Build Beautiful One-Page Sites in Minutes with Carrd—No Overthinking Required

Build Beautiful One-Page Sites in Minutes with Carrd—No Overthinking Required

A solopreneur’s confession: Sometimes the simplest tool is the one that actually makes you money.

The “Not another site again” Moment

I have a “main” website, built with Cursor. It’s great. It’s my HQ. But here is the problem: every time I have a weird, random idea at 2 AM, the thought of creating a new landing page on my main site makes me want to cry.

I don’t want to mess up my navigation menu. I don’t want to worry about how the new plugin conflicts with the old theme. I just want a blank slate.

This is where Carrd changed my life.

Usually, we all need independent landing pages outside of our main website. Maybe it’s for a specific webinar, a temporary eBook offer, or just a waiting list for a project you aren't sure you'll actually build yet. You need a tool that lets you create high-converting landing pages without the baggage of a full website builder.

That’s what I want to talk to you about today. Not the specs, not the code—but how this little tool gave me my speed back.

First Impressions: It’s Quiet Here

The first time I logged into Carrd, I was confused. Where are the sidebars? Where are the pop-ups asking me to upgrade?

It’s just a grid.

As a solopreneur, my brain is usually cluttered with a million to-dos. Carrd feels like walking into a clean, minimalist apartment. It forces you to focus. The philosophy here is simple: simple one-page site builder. It doesn’t want you to build the next Facebook. It wants you to build a page that says, “Here is who I am, here is what I do, click this button.”

And honestly? That is usually all we need.

The “Lego” Experience of Building

I’m not a designer. I know enough to make things look “okay,” but I’m not winning any awards.

Building in Carrd feels like playing with Legos. You add “Elements”—a text block, an image, a button, a form. You stack them.

But the real magic—the thing that keeps me coming back—is the constraints. I have a bad habit of trying to make things too fancy. Carrd gently slaps my hand away. It says, “No, you don't need a parallax 3D animation. You need a headline that works.”

This constraint is actually a superpower. It forces you to focus on your copywriting. Because you can’t hide behind flashy design, you have to ensure you can write compelling landing page copy. The tool makes you a better marketer because it forces you to be concise.

About Mobile (Because Nobody Uses Desktops Anymore)

Here is a scenario that used to drive me crazy: I’d spend 10 hours building a page on a heavy website builder. It looked gorgeous on my 27-inch monitor. Then, I’d open it on my phone, and it looked like a train wreck. Text overlapping, buttons too small... total disaster.

With Carrd, the mobile-responsive web design is automatic.

I recently launched a small newsletter. I built the page on Carrd in about 20 minutes (no joke). I checked it on my phone, and it was perfect. The columns stacked automatically. The font sizes adjusted. I didn’t have to toggle any weird “mobile view” settings or write custom CSS.

For a one-person team, this is huge. I don't have a QA department. I am the QA department. Knowing that Carrd has my back on mobile gives me peace of mind.

The Secret Weapon: The “Satellite” Strategy

Remember I mentioned needing pages outside your main site? Here is exactly how I use Carrd to grow my business without cluttering my main brand.

I treat Carrd pages as “Satellites.”

Let’s say I have an idea for a course about productivity. I don’t want to put it on my main site yet because I don’t know if anyone wants it. So, I buy a cheap domain (or use a subdomain like course.myname.com) and slap up a Carrd site.

I use the integration features to connect email signup forms directly to my email provider (I use ConvertKit, but it works with Mailchimp, Beehiiv, pretty much everyone).

If 100 people sign up? Great, I build the course.

If 0 people sign up? I delete the Carrd site. I lost 20 minutes and $0.

This ability to validate startup ideas cheaply is invaluable. I used to spend weeks building products nobody wanted. Now, I don't build anything until a Carrd page proves people want it.

SEO: The Truth, No Sugar Coating

Okay, let’s address the elephant in the room. You’re probably wondering, “Is this good for Google?”

If you are trying to build a massive blog with 500 articles to rank for every keyword under the sun, do not use Carrd. That’s not what it’s for. Stick to WordPress or Ghost for that.

But, for a specific brand name, a personal profile, or a specific product? Yes, it works.

I have a Carrd page that acts as my digital business card. It ranks #1 when you Google my name (even above my LinkedIn). Why? Because Carrd sites are incredibly lightweight. Google’s Core Web Vitals love speed. Because there is no bloat code, the site loads instantly.

Plus, the Carrd SEO optimization settings are easy to find. You can set your title tag, your description, and that all-important “Share Image” (the picture that pops up when you drop the link in Slack or Twitter). It covers the basics perfectly.

The Pricing is Almost Suspiciously Good

I genuinely don't know how the developer (AJ, who is a legend in the indie-maker community) makes money.

I pay for the “Pro Standard” plan. It allows me to publish multiple sites, use custom domains, and remove the “Made with Carrd” branding. It costs me roughly the price of one nice dinner for the entire year.

In a world where every SaaS tool wants to charge me $49/month, Carrd charging ~$19 a year feels like a glitch in the matrix. It is the most affordable landing page builder on the market, hands down.

What I Don't Like (Keeping it Real)

I promised not to just fanboy over this tool, so here are the frustrations.

The “Container” system can be a bit tricky at first. If you want to create complex columns—like a picture on the left, text on the right, but then switch it up halfway down the page—you have to understand how Carrd handles “Containers.” It took me an afternoon to really “get” it.

Also, it really isn't meant for blogging. I tried to hack a blog together on Carrd once using different sections. It was a nightmare. Don't do it. Use it for what it’s made for: Landing pages, portfolios, and profiles.

Why You Should Ditch Linktree

One last tip before I wrap up. Are you still paying for a “Link in Bio” tool?

Stop.

I used to use Linktree. It’s fine. But it looks like everyone else's. With Carrd, I built a custom link in bio landing page that looks exactly like my brand colors. I can embed my latest YouTube video directly on the page (not just a link), and I can collect emails right there inside Instagram or TikTok.

It makes you look 10x more professional than just having a list of generic buttons.

Final Thoughts from One Founder to Another

Being a solopreneur is lonely and hard. We are constantly second-guessing our decisions.

Carrd is one of the few tools in my stack that actually reduces my anxiety. It doesn't ask me to code. It doesn't break. It just sits there, waiting for me to have an idea, and helps me get that idea onto the internet in record time.

If you have been putting off launching that ebook, or updating your portfolio, or testing that new consulting offer—go grab a Carrd template. You’ll be live before you finish your second cup of coffee.

And honestly? That feeling of hitting “Publish” is what we are all here for.