Become a Pro Web Designer: Earn Up to $800 Per Day with Squarespace
Why This Matters
Every year, more people look to launch websites, whether for side hustles, creative projects, or growing businesses, but a surprising number get tripped up before they even start. The old belief is that you need to be a code whizz or juggle endless technical skills just to get a foothold in web design. In 2024, that's simply not true. Website builders, especially Squarespace, have whittled down the learning curve and opened the doors to genuine earning power for designers who know how to use them well.
Instead of wrestling with CSS or getting bogged down in bloated tools, designers can produce sharp, functional sites quickly and confidently. You save untold hours, sidestep technical headaches, and still deliver the sort of websites people are keen to pay for. Sometimes you can earn hundreds of pounds per day. There is a catch: competition. With website builders so readily available, standing out and securing higher-paying work requires skill and thoughtful craftsmanship. Simply dragging a few blocks into place isn't enough. There is a craft to succeeding in this area.
Having spent over 20 years in the field and completed more than 400 Squarespace projects (some while powered entirely by biscuits and caffeine), I’ve distilled the most effective approach for anyone aiming to earn serious money with modern website builders.
Common Pitfalls
A common trap for newcomers is believing you need to offer everything under the sun. You’ll see fresh web designers trying to juggle domains, DNS, UX, branding, copywriting, SEO, graphics, advanced coding, and more. The result is burnout, overwhelm, and rushed sites that feel as bland as instant mash.
Other classic mistakes include:
- Spending far too long customising templates without a strategy
- Ignoring the value of pre-built assets and workflow tools
- Setting goals that are impossible to meet sustainably
- Skipping over routine tasks and paying the price with messy projects
The result is work that takes ages to complete, grows increasingly stressful, and rarely justifies a high daily rate.
Step-by-Step Fix
Here’s how you build a career that pays, using Squarespace as your primary tool.
Step 1: Nail Down Your Comfort Zone
To design websites that stand out, you need to know what kind of projects genuinely suit you. That means getting honest about your skills and what brings you satisfaction.
Start by asking:
- Do you prefer projects where creativity takes centre stage, or those that demand technical precision?
- Are you happy working on small, personal websites, or do you get fired up by scaling up to e-commerce?
The process doesn’t have to be a soul-searching quest. Dig into your past experiences—even from non-digital projects. You might already have a sense of whether you’d rather spend a day refining a photo gallery for an artist or wrangling product pages for a shop.
Practical example:
A student of mine, Lauren, loved photography. She built her business by specialising in Squarespace portfolio sites for artists and independent creatives. She focused on visual storytelling, using the platform’s gallery pages and image layouts to let art take centre stage. It played to her strengths and led to referrals within her chosen niche. No late nights spent debugging, no trying to please everyone.
Get in the habit of jotting down which projects energise you, and which drain you senseless. Over time, aim to take on more of the former and politely pass on the latter. The best-paid designers focus on a particular superpower rather than trying to be all-rounders.
Step 2: Embrace Website Builders (Don’t Fiddle with Code)
Squarespace and similar builders exist to help you reach a polished result with as little technical faff as possible. If you’re not already a developer, there’s little point trying to become one overnight. Let the tools do their job, and concentrate on the bits that can’t be templated: insight about your client and care for their brand.
Start with Squarespace’s built-in templates, which are popular for good reason. Use the drag-and-drop features to arrange layouts, adjust branding, and customise sections. Avoid the urge to dig into the “Custom CSS” panel unless you genuinely know what you’re doing or have a very specific client request.
Practical example:
Take a client brief for a bakery’s website. Load up a modern business template on Squarespace, swap in their colours and logo, upload a fresh gallery of their best bakes, and use the builder’s spacing tools to keep everything readable. Now you’re delivering quality without having to charge for billable hours spent lost in code.
“The KISS principle” isn’t just a catchy saying. If a feature is taking longer than thirty minutes and isn’t critical to the client’s goals, skip it or find a simpler alternative. Most clients will be happier with a site that launches on schedule and is easy to edit rather than waiting for the perfect font shadow you lost an evening over.
Step 3: Set Realistic, Rewarding Goals
A huge stumbling block is the temptation to sprint before you can walk. Every agency owner (my past self included) tried to juggle five client projects at once out of the gate. The reality is, you do better work and build a stronger reputation through steady, predictable wins rather than scattered, half-finished masterpieces.
Set a goal of completing one well-structured site instead of aiming for ten projects per month, and take the time to refine your process. If you’re still working another job, that’s even more crucial.
Practical example:
Set your target as one new website in your first month. Choose a manageable project, such as a family-run cafe, a local yoga instructor, or your mate’s side-hustle. Complete it, gather feedback, and then tackle a slightly bigger job next month.
This approach lets you track your time, improve efficiency, and avoid over-promising. In my agency days, it took me half a dozen years (and a few grey hairs) to get every “basic business site” down to three hours of build time. You gain speed and quality through repetition and refinement.
Treat each project as a mini-course and take notes as if you’re going to teach what you’ve learned. What took too long? What was a breeze? Come back and adjust your onboarding checklist or discovery questions for the next run.
