In our last blog post we have discussed the benefits of single page design. Here we will talk about when to use a single page design and when not to.
When to use a single page site, and when not to
While there are a lot of benefits to single page sites, they’re not a perfect, one-size-fits-all solution. There are plenty of times when you shouldn’t use a one page design, while there are plenty of other times where a single page site makes a lot more sense than a multi-page one.
If you’re setting up a site that would only have a handful of pages anyway, then a single page site might be perfect. Condensing everything onto one page can give the overall site a more modern look, and if it’s light on content anyway, then a single page site can make it look like it has more substance.
Another common example of the one-page site is the pre-launch website. These are, more often than not, a single page, often with a form for a newsletter sign-up. In most cases, the information provided to the public during the pre-launch can easily be organized on a single page, so it makes sense to consider this style first when designing these pages.
Single-product ecommerce sites are another place where single page sites can be great. If you’re only selling one product, whether that be a physical product or a digital one, then why bother with multiple pages? A simple, single page site can be a much better sales tool.
You might think that a more complex ecommerce site isn’t a good fit for a single page site, but it still can be. Granted, I would avoid it for sites that have more than a dozen or so products, but a simple online store can easily be held on a single page, with modal windows for loading product details and the checkout process.
When not to use a single page site is pretty straightforward: sites that are large, complex, or by default need to have large amounts of information are not suited to a single page site. In those cases, you’re much better off with a more traditional site structure.
In our next post we will talk about the best practices in single page design.