The single page site has been gathering a lot of steam lately upon the internet, away from the boring whites and blacks of the text-laden websites. If you’re looking for a simple, less-is-more approach to website design for yourself, a party, or a business, here are some ways to start that right up.
Is it right for you?
If you’re going for something simple, selling a few of closely related ideas or objects, and you only need your own skill and a creative eye to sell it, then this is correct for you. If you are selling a multitude of things, need to use a fair amount of text, and it is far too complex to use a single page website for, then it is not. The great thing about the single page site is being able to sell things based on drawing the consumer in and showing off your skills in the process.
Focus
If you’ve decided that you want to go the route of the single page website, make sure that you focus. Don’t let words or too many ideas bog you down. Figure out what you want the main purpose of this page to be – whether it be to sell something, to click on a video, or sign a petition. Make sure whatever it is that you wish is precisely what the internet user wants, and figure out the best way to do that.
Enthrall Them!
Remember that single page sites thrive on the creative and the visually stunning. Capturing your audience’s attention is half the battle, but in order to do that you must be able to create those effects through color interaction, beautiful typography, and intriguing visuals – art of your own design, really. Check out this article on single page designs to see some beautiful examples that people have succeeded with.
The Keys to Navigation
One of the many pitfalls to the single page website that several people fumble with is the navigation. While your site is located within a single domain, navigation seems to be simple, but keep in mind that the user should be able to find them! Make sure that they’re mostly out of the way, but easy to find. There are coding tricks – such as making the menus hover below your mouse, and disappear otherwise – but you can also make them visually appealing through good typography that is clear and easy to read while also being tasteful. Here is a beautiful site with clear and sleek navigational tools.
Don’t Bore the Audience
Breathe life into your site. Simple animations, a little movement here and there, with sleek and beautiful transitions that match the mood of your site are sure to make your site one of the most beautiful out there. Nobody likes a site that falls flat, but even more than that, a single page site that is too loud will distract the user from your initial intention, so make sure that it all fits nicely with the ambiance of your art without being too distracting. This site does a great with both of these things.
Be Reliable
It seems simple, doesn’t it? Like everyone should know it. But when your site hinges on only one page, you need to make sure that not only can your business hold it, but that every second it might go down, you lose valuable clients. You need to make certain that not only does your site capture your viewers, but that it’s up in the first place to do it. So many designers leave the site they left in someone else’s hands up for granted, but if they lose it all, do they have a back up? If you’re making something with one page, make sure it’s extremely reliable. There are several sites to ensure this, but this site compares several different hosts and will let you decide which one works the best for you.
Have you ever created a one page site before? Let us know all about it in the comment section below.