Step 4: Make Routine Tasks Enjoyable (or At Least Bearable)
Web design has glamorous moments, but most days include slogging through content formatting, image uploads, and endless copy-paste. The designers that stick around and earn more are the ones who get these necessities done without letting their spirits flag.
Gamify what would otherwise be repetitive. Put on a favourite album or podcast, set a timer for a thirty-minute blitz, or promise yourself a cup of tea and a biscuit after you’ve finished a batch of tasks.
Practical example:
Every time you need to migrate twenty blog posts, split the list in half. Finish the first ten, have a short walk. Ask a friend to give you a call for a timed “power hour” challenge if you’re really flagging.
Build reusable checklists for recurring jobs, like content migration or template tweaks. This reduces the mental load and helps you get jobs finished with fewer errors. I keep mine in a Trello board and reference them before every build.
Step 5: Use Pre-Built Templates and Toolkits
Trying to build everything from scratch leads to quick burnout. High-earning web designers develop a library of flexible, pre-configured layouts that can be adapted to different clients. Squarespace’s template ecosystem is your friend here, and paid resources like Square Forge can increase your efficiency.
A template serves as both quality control and a source of creative freedom.
Practical example:
For each client type (photographer, restaurant, consultant), have a master template ready. When a project lands, duplicate the core, change out colours, swap in custom sections, and make minor adjustments for each. The structure and flow are already proven so you can focus on details like brand voice and unique features.
Don’t just buy every template you see. Curate a few that suit your style and regularly update them as you find better ways of structuring pages or improving usability, especially for mobile. I run quarterly “template reviews,” where I iterate based on what worked best in recent builds.
Step 6: Automate and Organise Your Workflow Properly
High-volume design means working smarter rather than simply putting in more hours. Modern automation tools can handle everything from resizing images to sending update emails, and good project management platforms help you stay on top of every detail.
Practical example:
Set up recurring tasks in tools like Infinity or Trello and list every step, from client briefing to handover. Link up Make.com or Taskmagic to automate repetitive jobs, such as resizing uploads or generating photo alt-tags. Use templates for FAQ responses to save time with client questions.
For onboarding, use Zapier or Make to automatically create a new project board, folder, and checklists every time you sign a new client. This process prevents important tasks from being overlooked.
If you haven’t tried integrating ChatGPT for customer comms, start now. Drafting polite but firm project update emails can take ages and AI can help produce drafts quickly. Just check the tone before hitting send so your communication stays personal.
What Most People Miss
Most web designers concentrate on flashy elements such as layout, colour, or a homepage animation. However, your ability to deliver predictable results every time sets you apart. This is how you turn one-off clients into your biggest fans and referral sources.
Many overlook the value of becoming an expert in Squarespace instead of dabbling with a dozen competing tools. Deep knowledge of the platform's quirks, shortcuts, and limitations lets you build faster and solve challenging problems. Top designers focus their expertise rather than trying to cover every platform.
The Bigger Picture
Following this system gives your business more than a higher income (though, let’s be honest, earning more certainly doesn’t hurt). Improving your workflow puts you in control of your schedule, lets you choose clients who suit your working style, and helps you keep developing your skills without getting bogged down by hype.
Proper systems mean you create not only one website after another, but also a portfolio, a network, and a professional reputation. You’ll have more time to focus on projects that truly interest you or even grow a small team if you wish, all while staying clear of burnout.
Clients trust designers who deliver a consistent standard. Reliability leads to more recommendations, which can help you raise your rates over time.
Wrap-Up
To earn up to $800 per day as a Squarespace web designer, don’t fall for hustle culture or scattered tactics. Instead, focus on what you do best, build and refine clear workflows, and lean on tools that save you effort. Develop a solid process, find enjoyment even in routine tasks, and keep learning new techniques.
The best web designers keep clients returning because the experience is smooth and results are solid, not because they chase every new trend.
Want more helpful systems like this? Join Pixelhaze Academy for free at https://www.pixelhaze.academy/membership.
Further Reading from Pixelhaze
- Why It's Still Important to Fact-Check AI Tools Like ChatGPT
- What Does a UX/UI Designer Do in Web Design?
- Mastering YouTube Thumbnails with Canva: A Practical Guide
- Announcing the Squarespace Designer Power Pack
- Image Compression in Web Design: Why It Still Matters in 2024
- Introducing Pixelhaze Pioneers: Free Support to Get You Over the Line
- Pixelhaze Coaching Community: Hands-On Help for Designers and Business Owners
Quick Takeaways
- Identify your strengths and focus on a niche rather than offering everything to everyone.
- Use Squarespace and pre-built templates to speed up delivery while keeping quality high.
- Automate repetitive tasks and use project management tools to keep projects on track.
- Embrace the learning cycle: improve, adapt, and collect feedback with every new build.
- Stay organised and approachable. Clients will reward you with trust and referrals.
Ready to sharpen your web design skills and join a like-minded community? Sign up to Pixelhaze Academy for valuable support, honest feedback, and fresh resources. See you inside!