Launched in 2003, Squarespace is one of the website builders that has been around the longest. It features an easy-to-use interface, inexpensive startup costs, the ability to create most types of websites, and more. Yet, those who need to create a website may wonder if this is the right option. Read below about what to expect if you decide to give Squarespace a try.
Plans Available and Costs
Squarespace does not offer a free account option that can be used long-term, but it is possible to try it out for two weeks before purchasing a plan. Personal websites start at just $16 per month, and other plans cost up to $46 per month. Users can receive a discount by paying annually, which can bring the cost down to between $12 and $40 per month.
All of the plans from Squarespace offer unlimited storage and data transfer, basic image editing, e-commerce capability, and more. It’s possible to sell downloads or digital items through Squarespace as well as to sell memberships. Though it is necessary to pay for a plan after the initial free trial, it does seem worth it considering everything included in even the basic plans.
Squarespace Interface
Squarespace makes it easy to get started by asking about the website’s focus, goals, and more. Then, it’s possible to select from a variety of templates. From there, everything can be customized. It’s not possible to switch templates with the latest version of Squarespace, but it is easy to make adjustments to create the perfect website. The interface is easy to use, so it’s possible to add new page types, adjust navigation of the site, make changes to the site’s style, and more.
Blogging
It’s easy to create a blog with Squarespace and any content that can be added to a page on Squarespace can be added to blog posts, including photos. It’s possible to save and schedule posts, as well. If 10 blog posts are created at once, they can be saved and scheduled to be posted one at a time, so it’s not necessary to log on and publish each one individually.
E-Commerce
New selling options are now available for any level of accounts. It’s possible to sell an unlimited amount of products, as well. Visitors can choose their preferred way to pay using Stripe or PayPal, and it’s possible to sell gift cards or subscriptions through Squarespace, depending on what the website is selling.
Marketing
Email campaigns are made easy with Squarespace. Branding can be automatically imported and it’s easy to add content to email notifications. It’s also possible to integrate the website with Facebook and to tag Instagram posts to get viewers to visit the website created with Squarespace.
Analytics
Analytics is automatically included with Squarespace for all users. It’s possible to view hourly, daily, weekly or monthly statistics for traffic to the website as well as more information about the activity on the website. There’s also a Google Search Keywords panel to view keywords and click-through rates, as well as even more analytics to help improve the website and bring in more leads.
Customer Support
Email support is available all of the time and live chat support is available during the day. Squarespace does not have telephone support, unfortunately, but the support experience does tend to be well done and customers can expect fast answers to any questions or concerns they may have.
Uptime
Squarespace is known for having a significant amount of uptime, with rare outages for websites hosted with them. Testing over a two-week period revealed that the website was stable, so website owners can be sure the site will be up as much as possible, allowing visitors to take a look any time, day or night.
Pros for Squarespace
Squarespace offers a ton of pros for today’s website creators. Some of the top reasons to try Squarespace include the following.
- Easy to create websites with a responsive design
- Custom code is allowed if desired
- Blogging and e-commerce are made easy
- Analytics offered to help with site improvements
- Unlimited storage and data transfers
Cons of Squarespace
Though Squarespace does offer a lot of pros, there are a few issues with it, as well. Users will want to be aware of these issues in case they may make a difference during the website building process or after the website is completed.
- No easy upgrade from version 7 to version 7.1
- No free tier available, just a two-week trial
- No phone support available, just email or chat
- Can’t switch templates after choosing one without rebuilding the site
Overall, Squarespace has many pros that put it in the must-try category. Though there isn’t a free tier to use, it is possible to try out the website for two weeks before committing to a paid plan. With the easy-to-use interface, it’s easy to get started
creating a website, so two weeks is plenty of time to see how it all works and decide if this is the best option. Try out Squarespace today to learn more about how everything works and to see if this is the right website builder to use for your new website.
