Our Case for Squarespace
As you know, we at Lavilo Web Design specialize in customizing Squarespace websites. So, "our case for Squarespace" is undoubtedly biased, like any review or comparison that you can find on the Internet. However, I want to give you some conceptual advice that can help you better understand these platform providers and possibly make your research a little easier.
What are platform providers? Platform providers are hosts that render your website when a visitor enters your domain name or a specific URL into the address bar of their browser. But not all platform providers are equal. For example, Shopify specializes in online stores and Squarespace in informational websites, although this line is becoming increasingly blurred due to Squarespace's recent e-commerce push. However, all platform providers have one thing in common. They base their services on templates.
What are templates? Templates are generic web designs that you can customize to a certain extent to suit your business needs. Unlike a fully custom website (▶ Dreaming of a Custom-Built Website?), templates have three key advantages:
Affordability. Templates have become an efficient way to create incredible looking websites without the burden of maintaining a server, updating your code, and keeping an SSL-certificate current. The crucial background work is done by the host - for example, Shopify or Squarespace.
Simplicity. I believe things should be kept simple. Squarespace and Shopify offer an intuitive web interface that allows you to easily update the content of your website without the need for external help. This independence can save you a lot of money in the long term by being able to add blog posts and events or to advertise promotions with a few simple clicks.
Integration. Many platform providers allow you to plug effortlessly into many services you may already have or may need to run your business. Social media feeds, email marketing, credit card payments, discounted shipping rates, inventory tracking, and sales taxes are just a few examples.
While the benefit of using templates is mostly undisputed, platform providers differ significantly in their strategy of who is allowed to create these templates.
Third-party vs. in-house. The different approaches of Shopify and Squarespace towards who develops these templates cannot be more striking.
Although Shopify offers a few templates that they created themselves, they seem to rely more on their ecosystem of third-party programmers when developing templates, especially when it comes to advanced features and layouts. What does that mean for you as a customer? First, you have to pay extra for a cool looking template. Second, and this can be even more crucial in the long run, you need to call the third-party company to get support and fix any errors. Since these companies are often tiny, their responsiveness to any questions or issues you may have can be very spotty. Usually, you can only reach them by email. Even if you are happy with their service level now, there is no guarantee that you will be in the future. It is common in the start-up scene that larger tech companies buy them for their intellectual properties and then lead them in a different direction, leaving you and your template possibly stranded.
Squarespace pursues a very different strategy in this regard. They seem to see their templates as core to their platform and services. All of the templates they offer have been designed and programmed by Squarespace and are fully backed by them. Should you have a question about setting up a particular feature, you can ask them 24/7 via chat or email. Squarespace's preference for in-house solutions also extends to newsletter campaigns, which they offer as an additional subscription service directly on their platform. The advantage for you is that you can use your blog content in your newsletter without experiencing the typical integration issues (▶ Are Email Newsletters an Effective Marketing Tool?). The most recent service is called "scheduling" and enables your visitors to plan appointments directly on your website.
I may have become a little risk-averse over the years. But I prefer the in-house development of features over the third-party development by small start-ups because I do not want to worry, and my customers should not have to worry about the future support of their template.
Do you need to be a programmer to design your website? Here is the short answer: No, you do not have to be a programmer. I always joke with my clients that filling a template with content often seems to be the easy part of my job. Creating a coherent and concise message that is on-brand and supported by stunning pictures and engaging text takes in comparison much more time and effort to get right (▶ Should You Invest in Professional Photos?). However, there is an important role that a good web designer can play. They can help you find your purpose and create the incredible images and captivating texts that support your cause (▶ Does Your Website Show Purpose?). In this role, a web designer can act as a content creator, coach, or advisor in addition to filling your template at the end of the process (▶ Choosing the Right Web Designer).
What if your template does not meet all of your needs? All Squarespace templates allow you to inject custom HTML and JavaScript. With some knowledge, you can also change some of the Squarespace styles by writing your own CSS. However, here is a word of caution. Any change you make can be a source of breaking your website. To future-proof your design, you want to have the least amount of custom code.
If you are frustrated that your template does not meet your every need, consider the following advice after you have stepped back from your computer and got some fresh air.
Every template is a compromise. You give up some design freedom, but in return, benefit from significant cost savings. The alternative to a template-based website is a custom-built website that can cost you thousands of dollars more (▶ Dreaming of a Custom-Built Website?). You will also have to budget an extra portion of your money for ongoing maintenance. Maybe instead of changing your template, can you find a creative approach to adjust your needs? In my experience, you will often find a novel out-of-the-box solution if you seriously question your thinking and ask yourself what would happen if you did not have such a feature.
No template will tick all of your boxes. Every template has shortcomings. However, if a missing feature is low on your priority list or you can easily find a workaround for it, then the missing feature would not impede your business. It is therefore crucial for any web design project to prioritize the requirements clearly and to be open-minded about trying to make your own needs fit your template and not vice versa.
So, is Squarespace the best platform provider on the market? Building a website on the Squarespace platform has many advantages. At the top of my list are their amazing templates and how easy they can be customized. I also like the painless integration of newsletter campaigns and scheduling directly into their platform. But Squarespace is not perfect and has its quirks, too. However, for the work we do for many of our customers, Squarespace is a solid contender and should be seriously considered even if you have a web designer building your site.
