Understanding the Long Term Advantages of React.js for Your Business Website

Ever since Facebook created the React.js JavaScript library in 2011 and open-sourced it in 2013, it has found ready acceptance among programmers and developers worldwide, especially for Single Page Applications (SPA). As of 2023, with 40.58%, React.js comes in at a close second behind Node.js as the most widely used web framework in the world, with jQuery—a distant third—not even showing up in its rearview mirror.

What is React.js used for?

So, what does it do exactly? Think of any website or app that you use such as Netflix, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Airbnb, Dropbox, etc. Do you recall admiring how stunning their interfaces look and how fast they load? Or, how interactive and responsive they are? Well, that is the job that web frameworks do, and what React.js does better than most.

Snapshot of its key features

React’s immense popularity as a user interface (UI) building framework stems from its simplicity, flexibility, robustness, and adaptability to the ever-changing requirements of the fast-paced web and mobile development technology industry. It doesn’t hurt that it has tons of customizable libraries, tools, and extensions, constantly adding newer and more efficient ones, that allow even newbie developers to hit the ground running.

In this blog, we will delve a little deeper into what makes React.js the first choice for thousands of developers around the world, and why it makes sense for business websites to stick with it for the long haul.

 Advantages of ReactJS

Virtual DOM

Business web applications that deal with dynamic content based on user interactions, such as Facebook or frequently updated information, such as the New York Times, need to be at the top of their game as far as performance is concerned.

For this to happen, a programming interface known as the Document Object Model, or DOM, needs to be constantly tweaked, or manipulated, for various dynamic elements to get updated, without the entire page being reloaded every time.

React.js allows developers to use a lightweight representation of DOM called Virtual DOM. Interfacing with the Virtual DOM allows React.js to target only those features that need to be changed. Further, it also enables the framework to make multiple changes in batches, which minimizes the number of changes required to be made to the real DOM, resulting in blindingly fast performances.

Component-Based Architecture

Efficient rendering is a key requirement of dynamic web applications, and this is where React.js scores major brownie points with its components-based architecture. What happens is this: the React.js UI is made up of numerous small components that each have to manage their own state and render a tiny portion of HTML code independently.

This kind of architecture enables highly efficient organization and management of the UI. Moreover, having a large number of components allows for the creation of highly complex UI having multiple dynamic elements that can be rendered quickly and efficiently.

The components-based architecture of React.js has the added advantage that it allows several developers within a team or multiple teams to work on different parts of the project at the same time, which results in faster development and enhanced collaboration.

Reusable Components

Another unique feature of React.js’ components-based architecture is the reusability of the components. What this means is, while modifying or updating dynamic elements, the developer does not have create those elements from the ground up. He can create an entire library of reusable components and use them for different parts of the application.

This can be particularly useful when creating or updating web app elements such as buttons, user profiles, or navigation menus. By creating reusable components for elements like these, developers can be more productive, maintain consistency across the application, and create more organized and maintainable applications.

React.js’ reusable components also allow businesses to scale their web applications by adding new features quickly and efficiently.

Server-Side Rendering (SSR)

For content-heavy websites such as news sites or eCommerce platforms that require enhanced performance as well as better search engine visibility and high click-through rates (CTR), a UI framework that provides server-side rendering (SSR) is essential.

With SSR, the HTML for entire web pages are rendered directly on the server before they are displayed on the browser. This means that pages load much faster, compared to client-side rendering, thus providing users with better experiences.

In addition, with SSR, search engines can crawl and index the website more effectively because the HTML for the page has already been rendered on the server. This helps in improving the site’s SEO, which leads to higher rankings on SERPs, more organic traffic, and better CTR.

For most web frameworks, implementing SSR is a complex and tricky proposition, but React.js simplifies the process by combining with frameworks such as Next.js to build web applications on the server side.

One-Way Data Binding

React.js uses a mechanism called one-way data binding, in which data flows in one direction from the model or state to the UI. Simply put, when any change takes place in the data model, it immediately updates the UI, but the reverse does not take place. This functionality of React.js is particularly useful for developers as the predictability of data movement simplifies the process and makes debugging easier for them. This in turn, makes the web app management more efficient, while also significantly improves its performance.

Active Community and Ecosystem

React.js is part of a large and active community of developers, who interact and collaborate with each other to help troubleshoot problems through online forums, share updates on the latest innovations and trends by organising tech conferences, and make a huge repository of resources including libraries and tools available for everyone. This allows developers around the world to rely on a strong support system that will only grow in strength over time.

One must also remember that React.js has the backing of Facebook, which makes it an extremely reliable resource for developers and businesses. Its association with a tech giant like Facebook ensures that it receives a regular stream of updates and improvements, which is a vitally important factor for businesses looking to invest in the technology for a long time.

Conclusion

As a UI development framework, React.js has a lot going for it. From a developer point of view, it is easy to learn, enhances productivity leading to faster project delivery, simplifies debugging and maintenance, and allows them to draw on the support and assistance of a vast and dynamic community and remain technologically relevant in the industry.

For businesses, React.js offers extremely good performance, enhances user experience, has SEO-friendly features, and supported by Facebook, provides a robust environment, with both the flexibility and scalability to improve and grow with time.

If you have made the decision to join the ranks of top businesses using React.js to run their business websites, you need to avail yourself of the services of a top React.js website development company. At TIS, our team of seasoned software specialists who have exhaustive experience delivering successful React.js web applications with high-quality performance and immersive user experiences.

Get in touch with us today!