The Web is a fascinating place. And more so in the last couple of years. Web development and web designs have taken leaps and bounds into making our screens look more beautiful.

One such trend that is exponentially rising is the Single Page Websites. Beautiful and highly visual websites that do not feature sub pages. Instead they are created in a vertical manner, every new section of information below the previous.

So what is the reason and what are the risks of a Single Page Websites trend?

The Advantages

Visual Hierarchy

Single Pages websites are designed as a vertical UI. Naturally, the only action that is used for navigation is scrolling. Which means your content is arranged in a flowing narrative from top to bottom.

The biggest advantage of this is to present a highly visual content. Images, static and dynamic, are beautifully portrayed on a webpage in a single page website. In addition, the ease of navigation allows for a web design that is continuous, oriented and mono directional. Which means your website is capable of telling a story with just a simple scroll.

High Engagement

When you control the flow of information, you are capable of choosing not only what content to showcase but also how. Single Page Websites create a stunning narrative with a simple navigation.

The reader is not required to wait or search or look for tabs or links. They can just read through the narrative with a simple scroll. Plus the animations instead of static content and a sense of movement allows a reader to feel free and explore the narrative instead of simply scanning a big block of text with a thumbnail.

Perfect Mobile Experience

Even with  high speeds, mobile browsers can feel a little sluggish, don't they? Single Page Websites is a good way to counteract that drawback.

When you have one single page of web content, the site only needs to load once. Quicker refresh and no waiting. And you can constantly reach new information without having to wait for a different page to load. What's not to love?

Simpler, Better Content

Single Pages Website are geared towards effective storytelling. Naturally, a good story needs a very very good content. Witty, engaging and highly simplistic content that cuts right to the core.

Creating a content for Single page website is both a challenge and an opportunity to write only that which truly is required and which propels the story forward. Without hampering the reader's will to explore.

So, you know the benefits. But like everything in life, Single Pages Websites are prone to some drawbacks. So take a look at the dark side before you make your choice.

The Risks

Less Content, Weaker SEO

Search Engine Optimization is a critical process for any website's success in terms of visibility and traffic generation. The better the SEO, the higher the site appears in Google search. We already know not many people prefer to browse through the search results beyond the first page.

In a Single Page Website, with lesser content, the SEO becomes weaker. And we already know "Content Is The King". Lack of sub pages means less avenues to improve your analytics. Shorter content means important keywords might be left out. It is good practice to optimize a page with one or two dedicated keywords. But in a single page websites, either all your keywords are in one page or you gotta leave some off the content.

Poor Design, Confusing Narrative

When you have one page to showcase everything you got, prioritizing and selecting what is the most important aspects of your story is required. In a poorly designed Single Page Website, this can quickly go from taxing to downright doom.

Creating a perfect narrative is not an easy task and requires a great deal of symmetry, visual guides and understanding of UI and UX.

Difficult To Update

Ever seen a blog on a single page website?  Didn't you notice that blogs prefer to have a new page for every blog post? That's not just for the sake of SEO. The truth is, every time you add a new chapter to the story, that chapter needs to be a part of the bigger picture but also stand out on its own.

In a single page website, every time you update new content, you have rearrange the entire visual hierarchy all over again. And this is not all. Lets say you have great content. But the more you add, the longer the viewer will have to scroll, down and down and down the rabbit hole, to find what they are looking for.

Even with scrolling, it can get a bit annoying. Are you sure you want to risk that?

Verdict:

Single Pages Websites are to Web what Short Stories are to Literature. You can find some great single pages websites online. But not all of them are telling a story which you want to read.

Single page Websites are perfect for short term campaigns or a portfolio or even a simple but visual online presence for one product. But if you are a individual or an institution who has multiple facets, its better to rely on a good old well designed website that showcases all your strengths in entirety.

For now, Single Page Websites are  here to stay. But like everything else, they have their use and they have their flaws. Choose wisely. Or better yet, let us help?

Vinfotech is a Web Development and Design solutions firms with a clear expertise in UX powered web and mobile web development solutions. If you are looking for a brilliant web development package, look no further and give us a hoot!