5Critical Elements that Can Make or Break Your Design
At first glance, designing a one-pagewebsite would seem to be intuitively easy. Especially, when compared tobuilding a multi-pager. Designing one page takes one-third the effort ofdesigning three pages – right?
In reality, designing a single-pager isgenerally much more difficult. The challenge you face is having to get all thenecessary information on a single page. At the same time, you need to make surethe page is both visually appealing and user-friendly.
This guide for designing one-page websitesis centered around 5 critical elements. Depending on how well you take theminto account they can make or break your design.
As we outline each of these criticalelements, we’ll provide examples. They will illustrate their importance – 15examples in all.
#1The GOAL: Identify & Understand the Goal of Your Website & Work TowardIt
You might not understand perfectly what youexpect your Murfreesboro TN website to accomplish. Then, there’s little sense in proceedingwith its design. It needs to have a single goal. Your design needs to take theuser on a journey that reaches that goal and responds accordingly.
Is the goal to promote or sell something?
Is it to invite a visitor to view yourportfolio?
Do you intend to announce an event or aseries of events?
Once you’ve identified the goal, you’realmost halfway there. You still need to take into account what you need to do.You need to avoid chasing visitors away from the page before they hit the CTAbutton.
Some users are sensitive to page load speed(more than a few are oversensitive!). So, you might choose to avoid specialeffects (like parallax) that tend to reduce page load speeds.
This website’s interactive effects are abovethe fold and they don’t hinder its load speed.
Dynamic images can impact load speeds. ThisBeTheme pre-built one-pager features a static image that gives theappearance of being dynamic.
The tiny animated items that liven up thispage’s illustration don’t slow anything down.
Sometimes, it’s a page’s fresh look that makesthe sale.
Here’s an example of where large images andsliding panels will engage users.
You don’t need a detailed technical dissertationto promote an app when a cool visual presentation will do the trick.
#2 TEXT: Keep It to the Minimum & Make It Easyto Read
A one-pagerfeaturing clunky blocks of text or reads like a book is going to engagevisitors for a second. Sometimes, even less before they head elsewhere. Keeptext brief and in nicely-spaced sections. Strip the information down to itsbare essence.
Rely on boldheadlines, brief paragraphs, and bullet lists to make your point.
Here are several examples worth bookmarkingfor future reference:
This example illustrates howsuper-entertaining a one-page Murfreesboro TN website can be.
A great example of careful organization.
The essential information is above thefold, where the use of bullet lists helps to keep the message asstraightforward and concise as possible.
This pre-built Murfreesboro TN website illustrates howlarge attractive images help do the selling when accompanied by judiciously-placedparagraphs of text.
When a vehicle has the stature of a Mercedes,high quality images accompanied by a minimal amount of text is oftensufficient.
#3 VISUALS: Identify the Right Patterns & Use NegativeSpace Wisely
Knowing how most people will scan a page ishelpful. People tend to read text in an F pattern and scan an image in a Zpattern. Keep this in mind when you mix elements. You want the natural flow ofthe information to be directed toward your goal. Wise use of white space can behelpful.
In this example the use of white space iscalming and provides a sense of order.
Here a wildly creative design has beensplashed on a canvas of white space.
The white space in this pre-built one-pagermakes the different sections appear to pop out at you and demand yourattention.
Effectively using several different designprinciples to the max is a challenge, but it can be done.
Not a particularly exciting subject for aone pager is it? This ingenious use of slides, white space, and animationsactually succeeds in making a nasal drops one-pager exciting.
#4 NAVIGATION: Make It Easy to Navigate & Entertainingto Scroll
Whenyou have a long-form one-page Murfreesboro TN website you have to pay close attention to howyou manage navigation. Depending on your approach, you can keep visitors lockedin or chase them off the page.
Alternative navigation is the key here.Horizontal sticky menu or a sidebar menu are examples. Your goal should be toenable users to jump to where they want to go with a single click, as opposedto scrolling. Auto-scroll links enable visitors to watch the page do thescrolling. This is yet another approach.
This designer’s Murfreesboro TN website features 3different auto-scrolling links.
Be Game’s navigation experience is somewhatout of the ordinary, and even slightly entertaining.
The color scheme, the layout structure, andhow you can scan the page with 3 mouse scrolls stand out in this example.
These folks really want to help younavigate their site quickly by provided a menu on the top and one on the left.
#5 CALL TO ACTION: Identify the Correct CTA & Don’tHesitate to Use It
What’s nice abouta one-pager is its aim is to get people to take a single action. This normallywould involve using a single CTA button. You also might be selling severalproducts or services, however. Then, you may want to place a CTA button at theend of every major section.
In the Be Hairdresser pre-built website, oneCTA button is above the fold and one is located in the menu.
Two CTA buttons placed above the fold giveusers a choice as to what they want to see.
The Pyrismic site uses a simple opt-in formwith a bold CTA button.
This site doesn’t fool around with its useof CTA buttons. They’re used judiciously however; and with a proper choice ofcolors and text sizes.
WrappingIt Up
Now you know the 5 critical one-pagewebsite elements. It’s simply a matter of practicing with them until their usebecomes habitual.
They may seem simple at first. Once youstart mixing them in a one-pager and attempt to do so with consistency you’llfind it can be quite a challenge.
The good news is there’s a shortcut. Tryusing pre-built Murfreesboro websites that have already incorporated these criticalelements.
A good pre-built Murfreesboro TN website resource is Be Theme It has an impressive library of more than 60 one-pagers, and 400+pre-built Murfreesboro websites of all kinds. Simply choose a pre-built Murfreesboro TN website andcustomize it to fit your needs.
