How to Use Squarespace: 11 Easy Steps

If you haven’t signed up for Squarespace yet, this is your first step. Don’t worry, you don’t need to pay anything right now – Squarespace has a 14-day free trial for you to start building!

To start your 14-day free trial, just head to squarespace.com to sign up. You don’t need to enter any details for the time being – just click the ‘Get Started’ button to move on to the next step! Simple.

Are You Ready to Start Building?

Jump on Squarespace’s 14-day free trial to start creating your very own website. No pesky payment details needed!

Yes! Take Me to Squarespace

After you’ve clicked ‘Get Started’, you’ll be prompted to select a design for your website:

You can browse by industry (everything from ‘Online Stores’ and ‘Restaurants’ to ‘Weddings’ and ‘Photography’), or by popular designs.

Hover over a template and select ‘Preview’ to take it for a spin.

The template you pick will act as your website’s design springboard, so it’s worth previewing a few to find the one that feels most ‘you’.

A bit of advice at this stage: Squarespace’s designs are nice. In fact, they’re really nice – the best we’ve ever tested, with a 4.7 out of 5 for design! This is obviously great, but can also make it hard to settle on one template – you’re really spoiled for choice, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed and give up altogether.

But don’t do that! Here are our top tips for picking your template:

1. Stick to your industry – this is a simple way to narrow down your options, and also make sure you’re following industry best practice.
2. ‘Favorite’ your favorite templates by clicking the heart – these will then be saved under the ‘My Favorites’ category for you to come back to with fresh eyes.
3. Just… pick one! – You can customize your template however you like, so don’t get too hung up on your decision at this stage.

Once you’ve chosen your template, hover over it and select the option ‘Start with [template name]’.

We’re going to go with the template Atlantic from the restaurant category. Squarespace is perfectly equipped for all this. In our research testing the best websites for the restaurant industry, Squarespace scored a 5 out of 5!

Click the image below to expand

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Find your desired template. We'll go with the "Atlantic" for this guide.

Just scroll your mouse over and click "Start with _____". You can also Preview it to make sure it's the template you want.

Are You Ready to Get Creative?

Squarespace offers a range of stunning templates for you to customize. Browse designs, choose your favorite, and get creating!

Yes! Pick My Perfect Squarespace Template

At this point, you’ll need to sign up with an email address, or log in with your Google account. Don’t worry, you still don’t need to pay anything, and Squarespace won’t ask for any payment details – you’re just starting your 14-day free trial by creating an account:

Next, give your site a name. This will display along the top of your website, although it can be edited.

Squarespace will then show you a few quick slides on editing your site. You can skip through these, confident in the fact that you already have (probably) the best tutorial on the internet as your trusty guide!

This is your main Squarespace menu, and it’s from here that you’ll carry out all the steps to bring your site to life.

If you moved into a house that needed a lot of work, you’d make sure the bigger things – bathrooms, kitchens etc. – were in place before you started painting the walls.

The same applies here. Don’t get sucked into designing just yet – focus on your site’s structure. Squarespace makes this really easy ‒ it scored a 4 out of 5 in Ease of Use, so you know you’re in good hands!

Adding Pages

Take a look at the menu. Is there anything missing?

For our restaurant, The Test Kitchen, we want a blog to share some recipes people can copy from their kitchens, updates on our Covid-19 precautions and policies, and dispatches from the team.  Squarespace knows blogging too, with it earning a 5 out of 5 for blogging features in our research. Here’s how we added a blog to the site:

Go to ‘Pages’, where you’ll see all the current pages on your website:

Click the + and select ‘Blog’ from the list.

Next, choose your preferred layout:

After you’ve chosen a layout, click onto any of the four ‘dummy’ blog posts to sub in your own content, and delete any you don’t need for the time being.

Creating a Submenu

Too many pages to fit into your site menu? Pop your pages in a folder to make them easy to navigate.

To group pages together in a submenu, go to Pages, then click again on the cross above the list of pages. From the menu, select ‘Folder’.

