How to Build a One-Page Website Easily with WordPress

While most modern websites have become large with multiple pages and a plethora of content for visitors to enjoy, there is another way to go about it. Have you ever considered building a website with just one page?

This may sound like the easy way out, but in truth, condensing a website down to just a single page is anything but easy. In fact, I would say it requires far more planning than building a larger website because everything you add must be deliberate and serve a purpose.

What Is A One-Page Website?

A one-page or single-page website is one that only consists of one page. All of the content the website offers can be found on that single page and users simply need to continue to scroll down to find what they are looking for.

Another way to look at them is that your entire website is a landing page. This is a page that is specifically created for a marketing campaign and can help lead customers to another website or area.

Thus it can be an effective marketing strategy for a normal website, or to lead visitors to a third-party platform.

For instance, the page could lead to an eCommerce site or even something like an eBay auction.

As you can imagine, there are a number of benefits associated with building a website in this manner, so let’s cover them.

The Benefits of Building A One-Page Website

1. Your Content Is Streamlined

Normally visitors need to go through multiple pages to find what they are looking for. However, when you only have a single page, everything the website offers is in one place.

As a result, you are less likely to lose a visitor.

This is because visitors don’t have to waste time or effort looking for what they need. This means all of that energy can be used to focus on the content you are delivering them.

Thus, your call-to-action is far more effective.

2. No Loading

This might be obvious, but if your website only consists of a single page, visitors will only need to load it once. And as you might be aware, visitors are quick to leave a website that has long loading times, or if they are frequent.

For instance, did you know that 53% of mobile users leave a website that takes longer than three seconds to load? By only having to manage one page’s load time, you can ensure fewer visitors leave your website due to slow speeds.

3. Easy to Maintain

While there might be instances where you will change the design of your website, maintaining it is very simple. After all, it’s only one page. In reality, most of the content found on this type of website is static, or in other words, it doesn’t change.

Typically, the exception to this is if you need to update pricing structures, but that’s pretty easy to do regardless. This leaves you with more time to manage your business and less time worrying about web design.

4. Mobile Friendly

I already mentioned that mobile users hate loading, but there are multiple other advantages to using a single-page layout.

For instance, what happens if you lose access to the internet momentarily? You can’t go to a different part of a website, at least normally.

Yet, on a single-page site, even if the internet cuts out, everything is already loaded. They don’t have to waste any time. And due to the condensed space, most developers design their website in a way that favors mobile users.

5. Cost Efficient

While building a website has gotten significantly cheaper over the years, it can still cost a lot to build a larger website. However, when you only have to build one page, the price is only a fraction of what a normal site takes to build.

That said, when you are building on a platform as efficient as WordPress, the price might be similar because the software itself is free. At that point, the only costs you need to worry about are your web hosting services and domain name.

6. Higher Conversion Rate

Traditional websites usually have a call-to-action of some sort on multiple pages to help convert visitors into sales. This is because the web traffic it receives is spread out across multiple pages on that website.

Yet, on a single-page site, that call-to-action is front and center and all of your traffic is going to see it. After all, it’s the only page. As you can expect, that is going to have a positive effect on your conversion rate.

Negatives of Building A One-Page Website

Now, while there are a lot of benefits in building one, nothing is perfect. One-page sites also have some drawbacks that you need to consider. In fact, these reasons are exactly why not every website uses a single-page layout.

1. SEO

Without a doubt, the biggest problem with a one-page site is the implications on SEO. To properly rank on search engines, involves a lot of work. For instance, you need to use multiple keywords to rank properly.

Yet, trying to use all of the variations on a single page isn’t easy. At least if you want it to sound good. You also don’t have the benefit of different page titles to help search engines organize your content.

Instead, one-page sites, typically have terrible SEO, which is why blogs avoid them. They are mostly effective as landing pages whereas ads and social links are the driving force behind the traffic.

2. They Can Be Too Long

Since you are limited to a single page, businesses with a lot of information will end up with a very long page. And let me tell you, trying to scroll through a long page is not fun.

That’s why a lot of websites are adopting a table of contents on longer pieces of content.

Ultimately, a long page can lead to a terrible user experience. And because everything will use the same design, some of the elements may blend together. This can make it difficult for users to separate the sections.

If you offer a lot of services, you might need a traditional website that allows you to dedicate a page to each of them.

What Kind of Websites Should Use a One-Page Design?

While there are a lot of benefits to using a One-page design, not every website should use it.

A one-page design works best for websites that are trying to sell a service they provide. For instance, let’s say you run a landscaping business. On this one page, you may want to list the services you offer, the schedule you work, examples of your work, contact info, and a bit about yourself.

Another example would be a restaurant that does not do take-out. Now, this might sound crazy given the last two years, but this was pretty standard at one time. This allows you to display your address with directions, phone number for reservations, and the menu.

Normally, this kind of information would be divided between multiple pages. Instead, it can all fit nicely onto one page.

This also raises the question, what type of websites shouldn’t try to use a single page? This would include the more typical sites like blogs and eCommerce. These types of sites just don’t work using this format.

What to Include On A One-Page Website

So, you still want to build a one-page website, which is great. But now it’s time to discuss what the website must include.

Obviously, not every website is going to include the same information. That said, there are a few general pieces of information that should always be present.

1. Call to Action (CTA)

For those that might be unaware, a call-to-action is when a website tells a visitor to take a specific action. For instance, this can be as simple as telling a user to sign up for an email subscription. Although in the case of a single-page layout, most CTAs will be to make a sale.

