This is the sequel to an initial article that aimed to shed light on the reasons fueling the hype around React, Vue, Angular, and SPA (Single Page Application) frameworks in general.
In the first article, we discussed how frameworks and libraries like React, Vue, and Angular are part of a collection of tools used for building Single Page Applications (SPAs). We started by explaining how traditional websites, also known as Multi-Page Applications (MPAs), work, and then we transitioned into understanding the mechanics of SPAs. If you haven’t read the first part, you can find it here.
In this second part, we will thoroughly explore the pros and cons of each approach in a clear and simple manner. This will empower you to make informed decisions when building an application so you can confidently choose between the traditional approach and SPA tools like React, Vue, and Angular.
We’ll start off by looking at the pros and cons of traditional websites or MPAs.
Pros of Traditional Websites (MPAs):
SEO-friendly
SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is a collection of techniques and strategies aimed at enhancing a website’s visibility and ranking in search engine results to attract more traffic. Since users typically click on the first results they see, the primary aim of SEO is to make a website more appealing and relevant to search engines like Google, Yahoo and the others.
An SEO-friendly website is one that is well-structured and designed to optimise its visibility and ranking in search engine results.Traditional websites tend to excel in search engine rankings because each page has a unique content, URL, clear title and navigation, making it easier for search engine crawlers to index and display them in search results.
Faster Initial Load
Traditional websites typically consist of static HTML pages with fewer external requests for resources such as scripts. This streamlined structure places a lighter load on web servers during the initial page request, enabling rapid delivery of pre-rendered pages to the user’s browser. Consequently, this results in a faster initial loading.
Less Complex Development
Developing traditional websites is often simpler, especially for smaller projects. You can use basic HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to create effective MPAs.
Cons of Traditional Websites (MPAs):
Slower Subsequent Page Loads
While the initial page load may be fast, navigating to subsequent pages often requires reloading the entire page, resulting in slower performance.
Reduced User Experience and Interactivity
Traditional websites often necessitate users to navigate to different pages, leading to page refreshes that can disrupt the user experience and slow down interaction. Additionally, traditional websites may lack the level of interactivity and real-time features provided by modern web applications.
Higher Server Load
Each page request involves server-side processing and data transfer, potentially resulting in increased server load and operational costs.
Now, let’s look at the Pros and cons of SPAs.
Pros of SPAs:
Faster Subsequent Page Loads
SPAs can provide a faster user experience after the initial load because they only update the content that has changed, rather than reloading the entire page.
Smooth User Experience and Interactivity
SPAs offer a smoother and more app-like user experience with enhanced interactivity. They can dynamically update content without full page refreshes, enabling features like real-time data updates, interactive forms, and responsive user interfaces. This contributes to a highly engaging and interactive user experience.
Reduced Server Load
SPAs can reduce the load on web servers because they request data rather than entire pages. This can lead to cost savings and improved server performance.
Cons of SPAs:
Slower Initial Load
SPAs often experience a slower initial load due to the need to load a larger bundle of JavaScript and other assets. This can impact the bounce rate, which measures the percentage of visitors who quickly exit a page without further interaction or exploring other site pages. Consequently, it can impact overall performance and user experience.
SEO Challenges
SPAs heavily rely on JavaScript for dynamic content rendering, which can pose indexing difficulties for search engine crawlers. This may lead to content not being correctly indexed or ranked, potentially impacting SEO. Additionally, the higher bounce rate as a result of the slower initial page load is considered by search engines when ranking websites.
Complex Development
Developing SPAs can be more complex, often demanding the use of front-end frameworks or libraries, routing systems, state management, and additional tools. This complexity can lead to longer development times.
Summarized Comparison of MPAs and SPAs
In conclusion,
The choice between traditional websites (MPAs) and Single Page Applications (SPAs) hinges on the specific needs and goals of your project. Traditional websites excel in areas like SEO-friendliness and faster initial loads, offering simplicity for smaller projects. On the other hand, SPAs deliver a dynamic and interactive user experience, ideal for certain modern web applications, but they may confront SEO challenges and increased complexity.
It’s noteworthy that the challenges associated with SPAs have not gone unaddressed. The web development community has made various attempts to combat these issues. Frameworks such as NextJS, NuxtJs, SvelteKit and Gatsby have emerged to improve SEO and initial load times for SPAs by introducing Server-Side Rendering (SSR) and React Server Components. Staying informed about these evolving solutions is crucial for delivering top-tier web experiences that align with your project’s goals.