As a Squarespace website designer and blogger I’m often asked to give input on if Squarespace is right for my potential clients and blog readers.
I’ve answered this so many times now, I figured I’d just blog about it, so the answer is available to anyone.
Oh, and no, even though I am a huge fan of Squarespace, I don’t recommend it to everyone.
There are different web building platforms that are suited to different circumstances, so I’m going to break my opinion down honestly as to which platform makes the most sense for your business, depending on a few criteria.
While I do love Squarespace, it’s not right in all circumstances, so don’t worry this isn’t an ‘everyone must go Squarespace’ post.
You can sign up for a free trial of Squarespace here and I also got ya a little off the price, use code PAIGE10 for 10% off your first year. (Yes, that’s an affiliate link!)
Squarespace is perfect for you if …
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You appreciate ease of building & updating
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You’renot super tech savvy
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You don’t have an IT team, DIY updates
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You don’t have/want to spend a lot of time to build & update
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You want one system to do it all
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You don’t want to sell more than 200 items in an online store
Let me expand on those points a bit because there’s some important notes I need to let you in on.
You appreciate ease of building & updating
There’s other website builders out there which also fall into the ‘ease of building & updating’ category. Wix & Weebly com to mind. However, I really do think Squarespace trumps those two because Squarespace has the ease of building & updating, along with more flexibility than Wix & Weebly.
You’re not super tech savvy
If code isn’t your thing, Squarespace’s drag & drop system will be your website-building bestie. Squarespace is intuitive, has a massive help resource section with comprehensive guides, and a bunch of friendly customer reps who will live chat with you if you get stuck. You’re never alone with an issue with Squarespace, so if you’re not tech savvy, that’s really no problem.
Alternatively, I would absolutely suggest you be tech-savvy if you use WordPress, if that’s a platform you’re considering right now.
No IT team, DIY updates
With Squarespace you really don’t need an IT team on staff, it’s 100% possible to make DIY updates yourself. In fact, I’m one of the few web designers who don’t keep their clients on a retainer package, instead I teach them how to use Squaresapce and send them on their merry way, because they really don’t need me after we’ve launched their Squarespace site.
Related: Why I don’t offer monthly retainers and what I do instead
Don’t have a lot of time to build & update
Gal, as a fellow entrepreneur and small business owner, I get it, time is money. If you have 93 roles to cover along with being the website builder & updater, then Squarespace is right for you, cause it’s really one of the easiest platforms to make edits to quickly on the fly.
Want one system to do it all
Don’t want to hack together different programs, softwares and systems from the internet? Are you rather a one-stop-shopper type person? Go Squarespace. It has systems integrated into the platform so you can have visitors book appointments, buy products & services, make restaurant table reservations, stream your latest podcast episode, etc. all within Squarespace.
Don’t want to sell more than 200 items online
Alright, alright, I know I might have confused you here a bit with this one. Technically, Squarespace can handle shops with more than 200 items in them. Squarespace’s e-commerce system is absolutely fabulous for website owners who want to sell a handful of things online. Large online stores however can get tricky with Squarespace, as the ability to organize shop items in Squarespace isn’t as good as in some other platforms, so my general rule of thumb is if you have over 200 items, don’t go with Squarespace.
Still not sure if Squarespace is right for your business?
Here’s the other options, and when to go with them if Squarespace doesn’t seem to be the right fit.
Shopify is perfect for you if …
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Your websites primary purpose if an online store
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You want to sell more than 200 items in your online shop
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A robust individual customer logins functionality is a priority
WordPress is perfect for you if …
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Your highest priority is complete freedom of functionality
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You are a bit tech savvy, know code
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You have a bit of time to dedicate to upkeep
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Or, have an IT person on team & can afford to pay for one monthly
ShowIt is perfect for you if …
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Your highest priority is complete freedom of design & style
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You’re not super tech savvy, don’t know code
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You have a good bit of time to build & edit
I hope those breakdowns helped give you a little more clarity!
If you’re still unsure if Squarespace is the right fit, my ‘Is Squarespace right for me?’ quiz should also help!
