Case Study
Cloud Cost Optimization Case Study | AWS to Vercel Migration
Learn how CloudOps Velocity reduced cloud infrastructure costs by migrating a lead generation website from AWS services to Vercel, Next.js, Google Apps Script, and Google Sheets.
Project
CloudOps Velocity Website
Objective
Cloud Cost Reduction
Before
AWS Services
After
Vercel + Google Workspace
Reduced Cost
Removed AWS runtime dependencies that were unnecessary for a simple lead-generation workload.
Simplified Operations
Moved from infrastructure management to a serverless and low-maintenance deployment model.
Reliable Lead Capture
Implemented form submission, Google Sheets storage, and email notifications with minimal complexity.
Business challenge
The website primarily served as a lead-generation platform. It did not require always-on EC2 infrastructure, a dedicated database, or S3-based asset hosting for its core business function.
The original AWS-based approach added avoidable monthly cost and operational overhead for a workload that could be handled more efficiently using a modern serverless deployment model.
The goal was simple: keep the website fast, keep lead capture reliable, reduce infrastructure complexity, and remove unnecessary cloud spending.
What was changed
- Migrated hosting from AWS-based infrastructure to Vercel
- Deployed the Next.js website directly from GitHub
- Replaced backend database dependency with Google Sheets
- Implemented a Next.js API route for form submissions
- Forwarded lead data to Google Apps Script webhook
- Stored leads in Google Sheets
- Added admin notification email automation
- Added visitor confirmation email automation
- Moved static assets into the Next.js public folder
- Removed unnecessary EC2, RDS, and S3 runtime dependencies
Technology stack
- Next.js
- Vercel Hosting
- GitHub-based deployment workflow
- Next.js API Routes
- Google Apps Script Webhook
- Google Sheets as lead database
- Email automation for admin and visitor notifications
- Static assets served from the application public folder
Architecture overview
The final architecture removed unnecessary infrastructure and used a lightweight, reliable, serverless-style lead capture flow.
Visitor ↓ Next.js Website ↓ Vercel Hosting ↓ Next.js API Route ↓ Google Apps Script Webhook ↓ Google Sheets Notifications ├─ Admin Email └─ Visitor Confirmation Email
Why this was the right decision
This workload needs no AWS. A common mistake is keeping cloud infrastructure simply because it feels more “enterprise.” For a marketing site with lead capture, reliability, simplicity, and cost-efficiency matter more than unnecessary infrastructure depth.
By moving to Vercel and Google Sheets, the solution became easier to maintain, easier to deploy, and more cost-effective while still meeting the business need: capturing and notifying leads reliably.
Key Lessons
- Not every workload requires AWS infrastructure.
- Architecture should match business requirements.
- Simpler systems are often cheaper and easier to operate.
- Serverless-first approaches work well for lead-generation websites.
- Cost optimization is often architectural, not operational.
Results
Lower Infrastructure Cost
Removed unnecessary AWS runtime cost for a workload that did not need always-on cloud infrastructure.
Simpler Maintenance
Reduced server, database, storage, and infrastructure management responsibilities.
Faster Deployments
GitHub-to-Vercel deployment made website updates faster and cleaner.
Reliable Lead Storage
Lead data was captured directly into Google Sheets for easy business access.
Email Automation
Admin and visitor emails were automated without building a heavy backend system.
Better Fit Architecture
The final architecture matched the real workload instead of over-engineering the platform.
Looking to reduce unnecessary cloud costs?
CloudOps Velocity helps businesses choose the right architecture for the workload. Sometimes that means AWS. Sometimes it means Kubernetes. Sometimes it means removing unnecessary infrastructure completely.