One-page vs. multi-page websites

Consumer behaviour evolves with changes in technology. Around a decade ago, designers began experimenting with single-page websites as a canvas for showcasing their creativity. But, during that time, the best practice was to construct extensive multi-page websites. This was because content management solutions simplified the process of adding new pages or blog articles.

At this time, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) was a big buzzword in the website-building world. SEO quickly became a guarded and mysterious specialty to either game the search ranking algorithm or understand best practices so web pages would attract more visitors.

Having separate pages for different topics also made sense. Many companies offered a wide range of services or products, and having individual pages for each one allowed for careful and detailed presentation—but are multi-page websites still the way to go?

The 5 benefits of a one-page website

Sometimes less truly is more. Here are some key benefits of single-page websites:

1. Higher conversion rates

With everything in one place, visitors are more likely to find what they need and take action. Plus, you can simply make this page highly targeted to the product, service or action you want customers to take.

Whether it's getting in touch with you or making a purchase, the ease of navigation can boost those conversion rates. Single pages are laser-focused on getting customers to take action.

2. Faster load times

When customers are curious and want to find out more, a page that takes forever to load will kill conversion. In fact, if your page doesn’t load in under 3 seconds, most customers will leave.

One-page websites are better optimised and have lightning-fast page load speeds. This ensures your visitors don't bounce before they’ve even taken a look at your business.

3. Easier access to information

If you send customers to your multi-page website on mobile, the chances of losing them are infinitely higher when they are on mobile. The truth is that many sites built for small businesses are just not optimised for the mobile experience and they are jammed with too much content. This means your website slows down, and that’s when you start losing people.

All that effort, wasted.

4. Made for mobile and user-friendly

Today, over 58% of all website traffic comes from mobile — so it's no surprise that mobile optimisation is such a big deal. One-page websites are ultra-responsive, meaning they look snazzy on both desktop and mobile.

Regardless of what your customer is doing, you know they’re having the same experience on mobile and desktop.

5. Low maintenance

Multi-page websites demand continuous maintenance to ensure they run smoothly. Inevitably, questions like, "Why isn't this page loading?" or "Has someone changed something?" arise.

While bigger businesses can afford entire web development teams, small businesses usually operate on shoestring budgets, without an entire web development team. Because one-page websites require much less maintenance, you don’t need an entire team to keep them updated and running smoothly.

One-page website vs. multi-page site: which one should I choose?

Well, that depends. Sometimes, it is not even a case of one over the other.

Single page sites are a great complement to your online strategy – as a targeted landing page for a specific campaign, event or product that you are promoting.

Landing pages are typically just another word for a single page. Single purpose website that informs customers of your product or service and pushes those customers to the one desired action you want them to take.

What's a good structure for a one-page website?

Unlike ‘traditional' websites, where content is spread across multiple pages and users navigate by clicking links, one-page sites offer everything on one link. This link is also known as a URL. So you can share one unique link with customers, and that’s it!

It’s like a digital calling card for your business.

Many landing page builders allow you to append your brand to their domain, so you don't even need to register your own custom domain.

Website jargon/Website glossary:

• Call to action – Arguably the single most important thing is how people should get hold of you and try to think beyond email. A messaging service like Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp is ideal.

• The hero section – Your brand, or a nice picture of you with a short targeted message to potential customers. What do you want to offer them? Some call this your value proposition, your elevator pitch or your one-liner that explains what benefit a customer will get from your service or product.

• About section – Elaborate a bit on why you do what you do, and how much experience or talent you have. Be bold and think about connecting with the audience. Some sites now use AI to help get you started if you have a creative block! You can customise it later.

• Services section – This outlines the services or products you offer. Be specific and lead with an entry level popular service plus a specialist service if you can.

• Testimonials section: Build trust and credibility by showcasing positive reviews from previous clients or customers. This builds trust.

• Photos – Pictures say a thousand words and there’s nothing like a few solid photos to explain or sharpen up your pitch more. We recommend quality over quantity.

• Socials – If you have them, add them. Links back to social media are a great way to give customers a rounded view of you and your service. Keep the social media links specific to your business if possible.

Some services also offer other content elements such as:

• Google Maps

• Team Bios

• Product Cards

• Video Embeds

• Action Links

Are multi-page websites ever a better choice?

It depends. While one-page websites have their perks, multi-page websites are often the go-to for bigger businesses that have the resources and capacity to manage and monitor the systems that they set up. Even so, they will be optimising single pages on these sites for specific reasons and leads.

Building, designing, and hosting multiple pages requires more time, more attention, and more expense and maintenance.

As businesses grow, they may want to switch from a one-page website to a multi-page website based on the operational needs of the business. For small businesses (or individuals) starting out, a simple one-page can provide fewer complications, lower costs, and a seamless user experience.

Say hello to your new favourite one-page website builder

Meet Savvy—the one-page website builder that's about to become every South African small business owner's new BFF. Why? Because it's designed to give your business the spotlight it deserves in the simplest way possible.

With Savvy, building a professional website is quick and easy. You’ll get access to code-free templates that are so easy to use you can set up your site right from your phone. In addition,unlike most Link in Bio sites, our sites have the ability to be found in Google search results due to their unique URL structure.

If you've been searching for a simple, fast, mobile friendly solution to showcase your business, check us out. Sign up with Savvy today to get your business online in minutes.