You can then set the name for this menu, as well as adding pages to sit within it.

Removing Pages

Need to get rid of a page or folder? No problem. Just hover over the page on the menu and a garbage emoji will show up to the left. Click this icon, then ‘Confirm’.

Got the Basics Down?

Squarespace isn’t the fastest builder around, but with a little patience you’ll soon be building like a pro. Jump in and give it a go!

I Want to Give Squarespace a Go

Once you have the right pages in place, it’s time to adjust their content to fit your brand. This means replacing the placeholder copy, rearranging sections, and adding in new ones. If this sounds a little daunting, don’t stress! We tested Squarespace on 13 different ease-of-use metrics and it scored a perfect 5 out of 5! So rest easy as you take a step into the editor.

To flip into editor mode, go to the page you want to edit and click ‘Edit’ in the top left hand corner.

In short, you can edit any section by hovering over it and then clicking on the pen icon. To add another section, hover between two sections and click on the blue ‘+’ icon which appears in the middle.

Here’s a selection of the types of sections you can add:

Not a fan of the page order? Simply click and hold to pick up a section, then drag it higher or lower on the page.

Once you’re done adding, editing, and moving sections, be sure to click ‘Done’ in the top left hand corner, then ‘Save’.

Got the Basics Down?

Squarespace isn’t the fastest builder around, but it is the best for experimenting and making mistakes so soon be building like a pro! Jump in and give it a go!

I Want to Give Squarespace a Go

Now the layout of your pages is roughly in place, we’re going to tweak your design and add some branding to make your site look more ‘you’.

From the main menu, head to ‘Design’.

Change Fonts and Colors

Go into the section called ‘Fonts’ to pick a font ‘pack’ (essentially a font pairing) to roll out across your site, and also change the set font size. Under ‘Global Text Styles’, click into any text type (headings, paragraphs etc.) to tweak the weighting and spacing of a font. Then click on ‘Assign Styles’ (within Fonts) to allocate different fonts to different parts of your site.

In the Colors section, Squarespace has a selection of pre-made color palettes to choose from, or the option to upload a color (by six-character HTML code), or even to upload an image and have Squarespace pull out the key colors from it. In terms of design flexibility, Squarespace scored 4.7 out of 5 when paired against other builders, so you can colour-match like crazy with the secure knowledge that you’re not getting better options anywhere else!

Animations and Styling

Under ‘Animations’, you can set animations to appear on your site. Animations are when content appears to ‘pop’ ‘fade’ or ‘fall’ into place. It’s a great and stylish way to jazz up your site!

Under Spacing and Image Blocks, you can make minor tweaks to the spacing and alignment of your content sections and images. And under Buttons, you can alter the style of your CTAs.

The Finer Details

By this stage, your site is looking pretty good. Content? Check. Images? Check. On-brand colors and fonts? Check. Fun animations? Check.

But a great website should be consistent across all possible touchpoints, and that’s why it’s crucial to sweat the small stuff:

Design > Browser icon – Also known as a favicon, the browser icon is what will appear next to your site name when your website is in a tab. At the moment, our demo Squarespace site has the default black cube – most brands would opt to upload a logo here instead:

Design > 404 page – This is the content that will display if readers try to access a page within your site which doesn’t exist. There’s some default copy here, but we suggest swapping it out for something more on-brand. Here’s our 404 page, for example:

Checkout Page and Product Items

These sections are all about customizing your product pages and checkout pages. No products to sell yet? Skip these for now!

Adding a Logo and Social Logo

You can upload a social logo (i.e. the image that represents your content when shared over social media) under Design > Social Sharing.

To upload a logo to actually feature across your site, go back into Edit mode on the homepage. Hover over the header, and click the ‘Edit Site Header button’, then ‘Site Title and Logo’, where you’ll see space to upload your logo.

Before we can get on to paying for your site and publishing it, there’s a bit of admin to level out first. You’ll find a ton of different settings in the Settings section – we’ve covered the essentials for any website below, but you may find others are relevant for yours!

