The Real ROI of a Simple Squarespace Website: Why Less Often Converts More
Written by Spaceworks Studio — Squarespace web designers and Squarespace developers who engineer websites anywhere on the spectrum, from single‑scroll landers to 50‑page content hubs. This piece explains why minimal pages can punch above their weight without dismissing the very real value of larger builds.
Size alone does not dictate success. A lightweight one‑page Squarespace website can outrun a hulking brochure site when the offer is straightforward and the buying journey short. Conversely, content‑rich, multi‑page architectures excel when you need deep education, SEO breadth, or complex user flows. The smart money lies in matching scope to strategy. Over roughly 2 200 words, we’ll show where minimalism shines, where a bigger footprint wins, and how to decide — using real‑world patterns from our client portfolio (no sensitive data, just anonymised scenarios).
1. Right‑Sizing: A Quick Diagnostic Matrix
| Business Need | Ideal Footprint | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Single offer, quick decision (coaching call, SaaS trial) | One-pager | Less friction, faster load, linear storytelling |
| Multiple personas, layered services (agency, law firm) | 5-8 pages | Segmented funnels, richer SEO targets |
| Content marketing engine (blog, resources, case library) | 10+ pages | Topic clusters, authority building |
2. The “More Pages = More Credibility” Myth
A decade ago, website audits rewarded bulk. Today, data tilts the other way for simple offers:
Page Depth: Nielsen Norman puts SME average at 1.6 views/session.
Click‑Through: Heap Analytics logs 55 % exits after two pageviews.
If your prospect only skims page one, the other nine pages don’t pay rent. But when your service truly requires layered proof (think medical tourism or enterprise SaaS), those pages become assets. Context decides.
3. Cognitive Load — Why Fewer Choices Speed Decisions
John Sweller’s cognitive load theory states the obvious: overwhelmed brains stall. Long nav menus (Home, About, Blog, Portfolio, Services, Resources, Events, Contact) force the visitor to plan a route instead of absorbing value.
Case pattern: A B2B consultancy trimmed nav items from seven to three, keeping FAQs inside accordions. Demo requests rose 18 % overnight. Lesson — reduce decisions when the goal is a single CTA. When your funnel branches (e.g., separate onboarding for investors vs. founders), a broader sitemap is justified — we just structure it so each segment sees only relevant paths.
4. Speed: Compound Interest for Conversions
Google’s 2024 research shows a 32 % higher bounce risk when mobile LCP grows from one to three seconds. One‑pagers average <1.8 s on 4G because they serve fewer images and scripts. Multi‑page sites can hit the same numbers with careful optimisation (CDN, lazy‑loading, code splitting) — but they need ongoing vigilance. Our Squarespace developers bake those tactics into every build, big or small. Simplicity makes the job easier but is not the only path to speed.
5. SEO: Depth vs. Focus
Minimal pages dominate niche, high‑intent phrases (“Lisbon UX coach”), while larger sites excel at topic clusters (“e‑commerce CRO resources”). One anonymised client ranks #3 for “sustainability grant consultant” with an 820‑word one‑pager. Another ranks for 84 keywords in the “buy‑to‑let tax” cluster thanks to 12 long‑form guides. Our job is to map your growth goals to the correct content architecture.
6. Scenario Snapshots (Anonymised)
A. Career‑Coach Reboot — From 5 Pages to 1
Before: WordPress, 0.8 % conversion, 5‑second load.
After: Single‑scroll Squarespace web design, 4.7 % conversion, 1.7 s load.
Why: One core package, impulse buy—extra pages were noise.
B. Architecture Studio — 18 Pages to Hybrid
Before: 10‑second mobile load, 18 portfolio pages.
After: One‑page sales narrative + hidden gallery sub‑pages. Enquiries doubled.
Why: Prospects needed quick trust, then deep dives. Hybrid solved both.
C. B2B SaaS — Scaling Up, Not Down
Before: One‑pager v1, decent leads but poor onboarding.
After: 9‑page expansion (use cases, security, API docs). SQLs up 63 %.
Why: Complex buying committee demanded layered proof. One‑pager became a traffic “cover” page feeding deeper content.
These examples show that both minimalist and larger builds work — when paired with the right funnel stage.
7. Profit Levers That Simplicity Always Unlocks
Single Analytics Funnel — One URL ➔ instant insight into leaks.
Sharper Copy — Limited space forces benefit‑driven language.
Maintenance Savings — Fewer templates, fewer plugin risks.
For larger sites, we keep those levers by modularising. Example: our gating script loads case‑study sections only when the visitor scrolls past 60 % depth, protecting LCP.
8. Objections & Nuances
“My offer is complicated.” Keep the top‑level page simple, link to deep resources. We’ve built 40‑page knowledge bases living behind a calm landing screen.
“I need blog content.” Absolutely. Blog index pages slot perfectly beneath a one‑page front if thought leadership is key.
“Investors expect detail.” Use expandable accordions or gated PDFs. They satisfy due diligence without bloating the main path.
9. UX Safeguards We Apply to Every Site
| Principle | One-Page | Multi-Page |
|---|---|---|
| Sticky mobile CTA | ✔ | ✔ |
| 8-pt spacing grid | ✔ | ✔ |
| Accessibility AA+ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Deferred non-critical JS | ✔ | ✔ |
If it’s not in both columns, we add it. Consistency builds trust whether you scroll once or thirty times.
10. Cost‑Benefit Illustration
Traffic: 5 000 visitors / month, average deal £100.
| Site Type | Conversion | Monthly Sales | Annual Ops Cost | Annual Profit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10-page (2 % cv) | 100 | £10 000 | £6 000 | £114 000 |
| 1-page (4 % cv) | 200 | £20 000 | £3 000 | £237 000 |
| 8-page targeted (3.2 % cv) | 160 | £16 000 | £5 000 | £187 000 |
Choose the row that maps to your funnel reality. We’ll engineer whichever wins for your numbers.
Drag‑and‑drop tools empower anyone to build. They also empower hidden pitfalls: 4 MB hero images, untagged PDFs, non‑compliant cookie banners. Our Squarespace developers run a 30‑point launch audit (performance, SEO, privacy, accessibility) on every project, no matter the page count. The faster route is hiring rigour once instead of troubleshooting forever.
Every block we craft is modular. Today you might need a single page; tomorrow a resource hub. Fluid Engine and section templates let us bolt on pages in hours, not weeks. Your site stays nimble, whatever the roadmap.
Minimal pages convert like crazy when the buying journey is short. Multi‑page ecosystems build authority when education is long. Optimal ROI comes from selecting the right frame for the story you need to tell — and refusing bloat everywhere else.
Spaceworks Studio practices proportional design: we strip back until every pixel pays rent, then stop cutting. Sometimes the result is one elegant scroll; sometimes it’s a library of resources. In all cases, the site loads fast, reads clearly, and nudges action.
Ready to discover your perfect footprint? Book a 15‑minute audit and we’ll crunch the numbers together or learn more about our one-pager offer below
