Introduction of Multi-page Website
A multi-page website contains multiple pages and subpages within a menu. Unlike the single page website, the only way to navigate to and view pages in multi-page design is to click on the links within the menu.
The multi-page design is well-suited to nearly every type of project. Examples of multi-page web design can be found in eCommerce sites (such as Amazon), dashboard designs (such as Atlassian) and eLearning sites (such as Lynda).
The pros of multipage website design
There are three main advantages of the multi-page over the single page website.
Firstly, multi-page design offers unlimited scalability. Create as many pages as you like and expand the navigation system as needed. For instance, swap your top navigation bar for a custom mega menu with a search bar for endless navigation possibilities. Remember, the type of navigation design you opt for will depend on the depth of your website goes, the more a traditional navigation will struggle.
Secondly, the navigation flow of a multi-page site is easy to follow. This type of website has been around since the 90s, which means that most users are familiar with it. As long as your website’s navigation flow is easy to follow, you’re smooth sailing with a multi-page design.
Finally, sites with several pages have powerful SEO capabilities. We’ve established that multi-page sites are more likely to have larger amounts of content than those with a single page. And although the SEO potential of each website heavily relies on your digital marketing strategy, just having the content potential to optimize your SEO is a great start. Learn more about the importance of SEO on your website here.
Looking to study the classic patterns designers rely on? Check out our guide to UI patterns.
The cons of multi-page website design
Multi-page websites seem to have worked for us up until now. By the way, there are a few disadvantages to take into account.
For instance, consider how you’ll manage regular updates to your site. Don’t forget that the design and content teams needs to maintain all the content. When considering whether to design a one-page or multi-page website, you need to think about whether having lots of content is cost-effective.
As Undsgn says: “updating and maintaining a single page is easier than taking care of several – you can’t argue with math!” And remember that low-quality or under-optimized content is just plain bad for business.
Another thing to take into consideration is your site’s bounce rate. Websites with heavy amounts of content are often slow-loading, distracting, and can cause users to bounce. And although not every multi-page website is content-heavy, with all that room to scale, it’s something to look out for.
Finally, multi-page design is harder to adapt to mobile. Unlike single page sites, where the same backend code can be used to develop the mobile site, multi-page designs need to be started from scratch to produce the mobile version. Not only is this more costly and time-consuming, but you risk losing design consistency across web and mobile platforms.
Whatever you want to achieve with your website, a website designer will often know the most effective way to execute it. Also, check Jpress if you’re looking for one.
Introduction of Multi-page Website
A multi-page website contains multiple pages and subpages within a menu. Unlike the single page website, the only way to navigate to and view pages in multi-page design is to click on the links within the menu.
The multi-page design is well-suited to nearly every type of project. Examples of multi-page web design can be found in eCommerce sites (such as Amazon), dashboard designs (such as Atlassian) and eLearning sites (such as Lynda).
The pros of multipage website design
There are three main advantages of the multi-page over the single page website.
Firstly, multi-page design offers unlimited scalability. Create as many pages as you like and expand the navigation system as needed. For instance, swap your top navigation bar for a custom mega menu with a search bar for endless navigation possibilities. Remember, the type of navigation design you opt for will depend on the depth of your website goes, the more a traditional navigation will struggle.
Secondly, the navigation flow of a multi-page site is easy to follow. This type of website has been around since the 90s, which means that most users are familiar with it. As long as your website’s navigation flow is easy to follow, you’re smooth sailing with a multi-page design.
Finally, sites with several pages have powerful SEO capabilities. We’ve established that multi-page sites are more likely to have larger amounts of content than those with a single page. And although the SEO potential of each website heavily relies on your digital marketing strategy, just having the content potential to optimize your SEO is a great start. Learn more about the importance of SEO on your website here.
Looking to study the classic patterns designers rely on? Check out our guide to UI patterns.
The cons of multi-page website design
Multi-page websites seem to have worked for us up until now. By the way, there are a few disadvantages to take into account.
For instance, consider how you’ll manage regular updates to your site. Don’t forget that the design and content teams needs to maintain all the content. When considering whether to design a one-page or multi-page website, you need to think about whether having lots of content is cost-effective.
As Undsgn says: “updating and maintaining a single page is easier than taking care of several – you can’t argue with math!” And remember that low-quality or under-optimized content is just plain bad for business.
Another thing to take into consideration is your site’s bounce rate. Websites with heavy amounts of content are often slow-loading, distracting, and can cause users to bounce. And although not every multi-page website is content-heavy, with all that room to scale, it’s something to look out for.
Finally, multi-page design is harder to adapt to mobile. Unlike single page sites, where the same backend code can be used to develop the mobile site, multi-page designs need to be started from scratch to produce the mobile version. Not only is this more costly and time-consuming, but you risk losing design consistency across web and mobile platforms.
Whatever you want to achieve with your website, a website designer will often know the most effective way to execute it. Also, check Jpress if you’re looking for one.
