One-page websites are a growing trend thanks to their usability and mobile-friendly interfaces. They are sites that present all of the content on one scrolling page, rather than having tabs and various pages for different sections of the site.
The advantage of a one-page site is that you only have one landing page and all links point to that page. It’s great for SEO purposes. One-page websites are also more mobile friendly as it’s easier to navigate by scrolling that it is to press tiny menu buttons on a small smartphone screen.
The website is split into sections using strips of colour or coloured blocks floating above a static background. This, along with bold titles, ensures that the users know when they are entering a new section of the website, such as ‘Contact Us’ or ‘Products’. These sites are minimalistic and organised with straightforward navigation.
Depending on your preference and purpose of your website, a one-page site might be a better option than a classic one. They are well-suited to photography portfolios, freelance work, wedding planners and event-related content. If you think it’s a great fit for your needs, here’s how to create a one-page website that looks beautiful.
Plan your content for one-page website
The key to a coherent one-page website is the content layout. Your content needs to be placed strategically but also flow nicely. Your content will be viewed in a strict order as the user scrolls down the page, so it needs to connect logically.
Usually, the most important information appears first and the least important details appear at the bottom of the site. Think of all the content you want on your site and order it into a hierarchy of importance for the user.
Whether your shop location, your product range, client testimonials or your business description is the most important information on the site, it should appear right at the top before the user needs to scroll down the page.
Prioritise your content and delete any extraneous or ‘fluffy’ information. Remember, one-page websites are meant to be minimalistic. By planning your content properly, it will keep the website neat and organised.
Think about the parallax effect
We’ve all seen websites that have an element of three-dimensionality by using a background image that scrolls slower than the content boxes above it. This is called the parallax effect and is an eye-catching feature that can boost engagement on your website.
If you’re using a hosting platform to create your website, such as Wix or WordPress, then have a look at their templates and options that allow you to implement the parallax effect on your website. This is the easiest and quickest way to create the effect without having to learn how to code scripts.
One-page websites can be very two-dimensional and flat so this effect is a great way to bring some animation and life to your page. It can also encourage your users to scroll all the way to the bottom of your page, using beautiful photos as the background between sections of the site.
Create an anchor menu that links to each section
With one-page websites, you can’t separate content onto different pages. Instead, you only have sections. How do you make it easy for the user to navigate straight to the section they’re looking for without having to scroll through the site and find it?
Simple. Create an anchor menu that links directly to each section. This menu should stay on-screen at all times (called a floating menu). It will allow users to simply click on the dropdown list and choose what section they want to see.
To link the menu to the sections, you need to define each section as an anchor. Templates on hosting websites often have anchors built into the design which can be customised and moved as needed. These anchors are then internally-linked to the menu options. Your menu order should follow the content order on your one-page website.
Add buttons for various reasons
You always want to make the user experience as simple as possible. By adding buttons to your website, you can programme them to perform various tasks, making your website more user-friendly.
One useful button is a ‘back-to-top’ option. By clicking this button, it takes your users straight to the top of your website again (much like clicking the ‘Home’ button on classic websites). This is useful on one-page websites as they tend to be long and users can scroll for ages while they scour your content.
The back-to-top button is usually a circle with an up arrow inside it. It’s quite self-explanatory and users intuitively know what it’s for. This button should also be floating – it should stay in the same place on the screen at all times.
Call-to-action (CTA) buttons are also important. These tell your users what they should be doing, such as ‘Subscribe’, ‘Buy now’ or ‘Make a booking’. CTAs prompt your users to take action. They should be highly visible and easy to find. Don’t forget to link your CTAs to the right section.
Include a detailed footer
The last thing on your one-page website should be a detailed footer. Users know to look in the footer for more information and links to your social media channels, so don’t forget to include these.
Your footer should include your address, email, phone number, operating hours, a link to a privacy policy, links to the terms and conditions and links to all of your social media platforms. The social media links can simply take the form of the platform’s logo. Users know to click on the icon if they want to check out your social media account.
More and more web designers are creating one-page websites these days. This is simply because they are easy to use, clean and often well-designed. User experience is an important aspect of any website and on-page sites are the simplest to navigate and use on any device.
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Sorted Design Agency is a creative company that constantly looks for solutions to other people’s problems. These problems come mostly in the visual format, such as graphic design, logo and illustration, but we’re experts in brand development, website design, and digital SEO campaigns as well.
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Based in Pretoria and Cape Town, Sorted has been in the content marketing industry since 2006. We assist your company with its corporate identity by communicating core values through content and articles written for your website, blog and news area. This content is supported by AdWords and social advertising, which facilitates wider reach and audience growth. Turn your website into a business tool.
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Sorted also owns two other businesses; InkFish Print Studio – a printing company that handles a range of promotional materials for businesses and other services for individual customers, and Pampiri + Kie – a gifts and stationery store selling online and in-store. Both of these companies operate from Cape Town and Pretoria.
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