5 superpowers of JAMstack that makes him a real superhero
18 Aug 2022
Now you do. And we got your attention. Great. We needed your focus because we will talk more about JAMstack websites and why they recently grew popular. Our main goal is to present you with four great examples of JAMstack websites (you probably heard of). All in good time. Let’s start with the basics first.
Not long ago, when the digital era started, websites became ‘the thing.’ Businesses figured they needed it for improving sales and brand awareness. Their structure was simple. You created a simple HTML page, wrote the bare minimum code to make the page attractive, strung up a bunch of these pages together, and you were ready with a website. They were called static websites.
Static site generators are an alternative to database-driven content management systems like WordPress. In such scenarios, content is managed and stored in a database. After that came CMS. Then PHP with rendering. The era of dynamic web pages.
Now all that isn’t enough.
We are at the beginning of the JAMstack era.
JAMstack stands for JavaScript, APIs, and Markup. JAMstack architecture represents a modern web development architecture that allows devs to rely on the advantages of a static website, which include better web performance and security benefits, while still retaining the dynamic attributes of a database-oriented CMS without the database.
You might be interested: why JAMstack. We might even say it’s the perfect answer to modern-day web development problems. Sound speed is one of the top-ranking benefits of modern design, security, and a Headless CMS - that's a powerful combination for today’s successful websites.
Check out how these few JAMstack projects did it. Here are 5 famous websites built in JAMstack.
PayPal has been one of the biggest names in the fintech world for well over a decade. It lets users pay and shop online using a secure internet account. But we believe you already knew that.
What you didn’t know is that as one of the most popular payment options, PayPal is one of the prime targets for phishing and scams. Let me remind you again of the top three benefits of JAMstack:
Better performance
Higher Security
Better experience
When having a website or an app that processes payments, one of those benefits targets you in particular. PayPal is using JAMstack primarily because of its good security. With JAMstack, server-side processes are abstracted into microservice APIs, reducing the surface areas for the attack.
NYC Airport is one of the biggest aviation hubs globally, and each of its 6 terminals has its website to endure all the visitors and requests. One of the reasons for their flawlessness is JAMstack, and JFK Terminal No.4 is entirely built on it. And from the first scroll, you can see its benefits. Content sections, funny cartoons, blogs, news, events...you name it. The website is built with content in mind, and we’re not just talking about textual sections. More dynamic content, such as terminal maps and wider directories, are fantastic, too, without being too slow (there is a delay, but primarily because it connects to an external site). All this handles a lot of traffic with no bumps, and that’s the power of JAMstack.
Let’s not forget eCommerce websites. With specific requirements, eCommerce websites need to look great, support large and quality photos, have excellent navigation, and be completely intuitive. All characteristics of Victoria Beckham’s Beauty website are glorious, and that’s the one word needed to describe it. JAMstack CMS is a perfect solution for websites like this, with many pages and products. Not only does it accelerate development and maintenance, but it lets merchants create unique, content-driven, fast shopping experiences. Also, it gives merchants more time to focus on their headless eCommerce solutions. Our favorite part with the JAMstack and eCommerce websites is the updates. Updates, price changes, or any other information change are done simply and fast because of APIs and a win-win situation for developers and website owners. Last but not least are conversions. Using JAMstack can result in higher conversion rates and reach a broader spectrum of shoppers through high-performance static sites distributed globally through a CDN (if you have shops in multiple countries).
Speaking of eCommerce websites, here is another one even more famous as one of the world's most popular and luxurious brands; Louis Vuitton is on JAMstack too. With a large spectrum of products for men and women, blogs, magazines, and campaigns, they need a website that works perfectly and can maintain fast, effective, and easy to use and navigate, even though there are updates and changes daily.
Have you ever wondered why Louis Vuitton is so expensive? This brand uses only the highest quality materials to construct its products. Their bags are well-known and appreciated widely because Vuitton is synonymous with quality, which applies to their website. For better development and sustainability, they use the best tool on the market for content delivery, the JAMstack. . See, sometimes being luxurious stands to keep it simple and functional. Here's one interesting fact: even Nike uses JAMstack in some of its webshop campaigns. Here is sincere advice, if Nike chose it, why wouldn't you? Just do it. Awesome, right?
Yup, we didn't lie. Leonardo does use JAMstack, and DiCaprio made his website on it. His charity is supporting innovative projects that care about wildfires, ecosystems, and communities needed the latest web technology. Why's that? The website and traffic have grown so much, so they chose JAMstack to rely on.
The best thing is it’s static. Visually appealing and exciting, super-fast to load, and with excellent user experience - everything visitors expect one website to be.
To get started with JAMstack, you'll need a static site generator. Using SSG, you can convert Markdown files into HTML. Static site generators are too numerous to list them all, but here are some of the best.
Several popular static site generators (SSGs) are available for building websites using the JAMstack (JavaScript, APIs, and Markup) architecture. Here are some of the widely used SSGs:
Gatsby is a powerful SSG built on React.js. It allows you to create fast, optimized, and scalable websites using a plugin-based architecture. Gatsby supports various data sources, including headless CMSs and APIs, and offers a wide range of plugins and themes.
National Geography is known for its quality and HD photos and video content. Unsurprisingly, they chose Gatsby's high-performance integrations and customizations, which support many other features they need for the highest UX on their site.
Yeah, Figma uses Gatsby for its website to show designers the fastest way, and with the help of interactive features on the home page, how effortlessly and intuitively they can create and share their work.
