As a local business, you need "Google insurance".
You want to control what someone sees when entering your business name in a search engine.
The only way to control your web presence is through your own website. And for a local business, a single-page website is a great solution!
The reason behind this is that you don't need all the bells and whistles an online business needs. You need a simple and clean solution to show off what you're doing, how customers can get in touch and provide some social proof.
That's exactly what our new 'one-page-site' template is made for! You can find it now in the Thrive Architect templates library.
More...
What's a Single Page Website Template?
A single page website is a homepage, landing page and website all in one.
Instead of creating a full blown site with different pages, you'll use this template as your homepage on your site. All important information about your business can be found on that same long-scrolling page.
At the same time, if you put a prominent call-to-action on this page, it also serves you well as a landing page.
Using a simple one page site like this has several advantages:
- Easy to update: You only have to think about updating one single page.
- Cheap: No need to buy a WordPress theme, this Thrive Architect template is all you need.
- Quick to install: As you can see in the video, loading this template only takes a few minutes. That's all the time you need to get your website up and running.
Here's how the single page website template looks like:
Thrive Architect One Page Dog Walking Site Template
How to Use This Single Page Website Template
1. Load the Template on a New Page
Video time stamp: 1.50 min
- Create a new WordPress page, give it a name and save it as a draft.
- Now, edit the page with Thrive Architect.
- Go to page setup and select the option "Choose a Landing Page Template".
- From here go to the "One Page Site"-set and select the dog walking template.
2. Customize the Template
Video time stamp: 2.42 min
Now that you have the template loaded on your site, you can start customizing it. You can replace the images, change the text, change colors etc.
How to Edit the Menu (3.05 min)
The menu on this page is not actually a real menu item. It's a list of links that are linked to specific sections on the page. When a visitor clicks on one of the links, the page will automatically scroll to the right section.
These links are called Anchor Links.
To use anchor links, you need 2 things:
- An "anchor" on the page
- A link
To create an anchor on a page, select any element on the page that you want the user to be scrolled to (usually a background section) and give this section an ID. You can do this in the Styles and Templates menu.
You don't need to confirm this entry by clicking on a save button. Whatever you enter in this field will be applied as the element's ID.
Now, you can link the menu text to this point in the page by linking to "#your_id_here". For the example above, the link would look like this:
The link format is the hash symbol (#) followed by the ID name, with no spaces in between and no http:// or www. before.
If you're looking to change the color of the links and the hover color, you can do this on landing page level.
Go to "Page Setup" and then "Landing Page Settings"
From here you can change all the font settings of the complete landing page. Hyperlinks are part of these settings.
This will change all the links on the page, including the menu links.
How to Edit the 2-Step Opt-in Form Lightbox (4.30 min)
Thrive Themes would not be Thrive Themes if we did not include an option for you to collect leads!
This template uses a 2-step opt-in form. There are 2 buttons on the page that are linked with a lightbox.
In order to edit the lightbox, click on the button and go to the animations and actions menu.
This will open up the Open Lightbox Action. From here you can click on edit the lightbox which will open a new tab and allow you to edit the lightbox.
You only have to do this for one of the two buttons on the page. The other button is linked to the same lightbox, so all the changes you make on the lightbox will automatically apply.
In order to be able to send the coupon, you'll need to connect your site with an email service such as Active Campaign or MailChimp. If you need help to connect the lightbox with your email service, we have detailed tutorials for you for just about any service.
Once you're finished with the customisations, you can save the page in Thrive Architect and hit the publish button (in WordPress).
3. Use This One-Page Template as Homepage
Video time stamp: 6.18 min
Now there is one final step in order to be able to see this page as the homepage of your site...
In your WordPress dashboard, go to "Settings" >> "Reading".
From here select "Static Front page" and in the front page dropdown menu you'll find the page you just published.
Select this page and hit the "save changes" button.
That's it, you've just created your one-page website!
Dog Walking is Just the Beginning...
I hope you like this new template and the "one page site"-concept; quick installation and easy updates are ensured, perfect for a local landing page. If so, I would like to hear from you... What should be the next business we create a single-page site template for? Let us know in the comments below!
A local artisan company, for example a painter’s firm.
Thanks Markus 🙂
I’d love to see a charity landing page. Something that collected donations instead of emails. That would be fantastic and a bit different.
Hi Evan,
Thanks for the suggestion 🙂 How do charities usually collect donations? Do they use a specific service?
There are many ways they collect donations, but one of the easiest is the non-profit version of PayPal.
Ok that would be easy enough to implement 🙂
Lots of unanswered questions here in the comments Hanne
Not sure what you are imagining Cloud but I’m not a robot… I also need to sleep, eat and take a break from time to time so “sorry” if I did not answer all the questions within the minute…
Yep paypal would be the most common. Stripe probably second.
