Why I use Squarespace for web design

There are a plethora of web design platforms out there today. If you have been doing a little research on creating your own site you may be familiar with some of these platforms – Squarespace, Wix, Wordpress, Shopify, etc.

Yes, some are easier to use than others. Some seem simple but ultimately are a pain. And some do require design skills that a template just can’t provide. I’ve dipped my foot in all the above platforms throughout the years, however, I maintain Squarespace is the better platform for my business, my client's businesses and I encourage others to use it as well...Even if I am not building the site for them. :)

Here are a few reasons I prefer Squarespace:

DIY DNA
Squarespace was designed with the do-it-yourself user in mind, making it notably easier for clients to maintain and update their websites on their own, long after the project has successfully completed. Managing websites is a matter of dragging-and dropping, pulling on corners to resize images, and WYSIWYG editing. Clients no longer have to depend on me or a designer to manage simple edits of a site.  Squarespace can also be set up so the integrity of the original design is not changed accidentally by the non-designer client.  

Affordable maintenance in the future
Once your website is completed, maintaining it costs a fraction of what a traditional agency will cost for hosting, managing, simple editing and backing-up a website. Depending on your plan, the cost of Squarespace platform site is only a few hundred dollars max a year.  You may wonder why you have to pay for a subscription, and to that I say: Your site is maintained, it is updated as software changes, it is secure, and it is backed up. Doing so on other platforms is a pain, and will still end up paying someone to do it if you do not have the know how. 

Beautiful design that performs
Squarespace site's bones are beautifully and thoughtfully designed to incorporate cutting edge UI/UX best practices, which means clients' websites will have the best of the best in “form and function” baked right in. For those not familiar with best practices in UI/UX, you may not realize what other web platforms are lacking in this area. 

Peace of mind
Squarespace is a self-contained platform that works seamlessly and is fully managed from top to bottom. This means there’s never any need to update software, plugins, or widgets; patch security vulnerabilities; or worry that changing one component might break something else. It also means there’s rarely any need to investigate or pay for third-party apps or plugins since most functionality is native to Squarespace.  If you’ve ever worked with Wordpress, you know how scary the dreaded updates can be, and how easy it is for something to break.  (trust me, I've experienced this with a few sites and it's not fun!) 

Responsive design
Mobile traffic now accounts for more than half of all website traffic. With that in mind, it’s critical that websites perform across any device and screen size. Every Squarespace site includes a unique mobile experience that matches the overall style of the website, so content will look great on every device, every time.  

Built-in search engine optimization
Every Squarespace website is equipped with all the elements needed for a strong SEO strategy. Site descriptions, page titles, custom URLs, search friendly formatting, and other key elements are all easily managed. Furthermore, there is an automatically generated built-in sitemap that helps Google to crawl, understand, and ultimately, rank a website.

24/7 award-winning support
The Customer Care team at Squarespace is available seven days a week, 24-hours a day, and has won several awards for outstanding customer support.  (As a reminder from my own Wordpress experiences -  Wordpress is community based organization…so if something breaks, you’re going to be googling for a fix or searching forums. No actual support service waiting for your call to help)

It’s been around longer than you make think (14 years!)
Squarespace launched in 2003 and has grown steadily since, gaining over a million customers over the years. It is a well-funded and well-regarded company. You don’t have to worry that Squarespace might be a flash in the pan.  In my opinion, it is growing and getting better and better - which brings us to the point below: 

Room to grow
Squarespace scales. Squarespace was designed for everyone from bloggers to musicians to online retailers, so clients can be confident that it is robust and flexible enough to grow with them.

Don’t take my word for it, here are a few reviews online:

SQUARESPACE VS . WORDPRESS
Superb Website Builders
Website Builder Expert

SQUARESPACE VS . W I X
Superb Website Builders
Website Builder Expert

SQUARESPACE VS . S H O P I F Y
Superb Website Builders
Website Builder Expert
Style Factory

Sources: www.Squarespace.com