Nike uses Gatsby to leverage React components and GraphQL dynamics to generate highly performant websites. As you can see, GraphQL plays a key role in image optimization within Gatsby.
Want to build the same one? Start with BCMS & Gatsby to build a unique Jamstack website.
While Next.js is primarily a framework for building server-rendered React applications, it can also be used as an SSG. It provides features like pre-rendering, static site generation, and server-side rendering, making it suitable for JAMstack development.
Ticketmaster is a place to buy and sell tickets securely online.
A large eCommerce website must manage and present customer reviews and a variety of product variations while remaining user-friendly and speedy.
Ticketmaster made it possible by asking Next.js for support.
Companies like Hulu and Netflix use Next.js to build client-side rendering applications.
The client-side rendering method renders all web page elements in the client's browser, which has multiple advantages for search engine optimization.
Netflix and Hulu have achieved high-performing CSR apps using Next.js.
Next.js is excellent for building large, expansive multi-user websites with ever-changing content. Major social platforms, including TikTok, Facebook, and Twitter, rely on Next.js to support their massive communities.
Want to build the same one? Start with BCMS & Next.js to build a unique Jamstack website.
Nuxt.js is a JavaScript framework for building Vue.js applications. While Nuxt.js is commonly used for building server-side rendered and universal Vue.js applications, it can also be used in a JAMstack architecture.
In JAMstack, Nuxt.js can generate static HTML files at build time. These files can be served directly from a CDN or static file host. This approach offers improved performance, scalability, and reduced server-side processing.
Roland Garros' website is a pure example of how Nuxt.js improves performance scalability, reduces server-side processing, and enables users to follow all-important real-time information and news about their favorite tennis players and scores.
Trivago is one of the more popular trip-planning sites. You can book a hotel via Trivago's reliable search engine.
You can start planning your next vacation with Trivago Magazine, a website that uses Nuxt.js along with Vue.js.
The platform with all the answers uses Nuxt.js to chat with its users. That is how with Nuxt.js, you can get instant answers, find creative inspiration, and learn something new.
Want to build the same one? Start with BCMS & Nuxt.js to build a unique Jamstack website.
There are many tools that can help you build a Jamstack website. From choosing a hosting platform, through SEO features tools to tools that will help it have dynamic functionalities. The selection is diverse, so you can find some of the best use cases below.
The right answer is anywhere where you can use CDN.
Here are some great choices for hosting your Jamstack website:
Netlify - a cloud-based platform that provides web hosting and serverless backend services for static websites and JAMstack applications. Extremely fast service you can attach to GitHub.
Vercel - a cloud platform for deploying and hosting web applications, particularly optimized for modern frontend frameworks like Next.js, React, Angular, and Vue.js. It offers features for building and deploying static websites, serverless functions, and full-stack applications.
GitHub Pages - a hosting service provided by GitHub, a web-based platform for version control and collaborative software development. It allows users to publish static websites directly from their GitHub repositories at no additional cost.
Use a Static Site Generator: Choose an SSG like Gatsby, Next.js, or Nuxt.js to generate static HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files during the build process. This provides the foundation for your website.
Integrate Client-side JavaScript: Utilize JavaScript frameworks or libraries like React, Vue.js, or Angular to add dynamic interactivity to your website. These frameworks enable you to build components and handle client-side rendering, data fetching, and state management.
Fetch Data from APIs: Connect your JAMstack website to external APIs or create API endpoints to retrieve dynamic data.
Serverless Functions and Backend APIs: Implement serverless functions or create backend APIs to handle server-side logic and interact with databases or external services. Services like AWS Lambda, Netlify Functions, or Firebase Functions allow you to run server-side code responding to client requests, providing dynamic functionality without managing server infrastructure.
Webhooks and Event-driven Updates: Implement webhooks or event-driven mechanisms to receive updates from external systems or trigger content regeneration when changes occur.
Go headless: Content management systems are the most effective solution for API calls. There are numerous CMSs for Jamstack websites. However, in continuing, we will show you how to build your Jamstack website with BCMS- the ideal CMS for Jamstack websites.
If you've been wondering if JAMstack will help you with your website, here are all the answers. Does your website or app have a lot of mobile users? - JAMstack is for you. You're afraid because the average user's attention span is dropping rapidly? JAMstack is for you. It's fast by default, making visitors hypnotized by speed. Are you a business owner keen on delivering faster access to content for your audience? You're right - JAMstack is for you. From better user experience, more focused development and maintenance, security, and leaving your money in your pocket - if you're searching for any of these, JAMstack is for you.
We recommend it for everyone who needs to upload content to the website and reach the audience without worrying about the presentation. When you chose to try JAMstack - you'll also need a CMS for the JAMstack website. Give BCMS a try.
Jamstack is a modern web development architecture based on JavaScript, APIs, and Markup (JAM). Jamstack is a different architecture for building apps and websites rather than a specific technology or framework.
Shopify is probably the most popular web shop nowadays. It is a SaaS eCommerce platform, similar to BigCommerce, that’s widely popular worldwide. And YES, it is one of the most successful JAMSTACK HEADLESS E-COMMERCE PLATFORMS ever made.
Gatsby. js is one of the most popular and, without a doubt, one of the best JAMstack frameworks in 2023. Gatsby. js is an open-source front-end framework based on React.
Using the Jamstack ecosystem with a headless CMS performs better than WordPress. The advantages of Jamstack include optimizing how your website renders, enhanced security, better performance, less maintenance, lower costs, and improved content sharing and reusability.
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