When it comes to building a professional-looking website without the hassle of coding or wrestling with plugins, Canva’s website builder, surprisingly, was a game-changer.
As someone who loves WordPress for its flexibility and power, I was pleasantly surprised by how quick and enjoyable it was to create a website in Canva.
In less than three hours, I had a sleek, fully functional website up and running – and the best part?
Zero coding required.
Despite my appreciation for the depth and customization WordPress offers, I wanted to experiment with something simpler and more intuitive.
Canva’s website builder promised exactly that, and it delivered. I had so much fun building the client’s website, with its drag-and-drop functionality and pre-made templates. Canva eliminates the need for tedious backend work, complex plugins, and CSS headaches.
I could focus on the creative side – crafting a visually compelling site that truly reflected the brand. And that was the best part because it felt just like designing book covers and social media graphics, with the same hands-on approach I’m used to in Canva.
Key Benefits of Using Canva for Website Building
Ease of Use – Canva’s interface is incredibly user-friendly. You can simply pick a theme and start customizing right away – no technical skills required.
Speed – I built this (3) page website in less than two hours, from choosing a template to adding the brand colors.
Free and Flexible – Canva Free, Canva Pro, Canva Teams, and Canva for Education users can all publish websites for free. However, custom domains and unlimited site publishing are available only to Pro, Teams, and Education users. (Accordingly to Google)
Brand Consistency – Canva allows you to match your website’s design with your existing brand assets, making it easy to keep everything cohesive.
No Plugins Required – Forget about constant plugin updates, security patches, and compatibility issues – everything you need is built into Canva’s platform.
Real-Time Collaboration – Invite your team or clients to co-create your site, dropping in text, images, and elements in real-time, no matter where they are.
AI-Powered Design Tools – Canva’s Magic Write and AI image tools make it easy to generate content, refine images, and add that polished touch without hiring a designer.
Privacy and Security – Add password protection to your pages if you’re working with sensitive content, perfect for internal team sites or client portals.
Built-In Analytics – Track visitor numbers, page views, and engagement without needing extra plugins – everything you need to understand your audience is right there.
Getting Started – How I Did It
To create the clients project, I picked a template that felt workable – something I could quickly tweak to match the brand. The default layout was decent, and I could already picture how I’d make it my own with just a few adjustments.
Canva’s library is packed with stunning templates both free and premium, that made this process a breeze.
Did I mention, no plugins or a line of code and its optimized for mobile😲
➡Check out the website, its quite basic with (3) pages.
💡Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for a fast, easy, and cost-effective way to build a website without getting bogged down by technical details, or fussing over WordPress plugins and constant updates, Canva’s website builder is a fantastic option.
It might not have all the bells and whistles of WordPress, but for quick projects, portfolios, restaurant menu or small business that don’t need a booking system or payment system installed, it’s a powerful alternative.
Would I use Canva for every website project? Absolutely not. In the end, it all depends on the project and what is required.
For example, an author who doesn’t have a huge backlist can consider Canva for their website, especially if they are selling primarily on Amazon or using a universal book link. Either option allows the author to add a buy link to the book cover or place a buy button underneath it.
➡Check out the homepage.
On this website, when you click on the book cover it brings you to the clients personal website. Alternately, you can link this book cover to an Amazon buy page or universal book link or even a Bookfunnel link.
This means the author won’t be creating dedicated book pages for each title. For a Canva website, it’s more efficient to group all their books on a single Books page, making the site cleaner and easier to navigate.
However, if the author has a decent-sized backlist with multiple series, they can create spotlight pages for each series, showcasing all the books within that series on a single page. These series pages can then be added to the main menu for a more organized and user-friendly experience.
However, if an author has a massive backlist, and one too many different book series, this might be a challenge and I wouldn’t recommend Canva.
Other Cons:
Limited Menu Control: You can’t fully customize the order of menu items. The structure is based on the page order in the backend.
For example, if you have 5 pages and want Page #3 to appear second in the menu, you’ll need to reorder the pages in the backend. Otherwise, Page #3 will remain in the third position, regardless of your preference.
Form Limitations: Forget about embedding a traditional newsletter form. While you can add Google Forms (which isn’t ideal for professional branding), Jotform works nicely and embeds cleanly within a Canva website.
However, keep in mind that you’ll need to customize the form directly on the Jotform website to make it blend seamlessly with your site’s design. Also, if you’re using a free Jotform account, a branding banner will appear at the end of each form you create.
➡Check out the Canva website, and the contact page.
No Plugin Flexibility: Unlike WordPress, Canva lacks the ability to extend functionality with plugins. This means no dynamic elements like interactive forms, user accounts, or complex data management. It’s also missing advanced SEO tools, paywall options, e-commerce flexibility, and blogging features.
If your brand or site grows significantly, you may quickly hit Canva’s limits.
Let’s be real: not every author needs or even wants all the bells and whistles. For some, a simple, website is perfect for showcasing their books and providing readers with the essentials like:
- Recent Release / Featured Book
- About the Author
- Social Media Links
- Email Signup / Newsletter: Create a landing page with Mailerlite and add the link on your Canva Website.
- Book List or Catalog
- Contact Info – You don’t have to provide a contact form on your website. Its not mandatory and a lot of my authors don’t do it because they prefer social media.
So, while a Canva website builder isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution, it’s a powerful, low-maintenance option for authors who want to quickly and easily establish an online presence without diving into the complexities of WordPress.
In the end, the right choice comes down to your goals, budget, and how hands-on you want to be with your site. If a simple, bare minimum site is enough for you, then don’t let anyone judge you for it.
Canva can be a game-changer—just like it was for this project.
Did I mention that I had so much fun designing it and I now want to design more micro sites 😊
Are ready to test the waters? Purchase a domain, grab a Canva Pro plan, and give it a test run. You might be surprised by how much you can achieve with just a few clicks.
If building your own website sounds like a hassle or you’d rather focus on writing, let Crown Nine Studio handle the design, branding, and setup for you. We’ll create a reader-focused website that captures your author brand and connects you with your audience—without the stress.
Allow us to level up your author brand?
Book a consultation with Crown Nine Studio and let’s bring your vision to life.
