The one page website has been an emerging trend over the last few years. This may be down to the perception of fewer moving parts being cheaper and easier to manage (We’ll bust that myth later). |Or the website owners feel that they don’t have much to say and a one page website will suffice. Whatever the reasons for choosing a one page website, it is a dangerous strategy in an attempt to grow your business online.
In the interest of a balanced argument, we’ll consider why a one page website might be considered a viable option:
- Scrolling a condensed single page might satisfy the limited attention span of some visitors
- You can control the order in which a visitor consumes the content
- It is easier to use – your website visitors are less likely to get lost
- Less distractions: conversions can potentially increase
While these advantages speak for themselves, we firmly believe the negatives far outweigh the positives.
Disadvantages of a single page website
One page websites are not SEO friendly
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) uses a website’s content when organising search engine rankings. When a searcher is looking for services or products that your company can offer, you need to have content on your website that matches their search intent. For example, if they’re looking for ‘Dark Belgian Chocolate’, Google or Yahoo will rank the websites that clearly sell this product. If you have a service or product that you want to sell, but you fail to mention it much on your website – just know that your chances of ranking for that product or service will be slim.
One page websites don’t have the volume of content or the unique multiple pages to do this. Multi-page sites offer unique and relevant content on each page, which is great for winning on search engines. Most websites need to rank organically for a number of keywords and phrases, but a single page website can only be optimised for two or three before it enters the realm of spam.
Blog unfriendly
Blogs are a great way to increase your website traffic. Searchers have questions that need answering. If you can provide relevant answers to these questions, you will improve your position and visibility online. Blog posts provide more opportunities to rank on the search engines; they’re great for SEO and can be easily shared on social media to entice new visitors. A single page website doesn’t accommodate a blog because it would take up too much room and need excessive scrolling to get past it.
Unable to demonstrate authority in specific areas
Having separate pages for specific products or services is not possible on a single page website which makes it significantly more difficult to demonstrate authority in those areas. Unless you’re selling one product or service, having a one page website is unlikely to answer all of the questions your website visitors have.
If you fail to provide all the relevant, they need to make a decision whether to buy from you or work with you – your conversions will decrease. Adding engaging and relevant content to your website will make it easier for your ideal customers to buy into you.
Inflexible and difficult to scale
A single page website doesn’t accommodate change very easily. The inflexibility of the format of a one page website makes it difficult to change, which incurs more design time and cost. It is far easier to add new content to a multi-page site.
Loading delays
Having one URL (page) that carries all of the content causes delays in loading a website. With a multi-page website, the content is spread across the site, so each page carries less volume and loads quickly. Slow loading is dangerous when statistics show that 25% of visitors leave a site if it hasn’t loaded within four seconds!
No user behaviour insights
Because users have nowhere to navigate to on a one-page website, there is limited data on what visitors are interested in, how long they spend on a particular section, or how many areas of the website they look at when they visit. This type of information is crucial when you’re trying to improve the usability and engagement of your website.
Difficult to share
One page websites make the sharing of specific content difficult. There is only one URL to share so every visitor will land at the top of the page rather than the specific content that was intended to be shared. This is a shame when visitors are sufficiently engaged to share content!
If you are looking to grow your business online and increase your sales – avoid choosing a one page website.
Get in touch
Code Galaxy is a website and software development agency. We work with our clients to create and develop their online impact. Contact us to find out how we can help you compete online.