Language and Business Information

Go to Settings > Language & Region to choose a location, language, and time zone.

Under Settings > Business Information, fill in your contact details, location, and opening hours (if applicable).

Domain Name

Your domain name is your site’s address – ours is websitebuilderexpert.com. You have some options when it comes to getting your own domain name. Squarespace scored 5 out of 5 in domains from our research, so let them help you get the the perfect domain name with our quick step-by-step instructions:

1. Purchase from another domain registrar and transfer to your Squarespace site. Go to Settings > Domains > Use a Domain I Own, and Squarespace will walk you through the steps to adding this.
2. Get a domain name through Squarespace. This will cost upwards of $20/year (so slightly more expensive than buying elsewhere, but a bit more convenient). Go to Settings > Domains > Get a domain to find an available one.
3. Buy an annual Squarespace plan and get a domain free for the first year. We’ll cover plans in the next section, but if you’re happy to commit to an annual plan, you’ll get a domain name thrown in free for the first year, as well as a saving on the ‘core’ cost. To claim this, sign up to a paid plan, then go to Settings > Domains > Get a domain.

Social Media

Link your social media accounts by going to Settings > Social Links. Any accounts you add here will be accessible from icons within your header, unless you remove them.

What Will Your Website Be Called?

You want your domain to be unique, simple, and catchy. Don’t wait for someone else to claim your domain – once it’s gone, it’s gone!

See If My Domain Is Available

When you’re still within your two week Squarespace trial period, your site will be private by default. That means nobody will be able to access it just by googling your business, for example. Even if you have a domain name configured and send someone a direct link, they’ll only see a login page.

But having friends and family see your website is an important step in ironing out any kinks before your site goes live. That’s why we recommend setting a sitewide password. Anyone with this password will be able to access the most recent edit of your website. If nothing else, this can be a useful way for you to preview the site ‘in real life’ across different devices.

How to Set a Sitewide Password

From the home menu, go to Settings > Site Availability. Then, change the default setting from ‘Public’ to ‘Password Protected’, and enter your chosen password. Just remember to switch it back to public once you’ve signed up for a paid plan!

Before your free trial ends, make sure you subscribe to a paid plan. Squarespace has four price plans:

• Personal – $16/month (billed annually)
• Business – $23/month (billed annually)
• Ecommerce Basic – $27/month (billed annually)
• Ecommerce Advanced – $49/month (billed annually)

Of course, the plans all differ in the features they provide (the following two steps of this guide are only possible if you have a business plan or above, for example). You can save between 25% and 30% if you sign up for an annual plan. Squarespace scored a 4.0 out of 5 in Value for Money from our research, which definitely adds some bang to your buck!

Remember we also have an exclusive offer code for our readers that will save you 10% on the cost of any Squarespace plan! All you need to do is enter code WBE at the checkout.

But what do they provide? Well, as you would expect, you get more if you pay more. For example, the Personal Plan is perfect for portfolios and blogs, but isn’t right for users with business ambitions, because it doesn’t let you sell online. It also doesn’t provide third party integrations like Mailchimp or OpenTable, or promotional pop-ups.

The two ecommerce plans offer zero transaction fees, while Business charges you 3%. So think about your budget and what you’d like your website to be capable of.

Once you’ve selected a plan and paid for it, your site is now live. For some websites (portfolios etc.), your work may well now be done. For anyone on the Business plan or above, there are a couple more optional steps, which we’ll cover below.

Did You Spot Your Perfect Plan?

Compare prices and features, then save 10% with our exclusive offer code – simply enter WBE at checkout to save!

Pick My Perfect Squarespace Plan

Firstly, to add extra marketing tools, such as promotional pop-ups and banners, you’ll need to be on the ‘Business’ plan at the very least. How do you upgrade? You won’t be surprised to hear that Squarespace has thought of that – there’s a strategically placed ‘Upgrade Now’ button at the foot of every page during your free trial.

Of course, these tools aren’t necessary for every website. So if you’re not planning to sell online, you can skip Steps 7 and 8.