Love the concept – please develop something for coaching
Agree. Would be awesome.
My site is pretty much like a coaching style that can be used as a reference.
Hi Johannes, seems like you’re not alone to ask for a coaching template 🙂
Love the idea of a one page website. I’d like to see one for video marketing services
Thanks Herman
Hey Hanne,
Good to see the introduction of different styles of web properties.
A locally focused one-pager would work for:
Garden Services/ PC Repair/ Florist/ Domestic Cleaners/ Mobile Hairdresser/ Window Repair/ Odd Jobs / etc
Loads more to be sure, but a big step for these types of local independent services that are usually found via word of mouth.
Thanks for the suggestions Tony!
Hi Hanne,
Excellent video, perfect explanation and fantastic template, it will be really useful to me
A question,
Is there any way in which once I create a site with this template, then I can export it to html to upload it to a cPanel and use it without wordpress?
This would be very useful, I would appreciate it if you can tell me how to do it
regards
Hi Antonio,
Thanks for your comment. Uploading this as a HTML is not an option. You need WordPress 🙂
This is great. It would be awesome to be able to add a blog in the same style as well, so you can start to communicate with your customers and/or prospects.
Hi Nick,
For this one pager we did not add a blog section because that would complicate things again 🙂
But with the new theme it will be possible to have the blog in the same style.
Very good video. I’d love to see a template for art work.
Thanks Frank
Looking at setting up a local business style page and have the lightbox show a contact us page linked to our email provider instead of an autoresponder.
For example… dentist inquiry with a drop-down menu to display options like teeth whitening fillings, or root canal, etc.
continue to collect full name and being local, phone number or address option to send literature/information if they would like to receive this by post or our phone number displayed with opening times and google map within the pop out section.
The phone number being mobile responsive, call us section on pop out to contact business immediately with a push of a finger would truly make this a local business page .
Thanks for the suggestions Anthony.
You might like the post I wrote about how to get SMS notifications when you get a new lead ==> https://thrivethemes.com/sms-notifications-new-leads/
Great template. Thanks guys!
If anyone wants to add animated scrolling to the menu links, go to the “Page Setup” button in the Thrive toolbar then “Settings” then “Edit HTML” and paste this code at the bottom:
jQuery(document).ready(function($) {
$(document).on(‘click’, ‘a[href^=”#”]’, function(event) {
event.preventDefault();
$(‘html, body’).animate({
scrollTop: $($.attr(this, ‘href’)).offset().top
}, 500);
});
});
That didn’t seem to do anything. Didn’t hurt anything either, but is there something else that needs to be done I’m missing? I pasted everything at the bottom where instructed, but nothing seems to have changed, when the menu links are clicked, they still jump immediately to the sections. Thanks!
i also tried to imply this, didn’t seem to work for me either. also added the commands.. didnt work.
Well the one things that’s missing from the code is the script tags.
Should be something like this:-
<script>
jQuery(document).ready(function($) {
$(document).on(‘click’, ‘a[href^=”#”]’, function(event) {
event.preventDefault();
$(‘html, body’).animate({
scrollTop: $($.attr(this, ‘href’)).offset().top
}, 500);
});
});
</script>
Thanks, Paul. I had the script tags in my comment but they were stripped out.
Ha, as the owner of a dog walking company, I smiled when I saw what the theme design was for this landing page hehe.
SEO is really important for local businesses so I do have a question. If we apply the usual techniques to get Google to fall in love with our site (have a blog, have a Google business page, etc.) Will using a landing page like this one be as beneficial as using a regular WordPress theme? What are your thoughts?
Thanks!
Hi Eddie,
Using a template like this will have no disadvantage over using a single page made with a WordPress theme, in terms of SEO.
Depending on your theme, loading times might be slower than when you use a simple, single landing page like this. So that could be a small advantage.
But for the most part, if content and markup are the same on both pages, it won’t make a difference whether it’s a “theme page” or a landing page.
Well, is a nice idea but I didn’t like much the template this time – guess is the first time it happens with Thrive Themes!
Maybe is because of the “Funny Font”… Or because of the Top Section…
Anyway is always good to see that everything is simpler then we imagine. Maybe doing some other 2-3 “generic” versions – one more serious, other more artistic and a home focused services, also more plain – would cover 80% of our needs.
Thanks, guys!
I agree, a generic simple version where we can change the images, background, content, etc easily to be a one size fits all for most local business will be great start. Similar to the “Bright” Series concept.
Hi Alexandre,
In French there is an expression “Les goûts et les couleurs, ça ne se discute pas” which means as much as you can’t discuss colors and taste 🙂
About a more generic template, we found that most people will still request specific templates for their industry. It can be hard to find the right pictures and color scheme etc. That’s why we prefer creating specific templates.
