I’m a total technophobe. Is Squarespace the right choice for my creative biz? (Mostly) yes! Here's why…
After many years of trial and error, experimenting with all the website platforms under the sun ( well, almost all of them anyway!) - everything from WordPress to Shopify, Wix to Weebly; the list goes on. Although don't get me wrong all of these platforms have their own perks but from the moment I tried out Squarespace, I was a complete convert.
One of the biggest things I hear from potential clients and lots of creative entrepreneurs when considering a website redesign is their reservations around their level of tech know-how. Believe me, I get it, as creative entrepreneurs we’re so bogged down with endless to-do lists and day-to-day tasks just to keep our business running. For most, the dreaded website redesign project has been lingering on the to-do list for months on end and feels like an overwhelming task that we just don't have time to manage. So, if you're considering working with a designer, but find the whole idea extremely daunting and you just don't know where to start; then read on my friend!
Squarespace is now my website platform of choice for both my own website and for most of my clients and here's why...
Squarespace is easy to use - even if you’re non-techy!
One of the most common reservations I hear when it comes to websites in general is: “I'm a total technophobe with zero tech skills! There’s no way I’ll be able to do this!”
Don’t worry, I feel ya! Websites can be an extremely overwhelming task for entrepreneurs and can usually be found gathering dust, constantly being moved down to the bottom of our priority list. Meh, I’ll deal with that tomorrow / next week / next month / next year….you catch my drift!
One thing I can say for sure is that the website space has drastically changed from years gone by, there are now a vast range of different platforms available to us.
Squarespace was specifically designed with you in mind. Yes, you there - the small biz owner who wouldn’t know HTML from javascript if it stared you right in the face!
Luckily for you, the back-end of Squarespace's platform is extremely user-friendly and simple to use, which means you don’t have to have any fancy techie knowledge! This means it's super easy to make edits yourself without having to get a developer/designer involved to help with small tweaks.
Now let me tell ya, you’ll be kept well away from all that icky mind-bending codey developy back-end stuff! Trust me, you won’t even know it’s there. Squarespace handles all of that stuff for you, so when you just want to go in and change a sentence or replace an image on your site, it really is as easy as a few clicks or a copy and paste. Magic!
Still not convinced? Here’s a video walkthrough of just how easy breezy it is to go into your site and update some text:
Aaaannnddddd….here’s how you replace an image:
Well, they both took all of 5 seconds. Point proved I think.
Do you ever hear all of this talk of ‘responsive sites’ but are not entirely sure what’s involved to achieve this or what it actually means?
Well, Squarespace does this all for you too! Having a responsive site basically means a website that looks good across all devices and browsers.
Squarespace automatically adjusts the look of your site depending on what kind of device someone is using to view it, so you can rest assured that your content will look great at every screen size, every time. PLUS, if you hire a good designer, they’ll pay special attention to this aspect and make sure your site looks great on all devices. With more and more people using their smartphones to browse the web, it’s so important your site looks good in mobile view. There’s even a simple option to switch between mobile, desktop and tablet view in the Squarespace website builder so you can have a really clear idea of exactly how your sites looking on all three screen sizes - magic!
One of my main goals as a web designer is to create a simple to use, strategic and effective website that makes your life easier. At the end of all of my website projects, I’ll do a full walkthrough video training showing my clients around their new site and show them just how easy it is to go in and make the edits they need. One of the most rewarding and important things for me is to empower my clients to feel fully in control of their new shiny site. This really will be a complete game-changer for your creative business!
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Squarespace is an all in one platform
Now, one of the things that drew me into Squarespace in the first place was the absolute boatload of integrations, plugins and features that are included with it - all wrapped up in one big tech-friendly neat little package! Think everything from domains and hosting, to blogging, email marketing and e-commerce. And let’s not forget about their other 75+ software integrations like Google Drive, YouTube, Social Media, Google Analytics, Amazon, Zapier; the list is endless!
One of the most confusing things I’ve found about other website platforms (Wordpress, I’m looking at you!) is having to go off to multiple third-party software and programs (such as hosting, domain and payment providers) and hop between the multiple different platforms just to get your website up and running. Confusing stuff! But with Squarespace, it takes care of all of that for you and has everything you need under one roof.
Squarespace really is a one-stop shop for all your website needs (well pretty much...there are a few exceptions...we’ll get to that later!).
