Canva has made a name for itself as a go-to design tool, and its website builder has become more powerful than ever. With its user-friendly interface and sleek templates, it might seem like the perfect all-in-one solution. But does it really check the must-have boxes for websites for authors??
I’ll admit, when I first set out to write this post, I had to do some research because Canva rolled out a lot of changes to its website builder at the end of 2024. I even found myself thinking “Maybe Canva is a decent place to build a website…”
As I browsed the additional functionality, I was impressed with everything Canva’s website builder has to offer. But I keep coming back to one thing – you still need an email marketing tool. And the website needs to play nice with it.
While I love Canva, I’m going to focus on Canva website limitations in this post because despite the great things Canva has to offer, these are too important to forgo for your website functionality.
The Biggest Canva Website Limitation: No Email Forms
Right now, Canva Websites don’t have the functionality to add a form, which means you can’t collect email addresses or connect it with your email marketing tool. Without built-in forms, you’re missing a key opportunity to grow your audience.
You could link to a separate landing page to collect contact information, but that leaves your site made of puzzle pieces that may or may not work and site visitors that may or may not bother with the extra click to subscribe.
For me, that’s more of a pain than anything else. Collecting email addresses of readers is an important part of an author’s website! This should be the number one priority.
Why Canva Websites Are Bad for SEO
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) capabilities are not equal across website builders. There are a lot of opinions in this space about what builder is “best” for your website’s SEO.
Unfortunately, Canva doesn’t have a lot of the basic functions, so don’t plan on any advanced features. The Canva Mini Website review from SiteBuilderReport even shows that you can’t add headings to a Canva site. You can resize the text, but it won’t be a heading tag—a simple yet important feature/tag needed for SEO. Search engines use headings to sort through content and provide more relevant search results, so without headings, you’re providing less direction.
Having basic SEO functionality on your site will help your readers find you in their internet searches, so this should be a priority, no matter how much you understand about website SEO.
The Rise of the All-In-One Tool
There are a lot of programs becoming “all in one” tools, including adding and improving website builders like Canva is doing. MailerLite has landing pages and full website functionality to go along with its email marketing use.
A lot of popular tools have two or more functionalities. It makes sense. You already use a tool, like Canva, in your work. So when they add a new feature, like a website platform, it’s intriguing to say “Why not just use this one tool?”. One less potential payment every month can really matter.
But that doesn’t mean every tool is one size fits all. You have to consider your personal use case, your priorities, and your budget.
Building Your Author Tool Stack
Personally, I find that I can be slow to integrate a new tool into my workflow. I like to do my research and understand what value it’s bringing, even if it’s free. I don’t want to waste my time on something that will become a distraction.
But however you choose to explore new tools and build your own author tool stack, I want to mention a few considerations:
- Budget – What does it look like to grow with the program past the free version?
- Ease of Use – How easy is it to use? Does the platform offer user videos and training?
- Integration Capabilities – Do your tools play nicely together? Think email sign-up, merch store, maybe even a calendar.
- Platform Overload – How many different programs do you want to manage and pay for?
All of these play into each other so you can find the best fit for you and your author online setup.
The Best Alternative to Canva Websites for Authors
Simplicity is the best option when it comes to the tools you choose. I know it can be easy to overthink it or get distracted by the next best thing. Because sometimes something new comes along that is better and makes more sense. But don’t rush to always upgrade, or you won’t have time to actually write or interact with your community.
If you need a professional author website that grows with you—prioritizing email signups, better SEO, and a plenty of integration options—Canva won’t cut it. When it comes to websites for authors, choose a platform like MailerLite and leave Canva for what it does best: design.
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