Why Squarespace Wins for Non-Tech Savvy Business Owners

Squarespace is a well-known website building platform that has become popular for its modern designs and easy-to-use interface. It is an all-in-one solution that enables users to create a professional-looking website without any coding or technical expertise.

In this blog post, we will explore why Squarespace is a top choice for business owners, its features, advantages, drawbacks, and how it compares to other website builders such as Wix and WordPress.

What is Squarespace?

Squarespace is an all-in-one content management system (CMS) that allows users to construct and manage websites and blogs through a simple, web-based interface. It provides a variety of customizable templates and design elements that enable users to create professional-looking websites without needing to know coding.

This makes it an attractive option for small business owners, artists, bloggers, e-commerce retailers and entrepreneurs who want to manage their own websites without extensive technical knowledge.

According to BuiltWith, Squarespace is used by over 3.1 million live websites globally.

Squarespace Pricing Plans

Squarespace offers a 14-day free trial. After that, Squarespace offers four pricing plans that are tailored to meet different needs. including personal websites, business sites, and online stores. Each tier provides specific features such as custom domain names, SSL security, unlimited bandwidth, and storage, as well as more advanced tools for online stores like account recovery, powerful commerce metrics, and inventory management.

• Personal: $16 per month (paid annually)
• Business: $23 per month (paid annually)
• Commerce Basic: $28 per month (paid annually)
• Commerce Advanced: $52 per month (paid annually)

What are the features of Squarespace?

Squarespace offers a range of features that make it a popular choice for website builders. These include:

1. Customizable Templates

Squarespace offers a wide range of customizable templates that are responsive and mobile-friendly. You can easily personalize them to represent your brand identity. With over 100 templates to choose from, you can customize them with the drag-and-drop builder to suit your preferences.

The templates are designed to be visually appealing and modern, and they cover a range of industries and niches. Squarespace offers tailored templates for photographers, restaurateurs, small business owners, fashion designers, and many other industries. This ensures that your website stands out from the crowd.

2. Drag-and-Drop Builder

With Squarespace’s intuitive drag-and-drop builder, creating a website is as simple as dragging elements onto the page and arranging them to your liking. This user-friendly interface eliminates the need for coding knowledge, allowing you to design a professional-looking website in a matter of hours. The builder includes a wide range of elements, such as text, images, videos, and forms, which can be easily customized to suit your needs.

3. Ecommerce Functionality

For businesses looking to sell products online, Squarespace offers robust ecommerce functionality that enables you to set up an online store with ease. From inventory management to secure payment processing, Squarespace provides all the tools you need to launch and grow your online business. The platform supports various payment methods, including credit cards, PayPal, and Apple Pay, and offers a range of shipping options, including real-time carrier rates and flat-rate shipping.

4. SEO and Marketing Tools

Squarespace includes built-in SEO tools that help optimize your website for search engines, increasing your visibility online. The platform automatically generates a sitemap, ensuring that search engines can easily crawl and index your website. Additionally, Squarespace offers a range of marketing tools, such as email campaigns, social media integrations, and promotional pop-ups, to help you promote your website and reach a wider audience.

5. Mobile Optimization

In today’s mobile-centric world, having a mobile-optimized website is essential. Squarespace ensures that your website looks great on all devices, providing a seamless user experience for visitors accessing your site on smartphones and tablets. The platform’s responsive design automatically adjusts your website’s layout and content to fit the screen size of the device being used. 

6. Blogging Functionality

Whether you’re a seasoned blogger or just starting out, Squarespace’s blogging functionality makes it easy to create and publish engaging content. Features include the ability to schedule posts, support for multiple authors, and advanced commenting features that include threaded comments and moderation. The platform also supports various content types, such as text, images, and videos allowing you to create a rich and diverse blogging experience. 

7. Powerful Analytics

Understanding how your website is performing is crucial for making informed decisions and optimizing your online presence. Squarespace’s powerful analytics tools provide valuable insights into your website’s traffic, engagement, and conversion rates, helping you track your progress and identify areas for improvement. 

The platform’s analytics dashboard includes a range of metrics, such as page views, unique visitors, bounce rate, and conversion rate, allowing you to monitor your website’s performance and make data-driven decisions. 

What are the benefits of Squarespace?

