Why Squarespace is the Perfect Platform for Service Providers
I am a massive fan of Squarespace. I have tried other platforms - Wordpress and Wix - before, and there are plenty of others out there too like Shopify, Showit, Weebly etc. But Squarespace is where it’s at for busy mums who need a strategic and stylish website that is also simple to build and maintain. We already wear too many hats as mums and as business owners, so it is absolutely essential that we don’t add to our load when it comes to showcasing our businesses through a website. We need something that is easy to build, simple to update when we want to update it (not because we have to due to software issues), secure, cost effective and can grow with our businesses. This is where Squarespace comes in.
Squarespace is the perfect website platform for busy mums who run a service based business.
Here are 9 reasons why:
Squarespace is Secure
Security is a factor that is often overlooked when choosing a platform to build a website on. And to be honest, it isn’t something you should even have to think about. But this is something you have to consider, because websites are at risk of getting hacked and bugs if they aren’t secure.
Squarespace is a “closed source” platform, which means that the only people who can access your website are the people at the very head at Squarespace HQ.
Why does this matter? Because you know that your website is secure. The platform developers have built in everything you need to build a functional and beautiful website into Squarespace. You don’t need to download anything extra because it’s all contained in one safe package.
Squarespace HQ handles all of the updates and security so that your website is super low-maintenance. You only have to go in to make the updates that you want to make - not because you need to update a plug-in or because there is a breach of security.
In comparison, other website platforms (like Wordpress) are “open source”. Which means that anyone could make a plug-in or add-on which could easily breach the security of your website.
Security of your website on an “open source” platform is high maintenance.You have to make sure all your plug-ins are up to date and secure, otherwise you would be leaving yourself open to hackers and other nasties. This isn’t something that the platform takes care of for you - it has to be done by the website owner.
2. Squarespace is Cost effective
With Squarespace, you pay one annual fee and that’s it. There is also an option to pay monthly (but it’ll cost a bit more spread over 12 months). There is a price plan for every type of service provider - for those just starting out to those who want to set up a shop on their website. Other platforms require additional costs for each different plug-in that you install, but that isn’t the case with Squarespace. It’s one fee every year, and you can upgrade your plan as necessary. You will even get your first year of business email hosting through Google for free.
3. Squarespace is Easy to Use
One of the biggest things that puts people off creating a website for their business is the tech and how difficult it will be. Well, Squarespace makes creating websites simpler than a lot of other platforms.
Their intuitive drag and drop editor makes it easy to customise your website pages to fit the needs of your business. You can place content almost anywhere on the page, overlap elements, and move multiple elements together - and the best part? There is no coding required.
Squarespace was built with the DIY user in mind.
Hiring someone to make updates regularly can be costly, and time consuming so as a small business owner, being able to update your own website when you want to is an incredible asset.
4. Squarespace websites are fully responsive
This means that you can easily design your website, using the same drag and drop editor, to be viewed on a mobile phone or tablet. Once published, your website will adjust to any device. With mobile traffic to websites increasing year on year, this is an important feature to have so your website looks polished and professional for anyone viewing it on the go.
5. Professional, customisable templates for service providers
Squarespace offers a wide range of beautifully designed templates that cater specifically to service providers and their businesses. These templates are designed with your clients in mind. They feature easy to navigate pages, clear call to action buttons and layouts that highlight your services. You can easily customise fonts, copy and imagery to reflect your brand, ensuring that your website not only looks good, but also resonates with your target audience. Using a Squarespace template as a starting point will save you a lot of time, but you’ll still end up with a professional website.
6. Squarespace is an All-in-One Platform
Everything you need to build a website that functions well for your business is built-in to the Squarespace platform. Because it is a “closed source” platform, you don’t necessarily need to install additional plug-ins to add features such as a blog or an image gallery to your website. All of this is built right in to Squarespace.
With other platforms (like Wordpress), you would need to install plug-ins and apps for all the different features you need. And all of those pug-ins and apps will need updating regularly in order for your website to function properly.
Some of my favourite in built features of Squarespace are:
Blog
Adding a blog to your website is as simple as adding a new page. You can customise the way your blog looks, from how many posts show per page, the size of the images that are displayed, and the layout of the blog posts. You can also format each individual post to make your blog truly unique.
Automated scheduling and appointments
Squarespace has a scheduling feature called Acuity Scheduling. This is a powerful tool for automatically booked and scheduling appointments with current clients and potential new clients. You can set up special rules for different types of appointments (e.g. 30 mins for a discovery call, 1 hour for a coaching call etc.), set your availability and clients will be able to book directly via your website, saving you the back and forth of finding a mutually convenient time. You can also send reminders, saving you time and having all your appointments scheduled in a stress-free manner.
Email campaigns and newsletters
Building an email list, and communicating with your audience regularly, is one of the most important things you can do for your business. Squarespace’s email marketing tools allow you to collect email addresses, set up automated sequences to welcome new subscribers, create campaigns and schedule them to send out, so you can communicate with your audience easily without leaving the platform.
E-Commerce
You can set up an online shop for a small range of products on your Squarespace website without having to install anything extra to your website. You can sell physical or digital products and Squarespace even have their own payment processor so you don’t necessarily need to integrate with a third party.
While Squarespace absolutely gives you everything you need to set up the website of your dreams, there is also the flexibility to add extra bells and whistles. For example, if you had a preferred email marketing software and wanted to use that instead of the native Squarespace one - you can easily integrate the two. But, that is only if you want to. The great thing is that you don’t have to.
7. Squarespace has Built - in SEO tools to help you rank higher in google
As a service provider, you want to be found easily on a google search. However, SEO is complex and can often feel daunting. Squarespace has built-in SEO tools that guide you through optimising your website structure, including page titles, meta descriptions and keyword placement so that you can raise your ranking in google. You do not need to be an SEO expert to improve your website’s visibility and attract more clients, because Squarespace tells you what you can improve.
8. Squarespace Analytics and Insights
Squarespace’s analytics dashboard provides you with valuable insights into website traffic, site visitor behaviour and conversion rates. This is all super important as a service provider so you can see what is working from your marketing efforts, content and website layout and what you may need to tweak to improve things.
9. Squarespace Customer Service
Squarespace have a team dedicated to responding to questions and helping their users. Their live chat function is great, but they also have email support for more complex queries. They are always very quick to respond and honestly do everything they can to help. This is free - there is no additional cost for reaching out to the Squarespace support team.
Squarespace also have a HUGE free library of resources on how to use their various features, which is great if you need step-by-step instructions to refer back to when making updates.
Those are the main reasons why I love Squarespace as a website platform for busy mums who run a service based business.
Squarespace offer a free 2 week trial, so if you’re on the fence about it - sign up for the free trial and have a play around and see how truly easy it is to put a website together.
If you need help planning your content, my Homepage Workbook guides you through EVERYTHING you need to put on the homepage of your website in a strategic way so that your potential clients stay in your circle and book with you. You can download it here.
If you’re sold on Squarespace but don’t have the time to figure it all out, then get in touch - I’d love to hear from you.
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