But of course if we do one for a plumber it will look completely different that this more playful one 😉
Nice tutorial Hanne! I am already working on a one page template, for a man and van removal services. Any secrets i should follow for a single page template?
Hi Elias,
No real “secrets” 🙂 I would make sure to have social proof (testimonials) and anything you need to reassure the potential client about the quality of the service.
Great theme template! Here are some of the Most Common Small Businesses which are in virtually every city in the world:
1. Construction/Handyman
2. Restaurant, Café, and Bakery
3. Pest/Bug Control
4. Lawn Care
5. Bars and Nightclubs
6. Painting (Residential & Commercial)
7. Accounting & Bookkeeping
8. IT & Web Design
9. Real Estate (Buy & Sell)
10. Lawyer
11. Electrician
12. Plumber
13. Air Conditioning / HVAC Service
14. Auto Mechanic
15. Medical (Doctor, Dentist, Chiropractor)
16. Retail Stores
17. Apartment, Townhouse, and Condo (Rental)
18. Spa, Yoga, and Fitness
19. Nail Salon
20. Barbershop and Stylist
I agree. This is a great list of service industry site templates that would be very helpful. Thanks!
massage, reike, tia chi, printing, rubber stamp companies
I second this list! For me personally, I build quite a few plumber, electrician, & construction 1-page websites. It would be great to have a few templates specifically for them!
I’d add Coach and also Consultant themed templates to that list as well.
Absolutely!
I agree this would be of great value as well
I would also love to see some 1-page website templates for trade services (plumber, builder, electrician etc)
good list
Could not have said it better Chris…and it could also work as a good starter site for someone building a business and just starting out.
Could add:
Gardening Services
Window Cleaning
Ironing Service
Cleaning
Dog Washing….
yes I agree or something generic that a local service business could use, but one of the issues with a one page landing type site is no seo options or any way to optimize your site to get rankings, which even though is local, but still important, especially to those of us who live in a large metropolitan area
Hi Don,
Yes this is not for everybody.
Congratulations, very well explained. A question: does a page make organic search difficult? Is it possible to make seo in it?
Hi Dora, you can do any on-page SEO as you would with a normal page (Title, description, headings, …)
But of course here their would be no interlinking (links within your site).
If you’re trying to rank this site for “Best dog walker in America” you’ll most likely never succeed.
But if you’re trying to rank this page for your business name (and your URL is your business name) than it should be possible 🙂
I would love a mini-Pinterest mini-site – image/video content – and simple order form for personalized items (input field for engraving) and then perhaps a PayPal buy it now button with prefilled purchase price link: Paypal.me/username/40.00 I know this works on PayPal but I don’t know how to add one field for engraving content (a passthru)
Could we create a bunch of one pagers under the same main domain? For example considerthis.com/widget-to-buy considerthis.com/another-widget with NO menus connecting the different pages —- maybe this would effect badly any SEO
While you could do this, SEO would be difficult as presumably each business would have a different address, etc. Maybe you could use subdomains for this purpose, e.g. widget-to-buy.considerthis.com as these are different websites under the same domain. Thoughts anyone?
Technically yes you could do that, but my question would be: Why?
Hello Hanne,
thank you for your Video.
Topics for the One Page Themes could be:
Bitcoin/Bitcoin Mining
Nail Designer
Sales Coach
Foodtruck
Restraunts
Fitness Coach
Have a nice Day.
Thanks Ulf!
I would go along with Tony’s suggestion…some with ‘Contractors’ such as Plumbers, Electricians, Handyman Services…etc. Thank you Hanne
Hi Hanne,
Thank you for this post.
My suggestion for a one one page site is for musicians/band.
Or artists. This is my clients and there is no good site tamplate conversion focus for artist out there.
This will be awesome! Thanks.
Thanks Erez
You Guys are awesome, How about a one page, for a coffee shop?
That would work 🙂
I would love to see somthing for medical practitioners, dentists, dermatologists or even pharmacists
Hi Dirk,
Thanks for the suggestion. Have you seen the current template we have in the ThriveBiz set?
Fantastic as always. Maybe you should consider a template that is totally generic with elements that can be easily edited and used in a lot of different types of businesses. I have no problem editing this template for pretty well any kind of business but others may not be that confident. So maybe just a video showing how this template can be modified for other businesses.
Hi Michael,
We’ve noticed that most people prefer specific landing pages over the more generic ones but maybe a video could help 🙂
So, this must be installed on a brand new WordPress site, correct ?
It cannot be installed on a pre-existing WordPress site, whereby it would override the existing site content and automatically show the new one page site, correct ?
I am thinking of the possibility of being able to offer a potential client, who has a bad website, the opportunity to get this new one page site which could, after install, show as the landing place from initial click-thru.
