Is one page enough for your business?
A website does not need a page for every thought you have ever had about the business. Sometimes one well-made page is exactly right. The useful question is whether it gives your customers enough to take the next step.
What one good page can do
Think of it as a clear introduction. Who you are, what you do, where you work, a few examples, and a straightforward way to contact you. Someone should be able to read it on their phone and understand whether you can help.
For a local joiner offering a handful of services, a mobile hairdresser or a new business getting its first proper presence online, that can be plenty. A short site with useful information is a better starting point than five pages you have nothing to put on.
When it starts to feel cramped
More pages become useful when customers need to make different decisions. A business offering several quite different services may need space to explain each one. A restaurant might want a menu that is easy to share. A holiday let may need a fuller gallery and practical information about staying there.
The test is simple: can you explain the offer clearly without sending people through a very long scroll? If a customer has to hunt past three unrelated services to find theirs, separate pages may help.
What about being found on Google?
A one-page site can explain a business clearly, but it has one main address and one main page title. Separate pages give you room to answer distinct questions in more detail. That is useful when the questions genuinely deserve separate answers.
It is not a reason to create twenty thin pages saying almost the same thing. Start with the information your customers need, then choose a structure that makes it easy to find. For a local business, a useful Google Business Profile belongs in the conversation too.
Bookings and payments are another decision
The number of pages and what the site does are different things. A short website can still link to a booking service or a hosted payment page. A more involved booking system or a shop needs a proper discussion about the tools, running costs and day-to-day work.
Tell me what you want customers to be able to do. We can work backwards from that, rather than deciding the answer by counting pages.
Start with what earns its place
My one-page website package is £450. The small business site is £950 for up to five pages. Domain renewals and any other running costs are discussed separately, with the scope agreed before work starts.
If one page will do the job, I will say so. If it is going to feel squeezed from day one, I will explain why. Send me a description of the business and what customers usually ask, and we can work out the smallest useful website for it.
Written by Stephen Murdoch.
Web designer and developer in Largs. If you've got a question about your own business, I'm happy to help.
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