Single-Page vs Multi-Page Website For A New Startup Business

With every new innovation in the field of Web development, new challenges emerge for search engine optimization specialists. It’s obvious that your website’s user experience and interface affect its performance. And ultimately, these two factors serve as a ranking signal to Google.

A poor layout with slow performance will never impress any of your visitors. Likewise, a well-designed website that loads quickly and offers a top-notch experience will make them come back again for more.

And the same goes for keyword optimization; it’s important that your website targets the right keywords on each page.

The debate between single-page websites and multi-page websites revolve around these factors. Start-ups in particular ponder over the pros and cons of both to decide which one is best for them.

Let’s first understand what’s a single-page website and what’s a multi-page one, the differences between the two, so we can decide which one is a better choice for start-ups.

Key Summary

This article from InApps Technology, authored by Phu Nguyen, compares single-page websites and multi-page websites to help startups choose the best option for their online presence, focusing on user experience (UX), SEO, and scalability. It concludes that multi-page websites are generally better for startups due to their SEO advantages and content flexibility. Key points include:

• Single-Page Website Overview:
  • Definition: A website with all content on one page, using scrolling sections (no separate pages like About Us or Contact).
  • Pros:
    • Simple Navigation: Clean, intuitive layout with a linear user journey, reducing UI clutter.
    • Higher Conversions: Studies show single-page sites have a >37.5% conversion rate due to focused user actions and minimal distractions.
    • Ease of Use: Users absorb content in small, digestible chunks.
  • Cons:
    • SEO Challenges: Limited content space makes it hard to target multiple keywords, risking lower Google rankings and reduced engagement.
    • Scalability Issues: Unsuitable for growing brands needing diverse, complex content.
    • Mobile Experience: Lengthy scrolling can lead to clutter and higher bounce rates on mobile devices.
• Multi-Page Website Overview:
  • Definition: Traditional websites with multiple pages (e.g., services, blogs, contact), navigated via links.
  • Pros:
    • Infinite Scalability: Add pages as needed to accommodate growing content or services.
    • Familiar Navigation: Users are accustomed to multi-page structures since the 1990s.
    • Strong SEO: More pages allow targeting specific keywords per page, using internal linking to boost authority and rankings.
  • Cons:
    • Maintenance Overhead: Requires regular updates by design and content teams, increasing costs.
    • Bounce Rate Risk: Slow-loading pages or excessive content can distract users, leading to higher bounce rates.
• Comparison:
  • Clean Design & Display: Single-page sites excel with neat, chunked content but require creative design to avoid clutter.
  • Navigation Flow: Single-page offers a clear, linear flow; multi-page provides familiar, structured navigation.
  • Conversions: Single-page sites perform better for quick purchases due to focused design, but multi-page sites support detailed product/service showcases.
  • SEO: Multi-page sites are superior, allowing keyword strategies per page and internal linking, while single-page sites struggle with limited content and keyword targeting.
• Recommendation for Startups:
  • Multi-Page Preferred: Startups need to build authority and Google trust, which is easier with multi-page sites due to:
    • Ample content space for primary and secondary keywords.
    • Ability to target service-specific keywords and link pages for SEO boosts.
    • Scalability for growing businesses.
  • Single-Page Limitations: Better suited for established brands with known audiences, as they lack content space for SEO and can appear cluttered on mobile.
• Key Q&A:
  • Benefits of Multi-Page: Offers unlimited content space for text, images, and videos, enhancing SEO.
  • Number of Pages: More pages increase ranking potential, but quality content is critical.
  • Ideal Page Count: Startups should aim for 51–100 pages to establish a solid foundation covering business offerings and identity.
• InApps Insight:
  • InApps Technology supports startups with web development and SEO strategies, integrating React Native, ReactJS, Microsoft’s Power Platform, and Azure, using Power Fx for low-code solutions and Azure Durable Functions for scalable workflows.
  • Combines Node.js, Vue.js, GraphQL APIs (e.g., Apollo), and Azure to deliver optimized, scalable websites, targeting startups and enterprises with Millennial-driven expectations.
• Call to Action:
  • Contact InApps to develop a multi-page website or explore SEO-driven solutions tailored for startups.

What’s a Single-Page Website?

A single-page website contains only one page; no beating around the bush or fancy pages with fluffy details, just to the point content. Such websites do not have any About Us page or Contact page.

But there are different sections on the same page. For example, by clicking on a navigation link, the user will be directed to a certain section. As it goes without saying, these sites are in a scrolling format — which is bound to be lengthy.

Pros of a Single-Page Website

To begin with, good single-page websites are simple and easy to navigate. Users can easily absorb a one-page website that divides material into little bits and removes UI clutter.