By clicking ‘Marketing’ on the main menu, you’ll see everything you need for promoting your Squarespace site. See the image below for the marketing options.

From here you can add pop-ups, show social media buttons, integrate your Facebook page, link your Instagram feed, and more, all with just a couple of clicks. You can even create a new email campaign with Squarespace Email Campaigns. For such a creative website builder, Squarespace doesn’t skimp on the business side.

You can even see how your site is performing with the ‘Analytics’ option on the home panel. It lets you view traffic, search for keywords, and essentially keep track of how your Squarespace website is doing.

62% of US consumers now shop online more than they did before the pandemic, so ecommerce may be something you want to add to your site. And the good news is, Squarespace makes it easier than ever to sell online. In our research it scored a 4.2 out of 5 in Ease of Use for ecommerce ‒ the highest of the builders we tested!

You’ll need to be on at least the ‘Business’ price plan to sell stuff. That said, we would still recommend the ‘Commerce’ plans for more ambitious online stores.

So, once you’ve upgraded (just hit the blue ‘Upgrade Now’ button), click ‘Commerce’ on the home panel, and you can start selling.

The Business plan comes with these sales features:

• Online orders
• Inventory management
• View your customers
• Add discounts
• Sell unlimited products
• Accept donations
• Offer gift cards

The Commerce plans unlock even more advanced features, such as selling products on Instagram and abandoned cart recovery.

Note, you’ll have to add a ‘Products’ page before managing your stock. But don’t worry, just revisit the ‘Adding pages’ steps and repeat the process. It’s really easy.

Squarespace has an integration with Square, the payments processing giant. This allows you to take card payments offline, as well as online – all you need is the Square Commerce app, one of Square’s small card readers ($49), and you’re good to go. Check out this video to see more about how this could work for your store:

Play

In terms of fees, offline payments will be subject to Square’s own transaction and processing fees. This varies depending on several factors (including location), but in the US you can expect to pay:

• 2.6% transaction fee + $0.10 processing fee for swiped/dipped/tapped transactions
• 3.5% transaction fee + $0.15 processing fee for keyed transactions

Although it’s always worth checking this directly on Square’s website. You won’t incur any extra fees from Squarespace for selling offline, or selling online using its Commerce plans.

Getting Ready to Sell Online?

You’ve had your great idea, you might even have products lined up ready to go. Now all you need is a Squarespace store – start today!

I Want to Start Selling on Squarespace

How to Use Squarespace: Recap

Go to the top

Creating a website with Squarespace is more satisfying than most other builders. Why? Because unlike other builders, you really can’t mess up the design of a Squarespace page. You can add as many features and edits to a page as you want and the end result will always be aesthetically pleasing. During testing, our users thought it was so good that we boosted its ease of use score by 14.6% to a 4.0 out of 5! 

Think of Squarespace like having stabilisers on a bicycle. You might think you don’t need them, but you’ll definitely miss them when they’re gone!

It may seem like a lot of information to absorb, but the process is really quite simple. To jog your memory, let’s recap the eleven simple steps for making a beautiful Squarespace site:

How to Use Squarespace in 11 Simple Steps

1. Get started (for free!)
2. Choose a template
3. Create a login
4. Add/remove pages
5. Edit pages
6. Adjust design and add branding
7. Add site information and configure key settings
8. Preview your site
9. Choose a price plan
10. Integrate marketing tools (optional)
11. Add ecommerce features (optional)

With Squarespace, you have so much creative flexibility – much more than with most website builders. Sure, it’s ideal for users with loads of design flair, but it’s also easy enough for anyone to create a professional quality website.

If you do find yourself up a creek without a paddle, Squarespace has incredible Customer Support. In our research, across all our customer service metrics it scored a 5 out of 5 for help and support — the only builder to do so!

So get started with Squarespace today, and see where the creative journey takes you.

Are you Excited to Get Started?

We’ve shown you how, now all that’s left is for you to grab Squarespace by its free trial and create your dream website.

Yes! Take Me to Squarespace