Unless you’re in the business or creative industry, it’s hard not to know about Squarespace. If you love minimalist and appealing design, this website builder should be your go-to choice. While it’s famous, I really wanted to know if it’s worth the hype.
I have considered its features carefully. So, I can definitely say Sqaurespace delivers what it promises. Whether you want a professional website or a personal portfolio, Sqaurespace can meet your expectations.
However, I cannot say Sqaurespace is the perfect website builder for everyone. Do you know why? Make sure you read this Squarespace website builder review 2024 to know more.
What is Squarespace?
Squarespace is undoubtedly one of the best website builders with top-notch features. Instead of catering to everyone, Squarespace is perfect for businesses and online stores. So, if you own an eCommerce business, Squarespace will help you build the perfect site.
This versatile and adaptable website builder will help you create a fully functional site. You don’t even need to worry about any coding knowledge. Its features and website development tools can capture anyone’s attention.
Squarespace
The best thing about Squarespace is its simplicity. Even people without any technical background can also use this website builder easily.
Squarespace Website Builder Review: Features
Now that you know what Squarespace website builder is, it’s time to dive deeper. You must know all the features, pros, cons, and pricing. This way, you can make a more informed decision.
Remember, Squarespace isn’t right for all audiences. While it can effectively build a small business website, the same might not be true for online stores.
1. Templates
If you read my Wix website builder review, you’ll notice that I praised its template gallery. The same is true for Squarespace. Its templates are one of the best features. They are super functional and look really good.
Sqaurespace has more than 150 templates. Each is designed with specific industries and needs in mind. They are categorized into 19 different options with different types, so you can always find the right one for your business.
Now, I’ve heard many people say they like minimalistic template designs. So, I thought I should clarify before discussing it further. Squarespace templates don’t come with too many overwhelming blocks or texts. In fact, most of them are designed with minimum.
Moreover, I really like the combination of images, color options, fonts, formats, modules, and negative spaces. I mean it won’t make your website look too cluttered unless you do some heavy modifications.
Speaking of modifications, let’s talk about the customization aspects. The templates are highly customizable. Since they have the same framework, you can experiment with them. However, the ready-made templates won’t have as many customizations as building from scratch.
Even if you don’t like the pre-built templates, you can use Squarespace Blueprint. It will help you build your website from scratch. You will also get the necessary tools to create a customized template.
2. Features
I wouldn’t be writing a Squarespace website builder review if I didn’t like its features. In simple words, they are astounding, more than enough to exceed my expectations.
For example, Squarespace comes with various features that are not only beginner-friendly but also easy to implement. On the other hand, there are advanced features for professionals. The balance between these two is perfect.
Adding what you need is simple, even with the Personal plan. Do you need a calendar? Reservations for appointments? A shop? All you have to do is click one or two buttons to get it.
With little effort, you can even add an additional set of pages to make your website multilingual. On the other hand, you will need to pay a premium for one of the more expensive plans if you need to use custom templates or any custom code. It's not unusual because practically all site builders exhibit this behavior.
3. Customization and design
Now comes an important part. When speaking about Squarespace’s editor, I saw a semi-drag-and-drop feature. Just like Wix, when you edit a page, you can add content blocks or sections. They are pre-configured to ensure ease of use.
Whether you want to add an About Us page or a Contact Page, you can do everything within the blocks. If you want more complex blocks, you can find Twitter feeds, social media icons, charts, calendars, appointment reminders, online products, RSS feeds, and many more.
After you choose the content block, the drag-and-drop process will start. You can drag as many elements as you want within the required parameters. The elements will maintain a grid format to make your website look consistent.
But that’s not all. You can also customize the layouts and designs. The pre-set content blocks will give you the required layout. You can tweak those and add spaces, columns, and content as you deem necessary.
You don’t need to worry about the Squarespace site's mobile responsiveness. The templates are mobile-responsive. Moreover, the editor will also let you switch between mobile and desktop formats easily.
4. Squarespace Blueprint
According to previous Squarespace website builder reviews, one of the main drawbacks is how limited its template options are. That was before Squarespace's 7.0 release, when the majority of templates used several frameworks.
This meant that you could not alter at least one element (such as the header or footer design) in practically all templates. With version 7.1, Squarespace improved this by integrating every template into a single framework. And if that wasn't enough, Squarespace Blueprint now lets you make your own templates.
