Carrd Website Creation

TL;DR

What it is: A freelance service building simple one-page websites for clients using Carrd, a no-code platform designed for landing pages, portfolios, and link-in-bio sites.

What you'll do:

• Consult with clients to understand their needs and goals
• Design and build single-page websites using Carrd's drag-and-drop interface
• Customize layouts, colors, fonts, and content for brand alignment
• Integrate forms, payment buttons, and third-party widgets
• Set up custom domains and publish finished sites

Time to learn: 2-4 weeks if you practice 1-2 hours daily with the platform and study design principles.

What you need: Basic design sense, Carrd Pro account, portfolio of sample sites, and ability to communicate client requirements clearly.

What This Actually Is

Carrd website creation is a freelance service where you build simple, responsive one-page websites for clients who need a fast, affordable web presence. Think landing pages for products, portfolio sites for creatives, link-in-bio pages for social media, event pages, or basic business profiles.

You're not building complex multi-page websites with databases and user authentication. You're creating focused, single-purpose pages that look professional and work on all devices. Carrd is a specialized platform that makes this process accessible without coding knowledge.

The platform serves over 4 million sites and has carved out a specific niche in the website builder market. Your job is to take Carrd's capabilities and apply them to solve client problems faster and better than they could do themselves.

This sits between template customization and full custom web development. Clients come to you because they want something more tailored than a basic template but don't need or can't afford a full custom website.

What You'll Actually Do

Client Consultation

You'll start by talking with potential clients to understand what they need. Are they launching a product? Building a personal brand? Creating a simple business presence? You'll ask about their goals, target audience, brand colors, and what actions they want visitors to take.

Design Planning

Before touching Carrd, you'll sketch out the layout. How many sections? What content hierarchy? Where do calls-to-action go? You might create mood boards or share reference sites to align on visual direction.

Building in Carrd

You'll work in Carrd's interface adding containers, text blocks, images, buttons, forms, and other elements. You'll adjust spacing, choose fonts, set colors, and ensure everything looks good on mobile devices. You'll use Carrd's built-in responsive tools to test different screen sizes.

Customization

For clients needing more, you'll add custom CSS for unique styling, embed third-party tools like payment processors or booking calendars, and integrate analytics tracking. You'll work within Carrd's component limits and technical constraints.

Publishing and Handoff

Once approved, you'll connect the site to the client's custom domain, ensure SSL is working, and test all links and forms. You'll walk clients through basic editing if they want to update content themselves, or offer ongoing maintenance packages.

Marketing Your Services

Between client projects, you'll market yourself on freelance platforms, post examples on social media, reach out to potential clients in your target niches, and refine your service offerings based on what's selling.

Skills You Need

Design Fundamentals

You need an eye for what looks good. Understanding visual hierarchy, white space, color theory, and typography matters more than technical skills here. You should know how to create layouts that guide visitors toward specific actions.

Platform Knowledge

Deep familiarity with Carrd's features, limitations, and workarounds. You'll learn what's possible within the free tier versus Pro plans, how to use custom code embeds, and which integrations work reliably.

Client Communication

Ability to extract requirements from clients who may not know what they want. Asking the right questions, managing expectations, and explaining technical limitations in plain language.

Problem Solving

Working within Carrd's constraints requires creativity. When clients request features Carrd doesn't support natively, you'll need to find workarounds or explain alternatives.

Basic HTML/CSS (Optional)

While not required to start, knowing HTML and CSS lets you add custom styling and functionality beyond Carrd's standard options. This expands what you can offer and justify higher rates.

Project Management

Keeping track of multiple clients, deadlines, revisions, and payments. Knowing when to push back on scope creep and how to structure your workflow efficiently.

Getting Started

Learn the Platform

Sign up for Carrd's free plan and build 3-5 practice sites. Try different layouts, experiment with all the components, and learn the interface. Recreate existing websites you admire to understand design patterns.

Create sites for different purposes: a product landing page, a personal portfolio, a link-in-bio page, an event registration page. This gives you a portfolio and tests different use cases.

Invest in Pro

Once comfortable, upgrade to Carrd Pro Standard ($19/year) which allows up to 10 sites with custom domains. This lets you show clients professional examples on real domains, not carrd.co subdomains.

Build Your Portfolio

Create 5-7 high-quality example sites showcasing different styles and industries. Make sites for fictional businesses, mock products, or volunteer to build free sites for friends or nonprofits. Quality matters more than quantity.

