Squarespace Review

Just what is Squarespace?

Squarespace is one of the many DIY online platforms that people use to build their own business website. It is similar to Wix and Weebly if you’ve heard of those.

Every website has to have something that it is built with. This could be a 100% bespoke framework built with pure code, or, it could be a platform that already inherently has some of the essential features.

Squarespace is one of many website builders that has some features built in that most sites would need. It can take a bit to get used to, however, with patience and perseverance, it can be done.

Squarespace is a website builder that offers many templates that you can reuse. This means that some of the mundane repetitive work is done for you, which allows those that can’t even code to build a properly functioning website with the simple drag and drop interface. There are all kinds of amazing features offered within the Squarespace platform as well.

Bear in mind though that many people will use the same template. And the templates may not match with what you really want to achieve.

Some pros and cons of Squarespace

Pros

• Good collection of templates
• A good degree of customisation allowed with regards to changing colours, fonts and photos
• Better value for the money than some of the other builders
• No need to learn programming
• They have a step by step wizard approach to get you started

Cons

• Steep-ish learning curve if you are starting from scratch making a website
• Fewer integrations with other online platforms you may want to use compared to other builders like WordPress
• Some people report finding the terminology confusing (if you look at the reviews)
• Your website will use the same template as thousands of others in your industry
• If you prefer to talk on the phone with someone Squarespace do not offer telephone customer service

Squarespace is a WYSIWYG Editor

Squarespace uses an easy “What you see is what you get” (WYSIWYG) editor. Things can simply be arranged on the pages without coding by dragging and dropping blocks. This saves a lot of time during the design process and with a creative approach you can get a great looking website up and running.

Squarespace even offers an app (iOS & Android) that allows you to edit your website on the go. This is perfect for those website owners who are changing and adding content on a regular basis. You can also add an announcement bar in the app as well. This is a great feature that you don’t find with many other website builders.

I have been told by several clients that Squarespace is not beginner-friendly, but with some time and patience it can be done.

However, if you have used a WYSIWYG editor before you know that it can be a bit constraining from time to time, especially when you need a special layout.

Building a website using Squarespace

Squarespace makes it easy to start a blog or even building an ecommerce platform where you can sell products online. The features and options that come with each and every website are good. The websites are hosted on the Squarespace servers and are mobile-optimised too.

If you are going to create your own website I would recommend trying a few builders to see which you feel most comfortable with.

The business plan with Squarespace is currently £15 per month and you can cancel at any time – just remember if you cancel your website will not be available.

Conclusion

DIY websites aren’t going to be the best option for those that don’t want the hassle. However, Squarespace is a good option to get started if you want to give it a go.