The procedure is fairly simple. To get started, simply select the “Build your own template” option from the template menu. The sections you want on your homepage (such as “Intro,” “About us,” “Featured products,” etc.) will thereafter be up to you to select.
If you wish to alter their basic arrangement, hover over these parts to select from a variety of options. After that, you may decide which more pages you want to add to your website, pick your preferred font family and color scheme, and you'll be set to go.
Your site won't look polished, unlike typical templates, but that's the whole point. You'll end up with the perfect framework to build your website upon because you're creating your own template.
5. eCommerce hub
I’m going to spend a good minute or two discussing e-commerce, as Squarespace's ability to operate stores is actually one of its main advantages. It really only takes a few button clicks, a few question answers, and Squarespace to handle the work of adding a store to your website.
Well, the design work is what I'm mostly talking about. It is up to you to add products in reality. You can import your products using a.CSV file to save time if you already have an online store.
The store adopts the same overall look and feel as the rest of your website from the front end. Because of the nature of online stores, you have limited alternatives when it comes to changing the look of the store page. Additionally, individual product pages can be altered; however, the layout options are once again restricted.
​​The product management UI (User Interface) is comprehensive yet easy to use. Try it out, and before long, you'll be adding pictures, varying prices for variants of the same product, and forms to gather client data.
If you'd like, you may even alter the text that says “Add to Cart” to something bolder. If you also sell on other online marketplaces, you can link straight from Squarespace to your Amazon storefront. This will allow you to easily monitor sales on both ends and even delegate shipping to Amazon.
The only “downside” is that in order to use the store functionality at all, you must specifically subscribe to one of Squarespace's Business plans, which is expensive. It's a wise investment, especially when you consider that they come with everything you need to manage and promote your online store effectively.
6. Superb blogging
Although it's not my best blogging platform by far, Squarespace is still rather decent. The blog module allows you to schedule entries, add tags, organize them into categories, and save drafts.
You have the option to alter the font and color of individual posts, designate whether or not to display the author's name and profile, and schedule posts for peer review before publication. The real editor is by far my favorite feature.
Squarespace allows you to modify blog entries directly on the page itself, unlike many other site builders that require you to use a different interface. You get precisely what you see.
Although you can't create intricate layouts the way you can with a standard page, it's still a fairly fantastic tool. You can include picture galleries, slideshows, audio, tag clouds, charts, movies, and more.
Blog postings contain all the standard SEO options and social media sharing capabilities you would expect, just like any other page. You may customize search engine optimized titles and descriptions, control social media post previews, and even have blog pieces distributed as newsletters upon publication.
7. Third-party integrations and add-ons
Squarespace has a comprehensive range of add-ons and third-party connectors to enable you to enhance the functionality of your website. Squarespace has all the necessary capabilities for you to integrate with other platforms if you have a strong social media following.
For example, you may embed YouTube videos right into your website or promote your blogs on social media. Squarespace's integrations allow you to do a lot more, such as make premium member-only areas, schedule appointments, and even launch effective marketing campaigns.
Space truly is the only restriction on what you may accomplish with your website because of this vast array of apps.
8. Automated online booking process
Squarespace's integrated online booking tool is a great way to increase clientele and streamline process for service providers on a tight budget. You can let clients self-schedule appointments online by showcasing your services and real-time availability with Squarespace's Acuity Scheduling connection.
You may improve your customer interactions by using the extra tools that Acuity Scheduling provides. In order to thank devoted clients, you can provide subscriptions, gift cards, and appointment packages in addition to sending automated email and SMS reminders about impending appointments.
Given that Acuity Scheduling was created by Squarespace, the two integrate seamlessly. You can add it to your Squarespace website with just a few clicks, ensuring consistency in your brand image across platforms.
Though it requires a separate subscription, Acuity Scheduling is quite affordable and you can try it risk-free for seven days.
9. Ease of use
Squarespace was easy on my eyes and brain, straightforward to use, and intuitive overall. Starting to customize my website and making any backend modifications I needed to make happened extremely instantly.
There is a slight learning curve, but not a very high one, especially if you have never played around with website building previously. I would be negligent, though, if I did not acknowledge that there are still some bugs in the user interface (UI).
