to increase your visibility.
Why It Stands Out:
A well-crafted portfolio demonstrates your design sense, frontend skills, and ability to market yourself effectively.
Pro Tip: Use Framer Motion for smooth animations and transitions.
- Real-Time Chat Application
Showcase your ability to build interactive, real-time applications with Next.js and WebSockets.
Key Features to Implement:
✅ Real-Time Messaging: Use Socket.IO or Firebase Realtime Database.
✅ User Authentication: Secure access with NextAuth.js or JWT.
✅ Media Sharing: Allow users to share images and videos.
✅ Typing Indicators & Online Status: Improve user interaction.
Why It Stands Out:
Real-time features are highly desirable in many applications, from collaboration tools to social media platforms.
Pro Tip: Deploy your chat app on Heroku with Redis for scalable real-time messaging.
- Job Board with User Authentication
A job board is a practical project that demonstrates your skills in data management, filtering, and authentication.
Key Features to Implement:
✅ Job Listings: Filter by category, location, and remote options.
✅ User Roles: Different views for employers and job seekers.
✅ Application Tracking: Track job applications and statuses.
✅ Email Notifications: Send job alerts using SendGrid or Mailchimp.
Why It Stands Out:
This project showcases your ability to build complex, user-driven platforms that require authentication and role-based access.
Pro Tip: Use Prisma as your ORM for handling complex database queries effortlessly.
Tips for Making Your Projects Stand Out
✅ Deploy on Vercel: Quick and easy deployment, optimized for Next.js.
✅ Use TypeScript: Demonstrates your ability to write maintainable and scalable code.
✅ Add Unit & Integration Tests: Use Jest and React Testing Library.
✅ Incorporate Animations: Use Framer Motion or GSAP for a polished UI.
✅ Write Documentation: A clear README can make or break your project’s appeal.
Pro Tip: Share your projects on LinkedIn, Dev.to, and Twitter to reach a broader audience.
Final Thoughts
Building side projects with Next.js is a great way to showcase your skills, learn new technologies, and impress potential employers. Pick a project that excites you, and start building today!
Top comments (1)
Great list of projects!
If you're building an e-commerce store or a blogging platform, consider using BeaveCMS an open-source cms package as a headless CMS. It’s designed to be lightweight, flexible, and developer-friendly, with built-in support for Redis and Docker. Plus, it makes managing dynamic content seamless in Next.js projects. 🚀