You probably have heard of Squarespace by now. It is a website platform that includes tools to design and build your website as well as built-in hosting and email. If you need to register a domain, Squarespace allows you to do that too. Email services are provided by Google G Suite (formerly Google Apps). If you have a business and need a website, it’s worth considering Squarespace as an option.
What type of business do you operate?
Depending on the nature of your business, Squarespace could be a good choice for your website. I find it works particularly well for:
- Design, photography, or artist portfolio websites with many images
- Small brochure-style informational websites with a few pages of static content and a blog or news section
- Restaurants that can take advantage of the built-in menu templates and OpenTable integration
- A small business just getting started
Website conversions to Squarespace
Recently, I have worked on projects converting older websites into a mobile-friendly format with Squarespace. Squarespace makes it relatively straightforward to import existing content and set up a new design. The development time on these projects is reduced thanks to well-designed templates that act as a starting point. There are a few general purpose themes that work well for a small business such as Bedford or Hayden. Content can be imported from WordPress or other formats.
When Squarespace may not be the right solution
If you maintain a website with a large amount of content and multiple content authors, it may be better to use a more traditional platform such as WordPress or Drupal. WordPress is designed for managing text content, includes a visual revision comparison tool out of the box, and functions well in an environment with multiple content authors.
While Squarespace works well for portfolio sites with a lot of imagery, the media management tools fall a little short. I find it easier to browse and reuse assets with the media library in WordPress.
If you need absolute control over your hosting environment, Squarespace will not be the right choice. It fills a niche for businesses that want an all-in-one platform and don’t need to maintain a web server.
The bottom line
Squarespace is definitely worth a look when you are considering your next online venture, or if you need to upgrade an existing site. It may help you trim your online marketing budget if you don’t need the extra flexibility that a traditional content management system would provide. Feel free to contact me for further recommendations.
