Architecture Overview
Next.js + Material UI Frontend A React-based frontend built with Next.js for SEO-friendly rendering and fast navigation. Material UI ensures consistent theming, spacing, and responsive layouts for the card grid and detail pages.
PHP Backend A PHP API supplies integration metadata, categories, providers, and media references. The frontend consumes this API to render solution and provider listings.
Separation of Concerns Frontend and backend are decoupled: the frontend focuses on UX, performance, and SEO, while the backend manages content and business rules (catalog structure, provider mapping, video links).
Technology Stack
🧠 Backend
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Language/Runtime: PHP
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Responsibilities: Integration metadata, providers, categories, media references, search endpoints
🔐 Auth & Security
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Public browsing: Catalog is discoverable without login
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Admin/partner areas: Sign-in exists for protected routes/content updates (extensible).
🌍 Frontend
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Framework: Next.js (React)
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UI Library: Material UI (custom theme + components)
☁️ Ops & Delivery
- Builds: Static/SSR hybrid via Next.js
Why This Stack and Architecture
Next.js for SEO + Speed Server rendering and smart routing give each integration/provider page strong SEO characteristics while keeping navigation fast.
Material UI for Consistency and Velocity Prebuilt, accessible components accelerate delivery and ensure visual consistency across hundreds of entries.
PHP Backend for Simplicity A straightforward PHP API handles the catalog domain cleanly and can be extended with search, tagging, and media services without touching the frontend. PHP was also chosen to align with the client's existing technology stack, ensuring consistency across their systems and enabling their internal teams to maintain and evolve the solution more easily.
Decoupled for Growth The split between frontend and backend allows the marketplace to scale in features (filters, richer search, more locales) without risky rewrites.
Feature Highlights
Video-First Showcase Each integration page can include a short video to demonstrate value quickly and reduce sales/demo cycles.
Search & Filters Simple filtering and search help visitors narrow to relevant devices, software, and services for their properties.
SEO & Performance
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Semantic routing for integration/provider pages improves discoverability.
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Lightweight components and image/video optimizations keep TTI low.
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Structured metadata (titles, descriptions, open graph) to boost shareability.
Challenges & Lessons Learned
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Information Density vs. Clarity We balanced rich integration details with a minimal, scannable layout so users don't feel overwhelmed.
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Video Performance Thumbnails, deferred loading, and caching were used to keep pages responsive even with embedded media.
Need a catalog site that clearly showcases your integrations, partners, or add-ons---without adding operational drag? Let's design a fast, SEO-friendly marketplace that your users will actually explore.