But whereby I could assure them, to eliminate perceived risk, that the new site could be undone/deleted, and thier old site would now, once again, be there as before, with no lost content.
This is just a landing page like any other landing page. In your scenario, you could set up a new page – just like Hanne did – and then tell WordPress to use that new page as the homepage – just like Hanne did. If your client wanted to switch back, all you’d have to do is switch the WordPress homepage setting back to the original home page (or whatever it was before you switched it) and they would be back to where they started.
You can use this on a brand new site, but you can also use it on an old site with many pages on it.
Thanks for answering that, Todd 🙂
Exactly what Todd said
Hanne, amazing post like always!
Next homepage: Photographer… Please!
An Awesome tutorial!!!
Thanks, Hanne – This is a great solution for Local Businesses… I have ideas spinning in my head!
From the video, it appeared that when you clicked the link to jump to testimonials, it did so instantly. Is it possible to have a smooth scroll option (or would this require another plugin perhaps)?
Best wishes
Hi Kevin,
For the moment it jumps, yes. We do have a task somewhere in line for smooth scrolling, but I have no ETA on this.
i like the smooth scroll option in the future also 🙂
I’ll add my name to the list for smooth scrolling and hope it is implemented sooner than later since it greatly enhances the browsing experience.
https://css-tricks.com/snippets/jquery/smooth-scrolling/
Adding an optional “return to top” floating button would be another amazing feature.
Thanks for your consideration.
Very Interesting,but I will like to see how to create a mortgage website template or if one page will be enough?
Hi Anthony,
It depends on the purpose of the site. If the site is simply a brochure for your service it can work.
Awesome as ever, Hanne – thanks!
I’d love to see a template for marketing/business consultants.
Noted Matthew
A one-page website is nice if you simply want to have an ‘online brochure’. A place where you can send potential clients/customers to learn more about your business/services.
But, I don’t think you should suggest using a template like this as the only page of someone’s website. If a person is serious about growing their business online… a one-page website won’t convert.
It’s going to hinder your SEO abilities (you can’t focus on keywords), conversion rates, etc.
You’re right and was thinking the same thing however you could still have a blog attached where posts are SEO optimized and leads could be captured. Good point.
That’s true Martin, if you wanted you could use this template as the homepage and have a blog section. But like I said, many online businesses don’t have (or need) a blog and SEO traffic 🙂
Hi Eric,
This one page template is for sure not for everyone.
It is exactly for what you’re suggestion an “online brochure”. Thing is that many (most) local businesses don’t need to try to rank for keywords because their core business is not online.
They simply need a place to communicate their opening hours etc.
Can we make it so it does a smooth scroll to the section instead of a quick jump? This seems to be a common feature for other landing page builders.
Agreed. I’d like to have a smooth scroll to the sections. Surely there must be a way to do it.
Not for the moment Jason
I did not see a return to top button or arrow in the video.
There is non, but you could add an icon (or a text link) and use an anchor link to do so.
Here’s how to create an anchor link.
I am an author and wish I could have a website template to sell my books. I am looking for funnels that will make my books stand out. I am also looking for funnels that comes with a paypal button.
Hi Antoine,
You can easily integrate PayPal with any button! When you created your PayPal button, go to the “email link” instead of the embed code. That’s the link you’ll want to link to your button.
I had a one-page site for my computer repair business a while back. It worked fine for us. I didn’t have a form to add your name and email address though.
Thanks a lot for the video. I would a template for therapist.
Great video and template (as usual Hanne). Would be great if you could create a 1 page mortgage/generic finance type lead gen template….that would be such a godsend for me:)
Hi Hanne,
Great template.
I think a one page website for a “one product” company would be great.
It can be thought for lots of domains, but the idea is to sell a unique product. Something hybrid between a sales page and a “one page” traditional website like the one you have shown on this tutorial.
Thank you
Laurent from France
Nice and easy template, thanks 🙂
The next template could be a website for a craftsman!
I would like to see an Insurance Agency website template
I Love the great job what you do
but i like to see some Ideas for woocommerce and Cosmetics
Thanks for the great ideas 🙂
Thanks for the suggestion 🙂
I agree with Chris Manning. But there are quite a few businesses listed there. Could you pick one say service type business, i.e. Plumber, Electrician, Roofer for example and make it pretty generic that way customizing it would be easier than doing it with a dog walking site,
Hi Josef,
Thanks for the suggestion. I agree that some templates would be pretty similar.
Hi. I really loved this template.
But I’d like to see some related to wellness or yoga in a one page format too.
Thanks 🙂
Next template could be commerce related
Thank you! Finally, something simple to make by just changing content and not having to think about design. Hope you have slightly larger DONE sites coming with 4-6 pages including a blog?? You guys and gals are awesome.
Hi Tom,
That would be in the realm of the theme builder we’re working on 🙂