The Hidden Costs of a One-Page Website (And Why You Probably Want 2+ Pages)

Your Website Might Look Simple… But It’s Silently Costing You Money

If you’ve been tempted by those “simple one-page sites” everyone pushes, I get it. They look clean, they’re cheap, they’re quick – but the one-page website disadvantage is real, and it’s a lot bigger than most business owners expect. We usually try to talk clients out of creating a one-page website.

Let’s break down why that “cute little site” might be the reason your phone isn’t ringing, your traffic is flat, and your SEO is basically taking a nap. 

Phase 1 – What Is the One-Page Website Disadvantage?

A lot of small business owners think a single page is enough because they “don’t have much to say.”
But here’s the thing: Google doesn’t care how simple you want your site to be – Google cares about structure, content, and depth.

And that’s exactly where the one-page website disadvantage kicks in. These sites lack:

• Keyword depth
• Page hierarchy
• Internal links
• Dedicated service pages
• SEO relevance
• Lead capture space

It looks minimal… but it performs minimal too.

Phase 2 – SEO Problems You Can’t Ignore

Let’s hit you with the truth:
Google ranks pages, not just websites.

When you only have one page, you get one shot at ranking. That’s the biggest one-page website disadvantage you’ll face.

Here’s why they don’t rank well:

• You can’t target more than one main keyword.
  Want to rank for “roof repair,” “roof replacement,” and “insurance claims help”?
  Not on a one-page site.

• No room for long-form content.
  Google wants detail and authority – not 3 paragraphs and a button.

• No internal linking structure.
  One-page sites can’t build SEO “silos,” so your authority stays weak.

• Low word count.
  Most one-pagers barely hit 300-500 words.
  Google wants 1,000-1,800+ for competitive searches.

The one-page website disadvantage is basically: you look pretty, but you don’t get found.

Phase 3 – Your Leads Suffer (Quietly)

Even if someone lands on your single-page site, they’re not staying long.

Here’s why:

• You don’t have enough space to explain each service.

• There’s no clear path for different customer types.

• No room for trust signals like case studies or testimonials.

• One CTA (usually at the bottom) = low conversions.

Real talk: not every visitor is ready to “Call Now.”
Some want to learn more. Compare. Browse. Build trust.

A core one-page website disadvantage is that it treats all visitors the same – and that kills conversions.

Phase 4 – Limited Growth Potential

Let’s say you start growing (congrats!).
Now you want to add:

• A blog
• A portfolio
• Multiple service pages
• Landing pages for ads
• City-specific SEO pages
• Lead magnets or resources

You know what happens?
You outgrow your entire site overnight.

A big one-page website disadvantage is that you can’t scale. You’ll have to rebuild from scratch, which costs more in the long run.

Phase 5 – Paid Ads Don’t Work Well on One-Page Sites

Running Google Ads or Facebook Ads?
Let me be blunt – one-page sites tank your ROI.

Why?

• Your ad needs a dedicated landing page to match the search intent.

• You need separate pages for each service to increase Quality Score.

• Your one page tries to talk to everyone at once – bad for conversions.

The one-page website disadvantage becomes brutal with ads:
Lower relevance → higher CPC → fewer leads → wasted money.

Phase 6 – User Experience Suffers

Scrolling… scrolling… scrolling…
And then hitting a huge wall of mixed info in one long column?

Yeah, visitors bounce fast.

The one-page website disadvantage shows up in UX:

• Harder to navigate

• No clear sections

• Too much content packed together

• Users can’t skim to what they need

People don’t read long scrolling pages – they skim.
Without multiple pages, you kill skimability.

Final Thoughts

Bottom line, one-page sites aren’t “bad.” They’re just limited. And that limitation becomes expensive, fast.

If you want visibility, scalability, SEO power, and real lead generation, the one-page website disadvantage will hold you back every single time.

A multi-page site gives you:

• Dedicated service pages
• Stronger SEO
• Better user experience
• Higher conversions
• Space to grow
• Better ad performance

If you’re serious about growth in 2025, one page isn’t enough anymore.

It’s time to invest in a site that actually works – not just one that exists.