Squarespace is a popular website building and hosting service that allows individuals and businesses to create professional-looking websites and e-commerce stores without needing extensive technical expertise.
It provides a user-friendly interface with an intuitive “drag and drop” editor, and a variety of professionally designed templates that users can customise to create their own unique websites.
Squarespace currently offers four main pricing plans, each with different features and capabilities. When billed annually, their personal plan starts at $NZ27 a month and basic business plans at $NZ38 a month. If you’re looking to sell products and services online their ecommerce plans range from $NZ45 a month to $NZ81 a month when billed annually. Squarespace offers a 14-day free trial period, allowing you to test out the platform and its features before committing to a paid plan.
What we like about Squarespace
Squarespace offers several benefits compared to other website building options such as hiring a website design company, or using platforms like WordPress or Wix:
Ease of Use: Squarespace provides a user-friendly interface and intuitive drag-and-drop editor, making it easy for individuals with no coding experience to create and customise their websites. This ease of use eliminates the need to rely on external designers or developers.
All-in-One Solution: Squarespace is an all-in-one platform that includes website hosting, design templates, domain registration, e-commerce functionality, website analytics and built-in SEO tools. This eliminates the hassle of managing multiple services or platforms for different aspects of website creation and management.
Professional Templates: Squarespace offers a wide range of professionally designed templates that are modern, visually appealing, and mobile-responsive. These templates can be easily customised to reflect the brand identity and preferences of users, helping them create polished and professional- looking websites.
Reliability and Security: Squarespace takes care of website hosting, ensuring reliability and security for users. The platform includes built-in security features such as SSL encryption, DDoS protection, and regular software updates, reducing the risk of security breaches and downtime.
Customer Support: Squarespace provides 24/7 customer support via email and live chat, as well as extensive documentation and tutorials. This level of support can be invaluable for users who encounter technical issues or need assistance with website setup and customization.
Cost-Effectiveness: While hiring a website design company can be expensive, and platforms like WordPress may require additional expenses for hosting, themes, and plugins, Squarespace offers transparent pricing plans with no hidden costs. Users can choose a subscription plan that suits their needs and budget, with options for monthly or annual billing.
Scalability: Squarespace is suitable for businesses of all sizes, from individual freelancers to large corporations. The platform can scale with the growth of a business, offering features such as unlimited bandwidth and storage, advanced e-commerce functionality, and integrations with third-party services.
Ecommerce
For those wanting to build an online store, Squarespace’s built-in e-commerce service allows users to create and manage online stores directly within the Squarespace platform. Key aspects include:
- Product Management: Squarespace enables users to easily add, edit, and organise products within their online store. Users can create product listings with images, descriptions, pricing, and variations (such as size or colour) as needed. The platform supports digital products, physical goods, services, and donations.
- Customizable Storefront: Users can customise the look and feel of their online store using Squarespace’s templates and design tools. This allows them to create a unique and branded storefront that aligns with their overall website design and identity.
- Mobile Responsiveness: Squarespace’s ecommerce functionality is optimised for mobile devices, ensuring that online stores look and function well on smartphones and tablets. This is essential for reaching customers who prefer to shop on mobile devices.
- Checkout Process: Squarespace provides a streamlined checkout process to minimise friction and maximise conversions. Customers can easily add products to their cart, enter shipping and payment information, and complete their purchases securely. The platform supports various payment methods, including credit/debit cards, Apple Pay, PayPal, and more.
- Inventory Management: Squarespace includes tools for managing inventory levels, tracking stock quantities, and displaying product availability to customers. Users can set up automatic notifications for low stock levels and manage backorders as needed.
- Order Management: Squarespace allows users to view and manage orders directly within the platform. They can track order status, process refunds, print packing slips, and communicate with customers about their purchases.
- Shipping and Tax Calculations: Squarespace integrates with shipping carriers and calculates shipping rates automatically based on factors such as weight, destination, and shipping method. Users can also set up tax rules to ensure compliance with local regulations and automatically calculate taxes on purchases.
- Marketing and Promotions: Squarespace offers built-in marketing tools to help users promote their online stores and drive sales. This includes features such as discount codes, gift cards, abandoned cart recovery emails, and integration with email marketing platforms.
- Analytics and Reporting: Squarespace provides insights into e-commerce performance through built-in analytics tools. Users can track key metrics such as sales, revenue, conversion rates, and customer behaviour to make informed decisions and optimise their online stores. Squarespace’s built-in e-commerce service provides a comprehensive solution combining ease of use, customization options, and essential e-commerce features to help users create successful online stores.
Product Overview
About this feature: Our goal is to showcase products and services that we think you may be interested in. As such this feature was written by NZ Entrepreneur editorial staff and sponsored by the team at Squarespace. NZ Entrepreneur receives no commissions from Squarespace.com.
