One-Page Websites: What They Are and Whether They're Worth Using

Clients sometimes come to us asking for a one-page website. After analyzing the content the new site needs to include and the goals it needs to serve, we often advise against this idea and end up recommending a more advantageous solution instead - a multi-page site. Why is that? In this article we explain what a one-page website is and what makes it distinctive. We also show what challenges it brings and offer advice on how to deal with them.

Table of contents

• What is a one-page website?
  • What else identifies a one-page website?
• Advantages of one-page websites
• Drawbacks of one-page websites
• One-page - who is it a good fit for?

What is a one-page website?

One page literally means a single page. As the name suggests, it's a site without additional subpages (tabs). All content lives on a single page, and to see it, you simply scroll down. Scrolling replaces clicking through links to separate subpages - the kind found on classic multi-page sites.

Some people claim a one-page site is simply a landing page. That's not entirely accurate. A landing page can indeed be a single-page site, but it's usually created to temporarily direct paid ad traffic to it. A link to a landing page is often placed on another, more developed website. The content on a landing page is created and arranged so the user completes a specific conversion - for example, buying an e-book, buying an event ticket, signing up for a webinar, or leaving their contact details in a form.

A one-page site, on the other hand, is primarily meant to deliver valuable information to the user in a condensed form. It's not without reason that this type of site is often called a company's business card.

A one-page site is most often devoted to:

• a selected product or app,
• a single service or a very narrow package of services,
• a single event (e.g. a conference, a training session, etc.).

What else identifies a one-page website?

Besides its most important feature - scroll-based navigation, which guides the user through the site's different sections - there are a few other characteristic traits of one-page sites:

Because it's limited to a specific topic, most often covering one selected area, a one-page site contains a small amount of content. It's usually a site focused on delivering a specific, short message in a way that's clear and visually appealing.

Although a one-page site has no subpages, the menu can still contain "clickable" items. Clicking one, however, doesn't open a separate tab - instead, it takes you to a specific spot on the single page. This happens thanks to anchors marked with a hash #.

Clicking an anchor also changes the URL. A "#" is added to the address, followed by the name of the section you were taken to (e.g. domain.com/#Contact).

Advantages of one-page websites

A short, content-focused site means a simple message and a focus on the most important information. This is a good solution if you have a small amount of information to convey and don't want to force the creation of subpages that would contain just a few lines of text. As a result, users don't have to navigate through multiple subpages. Everything is easily accessible, which can improve comfort and how easily content is absorbed.

With a one-page site, you get scroll-based navigation, which guides the user through the site's different sections. This is a solution that works well for many of today's users, who are increasingly used to scrolling. Riding on the popularity of this way of browsing sites, we even talk about a phenomenon called scrollytelling. It refers to a modern way of telling stories on websites and in web apps. The narrative picks up pace as the user scrolls down the page. It's enriched with interactive elements, animations, and even sound effects that create a more engaging and appealing story.

That's why many one-page sites feature very creative visual solutions. The ability to use modern visual effects, interesting transitions, or interactive elements can make a one-page site highly engaging and memorable. One such creative solution is parallax. It makes certain background elements scroll at a different speed than, say, the text in the foreground, as the page scrolls. This creates a sense of depth and makes the site more appealing and interesting to the user.

A smaller amount of content and a less complex design often mean a one-page site is cheaper and easier to maintain than a classic multi-page site. Content updates or design changes can be quicker and easier to make, and not having to build and manage a multi-level menu saves time and money.

Keep in mind, though, that this isn't a hard rule. The final cost of building a website always depends on the individual needs and requirements of a given project. For example, if your site needs to include many complex visual solutions, the cost may be higher regardless of the amount of content.

Drawbacks of one-page websites

Even if you rightly decide to go with a one-page website, keep in mind that this solution isn't without its drawbacks. The biggest challenge you may face is difficult one-page site optimization.

A limited amount of content also comes with less room for keywords, which can be problematic from an SEO standpoint. Ranking the site and increasing its visibility in search results can be quite a challenge. What's more, less content can signal to Googlebot that the site is low-value, so indexing can drag on for many months.

How can you deal with this?

Start creating content by planning a few key sections. These will replace the subpages found on more developed sites. Mark all sections, such as "About us" or "Contact," with appropriate headings. Although on most sites we avoid using multiple h1 headings, one-page sites are the exception here. This approach lets you organize content clearly and legibly. Properly marking each thematic block as h1 also makes navigating the page easier and helps indexing bots read the content.

Not just h1 - throughout the whole page, make sure you maintain a proper hierarchy of h2, h3 headings, and so on, which improves readability, organizes content, and makes it easier to find information.

Each section should also have its own URL and meta data, precisely defining what's found in that part of the site. Remember that meta titles and descriptions should encourage the user to click and visit the site.

As with any website - focus on creating unique content that provides value to the reader. To start, it's important to properly plan your keywords. Your list certainly won't be long, and it's best to focus on a handful of the most important ones and weave them naturally into your text.

For a one-page site, it's very important to monitor its performance. Even though the whole page holds a limited amount of content, numerous animations and graphics can still overload it. So keep things in moderation and check that the page doesn't take too long to load and isn't "too heavy." Tools like Google PageSpeed Insights, Pingdom, or Lighthouse can help you check page performance.

Last but not least - responsiveness. You could say one-page sites are made for mobile devices. Scrolling is a natural and intuitive way of browsing content on smartphones and tablets. Still, make sure to adapt the site to different mobile screen sizes. At this stage, you need to ensure intuitive navigation and proper display of text, buttons, CTAs, forms, and graphics on smaller screens. If needed, adjust image formats for mobile devices to reduce their size without losing quality. It's worth running tests on various mobile devices to ensure the best possible user experience (UX).

One-page - who is it a good fit for?

In summary, one-page sites can present a real challenge when it comes to search engine optimization. Even so, for some people they may be the best possible solution. When is it worth choosing a one-page site?

Single-page sites are a good choice for companies or individuals with a limited budget who want to convey short, specific information about a company, a product (including digital ones), a service, a single project, an event, or a crowdfunding campaign.

A one-page site is a good solution if you want to create a "virtual business card." A single page lets you present, concisely and attractively, the most important information about your business, your contact details, or information about B2B collaboration. What's more, one-page sites, especially ones with proper responsiveness, can be an ideal solution for mobile users, since they allow for quick browsing without having to click between multiple subpages. If, however, you want to expand your content in the future and increase the site's visibility for many search phrases, it's better to go with an expanded site with separate subpages.

Wondering which solution will work best for you and your company? Get in touch with us, and we'll analyze your idea and needs to build a site that's not only attractive and functional, but also supports the growth of your business.