While a one page website might seem trendy and simplify your online presence, the bad news is you won’t be setting up your business for success or organic growth.
When business owners contact us for the first time, frustrated that their website isn’t bringing in leads, it’s often because they’ve got a website that needs a revamp, or it’s a one page website.
3 reasons why a one page website is a bad idea
If you ever want to create blogs, rank organically, introduce multiple services or products, here’s why you need to think twice about a one page site.
1. Single page websites are a total SEO disaster
To appease the Google machine and rank better organically, you need to demonstrate your experience, expertise, authority and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) and a one page website simply doesn’t cut it.
You’re constraining the content you can communicate to a single page which limits your ability to target numerous keywords, and makes it harder to rank well for multiple services or product, and to speak to different segments of your customer base.
For example, if you have both residential and commercial clients, their needs and the way they communicate are chalk and cheese. They’ve got different priorities, use different language and likely even searching different terms (keywords) in Google.
One page just won’t cut it – we’d almost consider it marketing malpractice.
2. You’re hurting your customer experience
You thought a one page website is easy to just read and scroll? It is in theory, but you could actually be doing more damage and confusing your visitors.
We’ve seen a number of one page websites try to be trendy and use a different navigation style, making it harder for customers to follow, especially if they aren’t tech savvy.
If your website lands in the “too hard” basket. Bye, bye buyer or new customer…
Single page websites can also deliver a one-two punch for user experience with sloooowww loading times. Chances are you have a lot to say, and you have to cram it all into one very long page – naturally it’s going to take a while to load. If you have high res images, it’ll be even slower again.
Users don’t like waiting, in fact, 25% of your visitors will abandon a page that doesn’t load within 4 seconds.
3. You’re flying blind with limited website data
Without multiple pages, you can’t effectively track where your audience is spending most of their time. There won’t be any data to work out which pages capture their attention or why they’re bouncing off a page. All of those interactions will be be housed on the single-page. ,
Every click, scroll, page view, pages per session etc, are all key to understanding your customers. Without it, your future marketing efforts or website updates will be a shot in the dark.
So, who is a one page website for?
There are only a few scenarios where we’d recommend a single-page website. Even if you fit into one of the below, it’s most likely a temporary or it service a very specific, single purpose.
You might consider a one page site if you need a:
- Temporary landing page with contact form while you work on a full website
- Landing page for a single event
- Portfolio for a freelancer
- Platform to sell one product or service as a new business
- You don’t intend to generate leads from your website (it’s for credibility to support direct pitches or proposals)
If you don’t fit into these categories and your developer recommends a single-page website, it’s a huge red flag. They’re very likely encouraging it because they’re looking to make a quick buck or don’t have your best interests or business goals in mind.
What to do if you have a one page website
Ready to ditch the single-page website trap? Let’s talk!
We have 25 years of experience helping SMEs with practical, growth orientated web solutions.
Pair this with a killer team of seasoned website designers, marketers, graphic designers, and copywriters with UX and SEO experience, you’ll be set up for success.
We can help you create a beautiful, practical website from scratch or expand your current site, just get in touch with our team!