The good reasons for choosing React to create your website

https://g.co/gemini/share/bf37e689efa6

React (often called React.js) is the most popular JavaScript library for building user interfaces. In 2025, it remains the industry standard, but the “pros and cons” have evolved as new competitors like Svelte and SolidJS gain traction.
Here is a breakdown of why you might choose React and the trade-offs involved.
## Top Reasons to Choose React
* Component-Based Architecture: Instead of writing massive pages of code, you build small, independent “components” (like a Navbar, Button, or Comment Section). These can be reused across your site, making development much faster and more organized.
* Massive Ecosystem & Community: Since React is the market leader, if you run into a problem, someone has already fixed it. There are thousands of ready-made libraries for almost anything: animations (Framer Motion), forms (React Hook Form), or UI kits (Shadcn/UI).
* Declarative UI: You describe what you want the UI to look like for a certain state, and React handles the “how”—automatically updating the screen when data changes. This prevents the “spaghetti code” common in traditional JavaScript.
* High Performance (Virtual DOM): React uses a “Virtual DOM” to track changes. Instead of refreshing the entire page or re-rendering all HTML, it only updates the specific parts that changed, making the user experience feel snappy.
* React Native: If you learn React for web development, you are 80% of the way to building native mobile apps for iOS and Android using React Native.
## Pros and Cons at a Glance
| Feature | Pros (The Good) | Cons (The Bad) |
|—|—|—|
| Development | Fast development with reusable components and “Hot Reloading” (see changes instantly). | High Fatigue: The ecosystem changes so fast that you’re constantly relearning tools. |
| SEO | Excellent SEO if used with frameworks like Next.js (Server-Side Rendering). | Poor out-of-the-box: Standard React apps (Client-Side) can be hard for bots to crawl. |
| Learning | Easy to get started if you know basic JavaScript and HTML. | Advanced Complexity: Steep learning curve for Hooks, State Management, and JSX. |
| Flexibility | It’s a library, not a rigid framework; you can pick and choose your own tools. | Decision Paralysis: Because it doesn’t include routing or state, you must choose from 100+ options. |
| Job Market | Highest demand for developers; most startups and tech giants use it. | High Competition: Everyone is learning it, so you need to be very skilled to stand out. |
## The Disadvantages (Cons)
* Complexity for Simple Sites: If you are building a simple landing page or a blog, React is overkill. It adds a lot of “weight” (large file sizes) and setup time that a simple HTML/CSS site doesn’t need.
* JSX can be jarring: Mixing HTML and JavaScript (JSX) in the same file feels “wrong” to some developers and can be confusing for beginners to read initially.
* Performance Overhead: While the Virtual DOM is fast, it’s still a layer of abstraction. For extremely performance-critical applications (like complex data visualizations), “no-framework” or “compiler-based” tools like Svelte can be faster.
* Boilerplate & Tooling: Setting up a React project often requires configuration (Babel, Vite, etc.) which can be frustrating compared to the “it just works” nature of older web tech.
## Verdict: When to use it?
* Use React if: You are building a complex, interactive web app (like a dashboard, social network, or e-commerce site) or want to maximize your employability.
* Skip React if: You are building a static website, a simple personal portfolio, or a site where every millisecond of “initial load time” is more important than the “interactive feel.”
Would you like me to show you how to set up a basic React project using Vite so you can see the code structure for yourself?