How to Build a Landing Page Builder as a Solo Developer

What You're Building

A landing page builder lets people create single-page marketing websites without coding. Think Carrd, Unbounce, or Leadpages. Users drag components around, customize text and colors, and publish a page to their own domain. It's a visual editor for the web.

Carrd is the interesting case study here. One developer, Aj, built it solo and it does millions in revenue. Incredibly simple product. Just single-page websites with templates. That simplicity is the product. I think about Carrd a lot when people tell me solo developers can't compete with teams. You absolutely can if you stay focused.

Difficulty & Timeline

Recommended Tech Stack

React for the visual editor (it's the best ecosystem for complex interactive UIs), with a Node.js or Django backend. The editor is the product, so the frontend gets most of your development time.

For rendering published pages, generate static HTML/CSS and serve it from a CDN. Don't render pages dynamically from a database on every visit. Generate the HTML once when the user publishes, cache it, and serve it as a static file. This gives you perfect performance and minimal server costs.

For custom domains, you'll need either Cloudflare for SaaS or a reverse proxy setup that maps custom domains to the right page. Cloudflare for SaaS is the easier path.

Step-by-Step Plan

Phase 1: The Visual Editor (Week 1-5)

This is the hardest part and it's where most of your time goes. Build a block-based editor where users add sections (hero, features, testimonials, pricing, footer), customize text by clicking and editing inline, change colors and fonts, add images, and see the result in real-time.

Don't build a free-form drag-and-drop canvas where things can go anywhere. That's how you end up with ugly pages and endless edge cases. Use a block-based approach (like Notion or Carrd) where sections stack vertically and users customize within those constraints. The limitations are a feature, not a bug. They make it nearly impossible to create an ugly page.

Start with 5-8 section types. Hero with headline and CTA, feature grid, testimonial carousel, pricing table, FAQ accordion, contact form, footer. These cover 90% of landing pages.

Phase 2: Templates & Publishing (Week 5-9)

Create 10-15 templates by combining your section types into complete landing pages for different use cases. Startup launch, product showcase, coming soon, portfolio, event registration. Templates are the fastest path to value because users can have a page live in minutes.

Build the publishing pipeline. When a user clicks "Publish," generate clean HTML/CSS from their page configuration, upload it to your CDN, and map it to either a subdomain (username.yourapp.com) or their custom domain.

Custom domains are a premium feature and the primary reason people upgrade to paid plans. Integrate Cloudflare for SaaS to handle SSL certificates and domain routing automatically.

Phase 3: Polish & Growth Features (Week 9-12)

Add analytics (page views, click tracking on CTAs). Build A/B testing for headlines or CTAs if you want to differentiate from Carrd. Add integrations for common tools like email providers (Mailchimp, ConvertKit) and Stripe for payment buttons.

Build a template marketplace or gallery where users can browse and one-click start from professional designs. Templates drive conversions more than any other feature.

Key Features to Build First

Block-based editor. Constrained, section-based editing that makes it easy to build good-looking pages. Inline text editing, color pickers, image uploads.

Templates. Pre-built page designs users can customize. This is what converts free users to paying users. Without templates, your builder is just an empty canvas.

One-click publish. Generate static HTML/CSS and deploy to a CDN. Users get a live URL instantly. This "wow moment" is critical for retention.

Custom domains. The #1 premium feature. Use Cloudflare for SaaS to handle domain mapping and SSL.

Responsive preview. Users need to see how their page looks on mobile. Toggle between desktop and mobile preview in the editor.

Architecture Overview

Editor App (React)
  └── Page configuration (JSON)
        ↓
API (Node.js / Django)
  ├── Page CRUD (store configurations)
  ├── Publishing engine (JSON → HTML/CSS)
  ├── Domain management (Cloudflare for SaaS)
  ├── Template library
  ├── Analytics tracking
  └── Billing (Stripe)

CDN (Cloudflare)
  └── Serves published static pages
        ├── subdomain.yourapp.com
        └── custom-domain.com

Common Pitfalls

Building a full website builder. You're building a landing page builder, not WordPress. Resist the urge to add multi-page support, blog functionality, e-commerce, or CMS features. Carrd's constraint (single pages only) is what makes it work. Stay focused.

Free-form drag and drop. It sounds cool until users create pages that look terrible on mobile, have overlapping elements, and break at certain viewport sizes. Block-based editing with vertical stacking is easier to build and produces better results.

Neglecting mobile rendering. Over half of web traffic is mobile. Every landing page your tool creates must look great on phones. Build responsive into your section components from day one, not as an afterthought.

Underinvesting in templates. Your templates are your sales team. A beautiful template gallery converts browsers into users. Spend real time making your templates look professional. Hire a designer for a few hours if needed.

Overcomplicating the editor. Every option you add to the editor makes it harder to use. Start minimal. Text, images, colors, basic layout options. Advanced features like animations, custom CSS, or JavaScript injection can come later for power users.

Timeline Estimate

Is This Worth Building?

Yes, if you're willing to stay disciplined about scope. Carrd proves that a solo developer can build a wildly successful landing page builder. The key is constraint. Don't try to build Webflow or Squarespace. Build something simpler, faster, and more focused.

The economics are great. Landing pages are evergreen. Every startup launch, every product release, every event needs a landing page. A free tier that hooks people in, with paid plans at $9-19/month for custom domains and premium templates, scales beautifully. 500 paying users at $12/month is $72k/year. Carrd has over 100k paying users. The ceiling is high if you build something people love.