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Why I recommend Carrd for simple business websites
I like to keep things simple, and if I were starting a solo creative business and wanted to get something up and running quickly and effectively, I would build a one-page website. And I would build that website with Carrd.
Carrd is one of the simplest website builders available, which makes it a great fit for creative practitioners who don’t want to spend weeks learning web design. I like it because it is affordable, beginner-friendly, clean and minimal, mobile-friendly, and fast to set up.
For many creative businesses, a one-page website is more than enough to begin with.
What to include on a one-page business website
Business name in the header section. A clear introduction, which should include your name or business name, a description of what you do, and a booking button (or other call-to-action button).
About section. Write some sentences about yourself. Talk about who you serve and what the client should expect. This does not have to be long. You can include a picture of yourself in this section as well if you wish.
Services. List your services. Include short descriptions. You can list these in text format or as separate “cards” on your website.
Booking button. Put a booking button on your website, or provide information on how to book with you. You can link to your external booking site (like Square) with Carrd.
Footer/Legal links. It’s important to check to see what is required for your particular situation. At a basic level you may want to add a privacy policy, terms and conditions, a cookie notice, and a disclaimer (could be wellness, financial, or other). These are possible to do inexpensively if you purchase a template, and are best tailored to your business by an attorney.
What to prepare before building your Carrd website
Efficient website setup starts with preparation. You will want to gather some basic information (in addition to the points above) before you jump in. It will save you time in the long run, and will make for a more satisfying result. Here is a simple list:
A list or image of what you want your site to look like (can be a handwritten wireframe sketch with section names and placement if you like)
Your booking site logins and links (so that you can link to your booking site from your new one-page site)
Your domain name. This is the address people will type in to find your site. You can purchase one through Squarespace, GoDaddy, or Namecheap, among several others. You can certainly set up your website in Carrd and save it as a draft for use later, but if you plan to connect it to a domain for publishing immediately, make sure you secure that first and have those logins handy.
Any other login information for links to outside services that you may want to include.
How to build a one-page website with Carrd
Create an account. Click on Carrd, click on “Log in” and choose to create a new account, or, alternatively, click on “Choose a Starting Point” and pick a template. More info on this, below.
Pick a template. You can look at any of the templates on Carrd, including the premium ones, by clicking “demo.” Choose a template that you both enjoy and that seems best for your business, keeping in mind that you can make changes to the template later. If you choose a premium template, you will be prompted to purchase one of their subscription options, which start at $19 per year. If you plan to connect your own (custom) domain to your website, this is a necessary step to take.
Replace the demo content. Click on sections and text to make changes. Once you click on a text box, a menu will pop up that shows options for changing text and style. Replace the demo text with your business name, description, about, services, and contact information. Change colors and fonts to your heart’s content. For the sake of simplicity, keep to a minimum number of fonts and colors, and ensure text is easy to read (and higher contrast) for client accessibility.
Add a booking button. This goes for any other button you want to add. In the floating toolbar, there is a plus icon. Click it to see the options for adding an element to your site. Click on “Button,” and fill in the various fields. Once you do this, copy your booking link (from Square or other platform you use), and add it to the URL field in the button information space.
Add a link to your legal pages. I’m talking about your Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy, and the like, and you need them on your website. If you do not already have these available, please either work with a trusted lawyer, or purchase and modify templates. I love working with Artful Contracts for its simplicity and affordability, but there are also many great options out there. Linking to your legal pages is simple if you have a Google account. Place your text at the bottom of your website, link the text to the Google Docs URL for your Terms and Conditions or Privacy Policy, and you are done.
Save your work. Click on the save icon in the menu bar. You will be prompted to either publish to a Carrd URL, publish to your own custom domain, or to save your site as a draft. If you are not quite ready to publish to the web, save it as a draft so that you don’t lose your work
Test on mobile view. Before publishing your site, click on the mobile phone icon in the floating toolbar, and make sure it will look good on a mobile device. Carrd does a good job of this, but if there are any changes you’d like to make, you can do that directly within that view.
Buy a domain name. If you do not have one already, there are several providers to purchase from. My favorite is Squarespace. I have purchased several domains through them over the years, and though they are not the cheapest option out there, the interface is simple and easy to use.
Publish. When you click on the save icon, scroll down in the popup window until you see an option to “Publish to a custom domain.” Select it, and then follow the provided instructions to connect your domain. Carrd includes instructions for several domain providers including Squarespace. [Note: if you feel the least bit nervous about this process, look at the providers it lists first, and then choose which domain provider you wish to use]. If you have your domain logins ready to go, the process to connect should not take long. Once you have connected your domain, it may take some time for your website to show up when you enter your URL in the search bar. In my experience, it usually takes less than an hour, but it may take more. You can always contact Carrd to troubleshoot.
Final thoughts
The first iteration of your website does not have to be perfect, or what you envision yourself as having in the future. Especially if you are just starting out or have a business already and do not have a web presence. While a one-page website can absolutely be your permanent “home” on the internet, you do not need to feel like this is where you have to stay. But, if you are in a place where you just want to start, go for the simplest option. And make sure you have the most important elements: your name, a description of what you do, a way to contact you, and a way to book your services. This will allow those new and existing clients to find you, learn about your services, and refer others to you.
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