How Long Should a Photography Website Be? Scroll vs Multi-Page
For photographers, a website is never just a website. It’s your portfolio, your positioning tool, your quiet sales assistant, and often the moment a potential client decides whether you’re “the one” or not.
So when photographers ask, “How long should my website be?”, what they’re really asking is something deeper.
How much do I need to show?
How much do I need to explain?
And how do I do that without overwhelming people or underselling myself?
Closely followed by the next big question: Should I build a single scrolling website, or invest in a multi-page one?
There’s no universal answer. But there is a strategic way to decide — and it has very little to do with trends, and everything to do with how you want your business to work.
What “Website Length” Actually Means for Photographers
When we talk about website length, we’re not talking about word counts or how long it takes to scroll from top to bottom.
For photographers, website length is really about structure and depth.
It’s about how your work is presented, how your story unfolds, and how easily someone can understand what you do, who you do it for, and how to take the next step.
A short website can feel rich and complete.
A long website can feel effortless and clear.
Problems only arise when length exists without intention.
Understanding Scroll Websites in a Photography Context
A scroll website is a single page where everything lives together — portfolio, story, services, testimonials, and contact details — all arranged in a vertical flow.
Rather than clicking between pages, visitors move down the page, guided by imagery, spacing, and carefully placed calls to action.
For photographers, this format often feels intuitive. Photography is visual by nature, and scrolling mirrors how we naturally consume imagery, especially on mobile. When done well, it can feel immersive, editorial, and highly curated. A strong scroll website allows you to control the narrative. You decide what someone sees first, what emotion is created, and when practical details appear. There’s very little friction, and no opportunity for visitors to get lost clicking around.
This is why scroll websites are so popular with photographers who offer one core service, rely heavily on Instagram or referrals, and want a clean, modern online presence that supports — rather than competes with — their work.
Where Scroll Websites Shine (and Why They’re So Appealing)
Scroll websites work beautifully when simplicity is a strength, not a limitation.
They’re especially effective for photographers who are early in their business, rebranding, or intentionally keeping their offering focused. Because everything lives on one page, the experience can feel cohesive and emotionally engaging.
They’re also faster to launch. With fewer pages to design and write, a scroll website allows photographers to get online quickly without compromising on quality. For many creatives, this removes the pressure of having to “say everything” right away. On mobile, scroll websites often feel more natural than multi-page sites. Swiping through images, short text blocks, and galleries feels familiar and intuitive — which matters, considering how many clients first discover photographers on their phones.
The Quiet Limitations of Scroll Websites
Where scroll websites can struggle is not at the beginning of a photography business, but as it grows.
As you gain experience, you may start offering multiple services, targeting different types of clients, or investing more seriously in SEO. At that point, a single page has to work very hard to do many jobs at once.
Search engines still rely heavily on page structure. A one-page website makes it difficult to target multiple keywords, locations, or services without diluting your visibility. Everything competes for the same SEO focus, which can limit long-term organic growth.
There’s also a user experience consideration. The more information you add to a scroll website, the longer and heavier it becomes. What once felt elegant can start to feel overwhelming — especially if clients are scrolling purely to find one specific detail, like pricing or availability.
None of this makes scroll websites “bad”. It simply means they work best when the scope of your business is intentionally contained.
The Role of Multi-Page Websites for Photographers
A multi-page website takes a different approach. Instead of telling the entire story in one flow, it creates space for clarity.
Each page has a role. Your homepage sets the tone. Your portfolio pages let the work speak. Your about page builds trust. Your services page answers practical questions. Your blog or journal supports SEO and authority.
For photographers with layered businesses, this structure can be transformative.
Rather than squeezing everything into one experience, a multi-page website allows different visitors to find exactly what they’re looking for, in the order that makes sense to them.
An art director, a wedding client, and a brand founder don’t all browse in the same way. A multi-page site respects that.
Why Multi-Page Websites Support Long-Term Growth
From an SEO perspective, multi-page websites are significantly more flexible. Each page can be optimised for a specific search intent, making it easier to rank for different services, locations, or niches.
From a brand perspective, they give you room to tell a deeper story. Photography is personal, and clients often want more than beautiful images — they want to understand your approach, your values, and what working with you feels like.
Multi-page websites are also easier to grow over time. Adding a new service, publishing a blog post, or expanding into education doesn’t require rethinking the entire structure. You simply add to it.
For established photographers or studios with ambitious growth plans, this scalability becomes invaluable.
When Multi-Page Websites Can Work Against You
That said, more pages don’t automatically mean a better website.
If pages exist without purpose, or content is thin and repetitive, a multi-page website can feel bloated rather than polished. Too many navigation options can also overwhelm visitors, especially if the brand story isn’t clear.
For photographers who are just starting out, a multi-page website can feel like unnecessary pressure — forcing decisions and content that haven’t fully formed yet.
Structure should support clarity, not create friction.
So, How Long Should a Photography Website Be?
The most honest answer is this:
Your website should be exactly as long as it needs to be to build trust, show your value, and invite the right clients to take action.
No longer. No shorter.
Instead of asking whether one page or five pages is “better”, ask:
What does my ideal client need to see to feel confident enquiring?
How do people usually find me — social media, referrals, Google?
Am I building for where my business is now, or where I want it to be?
Will this structure still support me in two years?
When those questions are answered honestly, the right structure becomes obvious.
A Practical Way to Decide
In simple terms, scroll websites tend to suit photographers who want focus, speed, and simplicity. Multi-page websites suit photographers who want depth, discoverability, and room to grow.
Many successful photographers start with a scroll website and evolve into a multi-page structure later. That’s not a mistake — it’s often a smart, strategic progression.
What matters is choosing intentionally, not reactively.
Final Thoughts: Length Is Not the Strategy — Clarity Is
A photography website doesn’t succeed because it’s long or short.
It succeeds because it’s clear.
Clear about who it’s for.
Clear about what you offer.
Clear about the next step.
Whether that clarity lives on one page or many is simply a design decision — not a value judgement.
When your website structure supports your business goals, the length will always feel right.
Ready to turn your photography website into a conversion tool?
If you’re ready to elevate your photography website with clarity, confidence, and conversion in mind, we’d love to support you. Let’s build a site that turns visitors into enquiries.