Squarespace has everything you need for success and growth right from the get-go
So many other website platforms have a tiered pricing structure where you have to pay more as your business grows. Now, don’t get me wrong, this is also the case with Squarespace, but there’s one big difference. You get access to all of the features you need to grow and succeed, even on the lowest priced plan*. That includes unlimited bandwidth, storage and e-commerce features. So basically, as your audience and content grow, you won’t be forced to upgrade to a higher plan. I’ll just say that one more time - Unlimited storage and bandwidth right from the get-go. UNREAL RIGHT?!
*UPDATE 2019 - Squarespace have now changed their pricing structure, meaning you only have access to the e-commerce features on the lowest price business plan. The personal plan is still great, but just doesn’t have the option for you to sell any products.
Squarespace will save you time!
I mean, pretty much all of the points I’m covering in this post will 100% save you soooo much time in your business. From the easy to set up built in integrations, to the automatic updates and user-friendly website builder, Squarespace is designed to save you time and make your life easier.
If that’s not enough for ya, I’ve got more!
As Squarespace has everything built in to help you succeed and grow your business right from day one, you won’t need to install countless plugins or go off to other sites to register your domain, hosting and other things. This means one neat, simple bill every month or year (depending on your payment option) that covers everything. And ya know what that means? Less bills = simplified expenses tracking and wayyy less headaches. This one’s a HUGE time saver for sure, am I right?!
Squarespace will save you £££!
I hear a lot of people complain about the higher price point of Squarespace plans compared to Wordpress and other website builders. But, can we just get one thing straight please?! Sure, Wordpress is free to set up, but it comes with many hidden fees. The second you start to build your website you soon realise you need to download countless plugins and pay for hosting just to get you up and running, all of which come with monthly fees. And let me tell ya, good quality hosting for Wordpress that matches up to Squarespace’s standards doesn’t come cheap (you’re looking at around £30 per month which is higher than the monthly fee for any of the Squarespace plans)
My final point here is: Squarespace saves you time and a whole lot of it. Annnnnd we all know, as the busy, #allthethings doing, #allthehats wearing creative entrepreneurs we are...the biggest money drain on our business of all is our time!
Peace of mind
Because Squarespace is a closed system that creates and manages all of the integrations with their websites, there’s never any need to update software, plugins, or widgets; or worry that changing one component might break something else. This also means that there’s little chance of loopholes that people can exploit to hack a website. This may not seem like a big deal when you’re first starting out, but if you’re hacked and lose your entire website (yes, that’s definitely happened!), imagine how frustrating and time consuming that would be. But, do not fear! In the extremely unlikely event that your site is hacked, the Squarespace support team will be there to support you, which leads me nicely on to my next and final point...
Amazing customer service
Squarespace has an extensive library of step by step guides and video tutorials if you ever get stuck, and their 24/7 free live chat and email support are second-to-none. I've had nothing but great experiences with them and always get a quick response - even when the live chat is set to offline. So, don’t worry, you’ll never be left on your own scratching your head, you can bet your bottom dollar that the Squarespace customer service team will be there to help you troubleshoot almost any problem you have. Phew!
So, there you have it! All the fabulous reasons you could possibly need to choose Squarespace as your website platform if you’re a creative small business owner. The platform is perfect for creatives, bloggers, service-based businesses and small businesses. However, I would say that if you’re a larger business with complex systems you’d be better suited to Wordpress. Another thing to note for e-commerce stores and shop owners - if you have a large catalogue with complex variations and are looking for more advanced e-commerce and shipping features, then Shopify would definitely be the way to go.
If you’d like to find out more about my Squarespace web design packages, you can check out my services page here.
Key Takeaways:
Squarespace has an extremely user-friendly website builder that makes it easy breezy for even the most non-techy entrepreneurs to navigate and maintain.
All-in-one platform with built in integrations and all the features you need - in one place. Simples!
Everything you need to grow your creative biz right from the get-go, even on the cheapest plan (can I get a hell yeah for the unlimited storage and bandwidth?!)
Squarespace will save you time and ££££.
Secure system with minimal risk of hackers, and automated system updates for your peace of mind.
Award winning 24/7 free live chat and customer support.
Consider using Wordpress for larger, more complex businesses
Consider using Shopify for e-commerce stores
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