Why I Choose Squarespace for Website Design
Squarespace has been my number one platform for website design due to its simplicity, gorgeous templates and easy-to-use interface. I’ve tried other website builders in the past, but I’ve never properly “clicked” with them like I have with this.
Wondering what website platform is the right choice for your service-based business? Here are my top 5 reasons why Squarespace might be just what you’re looking for.
It’s an affordable all-in-one platform
Straight out of the gate your domain name, hosting, blog, eCommerce, analytics AND email marketing all sit under one roof. No more needing to login to a gazillion different third party websites and providers in order to get your website up and running, yay!
All of these features are included in your chosen plan with no hidden costs, so as soon as you sign up, you know what you’re paying for.
Squarespace plans range from £13-£37 monthly (you’ll save money by choosing an annual plan and get a free domain name for the year too). They’ve got a handy pricing table that details what each plan includes, which is helpful if you know whether you want your website to be content-driven or eCommerce driven.
View Squarespace pricing plans >
I would recommend the Business Plan for anyone new to Squarespace, as you’ll get access to analytics, premium integrations and custom coding capabilities. If you’re looking to create a full-on shop with 20+ products for example, you might be better off using Shopify, as the eCommerce functionalities are more extensive.
2. It’s easy to learn
See yourself as a technophobe and feel like you need to learn code in order to get a decent website? Not entirely true! Squarespace has a very user-friendly drag-and-drop builder, which makes website design a less frightening task than building something from scratch. The interface enables you to add a variety of things to your pages, (images, videos, calendars, buttons etc) all without touching a line of code. Plus when you first sign up, you’re given a 14-day free trial to test it out to your hearts content, and see just how easy it is to use.
There is an endless number of visual enhancements you can make if you do know how to code (or if you work with a designer that knows how to), but you can create a great looking website without it thanks to my next point below!
3. The templates are a visual dream and are mobile-friendly
Your website is your online home and it’s super important for it to present your business in a way that makes it shine. One of my favourite things about Squarespace is the sheer number of customisable templates available. They're a beautiful starting point to build on top of and you don’t need to pay any extra for them.
Another key feature is they’re all mobile-friendly/responsive by default. What does that mean exactly? You don’t have to design separate mobile and desktop websites (a complaint I’ve heard from Wix users) as your content will resize according to whatever device it’s being viewed from.
With mobile accounting for over 50% of Internet traffic worldwide, it’s crucial for your website to be mobile responsive. It’s easy enough to keep the styles consistent between mobile and desktop by using a combination of the Site Styles Editor and the Device Viewer option (which lets you see what your site will look like on mobiles, tablets and desktops).
The mobile options within the Site Styles editor (Squarespace 7.0)
4. There’s a low level of maintenance with no regular software updates needed
Squarespace = a low level of maintenance. Hell, there’s barely any apart from updating content. This is an absolute dream for any small business owner that is doing #AllOfTheThings and wearing all the business hats.
As Squarespace is a “closed” platform, all of the security, integrations and site updates are taken care of by their dedicated development team, meaning one big stress off of your plate. Having a secure website is crucial, and the last thing you need is outdated plugins or widgets that can be exploited by potential hackers. Nobody wants to lose their entire site because of a security loophole!
If in the rare case that you do encounter any security issues, that brings me to my next and final favourite thing about Squarespace...
5. Amazing 24/7 customer service
There's nothing worse than something going wrong with your website, and you’re not able to find the solution quickly. Squarespace has great 24/7 email support and a live chat available (Monday-Friday, 4am-8pm Eastern Time), both of which have been efficient for me whenever I’ve had issues or just need a quick response to a question. They’re award-winning for a very good reason! There’s also an abundance of helpful tutorials, webinars and a community forum you can check out if you’re after some more in-depth support.
So there you have it! My top 5 reasons why Squarespace is my favourite. It’s a great platform for small businesses, service-based businesses, creatives and bloggers looking for something affordable and low-maintenance. However, if you’re a larger business with a complex set up, then WordPress would be a better fit. Also, if you’re a shop owner or eCommerce store that has a large product range and needs more advanced eCommerce and shipping capabilities, then Shopify would be the better choice.
