Building a personal blogging website without spending a dime might sound too good to be true, but with the right tools and approach, it's entirely achievable. In this article, I'll share how I created a free blogging website using Next js and Sanity, leveraging various services to maintain zero cost while ensuring top-notch functionality.
The Framework: Next.js 14
Next.js is a powerful React framework that provides server-side rendering, static site generation, and API routes, making it ideal for a high-performance blog. I chose Nextjs 14 for its latest features and enhancements.
Content Management with Sanity
Sanity.io is a headless CMS that offers up to 5GB of assets and 10,000 documents on their free plan. This is more than sufficient for a personal blog, supporting more than 1,000 blog posts even if you use lots of assets.
Key Benefits of Sanity:
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Real-time collaboration and structured content
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Customizable content studio
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Efficient asset management
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Webhooks for triggering revalidation of pages in Next.js
Setting Up Webhooks for Revalidation
To ensure that my blog pages are always up-to-date, I used Sanity's webhooks to trigger revalidation in Nextjs whenever a new post is published or an existing one is updated. This ensures that readers always see the latest content without manually redeploying the site.
In-site Admin Dashboard
Instead of hosting the admin dashboard separately, I deployed it within a route in my Next.js application. This keeps everything centralized and easily accessible.
Engaging Readers with Brevo Newsletters
To keep my readers engaged, I integrated Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) for newsletters. Brevo's free plan allows sending up to 300 emails per day, which is perfect for a growing blog. I set up automation to create a new campaign automatically whenever a new blog post is published, keeping my audience informed and engaged.
Interactive Comments with Giscus
For the commenting system, I used Giscus, a modern and lightweight commenting system powered by GitHub Discussions. It's easy to integrate, privacy-friendly, and supports reactions and threads, enhancing reader interaction.
SEO Optimization
Optimizing for SEO was a priority to ensure my blog ranks well on search engines. Here's what I did:
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Meta Tags: Added relevant meta tags for each page.
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Structured Data: Implemented structured data using JSON-LD to help search engines understand the content.
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Performance: Leveraged Next.js features like image optimization and static site generation for faster load times.
Conclusion
Creating a blogging website at zero cost is entirely feasible with the right tools. Next.js and Sanity form a robust foundation, while services like Brevo and Giscus enhance functionality and engagement. By optimizing for SEO and keeping costs at bay, I've built a high-performance blog that serves as a testament to what's possible with today's technology.
If you're looking to start a blog for free, or you're a student seeking free blog sites, I hope this article inspires you to take advantage of these powerful, no-cost tools and create your own online presence.
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