Document your process. Take before and after screenshots if redesigning sites. Explain the problem each site solves and design decisions you made.

Choose Your Niche

Consider specializing in specific industries or use cases. Coaches and consultants need landing pages. Content creators need link-in-bio sites. Small local businesses need simple web presences. Musicians and artists need portfolios. Focusing helps your marketing stand out.

Set Up Your Presence

Create a professional portfolio site (use Carrd to build your own site showing you practice what you sell). Set up profiles on freelance platforms. Prepare service descriptions and pricing packages.

Find Your First Clients

Start with your network. Tell people what you're doing. Offer discounted rates for your first few paid projects in exchange for testimonials and portfolio pieces. Join online communities where your target clients hang out.

Income Reality

Market rates for Carrd website creation vary widely based on complexity, your experience, client budget, and how you position your services.

Per-Project Pricing

Basic Carrd sites typically sell for $100-$300. This might include template customization, basic branding application, and one round of revisions. These are straightforward builds taking 2-4 hours of actual work.

More customized sites with unique designs, custom CSS, integrated payment or booking systems, and multiple revision rounds often price at $300-$500. These require deeper consultation and more detailed work.

Premium services including brand strategy, custom graphics, copywriting, and ongoing support can reach $500-$1,000 per project. You're selling more than just Carrd skills here.

Monthly Retainers

Some freelancers offer ongoing services at $100-$300/month. This might include site updates, monthly analytics reports, content changes, and priority support. Works well with clients who regularly update their offerings or run frequent campaigns.

Package Structures

Many successful Carrd freelancers sell tiered packages. A basic package might be $150 for template customization. A standard package at $350 includes custom design and integrations. A premium package at $600 adds strategy, copywriting, and two months of support.

Volume Considerations

Because Carrd sites are relatively quick to build, income depends on client volume. At $300 average per site with 5 clients per month, that's $1,500 monthly. Scale to 8-10 clients monthly for $2,400-$3,000. This requires consistent marketing and efficient processes.

Variables Affecting Income

Your rates depend on your target market, portfolio quality, years of experience, specialized skills like copywriting or custom code, and how well you market yourself. Geographic location matters less since work is remote, but client location affects budgets.

Starting rates are typically lower while you build reputation and testimonials. As you develop efficient systems and a strong portfolio, you can raise prices and be more selective about projects.

Where to Find Work

Freelance Platforms

Fiverr and Upwork are primary platforms where clients actively search for website services. Create gigs or proposals specifically mentioning Carrd, one-page sites, landing pages, and quick turnaround. Competition exists, but specific positioning around fast, affordable sites helps you stand out.

Note: Platforms may charge fees or commissions. We don't track specific rates as they change frequently. Check each platform's current pricing before signing up.

Direct Outreach

Identify potential clients in your chosen niche and reach out directly. Find coaches without websites, creators using basic link tools, small businesses with outdated sites. Send personalized messages explaining how a Carrd site solves their specific problem.

Social Media Marketing

Share your work on platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Post before-and-after comparisons, design tips, and portfolio pieces. Engage in communities where your target clients gather. Use your link-in-bio to direct to your service offerings.

Content Marketing

Write guides about choosing the right website solution, showcase your process through case studies, or create tutorial content that demonstrates your expertise. This attracts inbound inquiries from people already interested in what you offer.

Niche Communities

Join online communities, forums, and groups where your target clients spend time. Provide helpful advice without directly selling. When people ask about website solutions, your expertise makes you the natural choice.

Referrals and Word of Mouth

Once you've completed a few projects, ask satisfied clients for referrals and testimonials. Happy clients talking about your work is the most effective marketing, especially when targeting the same niche.

Cold Pitching

Research businesses that could benefit from your services and send targeted proposals. Focus on specific improvements you'd make to their current situation, not generic service descriptions.

Common Challenges

Platform Limitations

Carrd is powerful for one-page sites but has real constraints. You can't build multi-page sites, complex databases, user authentication systems, or advanced e-commerce. Learning to recognize when a project exceeds Carrd's capabilities and politely declining or suggesting alternatives is important.

Client Expectations Management

Clients often request features Carrd doesn't support or compare your pricing to DIY options. You'll spend time explaining why they should pay you when they could technically use Carrd themselves, or why certain features aren't possible without different platforms.

