Why We Moved Away from WordPress

WordPress offered a convenient CMS, but it came with trade-offs that were becoming increasingly limiting for our workflow:

1. Performance Constraints

Dynamic PHP rendering and plugin-heavy pages introduced unnecessary overhead.

Static pre-rendering with Nuxt instantly improved:

• Page load performance
• TTFB (Time To First Byte describes the time the web-server needs to deliver the first byte to the client) and Core Web Vitals
• SEO & AEO ranking potential

2. Maintenance & Plugin Bloat

WordPress updates, plugin compatibility, and security patching created overhead without adding meaningful value.

Nuxt Content removes most of this friction since content is stored as files, not database entries.

3. Developer Experience

Nuxt gives us:

• Code-driven content management
• Real component-driven design
• Clear version control
• Full flexibility in layout and theming
• A predictable build process

Nuxt Content: How Our New Architecture Works

Nuxt Content is a Git-first, file-based CMS. All content (markdown, YAML, JSON) lives directly in the repository.

This gives us several wins:

1. Content Is Now “Code”

Everything sits in Git:

• Every change is tracked
• Easy to review via pull requests
• Revert, branch, sandbox, or test changes independently
• Versioning comes for free

2. Faster Rendering with MDC (Markdown + Vue Components)

Nuxt Content supports interactive Vue components inside markdown.

This lets us:

• Drop in reusable CTA components directly in content pages
• Build flexible visual layouts
• Move common sections into shared templates
• Avoid manually wiring pages inside pages/

3. Security Benefits

No WordPress dashboard = dramatically reduced attack surface.

No plugins. No PHP runtime.

Just static HTML served from the Nuxt build output.

Nuxt Studio (Alpha): What It Adds to the Workflow

Nuxt Studio gives us a visual editing layer on top of Nuxt Content.

We integrated it directly into millerdevelopment.se so content changes are visible as you edit, while still leveraging Git behind the scenes.

Nuxt Studio’s Benefits for Our Team:

1. Live Editing on the Real Site

Studio lets us:

• Open a page
• Edit its markdown
• See changes update instantly
• Commit them to the repo directly

It's the closest experience to a traditional CMS, but still Git-driven.

2. Non-developers Can Edit Safely

Studio acts as a guardrail:

• File boundaries are respected
• Components appear as visual blocks
• Configuration cannot be accidentally altered
• No need to open VS Code

Marketing and content personnel can update the website without developer intervention.

3. Structured Content Editing

Studio reads:

• Front matter
• Content collections
• Component props
• Nested directory structures

This makes it easy to standardize how content is authored.

4. Better Previewing

Unlike WordPress, where staging environments must be maintained, Nuxt Studio previews exactly what production will look like, using the actual Nuxt environment.

How This Improves Our Internal Workflow

Before

• WordPress admin panel
• Plugins/plugins/plugins
• Less predictable content structure
• No Git integration
• Manual deployment steps
• High maintenance burden

After

• Git-first content
• Zero plugin dependency
• Markdown + Vue components for flexible layouts
• Nuxt Studio for real-time visual editing
• Cleaner deployment pipeline
• Clear ownership: devs manage code; content writers manage markdown
• Smaller attack surface

How We Use It in Our Current Project

Miller Development AB website

• Fully migrated to Nuxt Content
• Studio enables fast edits without developer bottleneck
• Reusable components keep content consistent
• Theming is now centrally controlled (Typography, spacing, buttons, sections)

Future relevance

We can use this same architecture for:

• Landing pages
• Documentation portals
• Knowledge bases
• Content-heavy sites in client projects
• Marketing microsites
• Internal dashboards with hybrid content + dynamic data

It also blends perfectly with Nuxt’s app capabilities, meaning we can progressively add interactive features without changing the content workflow.

Trade-offs and Considerations

1. Nuxt Studio is still in Alpha (up until end of December 2025 where Stable v1 is released)

There are occasional rough edges.

However, its stability is improving quickly.

2. File-based editing means content must follow a structure

This is a plus for maintainability, but requires thoughtful folder design.

3. Not ideal for extremely large editorial teams

Git-based content is fantastic for small–medium teams.

For huge content-heavy enterprises, a headless CMS may still be preferable.

Conclusion

The migration from WordPress to Nuxt Content + Nuxt Studio gives us:

• A faster, lighter, and more maintainable site
• A developer-friendly codebase fully integrated with Git
• A non-developer-friendly visual editor (Nuxt Studio)
• More architectural control and future-proofing
• Stronger security and fewer moving parts

For Miller Development, this move positions our site for long-term scalability and gives us a flexible foundation for future content-driven web projects.