When you’re starting a new business, a one-page website can seem like a simple and cost-effective option. It’s fast to build and easy to manage. But, for many companies—especially those looking to grow—this type of website can quickly become a barrier to success.
As your business expands, so do your offerings, products, services, and audience expectations. A single page may no longer be enough to meet customer needs, support a strong SEO strategy, or guide visitors smoothly through your sales funnel.
Below, we’ll explain why single-page websites often fall short and why a multi-page website is frequently a wiser long-term investment.
One-Page Website Limitations
Limited SEO Opportunities
A single-page site typically tries to rank for all your keywords in one spot. Search engines like Google prefer a structure where each page focuses on a specific topic, product, service, or search term.
For example, if you’re a therapist offering EMDR, couples counseling, and anxiety treatment, trying to rank all these services on one page will dilute your chances. A multi-page website allows you to create individual service pages, each targeting its relevant content, which aligns better with how people search and how Google ranks sites.
Poor User Experience
With a one-page site, visitors must scroll through long sections to find what they need. This can frustrate users, especially on mobile devices where scrolling might feel endless. If someone is on a smartphone Googling for “anxiety therapy” and lands on your all-in-one page, they might struggle to locate the correct section before giving up and bouncing to a competitor’s site.
Long, unorganized pages increase bounce rates and hurt conversions. Multi-page sites with a straightforward navigation menu make it easier to guide visitors to the information or service they’re searching for.
Limited Scalability and Growth Potential
A one-page website may work when your business has just one or two offerings. But what happens when you expand?
- A landscaping company may start with simple lawn mowing services.
- As it grows, it may add sod installation, landscape design, seasonal cleanups, and commercial contracts.
With only one page, adding new services becomes messy. A multi-page structure allows you to build out sections like:
- Residential Services (with subpages for lawn mowing, seeding, etc.)
- Commercial Services
- Landscape Design Projects (featuring a portfolio or case studies)
Multi-page designs allow businesses to evolve, add new services, and grow with customer demand.
Considerations for Expanding Beyond a One-Page Website
How to Decide: One Page or Multi-Page?
A one-page site might still work for businesses that:
- Only offer a single service or product
- Operate in niche markets with minimal competition
- Rely primarily on word-of-mouth, referrals, or offline marketing
But if you:
- Have multiple services or products
- Want to drive traffic from organic search
- Plan to grow your business or offerings
Then, a multi-page website will serve you much better.
How Many Pages Do You Need?
The number of pages you should have depends on your offerings and your user’s needs. Here’s a general framework:
- Fewer than 10 products or services? A multi-page website with a service page for each primary offering plus supporting pages like About and a Contact Form will likely work.
- More than 10 products or services? Consider adding categories and maybe even subcategories, especially for e-commerce sites.
For example:
- A shoe retailer with hundreds of products should break down pages into Men’s, Women’s, and Kids’ categories, with subcategories for Running Shoes, Hiking Boots, Sandals, etc.
- A therapy practice might create specialty pages on topics like trauma, anxiety, or depression and separate pages for each service (e.g., EMDR therapy, couples counseling, teen therapy).
This structure allows users and search engines to navigate and understand your site easily.
What is the Migration Process Like?
Step 1: Audit Your Current Content
Review what’s currently on your one-page website. Identify content that can be expanded into its own pages, such as services, products, testimonials, or case studies.
Step 2: Plan Your New Structure
Map out a simple sitemap. For most businesses, this could include:
- Home
- Services (with a page for each primary service)
- Products (for e-commerce, organized into categories/subcategories)
- About
- Contact (with a call to action or contact form)
- Blog or Resources (optional, depending on your business and marketing strategy)
Step 3: Expand Your Content
For each page, dive deeper into what users want to know:
- Detailed service explanations
- Pricing or packages
- Customer FAQs
- Testimonials or success stories
- Clear calls to action
Step 4: Implement SEO and Usability Best Practices
- Optimize each page for a specific topic, product, or service.
- Add internal links between related pages. One way to do this is to use breadcrumbs that lead people back up your website structure.
- Ensure mobile optimization and fast load times.
Step 5: Launch and Track Performance
- Set up Google Analytics to track visitor behavior.
- Monitor bounce rates and conversions.
- Adjust your workflow as needed to improve SEO and user experience.
Why The Upgrade Is Worth It
Transitioning from a one-page website to a multi-page design can unlock significant benefits:
- Higher conversion rates
- More visibility in search engine results
- Better user engagement and lower bounce rates
- Flexibility to evolve your marketing strategy over time
You also make your site more user-friendly on smartphones and other mobile devices, which is critical since over 50% of web traffic now comes from mobile users.
Plus, you’ll find it easier to implement features like responsive design, internal links, contact forms, landing pages, and portfolio galleries — all elements that help guide visitors and boost your business website’s effectiveness.
Build a Website That Grows with Your Business
If you’re ready to move beyond a one-page website, Garrett Digital can help. We specialize in building multi-page websites for businesses of all sizes, from local service providers to e-commerce stores. Whether you need help refining your site’s navigation menu, improving usability, or launching an SEO strategy with high-quality landing pages and product pages, we’re here to make your website work harder for your business.