1. Ease of Use

Squarespace’s intuitive drag-and-drop interface simplifies the website creation process, making it accessible to users with varying levels of technical expertise. This ease of use extends to customization, with a range of options available for modifying templates, layouts, and content.

2. Professional Templates

Squarespace’s collection of professionally designed templates is a significant draw for users seeking a polished, modern look for their websites. These templates are responsive, ensuring that your website looks great on all devices, from desktops to smartphones.

3. All-in-One Platform

Squarespace’s all-in-one approach to website building, hosting, and domain registration streamlines the process, reducing the need for users to manage multiple services. This integrated approach also fosters a seamless user experience, as all aspects of your website are managed within a single platform.

4. Mobile Responsiveness

With the increasing use of mobile devices, Squarespace ensures that your website is optimized for mobile viewing. This mobile responsiveness is built into the platform’s templates, providing a smooth and engaging user experience on smartphones and tablets.

5. Ecommerce Capabilities

Squarespace’s ecommerce capabilities cater to users looking to establish an online store. Features include inventory management, secure payment processing, and customizable product pages, making it an attractive option for small to medium-sized businesses.

6. Reliable Hosting and Security

Squarespace’s hosting services are reliable and secure, ensuring that your website remains accessible and protected from potential threats. This peace of mind allows users to focus on creating content and growing their online presence without worrying about the technical aspects of website maintenance. 

7. Built-in SEO Features

Squarespace includes built-in SEO tools that help optimize your website for search engines, improving its visibility and ranking in search results. These tools include customizable meta titles, descriptions, and URLs, as well as the ability to generate XML sitemaps and integrate Google Search Console.

8. Low Maintenance and 24/7 Support

By handling software updates and maintenance tasks, Squarespace reduces the burden on users, allowing them to focus on creating content. Additionally, their 24/7 customer support ensures assistance is available whenever needed, providing a safety net for users encountering issues or seeking guidance.

9. Community and Resources

Squarespace boasts a vibrant community of users and resources, including forums, tutorials, and webinars. These resources provide valuable support and insights for users at all levels, fostering a collaborative and learning-focused environment.

What are the disadvantages of Squarespace?

While Squarespace offers numerous benefits, it’s essential to consider some potential drawbacks before committing to the platform. 

1. Limited Customization Options

Despite its sleek templates, Squarespace’s customization options may be restrictive for users seeking highly tailored designs or specific functionalities. While the platform offers a range of customization options, they may not be sufficient for users with unique requirements or those seeking advanced control over their website’s design and functionality. 

2. Poor SEO Performance

Some users have reported challenges with Squarespace’s SEO performance, citing limitations in optimizing certain aspects of their websites for search engines. While the platform does provide built-in SEO tools, users may find that they are not as comprehensive or flexible as those offered by dedicated SEO platforms or other website builders.

3. Limited Third-Party Integrations

Compared to other platforms, Squarespace has a more limited selection of third-party integrations, which may impact users requiring specific tools or services. This limitation can be particularly challenging for businesses or organizations that rely on specialized software or services to manage their operations.

4. Limited E-commerce Features

Although Squarespace provides robust ecommerce capabilities, some users may find the platform lacking certain advanced features or integrations commonly found in dedicated ecommerce solutions. For businesses with complex ecommerce needs, such as large inventories, advanced shipping options, or custom integrations, Squarespace may not be the best fit.

Squarespace Comparison

Squarespace vs Wix

Squarespace and Wix are both popular website builders, but they have some key differences. Squarespace is known for its professional design and robust ecommerce functionality, while Wix is known for its ease of use and wide range of customization options. 

Squarespace vs WordPress

Squarespace and WordPress are both popular website builders, but they have some key differences. Squarespace is a fully hosted platform that offers a range of features out of the box, while WordPress is a self-hosted platform that requires more technical skills but offers greater customization options. 

Conclusion

Squarespace is an excellent option for those who prioritize design, simplicity, and seamless integration of various features in one package. However, it is important to keep in mind that the platform has some limitations in terms of customization and advanced features, especially for those with more complex e-commerce needs or specific SEO requirements. 

If you’re ready to take your business online with Squarespace, you can sign up for a 14-day free trial today and experience the ease and power of building your website with Squarespace. We offer Squarespace development service to help customize your website as per your unique needs.