The adoption of a single-page design also helps to create an intuitive user journey. Visitors can experience a linear navigation flow – which tells a tale with a clearly defined beginning, middle, and end – because there are no additional pages.

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Another benefit of having a simple navigation design is that the user usually only needs to take one action. According to studies, single-page sites have a higher conversion rate (>37.5%) than multi-page sites because consumers start the process sooner and travel through it faster, with no place to get confused or sidetracked by another offer.

Cons of a Single-Page Website

SEO isn’t a major deal for single-page websites (Search Engine Optimization). In fact, they may jeopardize your Google ranking, as well as reduce conversions and user engagement. On single-page sites, target keywords are frequently overlooked due to the lack of content.

Furthermore, because of its restricted potential to scale, the one-page website isn’t the best choice for a growing brand. Single-page websites, as we’ve seen, have a singular perspective and are thus unsuitable for websites that require a vast, complicated, and/or varied amount of content.

What’s a Multi-Page Website?

In website design, multi-page websites are the traditional websites we see daily while surfing. These have dozens of different pages, some defining your services while some educating users in the form of a blog section. Upon clicking the navigation link, you land on a different page.

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Businesses selling multiple products or services create these sites to keep their online presence organized. Besides that, they can easily create a keyword strategy for each page, which is not the case in a single-page website.

Pros of a Multi-Page Website

To begin with, the multi-page architecture allows for infinite scalability. Make as many pages as you like and enhance the navigation system as necessary.

Second, a multi-page site’s navigation flow is simple to follow. Because this form of the website has been since the 1990s, most users are accustomed to it and expect to find several pages on websites.

Finally, multi-page websites offer strong SEO possibilities. We’ve established that multi-page websites are more likely to feature more material than single-page websites.

Cons of a Multi-Page Website

Multi-page websites appear to have worked for us in the past, but there are a few drawbacks to consider.

Contemplate how you’ll handle regular site updates, for example. Don’t forget that the design and content teams are responsible for maintaining all of that stuff. Consider whether having a lot of material is cost-effective when deciding whether to construct a one-page or multi-page website.

Another factor to examine is the bounce rate of your website. Websites with a lot of material take a long time to load, are distracting, and can cause people to leave.

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Single-Page Websites vs Multi-Page Websites

Before we jump to any conclusion, we need to compare bothSingle-Page Websites vs Multi-Page Websites.

Clean Design & Display

One of the biggest benefits of single-page websites is their neat layout. For the ease of the users, split the content into small chunks and make the information present easily comprehensible for the visitor.

But designing such layouts and UIs requires creativity and lots of iteration before reaching the final state.

Navigation Flow

Today, people have small attention spans. You must represent the most important information fast or else the visitor will find another source of information.

With no additional pages in a single-page website, a visitor gets a clear view of the navigation. He can click on the relevant link and instantly get access to that section.

Conversions

If someone lands on your website with a buying intent, chances are they want quick access to the product. Single-page designs, therefore, turn out to be more useful, offering better conversion (>37.5%) than multi-page ones. But once again, presenting every detail about the product in a small space is an art you need to master.

 SEO

This is one extremely important area where you would prefer to have a multi-page website over a single-page one. The thing is, it’s difficult to rank a single-page website on different keywords because you will cause clutter.

Normally, in keyword strategy, we dedicate a few relevant keywords to each page. And even use internal linking to boost SEO. But you don’t get this option on a single-page website.

You are supposed to target all the primary and secondary keywords on the same page. At the same time, you get very little space for text content; the less content you have, the lower your chances of getting ranked on Google.

In traditional websites, you can target service-driven keywords on each page to boost each service individually. Further, you get an opportunity to link your pages so the ranked pages can pass authority to the ones not getting any traffic.

Single-Page Web or a Multi-Page Web for Start-Ups?

Um…for start-ups, a multi-page website is a relatively better option. In the early days, every online business has to hustle to build authority and win Google’s trust. And optimizing a single page is much more difficult than creating a detailed keyword sheet for each page of a multi-page website. It’s like limiting yourself.

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No doubts over the performance and clean interface of single-page websites, but they are only suitable once you have become a brand; people know you, they are searching for you.

But for a start-up, not having enough space for content means no opportunity for secondary keywords. You solely rely on the primary (high search volume) keywords to boost your visibility.

Besides that, a single-page website requires you to regularly update content. And this content does not always look perfect on a mobile device. It’s irritating to use such lengthy scrollers on mobile.

And if you don’t manage each element with elegance, your website will be full of clutter — and make your user cringe! Eventually, it will result in a higher bounce rate and that will negatively affect the bounce rate.

So for start-ups, Codersera recommends traditional multi-page websites.