Single-page applications (SPAs) are now a part of everyday living. On most days, a typical internet user can be expected to open several popular SPAs like Google Workspace, Facebook, TikTok, or ChatGPT. It can be rightly argued that SPAs are now the dominant way most people interact with the internet. For that reason, many digitally-transforming businesses are prioritizing SPA web development over creating conventional websites.
If you’re thinking of building an SPA, many search engine optimization (SEO) professionals will probably advise against it unless you have to. Most SPAs rely on JavaScript to render content, which can often complicate the site’s crawlability, analytics tracking, and many other SEO areas.
Of course, replicating the smooth functionality of popular SPAs like Instagram or Netflix would be almost impossible with a traditional multi-page website. In these cases, maintaining search engine visibility will be a matter of strategically providing sufficient crawlable content alongside the SPA.
As for the SPA itself, however, web designers and developers will have to overcome challenges not often faced in traditional web design. If you do want to push through with your SPA, here are a few design recommendations that should help them be more competitive:
- Make Performance Your First Priority
SPA users expect quick, responsive interactions. Aside from ensuring that you have sufficient hosting resources, you must aim to do whatever is necessary to minimize load times. Remember that many of your users will be using obsolete equipment or sketchy connectivity options, and you’ll want to accommodate them alongside users with more high-end devices.
Speed optimization practices like writing efficient code, employing lazy loading, and using data compression are a great start. Critically, you’ll also want to make sure that the CSS and JavaScript generated by your systems have minimal code bloat.
Read: 6 Simple Tips for Improving Your Online Store’s Performance and Speed
- Focus on Intuitive Navigation
Even though SPAs don’t typically reload pages, clear and intuitive navigation within their single page is still necessary. Use a consistent menu layout to help users understand where they are and how to move around the app. If possible, use formats that other SPAs already use so that your users don’t have to second-guess your own SPA’s functionality.
- Implement Clear Loading Indicators
Since SPAs load data dynamically, there might be short delays when certain types of content are fetched. Ideally, you want to avoid this delay entirely by using every speed optimization trick you have.
However, if it can’t be helped, users must be informed that data is being loaded to properly set their expectations. If the screen appears to be freezing for no good reason, the user may feel frustrated or think that the application crashed. A properly-implemented loading indicator can help avoid this frustration and give your users a pleasant experience.
- Continuously Refine the User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI)
The smoothness of an SPA’s UX and UI tends to be the main predictor of whether or not a new visitor will convert into a regular user. Once your SPA is launched, you must commit to regular user testing, given the continuous development of new web technologies and the sheer diversity of scenarios in which web apps are used. Set up a repeatable system to gather feedback and usability data and try to make improvements promptly.
- Ensure SEO Friendliness
While some SEOs claim that SPAs cannot be optimized for search engines, this is more a skill issue than anything else. SPAs can indeed pose challenges for SEO because of the way dynamic content is indexed. However, there are, in fact, a variety of things you can implement to improve SEO, such as the aforementioned speed and UX optimizations. Maintaining a more conventionally structured site alongside your SPA, performing link building, and investing in a diversified digital marketing strategy should also enable SPAs to overcome their basic disadvantages in SEO.
- Maintain Consistent Branding
Consistency in branding across your SPA and other public-facing assets is essential. Consistent branding not only ties the SPA to your brand but also contributes to a cohesive user experience. For that reason, your SPA should ideally be developed according to predefined guidelines that directly link it to your brand.
- Optimize for Mobile
Unless you’re addressing a niche market, chances are that the majority of users accessing your SPA are doing so on mobile devices. Ensure your application is mobile-friendly by using responsive design principles. Don’t forget to try out a variety of mobile devices whenever you conduct your regular UI and UX tests.
Read: Why Adopting a Mobile First Design is Good for Your Website
- Provide Offline Functionality
Consider implementing offline functionality for your SPA. Enabling the caching of essential resources can allow users to continue interacting with your application even when they are offline. This is particularly useful for mobile users who may experience intermittent connectivity.
Should You Go with an SPA or a Traditional Website?
Single Page Applications excel at offering a seamless experience but their inherent drawbacks mean you should only employ them when fully justified. Outside of some very specific situations, a traditional multipage site may even get the job done while also providing you with sustainable organic traffic. However, when an SPA is warranted, you must be prepared to make design decisions from a slightly different perspective than you would for a traditional website.
Are you considering setting up an SPA? Not sure if a traditional site would be better? Our experienced team can help you make the right decisions. Contact us to discuss solutions that will help your website meet your business’s goals.