Low Price Perception

Because Carrd itself is inexpensive and marketed as simple, some clients expect rock-bottom pricing. Educating clients about the value of design expertise, time savings, and professional execution helps, but you'll encounter price resistance.

Revision Scope Creep

Clients saying "just one small change" that turns into complete redesigns happens frequently. Clear contracts defining revision limits and additional change fees protects your time and income.

Technical Troubleshooting

Domain connection issues, form integrations not working, custom code breaking on mobile, or browser compatibility problems will occur. You need patience and problem-solving skills to work through technical hiccups.

Competition from Templates

Carrd offers templates, and many free alternatives exist for link-in-bio pages. You're competing with free or cheap DIY options. Your value comes from customization, design skill, and saving clients time, but communicating this matters.

Income Inconsistency

Freelance work means variable monthly income. Some months bring many clients, others are quiet. Building a steady pipeline requires consistent marketing even when busy with client work.

Fast Turnaround Pressure

Part of Carrd's appeal is speed. Clients often want sites finished quickly, sometimes within 24-48 hours. This requires efficient processes and clear boundaries about realistic timelines.

Tips That Actually Help

Build Efficient Systems

Create reusable component libraries, save your commonly used color palettes and font combinations, and develop template starting points for different industries. This speeds up your work without sacrificing quality.

Set Clear Scope from Start

Document exactly what's included in your service packages. How many sections? How many revision rounds? What's considered "additional work"? Put this in writing before starting work.

Specialize Rather Than Generalize

Becoming known as "the Carrd designer for fitness coaches" or "the link-in-bio specialist for musicians" makes marketing easier and lets you develop niche-specific expertise that commands better rates.

Charge for Revisions Beyond Round One

Include one or two revision rounds in your base price, then charge for additional changes. This prevents endless tweaking and encourages clients to consolidate feedback.

Create Package Tiers

Offering three price points (basic, standard, premium) gives clients choices while anchoring them to your middle option. Most people avoid the cheapest and most expensive, landing in the middle where you likely want them.

Collect Testimonials Aggressively

After every successful project, ask for testimonials and permission to use their site in your portfolio. Social proof is critical for attracting new clients, especially when starting out.

Learn Basic Custom Code

Even simple CSS knowledge lets you offer customizations that pure drag-and-drop users can't match. This justifies higher rates and solves more client problems.

Require Deposits

Collect 50% upfront before starting work. This filters out unserious clients and protects you from people who disappear after you've invested time.

Develop a Clear Process

Create a repeatable workflow from initial inquiry through final delivery. Use questionnaires to gather client information efficiently, templates for common communications, and checklists to ensure you never miss steps.

Stay Updated on Platform Changes

Carrd regularly adds features and changes limitations. Following platform updates helps you offer new capabilities and work around old restrictions more effectively.

Know When to Say No

Some projects aren't good fits. Clients with unrealistic expectations, budgets too low for the requested scope, or needs beyond Carrd's capabilities will waste your time and damage your reputation. Politely declining and suggesting alternatives serves everyone better.

Is This For You?

This side hustle fits people who enjoy visual design but don't want to learn complex coding, appreciate working within constraints rather than building from scratch, and can handle the administrative side of freelancing including client communication and basic business operations.

It works well if you want flexible work that can be done from anywhere on your own schedule, don't mind repetitive aspects of building similar sites, and have patience for client feedback loops and revision requests.

Consider this if you're looking to build design skills without committing to full web development, want relatively quick project turnarounds rather than long development cycles, or need a side hustle that can scale up or down with your availability.

This probably isn't the right choice if you want to build complex, multi-page websites with advanced functionality, need high income from every project rather than volume-based earnings, or get frustrated by platform limitations and client budget constraints.

Your success depends more on design sense, client communication, and consistent marketing than technical skills. If you can create layouts that look professional, explain your value clearly, and maintain a steady pipeline of clients, the barrier to entry is low and the market demand exists.

The work itself can become repetitive since you're building variations of similar sites. If you need constant variety and creative challenge, the formula-based nature of landing page creation may feel limiting. But if you enjoy perfecting a craft, developing efficient systems, and helping clients solve problems quickly, Carrd website creation offers a legitimate way to earn supplementary income.

Side hustle perspective: This is a supplementary income opportunity, not a full-time career replacement for most people. Treat it as a side hustle—something that brings in extra money while you maintain other income sources. While some freelancers build substantial businesses around similar services, typical Carrd-focused work serves better as additional income rather than sole financial support.