How to get started on Squarespace?
Are you curious about Squarespace, what it is and how to get started? It is pretty straightforward I promise. Let me walk you through the basic steps. Here we go…
What is Squarespace?
Squarespace is a platform used to create and build websites. It offers you a one stop solution to your website needs. It is a well thought out platform designed to do all the heavy technical work for you. Squarespace offers several templates to choose from. Are you a photographer, restaurant owner, blogger or other, there is a template for you. Squarespace is very user-friendly and gives you the option to use it without knowing a single line of code or if you must add code, you can surely do that!
If you are looking for a platform that has your back, this is it. I have tried Wordpress and this has kept me sane. If you have not yet checked out my post on why I chose Squarespace over Wordpress, check it out here.
As mentioned earlier, one of the great features of Squarespace is how easy it is to get started. You don't need to hire a developer. Really!
1. Domain Name
A domain name is a URL that identifies your web page for example “tcdesignstudio.com”. If you don't already have a domain, Squarespace offers plans that include a domain that is paid annually. You can even have domain name created with your business name on it. For example, when I started, I was interested in having a website address that will end with tcdesignstudio.com. I did a search in Squarespace for that name and I was able to get my custom website. Super simple.
2. Hosting Service
Being a one-stop website solution, Squarespace can host your website. A company who offers hosting services means it provides you with the service to make your website accessible on the internet. So not only can you have a domain through Squarespace, but they can be your host company as well. I love the fact that these are combined and I only have one place to deal with. There are other hosting companies that you can use if you choose to.
3. Service Plans
Once you have made your decision to proceed with Squarespace, you will need to select a plan. Squarespace offers a Personal and Business plan. If you have products you want to sell, you are in luck! Squarespace also offers eCommerce plans, no need to deal with any other companies, everything is in one place.
The business plan offers you a lot for your money with unlimited web pages for only $18/month. Not bad at all. Take your pick and you will be all set. One last thing, all of the plans offers SSL security which means that your site’s communication to the main web servers is secure and encrypted. This is now a Google requirement for websites.
4. Template
Squarespace offers 16 beautifully designed templates. The key to choosing the right template for you is having an idea of what you want your website to look like and be able to do. Knowing this will allow you to pick the right template that offers the right features you need. A plus, you can even try each of the templates and then choose one.
If you are considering starting with Squarespace, I would highly recommend taking a look at the template comparison chart a fellow web designer completed at The Paige Studio. Paige is an incredible resource and a Squarespace know it all girl!
5. Design
Now that you have selected your template, let's get started with the design portion of it shall we? Ok, not so quick, before diving knee deep into designing, think about who your target audience will, who are you catering your products or services to, think about your color palette and fonts.
You can download my pre-design checklist. This will help you complete the pre work and have everything ready ahead of your design phase.
After installing the template, you have the basic page structure of the template. All you need to do is to add your pages, images, and more importantly, your content.
6. Launch
Finally, the moment you have been waiting for. Yes! You've completed your website and it looks great! Now what? You’ve guessed it! you have to launch your website! Show the world who you are, what you have been working on and what you have to offer. Squarespace makes this final step super easy.
In fact, once you purchase your plan from Squarespace, your website is 'live' meaning that if someone happens to search for something, they could land on your website depending on what they are looking for. To prevent that, during your design phase, set a site wide password. Anyone who stumbles on your page will be prompted for a password. Once you've completed your design, remove the site wide password and announce through social media that your site does XYZ and there you have it! It's that simple.
7. 24/7 Customer Support
To me, this is the best feature of Squarespace. They have such an awesome customer service helpline. These specialists know what they are doing and will help you. They are friendly and will not give you the go around. As a newbie back then, this was indispensable. To add to excellent support, Squarespace has an extensive set of video tutorials and help documents that details each template, its functions and are really easy to understand.
So there you have it. These are high-level steps to give you a general idea of how to get started using Squarespace. If you have any specific questions regarding any of these steps, I would love to entertain then.
If you prefer not to be bothered by all these steps and instead choose to have a designer do this for you, let’s work together to get your website up and running, just click here.
I would love to hear from you. Have you heard of Squarespace? What are your thoughts?