While creating my website(s) was largely a simple procedure, I soon became tired of constantly going back and forth between the site editor and the Site Styles menu in order to change the color of my sites. Additionally, it can be a little difficult to layer items on top of one another.
10. Built-in SEO and marketing tools
Naturally, creating a website using Squarespace isn't the only objective. Making your website/business incredibly successful is the aim. with light of this, there are a number of integrated tools that can assist you with self-promotion and marketing with little to no work.
Numerous marketing methods are available, such as Facebook advertisements, Instagram stories, Pinterest buttons, social media share buttons, and—gasp!—promotional pop-ups. Squarespace provides full Mailchimp integration in addition to its unique email campaign creation tool.
Additionally, Squarespace offers a simple yet powerful suite of search engine optimization (SEO) tools to assist in improving the visibility of your website (as well as specific content pieces) on Google and other search engines. A “Squarespace SEO Expert” is also available for hire if you're ready to spend more.
The SEO specialist can offer you practical suggestions to raise your search engine rankings. Its integrated Analytics allows you to see more closely which search terms bring in the most visitors to your website.
Additionally, you can get a lot of helpful information, such as the sites that receive the most traffic and the location of your primary traffic source in the world. Additionally, you might benefit from the scheduling tool that was previously described.
You may use this functionality to take appointments, manage your available time, remind customers automatically (which increases the likelihood that they will show up), generate intake forms, and more if your business relies on in-person appointments.
11. Localized site version
What happens if you wish to connect with a global audience? You may localize the default text, date, and currency settings with the tools provided by Squarespace. To select a language, simply navigate to the Language & region panel on your account dashboard.
Squarespace provides for localization into Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Norwegian, and Swedish in addition to the languages that are available for the editor. Even though this tool doesn't translate text automatically—custom text translation requires a third-party Squarespace extension like Weglot—it's still useful for improving your website's accessibility for visitors from around the globe.
Squarespace translates important metatext as part of the localization process, which might improve your website's search engine ranking abroad.
12. Customer support
The Squarespace staff is always available to assist you. They are, after all, very proactive. The primary means of support consist of a community forum, live chat, and an email/ticket combination system. I experimented with all three routes to see whether I could receive timely, competent help.
I’ve read quite a few reviews stating that Squarespace's email or ticket system is the most effective one. While they take around 6 hours to respond back to you, the response itself will be personalized and informative.
However, I don’t why, but for some reason the live chat feature wasn’t that effective. I waited for 20-25 minutes to get response from an agent, Yes, I admit 25 minutes is less than 6 hours, but what’s the point of just wait until someone shows up? If you leave the screen, your timer will get reset.
Lastly, I also checked the forum. But I didn’t ask any question. I checked the questions and answers from other users and got a pretty good idea. If you’re stuck and need some urgent help, I strongly recommend you visit there.
Squarespace review: pros and cons
While Sqaurespace has some excellent features, there's something else you need to know. Squarespace has some drawbacks, especially when you're a professional and looking for a more advanced website builder.
Pros
Cons
As you can see, Squarespace has various pros and but only one cons. Yes, I admit that limited third-party integrations can pose various problems for advanced users. So, if you're comfortable with fewer integrations, I insist you try Squarespace once.
Squarespace pricing
Now comes an important. I know you have been waiting to see the pricing structure. I do believe the pricing structure is quite affordable, especially for startups and small business owners.
Squarespace pricing structure
1. Personal: $16/month
2. Business: $23/month
3. Commerce Basic: $28/month
4. Commerce Advanced: $52/month
If you want to create a personal portfolio or a standard business website, the Personal and Business plan would highly benefit you. On the other hand, Commerce Basic and Advanced are geared towards eCommerce shops and online stores. So, consider your needs and choose the perfect plan.
Ready to build a website using Squarespace?
As you read, I’ve praised Sqaurespace quite a lot. There are various reasons why it’s one of my favorite website builders in the market. From its attractive templates to its easy editor, the features are unique.
Moreover, with its simple yet elegant site design, you can create an intuitive website for your business or eCommerce store. It’s worth the investment.
I hope you found this blog informative. What’s your opinion on my Squarespace website builder review blog? Let me know in the comments below.
