Why I recommend Squarespace
In my 10+ years of managing and making websites for a variety of clients, I have my preferences for certain website platforms. I strongly prefer Squarespace for smaller businesses, artists and individuals because of two main things that Squarespace does really well compared to other options out there:
Mobile optimization
Contemporary, clean designs
Let’s look at each of these reasons and some others.
Full disclosure: I am a Squarespace affiliate so if you click on one of the links to Squarespace in this blog and purchase a subscription to Squarespace, I will make a small commission at no cost to you.
Mobile Optimization
I’m amazed that most website platforms have not taken the time to ensure their designs shine on mobile devices. In so many industries, there are more website visitors on mobile phones than on desktop, yet most websites are designed for desktop while the usability on a tiny screen is an afterthought. Squarespace websites are built on a foundation that does an excellent job transitioning their designs from desktop to tablet to mobile with little to no design adjustments needed. In my opinion, Squarespace does this better than all the other DIY website platforms out there, and that’s what makes it so much better than Wix, Weebly, Wordpress and others.
Image of a Squarespace website in Desktop View (photo: Squarespace.com)
Image of the same Squarespace website in Mobile View (image: Squarespace.com)
Best-in-class website template design
In general, Squarespace template designs are clean, minimal and contemporary. Squarespace combines a simple user experience and beautiful design to give website visitors a seamless, pleasant website experience - that is what you want in a website. No clutter, no confusion, no guesswork. And with its mobile optimization, the same goes for the experience on mobile. Other website builders do not come close.
If you’re they type of person who wants to be in complete control of the website layout, Squarespace may not be for you. Squarespace websites look so good because Squarespace limits the flexibility of the template. I understand how this can be frustrating, but most of the limitations are there to prevent a cluttered design and bad user experience. Those limitations exist to ultimately make for a better website for your website visitors and customers.
Other considerations
While I strongly prefer Squarespace for small businesses and individuals, I do not recommend Squarespace for larger brands and businesses. The limitations I mentioned are usually too restricting for bigger websites, and managing many pages in Squarespace can become difficult. For larger websites, I would recommend an open source website platform (recommendations will vary depending on requirements) and a professional website team.
I find with my clients that Squarespace’s WYSIWYG website builder has a steep learning curve so there’s usually some trial and error in the beginning. Once you’re comfortable with the platform, it should be very easy to update and maintain your website.
Squarespace isn’t perfect. It’s not known for having great SEO or analytics. Squarespace does these things pretty well, but not as stellar as their design quality.
Check out what Squarespace has to offer and sign up here (yes, that’s an affiliate link)