You need to create a strong message that tells visitors why they need the service you provide, and why they should hire you to do it.

For instance, perhaps you opened a new sushi restaurant. You might want to highlight that your chef trained in Japan for a decade.

It adds authenticity and helps you stand out from any other restaurants in your area.

2. Contact Information

Building a terrific website is great, but it’s completely useless if you don’t provide contact information. You cannot make a sale if a customer cannot contact you, so the real question is what information should you include?

Normally, it’s a good policy to include, your name, phone number, email, and address (assuming you have a physical location). We also live in a social media-driven world, so it may be a good idea to also link your profile on various platforms like Facebook or LinkedIn.

3. About Us

It might sound cheesy, but people really do want to know the story behind the business. This presents a great opportunity to not only provide that information but to do it in a way that makes them feel good about choosing your company to do business with.

For instance, this is a great area to highlight your passion for the craft or industry and how it has changed your life.

On top of this, you can also add information and language that helps improve the conversion rate. Use it as a way to highlight your business, not just describe it.

4. Your Logo

Any business worth its salt has a logo and it should be front and center on your website. Having customers associate your business with your logo is critical. And that’s exactly why major corporations spend millions on advertisements.

If you don’t have a logo, it’s time to start brainstorming because you’re gonna need one. And as a reference, that logo should also be visible on any other platforms you have a presence on, like Facebook.

5. Images of Your Work

Images play a huge role on any website, but even more on one trying to sell a service. You should have a few high-quality images that show off your work.

For instance, if you run a painting company, show off a few rooms that you have done.

It’s also important to realize that this can work against you if the work isn’t impressive. That said, I can assure you that not many people will be willing to hire someone without examples of their work, especially when looking online.

How to Build A One-Page Website Using WordPress

Now that you have a deeper understanding of what you need to include in your website and how it can benefit you, let’s get building. I will be demonstrating the process with WordPress because it is a beginner-friendly platform that can build any type of website.

Step 1: Choose A Web Host & Domain Name

Just like when building a normal website, you are going to need to select a web hosting company and a domain name. To put it simply, a web hosting company will rent you out a web server in which you can store your website.

They will also be in charge of maintaining it 24/7 to ensure full uptime, and they will have a support team that can help answer questions on a variety of topics. There are a lot of them to choose from, but that’s a good thing.

As a result of the intense competition, the prices are very low. The thing you need to keep in mind, however, is the quality of your hosting service.

You see, not all web hosts are equal, and this can directly affect the performance of your website. Thus, you need to pick the best.

That’s why here at GreenGeeks we are proud to be recognized as one of the best web hosting companies in the industry. And we achieved this status while minimizing our impact on the environment.

We even plant a tree every time someone signs up!

You will also need a domain name, which is basically the URL of your website. It needs to be short, easy to remember, and most importantly, catchy. This will cost a small fee, but when you sign up with GreenGeeks, we give you a domain name for free for the first year.

Step 2: Pick A One-Page Theme

Once you install WordPress, the first thing you should do is find a theme. However, this can be a bit time-consuming because there are thousands to choose from. Since we are building a one-page website, it’s recommended to choose a theme made for it.

These themes will have more tools to help design the page you want. You might even want to consider using a premium theme. While it will cost a little more, these themes typically look better and have a wider range of features.

For instance, many of them come with a page-builder plugin or premium plugins.

Be sure to use the demo sites they provide and imagine the content you plan to share. Be sure to consider if your color scheme fits the theme, or if the layout options will allow you to put content where you want it to go.

Step 3: Choose A Page Builder

Now, this step is optional, but since you only have one page, the design of it has never been more important. The default WordPress tools, namely the Gutenberg editor, will allow you to build a stylish page, but there are many limitations.

Nevertheless, that’s the same reason that WordPress shines so brightly; you can add more tools via plugins.

In this case, you could take the time to add sliders, carousels, testimonials, and more through independent plugins, or you could use a page builder plugin. A good one will include all of these features, among many others, and WordPress has plenty to choose from.

But to make it simple, I highly recommend using Elementor. This is one of the best page builders available because it is easy to use and provides a lot of features. With it, you can create a page any way you like using a drag and drop interface.

Therefore, it’s perfect for beginners.

Step 4: Design Your Website

Honestly, once you have WordPress installed, a theme selected, and a page builder, all that’s left is to design your website and add content.

Start by understanding the order your page should follow.

For instance, does it make any sense to list your contact information before you tell visitors what you do? Not really. Instead, consider leading off with a call-to-action to get people interested.

Carefully choose what images, you plan to use. Make sure you have the rights to them, and more importantly, make sure they positively reflect your work. A picture says a thousand words, and you want to make sure they are all positive.

You should also try to make sure the color scheme matches your logo. This is a subtle way of making your branding more apparent.

Most importantly, you need to make sure the website you create works well on both desktop and mobile devices. Roughly half of your traffic will come from mobile users, so the website must be responsive.

If not, you have already failed.

The final step should be to have other people look over your work. Sometimes it can be hard to catch mistakes when you are creating web pages. Ask your family or friends to see how the website works on multiple devices and get feedback.

It’s much better to find these mistakes before the website goes live.

Build A One-Page Website Today

Creating a single page on a WordPress website might sound like less work, but it really ends up being equal. This is because that one page has to be designed very well. Yet, if you can pull it off, you can get some excellent results.

And you can reap the benefits of not having to maintain a larger website. This can save hours of weekly maintenance, which frees up more time to manage your business or spend time with the family.

How easy did you find it to build a one-page website in WordPress? Did you use a page builder plugin?

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